Secretary of state says US is only willing to discuss future structure of forces in countryUS is not willing to withdraw troops from Iraq, says PompeoWashington is not willing to bow to Iraqi demands to withdraw its troops and any future discussions with Baghdad will be purely confined to the future structure of its forces in the country, the US state department has said. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said the US was only willing to discuss force reconfiguration with the Iraqis, and a greater contribution by Nato forces. A total of 5,500 US troops are in Iraq, and the US is in discussion with Nato officials about an increase in non-US Nato contribution. Iran’s main stated strategic goal is the removal of US troops from Iraq, as a precursor to a wider US withdrawal. In what Pompeo described as a mischaracterisation of his discussion with the Iraqi prime minister on Thursday night, the Iraqi government said the leader asked Pompeo to “send delegates to Iraq to prepare a mechanism to carry out the parliament’s resolution regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq”.

Source: The Guardian January 10, 2020 18:31 UTC