Iraq MPs call for timetable for foreign troop pullout
Iraq's parliament called for the government to draw up a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country in a resolution passed on 1 March, the speaker's office said.
The speaker's office said in a statement: ‘The Iraqi parliament expresses its gratitude to all countries which have supported Iraq in its fight against Daesh (the Islamic State group) and calls for the government to draw up a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops.’
Washington in October 2014 forged a 74-country coalition, as well as international organisations such as NATO, to assist Iraqi forces in a fightback against IS which at the time had seized swathes of the country and posed a military threat to Baghdad.
On 5 February, the coalition announced it was ‘adjusting’ its force levels in Iraq downward as it shifted away from combat operations following the jihadists' expulsion from all Iraqi urban centres.
Brigadier General Jonathan Braga, the coalition's director of operations, said ‘an appropriate amount of capabilities’ would be kept in Iraq in addition to the forces needed to train, advise and equip the Iraqis.
Such a presence would be coordinated with the Iraqi government, said the coalition, whose main force is made up of 5,000 US soldiers in Iraq.
More from Defence Notes
-
US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
-
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.