Jan 6, 2020

The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq is set to reposition forces throughout the country, but it will not withdraw. The Iraqi parliament urged international troops to leave over the weekend after President Donald Trump approved a drone strike that took the life of top Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani.

“In due deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement,” Marine Brig. Gen. William Seely wrote in a letter to Iraq’s Ministry of Defense, as first reported by the Washington Post.

A US defense official confirmed to Al-Monitor the letter was authentic, which indicated that there would be an “increase in helicopter travel” as US and coalition forces moved throughout Iraq. US forces had already increased force protection measures over the weekend.

“There’s been no decision made to leave Iraq. Period,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters at the Pentagon this afternoon. Esper said the United States would follow the “laws of armed conflict” in selecting targets against Iran.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said the letter was a draft released by mistake after it was shared with Iraqi officials, indicating that the United States meant to communicate that the Pentagon would be moving forces throughout the country, but was “poorly worded.”