U.S. pledges Iraq troop withdrawal but without timeline

The United States committed on Wednesday to move all remaining combat forces from Iraq, although the two sides did not set a timeline in what would be the second withdrawal since the 2003 invasion.

The first "strategic dialogue" with Iraq under U.S. President Joe Biden's administration comes as Iranian-linked Shia paramilitary groups fire rockets nearly daily at bases with foreign troops in hopes of forcing a U.S. exit.

The two nations agreed in a videoconference led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein that Iraqi forces were ready to take on more responsibility.

"The parties confirmed that the mission of U.S. and coalition forces has now transitioned to one focused on training and advisory tasks, thereby allowing for the redeployment of any remaining combat forces from Iraq, with the timing to be established in upcoming technical talks," a joint statement said.

Iraq has walked a fine line in balancing its relations between the United States and Iran, which shares religious ties with its Shia-majority neighbour.

Iraqi calls soared for a withdrawal of U.S. troops in January 2020 after former president Donald Trump ordered the assassination in Baghdad of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani – and tensions have remained high.

Biden in February ordered airstrikes against targets in Syria of Iranian-linked paramilitaries after a rocket attack killed a contractor for the U.S.-led coalition and injured U.S. personnel.

But Biden, in a rare point of agreement with Trump, has been looking for ways to wind down what have come to be dubbed "endless wars".

In his final months in office, Trump had ordered a drawdown from Iraq as well as Afghanistan, with the number of U.S. troops in each country dipping to 2,500 by 15 January.

Iraq's national security advisor, Qassem al-Araji, promised efforts to protect foreign forces and confirmed that the United States would move ahead with a pull-out. "The American side promised to withdraw an important number of its troops from Iraq," he said.

The Pentagon declined to specify a timeline for a withdrawal, saying it would be worked out in the technical talks. "We've all been working to an eventual redeployment," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters, "when there's no need for American support on the ground." (AFP)