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.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat]()
Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat
Estonian-made equipment is being put through the toughest of evaluations in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers resisting the full-scale Russian invasion which began in 2022. The country has long seen the threat and is continuing to adapt for the future.
-
![Estonia boosting defence industry with lessons from Ukraine, says country’s economic minister]()
Estonia boosting defence industry with lessons from Ukraine, says country’s economic minister
Estonia is looking to boost its local defence industry with directed funding, industry parks, support through international orders for equipment and rapid prototyping.
-
![UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens]()
UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens
The UK has recently deployed a Type 45 destroyer to Cyprus and has bolstered its presence in the Middle East in recent weeks with supporting air power to protect neighbouring countries’ air defences.
-
![White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production]()
White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production
Intended to sustain Operation Epic Fury against Iran, efforts to increase the production of weapons and ammunition could expose long-standing weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.
-
![India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict]()
India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict
The latest escalation between Iran and Israel could shape New Delhi’s next-generation shield as India deepens cooperation with Israel on missile defence and drone production.
-
![Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?]()
Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?
The Pentagon spent a considerable number of THAAD and SM-3 rounds to defend against Iranian missiles in 2025 and has not fully replenished its reserves.
