US military presence in spotlight after Baghdad meeting

Jared Szuba

Jul 15, 2021

Brett McGurk and Mustafa al-Kadhimi — Brett McGurk (L), the White House’s coordinator for Middle East policy, met in Baghdad on July 15, 2021, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (R). Here, McGurk is seen addressing the International Institute for Strategic Studies Manama Dialogue in the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Oct. 27, 2018, while Kadhimi is seen at 10 Downing Street in London, where he met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Oct. 22, 2020. — AFP via Getty Images (L) / Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images (R)

There was some confusion Thursday about possible plans by the US-led military coalition against the Islamic State to withdraw more forces from Iraq.

Brett McGurk, the White House’s coordinator for Middle East policy, met Thursday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who heads to Washington later this month. Kadhimi’s office said in a statement that they discussed “mechanisms for withdrawing combat forces from Iraq and moving to a new phase of strategic cooperation” between their countries.