NATO withdraws troops from Iraq mission to Europe as Iran war rages
BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - NATO has withdrawn all of its troops from an advisory missionin Iraq, the military alliance said on Friday, as the repercussions of the Iran war spread across the Middle East.
"I would like to thank the Republic of Iraq and all the Allies who assisted in the safe relocation of NATO personnel from Iraq," U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said in a statement.
The statement said the mission had relocated "all its personnel" from the Middle East to Europe. A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that amounted to "several hundred" troops.
In recent days, several countries including Poland, Spain and Croatia have announced they have withdrawn troops from the Middle East, citing the conflict in Iran and the wider Gulf region.
NATO said its mission would continue from a military headquarters in Naples, Italy. The mission does not have a combat role. It focuses on advising Iraqi security forces and helping them build up their capacities, according to NATO.
“I would also like to thank the dedicated men and women of NATO Mission Iraq, who continued their mission throughout this period. They are true professionals," Grynkewich said.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, William Maclean)
