No need for any foreign, US troops in Iraq: Iraqi army

BAGHDAD, Iraq

The Iraqi army said on Saturday it is not in need of any foreign or US troops to fight beside them.

According to a statement by the Iraqi army spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, the withdrawal of the foreign troops from Iraq will be decided by the technical committees between Baghdad and Washington.

On Friday, a top US CENTCOM general said no plans for full US withdrawal from Iraq for the foreseeable future.

"Iraq does not need any US or foreign soldier to fight beside the Iraqi forces, and not in need of any fighters on the ground except for the Iraqi forces," Rasool said.

He added that there is a scheduling process to withdraw the foreign troops, which will be decided "within the strategic dialogue between Baghdad and Washington."

Rasool concluded by saying, "Iraq has trained forces capable of defending the country and the people."

The US statement arose condemnation in Iraq, especially from pro-Iranian groups where the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction Qais Khazali said, "the Afghan model is the only way to exit the US troops from Iraq."

Currently, there are around 3,000 troops, including 2,500 US forces, fighting in the anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition.

Iraqi political forces have called for the withdrawal of the US troops in the country under a parliamentary decision issued on Jan. 5, 2020.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara