Andrey Koshkin, Head of Political Science and Sociology Department at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, believes that the United States is withdrawing from Afghanistan and then from Iraq in order to solve its problems in another region
The withdrawal of US troops from Iraq is only a matter of time, the expert told Radio Sputnik.
“The new White House team headed by Joe Biden wants to radically change the foreign policy trajectory of the United States, choosing some military component. A hasty withdrawal-first from Afghanistan, which the world community recognizes as a flight, and then from Iraq-will cause a certain degree of destabilization both in the country and in the region. And this is natural. Because the US went there with certain goals, which they do not openly talk about, while coming out and saying that the goals were achieved. Having destroyed Iraq and killed millions of people there, the US is leaving that country to solve its problems, to accumulate forces and to concentrate elsewhere, namely in the Asia-Pacific region. So we see today a reorientation of the United States”, – believes Andrei Koshkin.
The US will cease military operations in Iraq by 31 December 2021 but will continue to support local security forces, according to a joint statement following talks between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein.
“The security relationship will fully transition to training, advice, assistance and intelligence sharing. The US intends to continue to support Iraqi security forces, including the (peshmerga) militia, to help them build capacity to deal with future threats”, – the document said.
It makes no mention of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. There are about 2,500 US troops on the territory of the country now.