Push to oust US troops from Iraq a risky undertaking
January 6, 2020 3:22PM AKST
In this Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020 photo, released by the Iraqi Parliament Media Office, shows Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi, heading a session of parliament in Baghdad, Iraq. The Parliament voted in a favor of a bill on Sunday, requesting the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. The non-binding vote to end the presence of 5,200 troops requires the approval of the Iraqi government. (Iraqi Parliament Media Office, via AP)
BAGHDAD (AP) – A push to oust U.S. troops from Iraq is gaining momentum, bolstered by a Parliament vote in favor of a bill calling on the Iraqi government remove them. But the path forward is unclear. In Iraq’s deeply divided terrain, with a resigned prime minister and raging proxy war between Iran and the U.S., ending America’s 17-year military presence in Iraq is a risky undertaking and won’t be easy. It could lead to a resurgence of the Islamic State group and further entrench Iran.
