ERBIL — US President Joe Biden revealed on Monday during his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi that Washington will end the US combat mission in Iraq by the end of the current year.
"We’re not going to be, by the end of the year, in a combat mission," Biden said in the Oval Office, adding that the US forces would continue to train and assist the Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).
Speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday, Prime Minister Kadhimi pointed out that "there is no need for any foreign combat forces on Iraqi soil."
However, the premier did not mention a specific timeline for the withdrawal of the US troops from Iraq.
Iraq would still seek US military assistance in training as well as intelligence gathering, Kadhimi noted.
"I'd like to thank the American people on behalf of all Iraq’s people," he said during the Oval Office meeting with Biden. "Today our nation is stronger than ever."