Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
July 27, 2021
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Tuesday released the following statement on the U.S.-Iraq agreement to drawdown the U.S. combat mission in Iraq:
“For over a year now, the U.S. military’s role in Iraq has been shifting away from combat and toward a purely advisory role. We’ve invested significant resources into Iraq’s security and military capabilities over the last decade, but President Biden and Prime Minister al-Kadhimi are right: the Iraqi military no longer needs the support of U.S. combat forces,” said Murphy. “We need to remember that our commitment and engagement with countries can’t just be measured by boots on the ground. So even as the U.S. combat mission comes to a close, the United States should continue to have a robust diplomatic presence and provide Iraq with advice and assistance to help tackle issues that threaten the country’s stability.”
###