Pentagon plans more troop reductions by November

WASHINGTON — The United States plans to reduce its military force in Iraq from the current 5,200 to about 3,500 by November, U.S. officials said Friday. The cut would be in line with President Trump’s repeated call to bring troops home and his reelection campaign pledge to end what he calls “endless wars.”

The plan to shrink the U.S. force in Iraq was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Officials who confirmed the plan spoke on condition of anonymity.

American troops are in Iraq to train and advise Iraqi security forces battling the Islamic State group, but the relationship has been rocky at times in large part because of periodic attacks by Iranbacked militia groups that are not fully controlled by the Iraqi government. U.S. troops, after invading Iraq and toppling President Saddam Hussein in 2003, had withdrawn from the country only to begin returning in 2014 after Islamic State militants swept across the Syrian border and took control of large swaths of Iraqi territory.

Trump met last week at the White House with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa alKadhimi.

“We look forward to the day when we don’t have to be there,” Trump said then. “We were there and now we’re getting out. We’ll be leaving shortly and the relationship is very good. We’re making very big oil deals.”

Last month, the top U.S. general for the Middle East said he believed the U.S. will keep a smaller but enduring presence in the country. Marine Gen.

Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, said he believes the Iraqis welcome U.S. and coalition troops, especially in the ongoing fight to keep Islamic State fighters from taking hold of the country again.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as recently as this month that the administration intends to get U.S. forces in Iraq to the lowest possible level as quickly as possible.

Tensions spiked between the U.S. and Iraq in January after a U.S. drone strike near the Baghdad airport killed Iranian Gen.

Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi alMuhandis. Angry Iraqi lawmakers passed a nonbinding resolution to oust all U.S.led coalition forces from the country.

In response to the Soleimani killing, Iran on Jan. 8 launched a ballistic missile attack on alAsad air base in Iraq, which resulted in traumatic brain injuries to more than 100 American troops.