Update # 1 — 4:09 P.M.: Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday disputed a letter indicating the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS will leave Iraq, stating there is “no decision whatsoever to leave” the country.
Update # 2 — 4:34 P.M.: Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the letter is a “mistake” and a “poorly” worded draft. He added it was being worked on with Iraq and reiterated that U.S. troops will remain in the country.
Congress faces holiday crunch as health care fix collides with shrinking calendar
Republicans divided over whether to salvage Obamacare — or replace it — ahead of subsidy deadline
Idaho bar owner faces death threats after viral promo offering free beer for assisting ICE
Judge rules evidence linked to James Comey’s ally is off limits to DOJ
EXCLUSIVE: Trump-led Kennedy Center nearly doubles fundraising from Biden era, smashing record with $23M haul
Hegseth hints at major defense spending hike, reveals new details on Trump’s anti-narco-terrorism operations
Hegseth hints major defense spending increase, reveals new details on Trump’s anti-narcoterrorism operations
Dr. Oz warns Walz to address alleged Somali Medicaid fraud or lose federal funding: ‘We’ll stop paying’
Disgraced teacher accused of using Google Docs to groom underage student before alleged sex crimes
Louisiana manhunt continues as dangerous inmate charged with attempted murder remains on the run
Photos: Incredibly Creepy New Epstein Island Photos Released – Chilling Masks, Eerie Dentist Chair, Weird Writing on Chalkboard
This week in Campus Radicals: Christian student flunked, Jewish students shaken, conservative groups blocked
Fact Check: Do Somalis Contribute More to Minnesota’s Bottom Line Than They Take?
Mass killings fall to lowest level in nearly two decades, national database shows
Amid Billion-Dollar Somali Fraud Scandal, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz Reveals What He’s ‘Deeply Concerned’ About: Trump Insult
MORE BREAKING: @thejointstaff Gen. Milley came back to brief us again after looking at the letter. "It was a mistake," he said. Milley said it was a draft, poorly worded, and had not been signed. It was being worked w/ Iraqis. Bottom Line: US troops ARE NOT leaving, he said. https://t.co/L6wGYiVIkv
— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) January 6, 2020
The U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS said it will withdraw from Iraq and reposit its troops in the near future, according to a letter examined by Reuters on Monday.
“Sir, in deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement,” wrote U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General William H. Seely, who leads up the Task Force Iraq, to the Iraqi defence ministry’s Combined Joint Operations Baghdad.
“We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure,” the letter added.
Reuters said it independently confirmed the letter with an Iraqi military source.
Congress faces holiday crunch as health care fix collides with shrinking calendar
Republicans divided over whether to salvage Obamacare — or replace it — ahead of subsidy deadline
Idaho bar owner faces death threats after viral promo offering free beer for assisting ICE
Judge rules evidence linked to James Comey’s ally is off limits to DOJ
EXCLUSIVE: Trump-led Kennedy Center nearly doubles fundraising from Biden era, smashing record with $23M haul
Hegseth hints at major defense spending hike, reveals new details on Trump’s anti-narco-terrorism operations
Hegseth hints major defense spending increase, reveals new details on Trump’s anti-narcoterrorism operations
Dr. Oz warns Walz to address alleged Somali Medicaid fraud or lose federal funding: ‘We’ll stop paying’
Disgraced teacher accused of using Google Docs to groom underage student before alleged sex crimes
Louisiana manhunt continues as dangerous inmate charged with attempted murder remains on the run
Photos: Incredibly Creepy New Epstein Island Photos Released – Chilling Masks, Eerie Dentist Chair, Weird Writing on Chalkboard
This week in Campus Radicals: Christian student flunked, Jewish students shaken, conservative groups blocked
Fact Check: Do Somalis Contribute More to Minnesota’s Bottom Line Than They Take?
Mass killings fall to lowest level in nearly two decades, national database shows
Amid Billion-Dollar Somali Fraud Scandal, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz Reveals What He’s ‘Deeply Concerned’ About: Trump Insult
Iraqi lawmakers voted Sunday in favor of a resolution that calls for ending foreign military presence in the country. The resolution’s main aim is to get the U.S. to withdraw some 5,000 U.S. troops present in different parts of Iraq.
The vote comes two days after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani inside Iraq.
The Iraqi resolution specifically calls for ending an agreement in which Washington sent troops to Iraq more than four years ago to help in the fight against the Islamic State group.
The resolution was backed by most Shiite members of parliament, who hold a majority of seats.
Many Sunni and Kurdish legislators did not show up for the session, apparently because they oppose abolishing the deal.
“The government commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting Islamic State due to the end of military operations in Iraq and the achievement of victory,” read the measure. “The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason.”
Story cited here.
