During his visit, Austin described the US military presence as an “important mission”. Its purpose is to “advise, support and enable” the Iraqi military in their “fight against terrorism”. However, the US military must be able to “operate safely and securely in order to continue to do this essential work”.
Upon his arrival, Austin said the purpose of his visit was to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq. Iraq is on the way to becoming “safer, more stable and more sovereign,” the Pentagon chief wrote on Twitter.
Austin’s visit comes days before the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq that toppled longtime ruler Saddam Hussein. On March 20, 2003, US troops launched their offensive in Iraq with the support of an international coalition. This began one of the bloodiest chapters in Iraqi history, marked by years of conflict and political instability.
More than ten years after its troop invasion, the United States supported Iraq at the head of an international military coalition in the fight against the IS militia when they occupied parts of northern and western Iraq in 2014. The extremists were driven out of territories it occupied in 2017 but continue to have sleeper cells in desert and mountain hideouts in both Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) also made a surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday. She assured the country of Germany’s continued support and solidarity. After her arrival in Baghdad, she declared: “We are keeping up the pressure of persecution against IS alongside Iraq and our international partners.” Baerbock announced that she would meet German soldiers during her trip and get an idea of Germany’s military commitment.
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