Baghdad National Security Adviser Qassem Al-Araji announced that the joint technical committees between Iraq and the United States will meet this week.
Al-Araji said, in a statement to the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA), that “the joint technical committees will meet this week to implement the outcomes of the fourth round of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States, held last July in the capital, Washington,” noting that “the strategic dialogue sessions have ended, practically, the rest of it is the technical side.”
The National Security Adviser reiterated that December 31 of the current year 2021 will witness the exit of the last foreign soldier from Iraq, according to the agreement between Baghdad and Washington, noting that “the end of this year we will witness the withdrawal of the last combat soldier from Iraq, as was agreed upon in the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Washington. “.
He added, “the agreement on the withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq does not mean changing the mission because the trainers and advisors are not combatants, and therefore Iraq needs trainers and advisors at the request of the government, as this number will be determined later.”
Al-Araji stressed, “the Iraqi security forces are able to address the loopholes of the terrorist Daesh,” noting that “the international coalition is from multiple countries, and there is an agreement with the Italian police for the return of training programs for the Iraqi police.”
On cooperation with NATO, Al-Araji explained that “NATO is a training and advisory force with military experience, not combat forces,” noting, “We asked NATO to expand training operations for the Ministries of Interior and Defense, the Counter-Terrorism Service and the Popular Mobilization.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency