Proclaiming an end to combat operations and reclassifying US mission as advisory will not reduce risk to US troops
ARLINGTON, Va.—Ahead of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit to the White House and in response to reports the United States and Iraq are to proclaim American troops in Iraq will end their combat mission, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Senior Advisor and Iraq War veteran Dan Caldwell issued the following statement on behalf of the organization:
“Regardless of whether their deployment is called a combat mission, U.S. troops will remain under regular attack as long as they remain in Iraq. An American military presence in Iraq is not necessary for our safety and only risks the loss of more American life. Remaining in country to continue training Iraqi Security Forces who are allied with (and sometimes equip) the very militias attacking our troops, diplomats, and contractors is counterproductive and nonsensical.
“President Biden made the right call to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and he should apply the same justifications he made for that decision to Iraq. If President Biden wants to end our endless war in Iraq, the only way to do that is to conclude our military presence in the country, instead of attempting to rebrand it as a non-combat force.”
Background:
Polling conducted by Concerned Veterans for America and YouGov shows that over two-thirds of veterans support a full military withdrawal from Iraq.
###