Washington and Baghdad plan to hold talks soon to end presence of US-led coalition in Iraq

By TARA COPP and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Iraq will soon begin formal talks soon to transition the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State in Iraq. Iraq’s foreign ministry in a statement said that Baghdad aims to “formulate a specific and clear timetable that specifies the duration of the presence of international coalition advisors in Iraq.” The discussions will take place via a higher military commission that was agreed upon last summer. Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces for years, and in recent months those calls have surged against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.