Iraq News - Local News - Baghdadpost

The United States troops, as well as the international coalition forces and NATO, will leave Iraq, in case the Iraqi government requested this, a diplomat said.

“There are no US bases in Iraq, only trainers and advisers,” Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Iraq, Joey Hood told reporters on Tuesday, estimating the average number of troops there at 5,200 members a week and that the number varies.

“Iraqi security forces are not ready until now, to maintain security without the help of foreign forces,” he added indicating that the US troops’ deployment in Iraq is based on the government’s invitation.

Hood denied reports on US military movements in Iraq, describing them as ‘baseless’. He also indicated that “most of the published images date back to 2006.”