A senior military spokesman in Iraq has indicated that the U.S. military withdrawal and handover of the base in Taji was more than just a repositioning of U.S. forces within the country. Maj. Gen. Tahsin Khafaji, spokesperson for Iraq’s Joint Operation Command, told state media that the troops at Taji “did not re-station anywhere in Iraq,” saying that the U.S.-led coalition is moving in the direction of leaving the country, reported Rudaw.
“The International Coalition troops are committed to handing back all the bases they have been using to the Iraqi government,” Khafaji said, and stating further that they have established a timeline for the exit. “The handovers come at the request of the Iraqi government, as many bases have completed their training and preparatory tasks, and it became necessary [for the Iraqi government] to receive the bases from coalition forces.”
