The Pentagon issued the following:
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Iraqi Minister of Defense Jumah Inad Sadun al-Jaburi
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met on November 20 with
Minister Jumah Inad Sadun al-Jaburi, Iraq's Minister of Defense, in
Manama, Bahrain, during the annual Manama Dialogue. Secretary Austin
affirmed the strength and importance of the U.S.-Iraq strategic
partnership, and underscored the enduring U.S. commitment to the
defeat-ISIS mission.
Secretary Austin confirmed with Minister Sadun that U.S. forces remain
in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government to support the Iraqi
Security Forces. The United States will uphold the commitments it made
during the July 2021 U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, including that there
will be no U.S. forces with a combat role by the end of the year. The
two leaders discussed the next phase for the U.S. military mission in
Iraq, which will focus on advising, assisting, and sharing intelligence
with the Iraqi Security Forces in support of the campaign to defeat
ISIS.
Secretary Austin congratulated Minister Sadun on Iraq’s secure and
technically sound October elections. He condemned the appalling attack
on Iraq’s Prime Minister earlier this month and shared his hope that
government formation would continue peacefully.
