Defense Secretary Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq

Twenty years after the launch of the U.S.-led coalition invasion of Iraq, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on March 7 to meet with the nation’s prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Austin is on a multi-day tour of the Middle East during which he will meet with the leaders of nations that are allied with the United States.
The focus of Austin’s meeting with al-Sudani was to discuss the future of the U.S. troop presence in Iraq.
There are 2,500 U.S. troops in the country.
“I just concluded a productive meeting with Prime Minister Sudani and Minister of Defense Abbasi. This was just the latest high-level contact between our governments,” said Austin to a group of reporters in Baghdad. “And all of these engagements underscore the U.S. commitment to expanding our partnership with the people and the government of Iraq. We’re deeply committed to ensuring that the Iraqi people can live in peace and dignity, with safety and security and with economic opportunity for all.”…}