The general overseeing US forces in the Middle East arrived in Iraq on Sunday, February 17th, for discussions between US and Iraqi officials expected to focus on ensuring that the terrorist group Isis cannot return after US troops withdraw from neighboring Syria.
Although the US Army General Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command made no remarks to reporters upon landing in Iraq, Reuters News Agency reported that he was expected to get battlefield briefings on the final push to retake the remnants of Isis that was once vast territory in Syria.
According to Reuters, Votel was also expected to discuss with officials in Baghdad what impact the US withdrawal might have on Iraq, where Isis has already shifted to guerrilla hit-and-run tactics after losing all its territory.
Votel previously ruled out that President Trump's withdrawal of more than 2,000 troops from Syria would significantly alter US troop levels in Iraq, where the United States has more than 5,000 forces.
Those force numbers would stay "more or less steady," he confirmed.
The US Army General told reporters traveling with him last week that his country will want to make sure that it gets the right capabilities on the ground to support the Iraqis going forward. He added: “But I don't necessarily think that will result in an expanded footprint by the United States or by the coalition forces".
In December Trump made a surprise decision to withdraw US troops from Syria that confounded his national security team and led to the resignation of his defense secretary, Jim Mattis. It also shocked US allies and sent generals like Votel scrambling to carry out the withdrawal in a way that best preserves as many gains as possible.