Mission end—not rebranding—is the best policy in Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 26, 2021
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, President Biden announced that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will conclude by the end of the year, with the mission set to take on an advisory character. Defense Priorities Senior Fellow Gil Barndollar issued the following statement in response:

“This is old wine in new bottles. ‘Train, advise, assist’ can mean whatever the Pentagon or White House wants it to—as we saw when U.S. special operations forces engaged in harrowing combat missions in Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016, after the end of ‘combat operations.’ Operational tempo in Iraq is way down since the end of major operations against ISIS two years ago but relabeling this mission as a purely advisory effort is meaningless.

“Iraq has a difficult path ahead as it tries to walk a tightrope between the United States and Iran. But U.S. forces in Iraq, whether we call them ‘combat troops’ or not, remain vulnerable to the rockets and mortars of Iraqi militias. As the Biden administration has emphasized, America can and will support Iraq through diplomatic, economic, and information means. A continued military advisory mission is both an invitation to mission creep and an easy target for America’s foes.”

Author

Gil
Barndollar

Non-Resident Fellow

Defense Priorities