U.S. to withdraw troops from Iraq by JanuaryOctober 16, 2011 - 17:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. is abandoning plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq past a year-end withdrawal deadline. The decision to pull out fully by January will effectively end more than eight years of U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, despite ongoing concerns about its security forces and the potential for instability. The decision ends months of hand-wringing by U.S. officials over whether to stick to a Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline that was set in 2008 or negotiate a new security agreement to ensure that gains made and more than 4,400 American military lives lost since March 2003 do not go to waste. In recent months, Washington had been discussing with Iraqi leaders the possibility of leaving several thousand American troops to continue training Iraqi security forces. But a senior Obama administration official in Washington confirmed Saturday all American troops will leave Iraq except for about 160 active-duty soldiers attached to the U.S. Embassy. A senior U.S. military official confirmed the departure and said the withdrawal could allow future but limited U.S. military training missions in Iraq if requested. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity, Sun Times reported citing the AP. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | SBP instant transfers now available from 190 Russian banks to Armenia To receive money from Russian banks, easywallet users need to go to their easywallet accounts. Armenia's Davit Chaloyan qualifies for Paris Olympics The Armenian boxer qualified for Paris Olympics after a series of successful bouts at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament. Lemkin Institute urges Armenia to respect people’s right to dissent The Lemkin Institute has urged the Armenian government to respect people’s fundamental human right to express their dissent. French-Armenian journalist returns to France after 41-day hunger strike Nicolian said on social media on Sunday, June 2 that he needs to improve his health in order to “continue the fight”. |