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Foreign troop deployments in Iraq Baghdad, Jan 7 (AFP) Jan 07, 2020 Some foreign troops deployed in Iraq are being moved amid heightened concerns over possible Iranian retaliation for the killing of a powerful Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, on the orders of US President Donald Trump. Here are the countries that have made announcements about temporary withdrawals or remaining in Iraq:
Earlier Iraqi premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said he had received signed copies of a US letter describing steps to "move out" of the country. "There is no signed letter, to the best of my knowledge," Esper said. "At some point we want to get out, but this isn't the right point," President Donald Trump said. "It's the worst thing that could happen to Iraq."
"The situation in Iraq is complex and it is best to pause our work there in order to fully concentrate our attention and efforts toward the safety and security of our personnel while the situation develops," Vance said.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said German troops are in the country at the Iraqi government's invitation. "If that is no longer the case... then the legal basis for us to be there is missing. We have to clarify this with those responsible in Baghdad," he said.
"The priority today is the same as it was yesterday and should be tomorrow: the fight against Daesh and its resurgence on the ground in the Middle East, and its propaganda on the internet," Defence Minister Florence Parly tweeted, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
Italian media quoted military sources as saying that "a few dozen" Italian soldiers had been moved from an operations centre near the US embassy in Baghdad after repeated mortar attacks. US and allied foreign troops in Iraq are concerned they might be targeted by Iran or allied Iraqi militias in retaliation for Soleimani's killing. "With around 1,000 men in Iraq, over 1,000 in Lebanon in the UNIFIL (peacekeeping) mission, and just under 1,000 in Afghanistan, Italy is among the countries most committed to the stability of the region," Guerini said.
A NATO official said other mission personnel were being moved to other parts of Iraq, and emphasised that "NATO maintains a presence".
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis called on the European Union to have "a stronger voice" in reacting to the crisis unleashed by the killing of the Iranian general.
Around 200 Hungarian soldiers are stationed in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, both as part of NATO's training mission and the broader coalition against the Islamic State group.
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