JOC denies extending the date of US forces withdrawal from Iraq

 
Baghdad-INA
 
The Joint Operations Command-JOC- denied on Friday, extending the date for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, elaborating the nature of the relationship between Baghdad and Washington after the withdrawal of the combat forces.
 
The spokesman for JOC, Major General Tahsin Al-Khafaji, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "The talk about extending the date for the withdrawal of US forces is inaccurate and incorrect," emphasizing that "the date for the departure of combat forces on the 31st of next December is unchanged. "
 
 
Major General Al-Khafaji added, "The relationship between the two parties after the departure of the combat forces will be an advisory relationship in the fields of training, armament, intelligence and security information against the terrorist groups ISIS."
 
Earlier, International Coalition confirmed, that the coalition's role in Iraq will not change along with the approaching withdrawal of combat forces at the end of December, this year.
 
"The role of the international coalition in Iraq will not change, and it will move from combat operations to the role of advisory, empowerment and assistance,” said the spokesman for the Joint Task Force and Director of Public Affairs in the International Coalition, Joel Harper, to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
 
"We're already pretty much playing that role now, so there won't be a dynamic change in the numbers or the mission that we have here now," he added.
 
The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Major General Yahya Rasool, confirmed earlier that "the forces assigned to combat missions have begun to withdraw, and there is an ongoing effort to complete the withdrawal process until December 31st, 2021,"