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Iraqi civilians and US soldiers pull down a statue of Saddam Hussein in downtown Baghdad, in this April 9, 2003
THOUSANDS of US troops are set to be deployed to Iraq for a nine-month tour of duty, the Pentagon said on Monday, despite an agreement by Washington to “draw down” its presence in the country.
About 2,000 soldiers from the Fourth Infantry Division are set to become the primary force in Iraq when they replace the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Louisiana Army National Guard.
The Pentagon insists the unit’s deployment is “part of a normal rotation of units” to support the US-led task force in the fight against Isis.
Washington’s response to a downed jet shows a superpower still reaching for overwhelming force even as its wars repeatedly fail, says NICK WRIGHT
Tehran retaliates with attacks on Israel, the Gulf Arab states and crude oil flows
While Trump praises the ‘successful’ attack on Iranian nuclear sites, the question arises as to the real motives behind this escalation. MARC VANDEPITTE explores the issues