Esper: ‘There’s Been No Decision Whatsoever to Leave Iraq’

U.S. Army soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Task Force-Iraq, man a defensive position at Forward Operating Base Union III in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 31, 2019. U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Desmond Cassell/Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs/Handout via Reuters

No decision has been made to leave Iraq, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Jan. 6, drawing heightened scrutiny to a letter reportedly sent to Iraqi lawmakers from the U.S. military that signaled a withdrawal.

“There’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq,” Esper told reporters in Washington.