The US and Iraq plan talks soon on ending the mission of the US-led military coalition in Iraq

By TARA COPP and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Iraq will soon begin talks to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq. The announcement comes as U.S. forces in Iraq have been increasingly targeted by Iran-backed militias. But Washington says the time frame for the discussions isn’t related to the attacks. Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces for years. Those calls have increased in recent months against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. Iran-linked factions in Iraq are likely to claim as a victory the announcement about the talks on ending the U.S.-led mission.