US Said Withdrawing Some Staff From Baghdad Embassy Over Retaliation Fears

The United States is withdrawing some of the staff from its embassy in Baghdad ahead of the first anniversary of the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. The withdrawal of some of the staff, first reported by The Washington Post citing unnamed sources and described as temporary, is believed to be over fears of retaliation for the assassination of Soleimani on Jan. 3 by a US drone strike in Baghdad. The number of staff that will be leaving is not known and is expected to last only until mid-January. The US State Department did not confirm the staff withdrawal to the Post, but called the safety of its personnel its “highest priority.” U.S. Ambassador Matthew Tueller will remain in Iraq, according to the report. The move comes in the wake of an order by the Trump Administration last month to reduce the United States’ military presence in Iraq by about 500 troops down to 2,500.