Iraqi PM al-Sudani supports indefinite U.S. troop presence in country -WSJ interview

FILE PHOTO: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani speaks next to the German chancellor during a news conference at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

(Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani defended the presence of U.S. troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday.

Referring to the U.S. and NATO troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat, he told the newspaper in the interview that the foreign forces are still needed. "Elimination of ISIS needs some more time," he said.