Iraqi PM says in an interview he supports indefinite US troop presence in country

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani defended the presence of US 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 US and NATO troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering ISIS 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.