Iraq's caretaker premier Adel Abdel Mahdi contended Tuesday that he received signed copies of a letter the US had said was only an unsigned draft describing steps America's military would take to leave Iraq.

Here is AFP's look at what shape a withdrawal could take.

- How could troops withdraw? -

A senior US military official had told AFP that a hypothetical withdrawal would take weeks, but could be shortened to days in an emergency situation -- like being ordered out immediately by Iraq's government.

Cargo planes would transport equipment by air while troops would likely drive out through the south to Kuwait.

The Monday letter apparently mistakenly sent by US Brigadier General William Seely to the Iraqi government said the US-led coalition would be "repositioning forces in the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement."

Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute told AFP: "The coalition would need to map out travel routes, sequence evacuation plans for troops, civilians and contractors and decide what equipment and documents to bring, abandon or destroy."

- What is happening on the ground? -

The Pentagon swiftly denied there was a plan to leave Iraq, saying the letter was still a draft and was unsigned.

But Iraqi premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said late Tuesday he had received the previous day signed and translated copies discussing "redeploying with an aim to withdraw from the country."

"The expressions were very clear," he told his cabinet.

He also noted that preliminary versions of the letter received in Arabic and English contained spelling mistakes, which were duly corrected by the US, at the behest of the Iraqis.

The letter said helicopters would be flying around Baghdad's Green Zone where the US embassy is located as part of the departure arrangements.

AFP could hear helicopters flying low over Baghdad throughout the night on Monday and Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, Germany said 30 soldiers based in Baghdad and a nearby airbase would "shortly" be moved to Jordan and Kuwait, "together with soldiers from other countries".

Canada said some of its estimated 500 troops in Iraq will be moved temporarily to neighbouring Kuwait.

A French government source told AFP on Tuesday it had no plans to withdraw its forces.

But a European diplomat told AFP a withdrawal of US troops would necessitate all coalition forces leaving Iraq.

NATO on Tuesday announced it was temporarily taking "some personnel" out of Iraq for safety reasons.

Iraq's parliament has voted in favour of foreign troops leaving and Abdel Mahdi has told US ambassador Matthew Tueller and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg that the government wanted to see its vote through.

- Why are troops still in Iraq? -

Thousands of foreign troops are deployed across Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group.

In 2014, the Iraqi foreign ministry issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations Security Council for help to roll back IS, which was sweeping across Iraq.

The coalition sent troops and special forces to Iraq to "advise and assist" Iraqi forces as they fought IS.

Their deployment was based on an executive-to-executive agreement that was never ratified by Iraq's parliament.

It was not governed by a detailed arrangement like the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement that expired in 2011.

NATO's mission was separately established in late 2018 to train Iraqi troops.

- Who is deployed, and where? -

The bulk of the coalition is made up of 5,200 US soldiers stationed at Iraqi bases, the largest of which is Ain al-Assad in the west.

More are based at Al-Balad and Taji north of Baghdad, as well as four bases in northern Iraq, near the US embassy in Baghdad and in the Kurdish regional capital Arbil.

They are joined by about 400 British, 200 French, and 120 German forces, as well as dozens of other international troops.

There are also thousands of civilian contractors and support staff in Iraq for logistical operations.

Troop numbers have fluctuated recently as US officials said they would deploy up to 4,000 more troops to the region in the wake of tensions with Iran.

At least 150 US troops arrived in Baghdad last week to reinforce security at the US embassy following an unprecedented attack by a pro-Iran mob, and hundreds more have been flown to Taji.

Foreign troop deployments in Iraq
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 7, 2020 - Some foreign troops deployed in Iraq are being moved amid heightened concerns over possible Iranian retaliation for the killing of a powerful Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, on the orders of US President Donald Trump.

Here are the countries that have made announcements about temporary withdrawals or remaining in Iraq:

- United States -

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Washington is not pulling its troops out of Iraq. There are 5,200 US soldiers stationed there, the largest contingent as part of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group.

Earlier Iraqi premier Adel Abdel Mahdi said he had received signed copies of a US letter describing steps to "move out" of the country.

"There is no signed letter, to the best of my knowledge," Esper said.

"At some point we want to get out, but this isn't the right point," President Donald Trump said. "It's the worst thing that could happen to Iraq."

- Canada -

Canadian General Jonathan Vance, chief of defence staff, said around 500 Canadian troops will be temporarily moved to neighbouring Kuwait to ensure their safety amid rising tensions.

"The situation in Iraq is complex and it is best to pause our work there in order to fully concentrate our attention and efforts toward the safety and security of our personnel while the situation develops," Vance said.

- Germany -

Germany has temporarily withdrawn some of its 120 troops from Iraq. A total of 32 German soldiers based in Camp Taji near Baghdad were flown to the al-Azraq airforce base in Jordan, the German military said in a statement. Three others went to Kuwait.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said German troops are in the country at the Iraqi government's invitation.

"If that is no longer the case... then the legal basis for us to be there is missing. We have to clarify this with those responsible in Baghdad," he said.

- France -

A French government source told AFP there are no plans to pull troops out of Iraq. France has contributed around 200 soldiers to the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group (IS), of whom 160 are tasked with training Iraqi military personnel, according to the defence ministry

"The priority today is the same as it was yesterday and should be tomorrow: the fight against Daesh and its resurgence on the ground in the Middle East, and its propaganda on the internet," Defence Minister Florence Parly tweeted, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

- Italy -

Italy's defence ministry said it will maintain its estimated 1,000 troops following talks between Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini and Esper.

Italian media quoted military sources as saying that "a few dozen" Italian soldiers had been moved from an operations centre near the US embassy in Baghdad after repeated mortar attacks.

US and allied foreign troops in Iraq are concerned they might be targeted by Iran or allied Iraqi militias in retaliation for Soleimani's killing.

"With around 1,000 men in Iraq, over 1,000 in Lebanon in the UNIFIL (peacekeeping) mission, and just under 1,000 in Afghanistan, Italy is among the countries most committed to the stability of the region," Guerini said.

- NATO -

After suspending its training mission in Iraq following the killing of Soleimani, NATO is also temporarily repositioning some personnel outside Iraq.

A NATO official said other mission personnel were being moved to other parts of Iraq, and emphasised that "NATO maintains a presence".

- Romania -

Romania's defence ministry said it has 14 soldiers participating in the NATO mission in Iraq and they will be "temporarily relocated to another coalition base."

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis called on the European Union to have "a stronger voice" in reacting to the crisis unleashed by the killing of the Iranian general.

- Hungary -

Hungary's defence minister Tibor Benko said Hungarian soldiers in Iraq were ready for evacuation "if necessary", but that they would remain unless asked to withdraw, the official MTI agency reported.

Around 200 Hungarian soldiers are stationed in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, both as part of NATO's training mission and the broader coalition against the Islamic State group.

Related Links
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NATO to review Iraq mission after Iran general slain
Brussels (AFP) Jan 6, 2020
NATO's ruling committee will meet Monday to discuss the future of the alliance's training mission in Iraq as Middle East tensions mount after US forces killed a top Iranian general. Ambassadors from the 29 allies will gather at their Brussels headquarters at 3.00 pm (1400 GMT) with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expected to brief journalists afterwards. US officials are due to give an update on the situation after Washington killed Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran's Middle East operations as c ... read more