Officials Scramble to Clarify ‘MISTAKE’ Letter Announcing Withdrawal From Iraq

This afternoon reporters obtained a letter that appeared to say that the U.S. would be repositioning forces in Iraq to prepare for withdrawal.

Per the Washington Post:

In a draft letter released Monday, Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William H. Seely III says that U.S. forces will be relocated “to prepare for onward movement” and says that “we respect your sovereign decision to order our departure.”A U.S. military official confirmed the letter’s authenticity.

Some reporters said U.S. officials had confirmed the authenticity of the letter, and the Post cites a DOD official who apparently said that the letter “was an attempt to notify the Iraqis that the U.S. would be moving troops around, not an indication that they would be leaving.”

Reuters’ report says they confirmed the authenticity of the letter from “an Iraqi military source.”

But what followed was a bit of a scramble by top U.S. officials disputing the letter and ultimately letting reporters know this was all a giant mistake.

First, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that “there’s been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq and that they were “trying to figure out” what the letter was.

Esper adds that his staff is “trying to figure out” what memo is “there are no plans to leave” – may reflect repositioning, but not a withdrawal

— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) January 6, 2020

"I don't know what that letter is," says @EsperDoD. "We're trying to find out where that's coming from, what that is. But there's been no decision made to leave Iraq. Period." pic.twitter.com/8AXb9IAfPM

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) January 6, 2020

Then, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said it was a “draft” and a “mistake” that “should not have been released” and was not worded properly.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley: “That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released…poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening” https://t.co/P3BdjLUYsc

— Ryan Browne (@rabrowne75) January 6, 2020

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley: “That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released…poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening” https://t.co/P3BdjLUYsc

— Ryan Browne (@rabrowne75) January 6, 2020