Biden Visits Iraq Ahead of Troop Withdrawal

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq on Tuesday to mark the end of the Iraq War a month from now. The White House noted in a statement that the purpose of his trip is to deepen “our cooperation on politics and diplomacy; trade and finance; energy; services, technology, the environment, and transportation; law enforcement and the judiciary; and defense and security,” as the trip also calls for the two countries to “begin dealing with one other in the normal language of diplomacy.”

Vice President Biden’s trip comes after a violent seven days where at least 61 people have been killed in a wave of attacks. On his agenda, Biden will meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, and Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi. The trip marks the beginning of the troop withdrawal from Iraq, and fewer than 200 military personnel will remain in Iraq after December 21st as part of a State Department task force.