US to Keep 740 Trainers in Iraq After December

'Just a Few Military Officers,' Iraq Insists

Iraqi officials say that an agreement has been reached to keep 740 US trainers inside Iraq after December, even after weeks of making a fuss about how no agreement could ever be reached that would keep US troops in the nation.

And while the officials familiar with the talks say that most of the trainers will be civilian contractors there will be “just a few military officers” attached to the training mission from the US military. No word on whether they will be given the blanket immunity the Obama Administration has long demanded.

The Iraqi military had initially sought thousands of trainers for their military, but disputes over immunity as well as key political factions inside Iraq which objected to the presence of US troops prevented such a deal from being finalized.

Beyond the trainers, the US will keep 157 soldiers and 25 Marine guards at the massive Iraq embassy, and the US State Department will also have a massive “private army” of thousands of military contractors.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is senior editor of