FALLOUT

NATO Suspends Training of Iraqi Personnel After Soleimani Killing

A spokesman for the alliance said on Saturday that the move is to ensure the safety of hundreds of mission personnel in Iraq.

NATO suspended its training mission in Iraq after a U.S. strike in Baghdad killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, an alliance spokesman said on Saturday, according to Reuters. “The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount,” said acting NATO spokesman Dylan White, adding, “We continue to take all precautions necessary. NATO’s mission is continuing, but training activities are temporarily suspended.” White said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper following the top general’s assassination on Friday at Baghdad airport. NATO was closely monitoring the situation, the spokesman added, amid concerns of retaliation by Iran over the killing of its second-most powerful man. The NATO Mission Iraq is a non-combat training and advisory mission comprised of several hundred trainers, advisers, and support staff from both countries of the 29-member alliance and non-NATO partner countries.