The NATO mission in Iraq has been temporarily withdrawn from the country due to the deteriorating security situation, two Iraqi officials told AFP.
According to one of them, there is no dispute with the Iraqi government and it is only a temporary withdrawal. "They are worried about the situation," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Another official added that almost all of the mission's personnel have left, leaving only a small number of troops in the country.
Meanwhile, a NATO spokesman confirmed that the military alliance is "regulating" its presence in Iraq. The NATO mission is headquartered at a military base in Baghdad's Green Zone, near the US embassy, which has been attacked several times since the start of the war.
