Updated at 4:50 p.m. ET
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced on Monday that some forces are being repositioned inside Iraq, not leaving the country.
Two other U.S. officials told NPR some are going to Kuwait temporarily.
Esper also told reporters at the Pentagon an Iraqi Parliament vote on Sunday to expel the U.S. troops was nonbinding, and that there are no plans to leave Iraq yet.
The Pentagon press office underscored the message, saying in a tweet, "There has been no change in U.S. policy with regard to our force presence in Iraq. We continue to consult with the Iraqi government regarding the defeat-ISIS mission and efforts to support the Iraqi Security Forces."
A U.S. military official in Iraq told NPR the troops would be moved to "other, safer countries" while training missions were suspended. He added that most are coalition and NATO forces, not American.
A letter from Brig. Gen. William Seely to the director of the Iraqi joint operations task force had informed the Iraqi government that the U.S. would be "repositioning forces over the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement."
The military official said the operation involved several hundred troops, mostly coalition and NATO forces being moved from the main military base in Baghdad's Green Zone. The base had been a frequent target of rocket attacks.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
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