WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest. The State Department said Wednesday that it’s ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The department also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, giving them the option to leave those countries. In addition, U.S. Central Command said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations” across the Middle East.
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