US military tells Iraq it is preparing to 'move out': official letter

The US military informed its counterparts in Baghdad on Monday it was preparing for "movement out of Iraq," a day after the Iraqi parliament urged the government oust foreign troops.

The head of the US military's Task Force Iraq, Brigadier General William Seely, sent a letter to the head of Iraq's joint operations command, a copy of which was seen by AFP.

The letter said troops would "be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement." A US defence official and an Iraqi defence official confirmed the letter was real and had been delivered.