U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden has reaffirmed a U.S. pledge to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year. On Thursday, Biden met top Iraqi officials in Baghdad for the first time since Iraqi lawmakers agreed on a new government last year. Biden says he told the Iraqi government the United States is committed to meeting a status of forces agreement that calls for a full U.S. withdrawal this year. But despite Biden’s pledge, new details have emerged on U.S. plans to maintain a massive presence in Iraq for years to come. The Washington Post reports the Obama administration plans to maintain a force of up to 8,000 private military contractors. The United States would also retain control over several major bases and large portion of Baghdad’s Green Zone. The United States also wants to retain control of a rocket detection system, a large compound near the Baghdad airport, and build new consulates in Basra, near the oil-rich Iraqi south.