RT News51 minutes agoWorld1 min readRussia

Last US Troops Leave Iraq After Over Two Decades of Military Presence

Quick Look

The Pentagon announced the withdrawal of the last American troops from Iraq, ending over two decades of US military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.
A handover ceremony at Erbil Air Base marked the conclusion.
The invasion, justified by claims of weapons of mass destruction that were never substantiated, led to prolonged violence, over a million Iraqi deaths, mass displacement, and the rise of the Islamic State.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The US invaded Iraq in 2003 under the claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, a justification never substantiated. The invasion triggered prolonged sectarian violence, led to over a million Iraqi deaths and mass displacement, and created conditions for the rise of the Islamic State, which seized significant territory before being countered by a US-led intervention in 2014.

Font size

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the last American troops had left Iraq, more than two decades after the US invaded the country.

A handover ceremony at Erbil Air Base in the northern Kurdish region marked the end of the US military presence.

The administration of then-President George W. Bush justified the 2003 invasion by claiming that longtime Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Washington never substantiated the allegations, while Iraq descended into a quagmire of violence involving Sunni and Shia Muslims as well as Kurds.

US forces pulled out in 2011 amid a slew of war crimes allegations, including the killing of unarmed civilians.

According to some estimates, more than a million Iraqis lost their lives as a result of the conflict, with millions more displaced.

Left in disarray with a weak central government and security forces, Iraq became fertile ground for Islamist militant groups. The crisis came to a head with the emergence of Islamic State, which seized around a third of Iraqi territory and spread into several neighboring countries, proclaiming a ‘caliphate’. Its militants massacred those they deemed insufficiently Muslim, as well as Christians and members of other religious minorities.

Washington intervened again in 2014 with a deployment code-named Operation Inherent Resolve.

RT correspondent Steve Sweeny took a look back at an intervention that upended the delicate balance between Iraq’s sectarian and ethnic groups, plunging the country into years of chaos and violence.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Iraq will face ongoing challenges in maintaining security and political stability without US military support.
Likely · Within months

Open Questions

What are the long-term political and security implications of the US troop withdrawal for Iraq's stability?
How will the absence of US forces affect Iraq's ability to prevent resurgence of extremist groups?
What accountability measures exist for alleged war crimes committed during the conflict?