US Troops Withdrawal from Iraq Leaves Country Fragmented, Expert Says

MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. The United States is withdrawing its troops from Iraq after failing to accomplish its counterterrorism mission, leaving the country fragmented and in need of further assistance, Alexander Kharchenko, a war correspondent for RT.Doc, has told TASS.

"This is, of course, a forced measure, since the Americans never actually accomplished their primary mission - namely, the fight against terrorism. By leaving Iraq, they are abandoning a country on the brink of a new civil war, with the Kurds increasingly asserting their autonomy and independence. Meanwhile, Shiites and Sunnis remain locked in an undeclared standoff. Fortunately, it is not currently escalating into a bloody conflict, but there is certainly no talk of national unity," Kharchenko said.

He noted that Iraq is currently "fragmented and weakened."

"Militants from various terrorist organizations are exploiting this situation. The Islamic State (designated as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia - TASS), which the Americans fought against for so long, has certainly not disappeared. Although the conflict is no longer being waged along a continuous frontline as it was in 2019, it has shifted to underground operations and small-scale terrorist attacks," Kharchenko pointed out.

He said Iraq would likely find it difficult to deal with the threat on its own.

"Most likely, they will be forced to seek international support. Iraq will definitely need assistance. As for the Americans, they have once again demonstrated that, having failed to resolve the core issue and realizing they could no longer effectively operate in these murky waters, they have moved on to other regions," he concluded.

Earlier, the Pentagon announced that the United States and its allies had officially concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, for his part, stressed that the withdrawal of coalition forces does not mean the end of the fight against terrorism, but instead marks a transition to a phase where Baghdad itself will be responsible for the country's security and stability.