The United States military will leave Iraq by the end of September, American and Iraqi officials announced on Tuesday. This decision follows a 23-year presence that began with the 2003 invasion against Saddam Hussein and concluded with smaller operations against the Islamic State group.
Background
The US invaded Iraq in March 2003, with what it called a massive ‘shock and awe’ bombing campaign. The invasion was based on claims that Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed weapons of mass destruction, which never materialized. The US presence in Iraq grew to over 170,000 troops at its peak in 2007.
In 2014, the rise of the Islamic State group led to the return of US and partner nation forces to Iraq to help rebuild and retrain police and military units. After the Islamic State group lost its hold on the territory it once claimed, coalition military operations ended in 2021.
The US had maintained about 2,500 troops in Iraq for training and to conduct partnered counter-Islamic State operations with Iraq’s military. Many have withdrawn since the 2024 agreement to end the mission, with just a small contingent of military advisers and others still remaining in Iraq.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
