US Troops Conclude Iraq Withdrawal After Two Decades

The last contingent of U.S. troops has withdrawn from Iraq, concluding a military engagement that spanned nearly two decades. The final American soldiers departed from their last bases in the country, bringing an end to a presence that began with the U.S.-led coalition invasion on March 20, 2003.

The war, initiated under President George W. Bush with the stated aims of deposing dictator Saddam Hussein and locating weapons of mass destruction, drew in coalition forces including British troops. The conflict resulted in the deaths of nearly 5,000 coalition members, with the total number of Iraqi casualties estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

Following Saddam Hussein's defeat and subsequent execution in 2006, U.S. forces occupied the country, facilitated the establishment of a Shi'ite-led government, and engaged in a protracted counterinsurgency campaign. A formal withdrawal was declared at the end of 2011.

However, U.S. forces returned less than three years later to assist Iraqi forces in combating the Islamic State (ISIS) in a significant conflict from 2014 to 2017. The recent withdrawal, agreed upon in 2024, has raised concerns among some Iraqi security experts about a potential increase in influence for neighboring Iran and its allies, as well as the possible resurgence of groups like the Islamic State.

The U.S. military presence in Iraq saw numerous significant events, including the fall of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad's Firdos Square in April 2003, and continued involvement in counter-terrorism operations against groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS throughout the years. The conflict's aftermath also included periods of intense fighting, such as in Fallujah and Mosul, and complex stabilization efforts.