US Troops Conclude Two-Decade Iraq Presence
The final American soldiers have departed Iraq, marking the end of a military engagement that began with the 2003 invasion and spanned over two decades, including a period fighting the Islamic State.
The last contingent of U.S. troops has withdrawn from Iraq, concluding a military presence that commenced with the invasion in March 2003. The nearly nine-year war resulted in the deaths of approximately 5,000 coalition personnel, including 179 British soldiers, with total casualties, civilian and military, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
The U.S.-led coalition launched its invasion on March 20, 2003, with the stated justifications of deposing dictator Saddam Hussein and eliminating alleged weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaeda. Following Hussein's capture and subsequent execution in 2006, U.S. forces occupied the country, helped establish a Shi'ite-led government, and engaged in a prolonged counterinsurgency campaign.
American forces formally withdrew in late 2011 but returned less than three years later to combat the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS). U.S. troops were instrumental in assisting Iraqi forces in defeating ISIS between 2014 and 2017.
Iraqi security experts have expressed concerns that the final withdrawal could empower neighboring Iran and its allies, who have cultivated significant influence within Iraq. They suggest this shift could also allow other adversaries, including remnants of ISIS, to regain strength.
The U.S. military presence in Iraq has been marked by significant events and shifts in strategy. Early in the conflict, images captured the fall of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad and U.S. President George W. Bush's declaration of mission accomplishment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Later years saw intense combat, as depicted in images of Marines in Fallujah and the ongoing fight against militants. The U.S. also faced challenges, including the insurgency and the eventual defeat of ISIS, with images showing Iraqi forces celebrating victories against the group.
The legacy of the war includes significant human cost, with images documenting the aftermath of attacks, the grief of families, and the daily lives of soldiers and civilians amidst the conflict. The withdrawal brings to a close a chapter of American military involvement that began over twenty years ago, leaving behind a complex geopolitical landscape and ongoing security concerns.