KABUL (Pajhwok): The US military has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission, while President Donald Trump said past decisions had drawn the United States into a prolonged conflict.
According to The Associated Press, the last US troops left an air base in Irbil, in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, on Wednesday under an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
Trump said in a social media post that the withdrawal had been completed in an “orderly” manner by the September 30 deadline.
Speaking later at a White House event, Trump said “very bad decision making” had led the US into what he called a “quagmire” in Iraq and that the chapter would soon become part of history.
He described the withdrawal as a victory for the United States and Iraq and as a sign of victory over the Islamic State.
The withdrawal agreement was reached in 2024. US forces had invaded Iraq in 2003 and withdrew in 2011, but returned in 2014 after Iraqi authorities invited a US-led mission to fight the Islamic State, which had seized large areas of the country.
He said the US military would continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners.
The end of the US mission was welcomed by the Iraqi government as a sign of the country’s growing strength and sovereignty.
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