Iraq enters new era as US forces leave after 23 years

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Iraq opened a new chapter on Wednesday as US soldiers officially completed their departure from the nation, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 war that deposed Saddam Hussein and putting main responsibility for Iraq’s security in Iraqi hands. U.S. Central Command said that American soldiers and equipment have left Erbil Air Base, the last major base for the US-led coalition in Iraq, thereby terminating Operation Inherent Resolve’s mission in the nation. The departure marks the end of an unparalleled 23-year chapter in contemporary Iraqi history. For an entire generation of Iraqis born after Saddam Hussein’s demise in 2003, some sort of American military presence has been an almost permanent fixture of the country’s political and security environment. US soldiers invaded Iraq in March 2003 and deposed Saddam Hussein’s administration before staying in the nation for years of insurgency and sectarian warfare. Most American soldiers left in 2011, but they returned in 2014 at Baghdad’s request after ISIS conquered Mosul and significant portions of northern and western Iraq. That second intervention evolved into Operation Inherent Resolve, in which the US-led coalition provided air power, intelligence, training, and other assistance to Iraqi troops and the Peshmerga throughout the fight against ISIS. Iraq claimed military victory over ISIS in 2017, and the coalition’s involvement evolved from heavy combat operations to advising and assisting Iraqi troops. The last phase of the pullout began last year, following an agreement between Baghdad and Washington, and ended on September 30 with the departure from Erbil. According to CENTCOM, the facility served as the coalition’s primary operating center, housing the majority of the approximately 1,500 American and coalition forces supporting counter-ISIS operations throughout the mission’s final stages. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Kurdistan Region forces, now have the operational capabilities and leadership to handle threats to the nation without the coalition’s prior involvement. For Baghdad, the milestone means more than just the end of the anti-ISIS coalition campaign. It delegated the entire main responsibility for national security to Iraqi institutions at a time when the government is working to build state authority and prevent the country from becoming a battleground for competing foreign forces. The departure does not mark the end of Iraq-US security cooperation. Washington and Baghdad are developing a bilateral military partnershipand they expect US training and intelligence collaborationed to continue under new terms. Outside of Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve continues. The coalition task force has relocated its headquarters to Jordan, while US and coalition troops continue anti-ISIS operations in Syria. The change presents major obstacles. ISIS no longer controls Iraqi land, but militants and sleeper cells pose a security danger. The Iraqi government must also deal with formidable armed groups that operate outside of traditional security organizations, as well as preserve peace in the absence of the country’s long-standing coalition backing. The US pullout comes as Iraq strives to refocus its international alliances around commerce, oil, investment, and diplomacy rather than foreign military deployments, while balancing relations with Washington, its Arab neighbors, Turkey, and Iran. For Iraq, September 30 represents a symbolic dividing line: 23 years after the US-led invasion ended Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, the nation enters a time without the American-led military presence that molded most of its post-2003 history.