US Forces Exit Iraq

meowface

Why is this article written like an op-ed, despite being Reuters? I am not even necessarily disagreeing with it (I lean very anti-Iran and slightly geopolitically neoconservative) but the tone is not at all neutral and makes no mention of the possible downsides of troops staying in Iraq after decades.

shevy-java

Have they finally found weapons of mass destruction there? I remember a certain powerpoint presentation ...

ImHereToVote

Good news. Maybe Iraq will finally be able to control its own oil again. https://thecradle.co/articles/why-does-the-us-still-control-...

toasty228

Are ya winning son? The last 5 years will be 5 chapters in history books

vachina

Exit Japan and Philippines next.

throwaw12

Unfortunately, millions of lives lost, another millions started hating US for what it did to their families. I am curious what did the world gain from this?

meindnoch

The American balloon is popping.

anovikov

One thing that people for some reason don't like to voice out loud: America won this way. Maybe it has become politically incorrect to even voice anything positive at all, like doomerism grasped all sides of society? Baath party is destroyed and no longer exists, political and underlying ethnic groups that propped it up are deeply marginalised and sidelined, political regime in place in Iraq is exactly the one America wanted to have there, and it WORKS: they have regular competitive elections (in the strictest sense of it: before the elections, no one can predict results in advance) and a well-functioning civil society where people can advocate for, or protest against things without it devolving to tribalism (not "Shia vs Sunni" riots or similar). Iraq as it currently is, is created by America and stands firmly on its feet.

dasKrokodil

Mission Accomplished!

maeln

> a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Kind of crazy to lead with this. Talking about the Americans victims (mostly military) and ignoring the local Iraqi victims (mostly civilians).

rjzzleep

Usually when the US forces exit a theater it's a prelude to war, like the Afghanistan withdrawal was so that they couldn't be retaliated against. I caution people not to get too excited about this.

secult

Iraq is a country of more than 40 million of inhabitants. They can take care of theirselves. Using an argument of some "sleeper cells", come on, it's silly. Is the US army only thing holding up their government? If yes then what do you expect? Either it falls the same way as in Afganistan, or it fights for itself.

mahboi

"We believe Iraq is still not fully ready to take over the security file at this time" Welp, sounds like it wasn't going to happen.

nomilk

> (the) departure (is) celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies who now have deep influence in the country Although the Iraq war was based on a lie and caused tremendous suffering, it did demonstrate the US's willingness and capability to handle a brash dictatorship. In this sense, at least at a macro level, it has tempered (as opposed to emboldened) other dictatorships like Iran and North Korea.

apexalpha

This seems like weird timing to this amateur seeing how they're at war with Iran and Iraq was recently used to stage attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure.