The US has completed the withdrawal of its troops from federal territory in Iraq
The United States has completely withdrawn its troops from military facilities on federal territory in Iraq, with the exception of semi-autonomous Kurdistan. This was reported by CNN, citing a statement from the Iraqi government.
According to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence, the last contingent of American military advisers left Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province in the west of the country. US troops had been stationed at this base for more than two decades, since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The withdrawal took place in stages over several years after the Iraqi government officially called on Washington to end its military presence in 2023.
The US-led coalition, which was fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) group, also left the headquarters of the Combined Joint Task Force. The facilities have been transferred to the full control of Iraqi security forces.
At the same time, American troops remain at the Khair airbase in the province of Erbil, located in Iraqi Kurdistan. The central government of Iraq does not have full control over this region, as Kurdistan is an autonomous federal unit with its own authorities and security forces enshrined in the country's constitution.
Iraqi officials have stated that the state's armed forces now have sufficient capacity to ensure security in all areas. Further cooperation with the US, they say, will focus on training, arms supplies, joint exercises and coordination within the framework of bilateral agreements.
The US Department of Defence's Central Command confirmed that the Iraqi statement on the completion of the transfer of facilities is accurate, without disclosing further details.
The US presence in Iraq has changed significantly since 2003: at its peak, it reached 170,000 troops. In 2011, the troops were withdrawn by decision of the Barack Obama administration, but in 2014, about 5,000 American troops returned at Baghdad's request to fight ISIS. Since December 2021, the US has not officially carried out combat missions in Iraq, keeping approximately 2,500 troops in an advisory role.
Despite the end of the coalition's mission in Iraq, operations against ISIS continue in Syria. Baghdad also does not rule out the possibility of joint Iraqi-American operations in the future and expects logistical support through the base in Erbil in case of an escalation of the security situation.
United States, Iraq, Al-Assad, ISIS
