After 12 years of fighting ISIS and 23 years since the start of the Iraq War, U.S. troops have withdrawn from Iraq.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement released Wednesday that Operation Inherent Resolve had "formally concluded" in Iraq and that troops and equipment had departed Erbil Air Base in Northern Iraq, marking "the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq."
'The United States supports a strong sovereign Iraq.'
Parnell added that the Iraqi government must now take "responsibility for addressing Iraq's remaining security challenges, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias that undermine Iraqi sovereignty and regional stability," even as the U.S. continues "to work with Iraq and our partners to ensure ISIS can never reconstitute from Iraqi territory."
U.S. CENTCOM claimed that the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve has relocated to Jordan and will conduct ongoing anti-ISIS efforts in Syria, in coordination with the Syrian government.
The withdrawal follows the timetable set in a joint statement from the U.S. and Iraq in September 2024, which pledged that the mission and U.S. involvement would continue until September 2026.
Some, however, especially in the Kurdistan Region, have concerns about security without a more pronounced U.S. military presence.
"U.S. withdrawal, under a Coalition-[Government of Iraq]-U.S agreement, comes at a sensitive time, when instability threatens regional and Iraqi security," said a statement Monday from the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
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Moreover, the Peshmerga Ministry notes that the Kurdistan Region, including civilian areas, has suffered over 1,000 drone and missile strikes since the U.S. conflict with Iran began six months ago, resulting in "injuries, material damage, and deaths."
Additionally, no alternative air defense system has yet been put in place in the Kurdistan Region, an issue that the Peshmerga Ministry called "deeply concerning."
Parnell hinted at the concerns of the Peshmerga Ministry, stating that while the U.S. Department of War "will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to our Iraqi partners," all Iraqi forces, including those in the Kurdistan Region, must now step up and "lead the continuing effort to secure Iraq and keep ISIS remnants suppressed."
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi seems pleased with the withdrawal of U.S. troops, claiming that it ushers in "a new phase" of Iraqi "sovereignty."
Al-Zaidi also previously promised that non-state militia groups in Iraq would be disarmed by Wednesday, though he has since extended that deadline until the end of June 2027, CNN reported.
Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a leader of the Iran-allied Kataib Hezbollah militia, likewise called the withdrawal of "occupation forces" a powerful demonstration of Iraq's "full sovereignty," according to CNN.
For his part, Parnell indicated that a fully sovereign Iraq is exactly what America wants.
"The United States supports a strong sovereign Iraq that secures its borders, protects its people, and serves as the foundation for deeper commercial, diplomatic, and security cooperation between our two countries."
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[H/T Blaze Media]
