U.S. completes military withdrawal from Iraq
The United States has fully withdrawn its military forces from Iraq, ending a presence that lasted more than two decades. The move comes 23 years after President George W. Bush's administration launched its invasion of the country in 2003.
The U.S. military has officially completed its withdrawal from Iraq, bringing to a close a presence that spanned more than twenty years in the country.
The withdrawal falls exactly 23 years after President George W. Bush's administration launched what was then described as a campaign of "shock and awe," marking the start of the Iraq War and a period that would shape U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East for decades.
End of a long military engagement
Over the years, U.S. troops remained in Iraq under a range of missions, from the initial invasion and occupation to later operations against the Islamic State militant group. That extended military involvement has now formally ended with the departure of the last American forces from the country.
The completion of the withdrawal represents a significant turning point in U.S. military strategy in the region, closing out one of the longest and most debated foreign military engagements in recent American history.
NPR reports that the withdrawal is complete, though further details on future U.S. military or diplomatic strategy toward Iraq and the broader region have not yet been outlined.
