Pentagon Confirms Complete US Troop Withdrawal From Iraq
· World · Al Jazeera, NBC News, LiveMint
The Pentagon has confirmed that the final US troops deployed to Iraq as part of an anti-ISIL mission have left the country. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the remaining US troops, international coalition personnel, and equipment completed an orderly departure from the Erbil Airbase in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The withdrawal concludes a military presence that began with the 2003 US-led invasion, peaked at roughly 170,000 personnel in 2007, and saw a redeployment in 2015 to combat ISIL. Parnell noted that the transition moves the relationship from a wartime coalition to a normal bilateral security partnership. Primary responsibility for regional security and suppressing ISIL remnants now rests entirely with the Government of Iraq and local security forces.
Why it matters
The complete US exit shifts full responsibility for Iraq's security to domestic forces, marking a major turning point in regional stability and bilateral relations after two decades of American military involvement.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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