Yes
It is.
No
It isn’t.
President Donald Trump has officially overseen the end of the remaining U.S. military mission in Iraq, marking another major turning point in America’s decades-long involvement in the country.
The final American forces involved in the mission departed Iraq as part of an agreement between Washington and Baghdad, according to reporting from the Associated Press and Financial Times. The withdrawal concludes the U.S. military mission that began in its most recent form after American troops returned to Iraq in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State.
Trump celebrated the withdrawal, describing it as an orderly conclusion to a costly American commitment. Iraqi officials have also presented the change as an important step toward greater Iraqi responsibility for the country’s security.
The broader history is complicated.
The United States originally invaded Iraq in 2003 and removed Saddam Hussein from power. American combat forces left the country in 2011, but U.S. troops returned several years later after ISIS captured large areas of Iraq and Syria. American forces subsequently worked alongside Iraqi and coalition forces to dismantle the terrorist group’s territorial control.
Now, more than a decade after that mission began, responsibility for security operations is shifting more fully to Iraq.
Supporters of withdrawing American forces argue that U.S. troops cannot remain indefinitely in every country where security threats exist. They may also see the departure as fulfilling a longstanding objective of reducing American military commitments overseas and requiring regional governments to take greater responsibility for their own security.
There are also concerns about what happens next.
ISIS no longer controls the extensive territory it once held, but security officials continue to monitor remnants of the organization. Iraq also remains caught between competing regional interests, including powerful Iran-aligned militias. Some observers worry that reducing the American military presence could provide additional opportunities for extremist organizations or Iranian-backed groups.
The United States is not necessarily ending every security relationship with Iraq. Cooperation in areas such as intelligence, training and diplomatic relations can continue without the same military deployment.
After years of American casualties, enormous financial costs and repeated debates over U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Trump’s announcement will likely generate strong reactions from Americans who have followed the Iraq conflict for more than two decades.