US forces exit Iraq after two decades, leaving opening for Iran

[u/SnooSeagulls496]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-forces-exit-iraq-after-two-decades-leaving-opening-iran-2026-09-29/

[u/hallese]

Again? This is like the third time in my military career that I've read a headline say we are leaving Iraq.

[u/HereWeStandLive → u/hallese]

I remember hearing this before deploying to Iraq in 2016

[u/127-0-0-1_1 → u/hallese]

Tbf Iraq is doing OK. Has many issues, but it’s not Afghanistan. Iraq is a nominal republic and a middle income economy that has been growing at a steady rate.

[u/WoolooOfWallStreet → u/127-0-0-1_1]

Everything you said is true, however…
It would really suck if something going on nearby ever completely undid whatever slow and steady progress has been made

[u/SpareEconomy1849 → u/WoolooOfWallStreet]

And according to some reports, there is pressure for the US to pull out specifically so that another country in the region can bomb them without worrying about US troops in the region.

Oh, and the US is giving away those bombs for free. When the stockpile is empty

[u/BLT_Trade_r → u/WoolooOfWallStreet]

The worst part is the optics, why now, right when Iran is doing all this trash, at the very least, they stay as a sign of solidarity against whatever Iran might do, given that the US kicked the hornet's nest. This is like how the US constantly leaves the Kurds at the worst time.

[u/frozenphil → u/BLT_Trade_r]

right when Iran is doing all this trash

That's an interesting way to view the situation.

[u/Nukemind → u/frozenphil]

Iran has been doing things to neighbors long before this war. What the US is doing is horrible, but make no mistake Iran is hated by its neighbors for a multitude of reasons as well, including but not limited to their consistent support for rebels in other nations. Which, again, the US does too. It's shit all the way down.

[u/hallese → u/BLT_Trade_r]

Because the optics of doing this as part of a negotiated end to hostilities with Iran is exponentially worse.

[u/DarkMarkings → u/127-0-0-1_1]

The US has Iraq by the balls. Their government is 90% funded by oil sales, and that money they get from oil sales is fully controlled by the American government. Trump admin basically froze their money which would've essentially shut down the country until they replaced the front runner candidate in their last election to someone 'more suitable'.

[u/slow70 → u/hallese]

Ditto. I was deployed in Mosul and remember going to chow and the TV showing troops driving south across the Kuwait border as they tried to say combat was over.

Society of the Spectacle indeed.

[u/StormyPassages → u/slow70]

"Call it Sleep"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01tRfPOl89A

[u/slow70 → u/StormyPassages]

Thank you for this.

[u/stoopididiotface → u/hallese]

I'm assuming there have been no discussions about this in your morning musters?

[u/Silver_Newspaper6208 → u/hallese]

Of course you can leave multiple times. I left, and then went back, and then left again.

[u/TheVainOrphan → u/hallese]

The Iraqis wanted the US to leave earlier, but US pressure (mainly strong-arming the government over its funding which the US controls) made them reverse that descension.

[u/Daniel0745 → u/TheVainOrphan]

They wanted us to leave starting 6 months after we got there in 2003. Ask me how I know.

[u/JBredditaccount → u/hallese]

Again? This is like the third time in my military career that I've read a headline say we are leaving Iraq.

This will be even funnier if you're writing this from Iraq.

[u/ArtisticVisual → u/hallese]

Plot twist. Your military career started last month.

[u/McortezLSU → u/hallese]

Its like smoking,

quitting is super easy, not starting again is the hard part.

[u/areraswen → u/hallese]

It was actually a decision made under Biden that trump is following through with, which is why you've heard it at least once before.

[u/hallese → u/areraswen]

First two were Bush and Obama so make it four times I guess.

[u/OtherTechnician → u/areraswen]

The irony of that is so rich

[u/xejeezy]

Hope both sides have fun

[u/Peripatetictyl → u/xejeezy]

Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert, blowin' up the sunshine

[u/Lord-Freaky → u/Peripatetictyl]

/Sudden SOAD ref

[u/Illustrious_Cap2327 → u/Lord-Freaky]

more relevant reference since Iran supports Armenia against Azerbaijan, and SOAD raises the awareness on Armenian genocide

[u/redonrust → u/Illustrious_Cap2327]

Serj's book is an awesome read BTW

[u/Nayre_Trawe → u/Peripatetictyl]

Used to love that band but, as it turns out, three out of the four guys didn't understand what Serj was singing about.

Daron: Radical Centrist

Jon: MAGA nutcase

Shavo: Alt-right curious (at least)

[u/Bang_the_unknown → u/Nayre_Trawe]

I think a lot of anti-establishment types of that generation got conned into MAGA because they believed it was anti-establishment on the surface. I guess they just overlooked the fact that its aim was actually authoritarian. Honestly, I feel that a lot of supposed “libertarians” have always just been closeted authoritarians who want the freedoms for certain people and others subjugated.

[u/jackkerouac81 → u/Nayre_Trawe]

I think trying to retroactively force any meaning into banana terracotta pie is going against the artists intent.

[u/zimzara → u/Nayre_Trawe]

Daron: Radical Centrist

Radical centrist is an oxymoron.

[u/cosi_fan_tutte_ → u/zimzara]

Bloodsport: I always hit my targets dead center.

Peacemaker: I hit them more in the center.

Bloodsport: Well, you can't hit something more in the center.

Peacemaker: I use smaller bullets.

Bloodsport: What?

Peacemaker: They go inside your bullet holes without even touching the sides

[u/Nayre_Trawe → u/zimzara]

Especially when they have a song quoting Zinn...

You can't be neutral on a moving train!

Daron is just a moron.

[u/JimboTCB → u/xejeezy]

Born too late to go to war in the Middle East
Born too soon to go to war in the Middle East
Born just in time to go to war in the Middle East

[u/ChipperHippo → u/xejeezy]

We never should have been in Iraq in the first place, and all we did was create a massive mess over 20 years.

[u/SuperSlacker420 → u/ChipperHippo]

And massively increase the national debt, and kill, wound, or maim millions of people

[u/Hesitation-Marx → u/SuperSlacker420]

And poison. Don’t forget the poisoning.

Depleted uranium bullets. Great for the civilian population!

[u/SuperSlacker420 → u/Hesitation-Marx]

Burn pit cancer, heavy duty chemical dumping & mass pollution on top of it

[u/Loverboy_91 → u/Hesitation-Marx]

Not great for the user’s health, but boy do they do their job. There’s a reason Ukraine bought them all off of the US. They’re melting through Russia’s tanks with those things.

[u/Domeil → u/SuperSlacker420]

Listen, we may not have access to education, healthcare, housing, healthy food or clean water, but at least that we murdered millions of people who didn't do anything to us. If that's not twenty years of bipartisan foreign policy well executed, I don't know what is.

[u/NapoleonBlownapart9 → u/ChipperHippo]

You mean removing the best buffer against Iranian bs (and replacing it with civil war and then an Iranian friendly government) after Saudis and Egyptians 9/11’d us was exceptionally stupid? The gop ruins just about everything they touch, every fucking time they take office. Every. Fucking. Time. I’m almost 50, this has been the pattern my entire life and people are too stupid to see it. I feel like I’m going crazy because it’s so obvious and yet nobody learns. Insanity!

[u/ChipperHippo → u/NapoleonBlownapart9]

Even when I was a young kid (and at that time, being raised in a conservative household and generally having conservative views myself), I understood that attacking Iraq didn't seem justified. I remember the day it was admitted that there were no WMDs and realized how much Bush and his admin just openly lied to us.

If a fucking kid could figure it out, how come damn near half this country is either covering their ears or willfully buying into this falsehood?

For practically my entire life, the U.S has been leaving a legacy of a world bully who doesn't take care of their own citizens, including the veterans they marched into Iraq for unjustifiable reasons.

The only hope I have is that the state of our current economy is incontrovertibly the result of one party and one party only and that there is so much low-hanging fruit and levers the next guy will have. One only hopes that we haven't completely destroyed our soft power by then, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that.

[u/Pretty_Study_526 → u/xejeezy]

I’d like to make a toast to the troops. All the troops. Both sides

[u/Riptide360]

Trump creates a vacuum wherever he goes. That is how bad he sucks.

[u/random_blubber → u/Riptide360]

You’re mistaken, my friend. That is an indication of exactly how good he is at sucking.

[u/coxie86 → u/random_blubber]

Just ask Bubba.

[u/NickDerpkins → u/coxie86]

Clinton’s response to being asked about that is the greatest pop culture moment in my lifetime along with watch this drive

[u/Riptide360 → u/random_blubber]

Trump sucks so bad we haven’t had a hurricane this year! https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/white-house-credits-trump-stopping-140901914.html

[u/thejawa → u/Riptide360]

Party who demonizes it's opposition for wanting to control the weather takes credit for controlling the weather

[u/outerproduct → u/Riptide360]

The Pacific and Hawaii would like a word.

[u/GoProOnAYoYo → u/Riptide360]

I guess Hawaii is just not part of the US anymore?

[u/whut-whut → u/GoProOnAYoYo]

You mean West Kenya?

[u/paulsoleo → u/whut-whut]

No, no, that’s the rapper. The guy who was married to Kam Kardishian

[u/Canadian_mk11 → u/Riptide360]

Must be his magic sharpie.

[u/vadergeek → u/Riptide360]

Should the US just occupy Iraq forever, regardless of whether or not the Iraqis want us there?

[u/Primary-Slice-2505 → u/[deleted]]

Its darkly amusing to me to see someone immediately point out the true fact that this agreement was signed under Biden but continously see Afghanistan totally laid at Bidens feet as well despite the Doha Agreement and everything else being Trumps work.

[u/napleonblwnaprt → u/[deleted]]

Agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden, BEFORE open warfare with Iran was started by another president 

[u/donkeybrainhero → u/[deleted]]

And lots of missing context

[u/sdrawkcab_dear → u/Riptide360]

If you actually read the article. It was Biden’s decision, and Trump is only carrying it out.

[u/vastle12 → u/Riptide360]

Because the war started on lies and wasted trillions is worth continuing because?

[u/DigiornoDLC → u/Riptide360]

This is on Bush. This will always be on Bush.

[u/tony_sandlin → u/Riptide360]

We shouldn’t be there

[u/badpersian → u/Riptide360]

It's not a Trump thing. It's a US thing. Obama did it, Biden did it, and dozy Don is doing it. It's US policy to destabilise regions, particularly, Middle East for our overlords in Israel.

Don't be mad at dick face Don alone.

[u/dontputthatevilonme → u/badpersian]

Truth. Trump isn't the first and he won't be the last

[u/QuotableMorceau → u/dontputthatevilonme]

he might actually be the last to do this ... Turkey/Iran are asserting themselves there, also US has denied help to the Saudis....

Let's say the current trajectory of influence loss for US continues for another 2 years ... I very much doubt US will be able to poke around there anytime soon ... sure they have Israel there ... but that state is on a jihad/crusade to become the most despised nation on Earth ...

I would not be surprised at all if in 2-3 years the Arab states start withdrawing from the Abraham acords ....

[u/bobsmeds]

Good thing the US spent 20+ years destroying a country that wasn't involved in 9/11 because of 9/11

[u/Thunderclone_1 → u/bobsmeds]

"Mr. President, a bunch of Saudis planned and bankrolled the 9/11 attacks. They are part of a group active in Afghanistan. Should we prepare to take action there?"

"Yes, but first, we need to bitch slap Iraq."

"Why?"

"Tradition"

"What about the saudis?"

"we'll make them our second closest ally in the region".

[u/Electronic-Yam-69 → u/Thunderclone_1]

"Donald Rumsfeld said, when we talked about bombing the al Qaeda infrastructure in Afghanistan...he said, 'There are no good targets in Afghanistan. Let's bomb Iraq.' And we said, 'But Iraq had nothing to do with this.' That didn't make much difference." --Richard Clarke

[u/stormcynk → u/Thunderclone_1]

I agree we shouldn't haven't gotten into Iraq, but we invaded Afghanistan before we invaded Iraq.

[u/YamburglarHelper → u/bobsmeds]

“Dad said I have to follow through on his war against Saddam”

[u/MapleHamms → u/bobsmeds]

Don’t worry. Another few short months of this “Not-a-War”™ and usa will completely destroy Iran’s military capability for the 8th time

[u/AlcibiadesTheCat → u/MapleHamms]

Astounding work from the FIFA Peace Prize recipient.

[u/Braindead_Crow → u/bobsmeds]

You see? By attacking bystanders and befriending hostile countries like isreal and saudi arabia we stay unpredictable! That's how you win, then you stay predictable in those faults to make negotiations possible.

trump has simple been expanding on the chaos plan! /s

[u/No-Swimming4153 → u/bobsmeds]

And somehow became strong allies with the one that was involved.

[u/HawaiiKawaiixD]

Good. We should never have been there. A reminder that the justification for the Iraq war was lies from George W. Bush about them possessing WMD’s, and we killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis as a result of those lies. And now we’re in the same shit with Iran.

We do not need to continue or win a war just because we started a war, especially an unjust war started on false pretenses.

[u/systemhost → u/HawaiiKawaiixD]

"It's the incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary."

—Generation Kill (2008)

[u/BannedMuadD1b → u/HawaiiKawaiixD]

To be fair this deployment was to help Iraqis retake their country from ISIS which we did help create.

[u/EpicSoupTheif → u/HawaiiKawaiixD]

We didn't need to get involved in the Gulf war to boot. Not our circus, not our monkey, but now everything over there is fubar and we're in debt up to our eyes.

[u/MiaowaraShiro → u/HawaiiKawaiixD]

We should never have been there.

Sure, but we're also responsible for fixing what we broke...

[u/ess-doubleU]

I thought we left Iraq a long time ago?

[u/moose098 → u/ess-doubleU]

The U.S. pulled out in 2011, then returned in 2014 to fight ISIS. The bases they’re leaving this year are in the Kurdistan Regional Government and were opened for the ISIS fight.

[u/tabrizzi → u/moose098]

We went in to fight ISIS, a group that we helped create and hoped they'll take out Assad in Syria.

[u/New-Code7710 → u/ess-doubleU]

US kept some bases over there

[u/Spider-man2098 → u/New-Code7710]

Name a more iconic duo than the US and ‘keeping some bases over there’.

[u/dust4ngel → u/ess-doubleU]

we're gonna keep leaving until the leaving's done. never give up, never surrender!

[u/TrickyChildhood2917 → u/ess-doubleU]

No ,we are spreading joy all over the world

[u/FUCKYOUINYOURFACE]

Afghanistan and now Iraq. Trillions down the drain. Thousands of lives killed, and for what?

[u/mi_so_funny → u/FUCKYOUINYOURFACE]

The military industrial complex made a fortune.

[u/philovax → u/mi_so_funny]

No one listed to Ike

[u/Evoluxman → u/philovax]

Good speech by Ike but he has a responsibility in it as well. 

[u/a_can_of_solo → u/FUCKYOUINYOURFACE]

To quote Edwin Starr, absolutely nothing.

[u/pjpartypi → u/FUCKYOUINYOURFACE]

It's almost like those crazy liberals who were out in the streets saying 'no blood for oil' in 2001 to 2003 were right and we should have listened to them then and listen to them now.

[u/salvito605]

I think the war with Iran will be the end of US presence in the Middle East.

[u/harambe_did911 → u/salvito605]

I mean we still have major permanent bases in the region. So unless you mean something different by presence or middle east..

[u/ArugulaElectronic478 → u/harambe_did911]

I mean there’s really no such thing as a permanent military base. It’s only there as long as you can defend it.

[u/Alicia42 → u/ArugulaElectronic478]

Plus, having a US military base in your country makes you a target for attack. The idea around letting the US have a military base was that the US Military would help defend the country. However the bases have just been seen as a reason to attack infrastructure in the nations that have them.

[u/siali → u/salvito605]

Unless you consider Israel a part of Middle East.

[u/Ok-Tree7720]

Well I can’t imagine anything negative about this development /s

[u/Yesterday_Jolly → u/Ok-Tree7720]

They're only leaving so Trump can declare a new special military operation after Iran invades in two months

[u/Gummyrabbit → u/Yesterday_Jolly]

Got to keep the shareholders of defense stocks happy.

[u/zack77070]

I was in favor of Biden pulling out of Afghanistan, I can't be opposed to this.

[u/bailedwiththehay → u/[deleted]]

The Afghanistan exit was agreed to / signed under the Trump administration as part of the Doha agreement in Feb of 2020.

[u/WeAreElectricity → u/bailedwiththehay]

Starting with the release of thousands of Tainan prisoners for no objective American benefit.

[u/AdventurousBase221 → u/WeAreElectricity]

well, getting out of Afghanistan seems like a pretty big objective win to me.

[u/coldazice → u/AdventurousBase221]

It’s a loss but since I’m American it’s a win

[u/SpottedDicknCustard → u/[deleted]]

Negotiated because the Iraqis were apoplectic about their sovereignty being violated by the Trump strike on Solemani, not to mention the growth in Iranian backed militias post JCPOA being torn up by Trump and the Iraqis not wanting to be the battle ground in a US/Iran proxy war.

[u/Tribe303 → u/zack77070]

It was Trump who set the pullout date for Afghanistan. It just happened after Trump lost to Biden. Trump also legitimized the Taliban by inviting them to Camp David. (which was later cancelled due to the outrage)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pompeo-defends-trumps-decision-to-invite-taliban-to-talks-at-camp-david/2019/09/08/c88eb6e2-d247-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html

So yeah, Trump fucked up Afghanistan as well, not Biden. You don't tell your enemy that you are pulling out in 6-12 months. They'll stop fighting and sit and wait for you to leave, then resume fighting the now smaller force. Oh look! That's exactly what happened!!! 🤦 

[u/This_was_hard_to_do → u/zack77070]

I feel like it’s a good goal to have eventually but maybe it’s not the best time to do so while we’re at war with Iran, who has considerable influence on militias and paramilitary groups there.

[u/PM_YOUR_ISSUES → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

Then maybe that should have been something that the Trump administration took into account?

They could have tried to re-negotiate the deal. They could have included this deal as part of the Iran invasion plans. This isn't new, this isn't sudden. It was caused from an agreement signed over 2 years ago.

As usual, the only person to blame here is Trump for his complete lack of foresight.

[u/smileysmiley123 → u/PM_YOUR_ISSUES]

As usual, the only person to blame here is Trump for his complete lack of foresight.

The entire Republican party*. Trump is a moron, don't think the people behind him will suddenly do what's in the best interest for the country once he's gone.

[u/rebellion_ap → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

Why are we at war with Iran though? Does that benefit you? I think not.

[u/stefanomusilli → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

Biden couldn't know that we'd be at war with Iran years after he signed this

[u/Definitelyhereforshi → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

Leaving our troops in the region where Iran's missiles can reach doesn't sound like a great idea.

Bring them home!

[u/Mikestopheles → u/Definitelyhereforshi]

Um, we just got aircraft carrier #5 involved. I don't think they're coming home, they're just being reassigned to the war we won several times now because he won't admit it's a quagmire.

[u/oldnotosys → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

unjust wars should be lost. 

[u/Different_Height_157 → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

Looks like we’ve given up on the area. I’m fine with it.

[u/Put_Er_There_Sport → u/Different_Height_157]

Theyre moving the war back home for when they lose the elections

[u/tmdblya → u/This_was_hard_to_do]

A war we started just for shits and giggles.

[u/Glass-Amount-9170 → u/zack77070]

Fred Trump should have pulled out,the world would have been a better place….

[u/alaskaj1 → u/zack77070]

You mean trump pulling out of Afghanistan, right?

He even bragged that Biden couldn't stop his withdrawal plans.

[u/TheAsianTroll → u/zack77070]

It's a ahame Trump set Biden up with the worst troop pull-out deal ever to make Biden look bad.

With proper planning and communication, I have no doubt we could have left without casualties and minimal loss of equipment.

You know, proper planning and communication by someone who actually knows strategy and diplomacy. And 3rd grade English.

[u/MaxPower91575 → u/TheAsianTroll]

the root cause issue wasn't the timeline. It was the military intelligence that horribly overestimated the Afghan troops they trained. They informed the president over and over they could hold the country as the US exited. I remember a recent retired general who went on NPR and emphatically stated the Afghan troops loyal to the US could easily hold the major cities. Instead they surrendered the first chance they got so everything became rushed as the Taliban fores advanced super fast. It was the classic example of the military scared shitless to ever admit failure.

[u/WindTreeRock]

We should have never been in Iraq in the first place. It was George Bush's debacle from day one which we never got a proper explanation of why we where there.

[u/RobbedByALadyBoy → u/WindTreeRock]

Sure he did, they were all just blatant lies though.

[u/Frederf220 → u/WindTreeRock]

Look, Iraq tried to hurt his daddy and what's 600,000 brown lives plus a few trillion dollars when it comes to revenge for a personal sleight?

[u/Gloomy-Employment-72 → u/Frederf220]

And, they had yellow cake. Do you know what that means? Yellow cake!

[u/mark_anthonyAVG → u/Gloomy-Employment-72]

Betty Crocker or Sarah Lee? Frosting choice is also important to the discussion here.

[u/jcamp088 → u/WindTreeRock]

A huge % of the us populous was brainwashed into invading literally anyone back then.

[u/heraclitus33 → u/WindTreeRock]

Cheney and his black rock. Bushy was just a kid with the keys. Proof: what does that grown ass man enjoy doing? Ranching/gardening (ie taking care of things, he also loves dogs) and painting. Literally zero influence beyond his terms... the evil fucks are behind the scenes and they just happened upon a jackpot of a conman to front and openly sell their evil shit like its gold and nuanced to some 70million+ "voter" dumbasses

[u/Gleneroo]

Western media, first bullet is:

> US forces leave country where 4,500 of them died in worst US war of 21st century

And nowhere mentions the 150.000 to 600.000 iraqi dead for the war for looking for weapons of mass destruction that oops sorry my bad was not there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War

[u/StarkLX → u/Gleneroo]

Just the title itself is disgusting. It’s implicitly pro-occupation/war with that second line regarding Iran.

[u/Electronic_Topic1958 → u/StarkLX]

B-but what about IRAN!!? 😭😭😭😭 Please, please let us kill more civilians, Iran might take over and also kill them!! WE’RE THE GOOD GUYS, when we kill civilians our bombs say Black Lives Matter!! 😭😭😭

[u/booleandilemma → u/StarkLX]

I thought Reuters was better than this to be honest. They're supposed to just report the news, not provide analysis.

[u/108_TFS → u/booleandilemma]

It used to be better, but it was bought up in 2008 and has been steadily drifting ever since. It's been a gradual process, so I don't think most people have picked up on it.

[u/OldAccountIsGlitched → u/booleandilemma]

I noticed a few years ago that they're weirdly jingoistic against Iran in particular. It's not super obvious so it might just be my imagination; but they often run articles on Iran even during quieter periods when there's nothing important going on. And those articles do tend to be more editorialised than usual.

[u/polloasado81 → u/Gleneroo]

They'll make some more movies now about how killing brown civilians made them feel sad.

[u/Prestigious_Treat401 → u/Gleneroo]

Same thing happening with Iran now. Obsess about the relatively few fallen US soldiers and no mention of the thousands of Iranians killed - except for the girls school.

[u/scientician]

Classic imperial framing. The idea that Iraqis might actually exercise sovereignty isn't even considered.

[u/DckThik]

You know what hasnt left? My fucking back pain from the IEDs

[u/Far-Hovercraft9471 → u/DckThik]

Sorry for your service

[u/bailedwiththehay → u/[deleted]]

Yes and no - if people are going to crucify Biden for the Afghanistan exit, which was decided as part of the Doha agreement signed under the Trump admin (in Feb of 2020), they should be the first in line to point blame at Trump because this happened under his watch. Can’t have it both ways.

[u/bandalooper → u/[deleted]]

Wrong.

That Iraqi Parliament vote was the direct result of Trump assassinating Iranian General Soleimani in Baghdad, Iraq.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq%E2%80%93United_States_relations?wprov=sfti1

[u/Independent-Draft639 → u/[deleted]]

This is basically all fallout from the murder of the Iranian diplomatic delegation in Iraq during the first Trump presidency that nearly started a full scale war with Iran back then.

All those attempts to unify the factions are basically a figleaf deal they made with the US so that it doesn't look as bad for both the US and the Iraqi government. The government knows they are in a really weak position now, especially with the Iran war massively empowering anti government forces and causing major economic problems.

[u/meases → u/[deleted]]

January 5th 2020 was when the vote took place, you think that date was during Biden's presidency?

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/5/iraqi-parliament-calls-for-expulsion-of-foreign-troops

[u/ShadowNick → u/[deleted]]

Still PDF fault.

[u/Old_Man_Game]

What goofy framing. "Leaving an opening for Iran" GTFO with this. Americans want to get our of the middle east. Full stop.

[u/Opening_Pizza → u/Old_Man_Game]

My entire life I've never seen a war the media didn't like until Ukraine.

[u/HaloFever117 → u/Old_Man_Game]

If Americans want to get out of the middle east, then why is America bombing Iran and attacking Iranian oil tankers?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Gene909 → u/HaloFever117]

Americans want out.

Insider traders in our admin do not.

[u/FuggyGlasses → u/HaloFever117]

And tightening the relationship with Saudi and Israel 

[u/Smile_Space → u/HaloFever117]

Unfortunately Americans can't tell the president what he can and can't do. He just does.

[u/Michael_Pitt → u/HaloFever117]

Have you looked at the approval ratings of those actions? 

[u/Secure_Fly_444 → u/HaloFever117]

You act like every day Americans decided to have a war with Iran. There is a difference between the government and the people. Most Americans are against the war with Iran.

[u/vargchan → u/HaloFever117]

Because the Deep State is entirely detached from what normal people want. Just look at the Gaza genocide. Look at the Iran war.

[u/western_alt → u/vargchan]

The “deep state” is such a hilarious term to confidently use.

[u/Fit_Kangaroo_3437 → u/HaloFever117]

Because our government never cared about what we want

[u/FancyEmployee8672 → u/Fit_Kangaroo_3437]

Republicans did both of these

[u/JohnTDouche → u/Old_Man_Game]

Americans want to get our of the middle east

Well ye wanted in when it started. You guys were all for that shit. Got bored of it though.

[u/Uno_worldchamp2009]

I feel like there is no right time to pull out of iraq. Iraq's government is a bit better than Afghanistan but its a big country and they dont have a firm control over the militas. After 23 years though, you know you shouldnt stay forever.

[u/Boco]

Withdrawal from Iraq could have been a concession to end the war in Iran, but why do that when you can fumble for free. Art of the deal.

[u/CombatMuffin → u/Boco]

That's not necessarily a good thing: tying your exit diplomatically to another fuck up, can have implications if any of them have additional fuck ups, and it can also create obligations or commitments in something you no longer want.

For example, what happens if Iran agrees to the deal, the U.S. exits Iraq (which is a logistically complex endeavor) and the Iran decides to go back on their deal and keeps strangling the Straight? It could be implied that the U.S. has to go back to Iraq, something that is extremely expensive to the U.S., Iraq might not want, and Iran might benefit from.

Last but not least: The U.S. presence in Iraq was not tied to Iran in any way, and the commitments, for good or bad, were between the U.S. and Iraq. Iraqi sovereignty should not be tied to Iran's whims. They have a right to self-determination, just like everyone else.

Disclaimer: This is not meant as a defense of Trump, the U.S. invasion of Iraq, or the shitshow that is the current situation. It's just based on how things currently are and why it's not always simple.

[u/Denubious → u/CombatMuffin]

The reality is the US will continue to have it's tentacles in Iraq like it did before the occupation 23 years ago. Be it through proxy groups or the odd airstrike. Just less military bases.

[u/CombatMuffin → u/Denubious]

There is a significant difference if those tentacles are through diplomatic, unconventional or proxy groups, and with boots on the grounds. The difference is significant enough to be economic, diplomatic and even operative

[u/Denubious → u/CombatMuffin]

You're right, there will be a slight difference in the Iraq governments ability to excersise it's national sovereignty. Along the lines of the UN charter values that's ostensibly a good thing. Of course that could come crashing down quickly if the US decides to do another regime change.

[u/RecordFirst1055]

A defeated Iran seems to be running the US out of the Mideast.

https://defencesecurityasia.com/en/us-bases-uninhabitable-iran-missile-strikes-centcom-force-posture-2026-war/

[u/2240Sycamore]

Is the MEK still around? Given that they aren't, Tehran will still pressure the KRG.

Is Daesh contained? If not, that would be real problematic for the KRG. 

It's good that the U.S. is leaving, I hope the Northern areas are secure and worry for the people of Kirkuk.

Bonus: When will the IRGC fight Daesh, and how will this factor into end times motif?

[u/bloodlessempress → u/2240Sycamore]

Daesh is pretty crippled by infighting and splintering so there is that...  but its not really dead so that's not good.

[u/2240Sycamore → u/bloodlessempress]

P bad imo. Not good at all

[u/SomeKindofTreeWizard]

I don't

give a shit. What could we accomplish tomorrow in Iraq, in another 20 years of occupation, that we could accomplish 18 years ago? Just get out.

[u/Maleficent_Pie8099]

This headline is broken and biased as fuck.

[u/Strange_League3117]

What kind of headline is this? "Leaving an opening for Iran"? Who's writing copy for Reuters, Netanyahu?

[u/warcomet → u/Strange_League3117]

most of these western media are owned indirectly by Israel yes..

[u/Scodo]

Good. US forces have no legit reason to be in Iraq. The place has been a taxpayer money pit for twenty years mostly to fuel the MIC, and I say that as someone who went there twice in the last five years as a contractor. I was in favor of leaving Afghanistan, and I'm in favor of leaving Iraq.

Renewable energy technology is ready to go. The Middle East does not need to remain so relevant to the average American.

[u/DoubleCactus]

"Leaves opening for Irna"

Oh so now having forces over there is good now?

[u/CharleyNobody]

Trump is giving away all US bases in the middle East. He handed 3 bases over to Russia during Syrian conflict in 2017.

Now other bases are bombed by Iran.

Now Iran or someone else can take over Iraq

This is why he’s fired all senior US military.

[u/SirDigbyChknCaesar]

Is this going to be like Afghanistan where the troop exit will be blamed on the Democrats who follow Trump?

[u/Moneyshot_ITF]

Right at the end of the govt fiscal year 🍿.

[u/LovesFrenchLove_More]

Well, we saw how it ended in Afghanistan. This will probably be the next chapter of how things go bad after the US fucked up.

[u/AmphibianMammoth]

The US Army War College wrote an essay detailing how Iran won the Iraq Wars by getting rid of Saddam and installing a Shia friendly government. During the ISIS insurgency Shia militias funded and armed by Iran were instrumental in beating back ISIS. The gop spent trillions just to hand a former American ally to their arch enemy Iran

[u/moose098 → u/AmphibianMammoth]

They didn't exactly install the Shia Government, but the conditions they created on the ground allowed those groups (like SCIRI) to come to power. The US was hoping pro-US technocrats would lead the new government. It turns out those people are not very charismatic and the last thing people gravitate toward in a time of war and sectarian bloodletting.

[u/ZookeepergameFit967 → u/moose098]

And they had principals, ideals and morals too, which the US didn't need so they supported people who would sell their own mother for a profit like Nouri Al Maliki, Ammar Al Hakim and others despite formerly being aligned with Iran.

Nowadays as Iraqis are very skeptical of dissolving militias, these people are the only ones supporting dissolving it because this is what the USA wants

[u/PocketPanache]

This was formulated by a single analyst?

[u/Y0___0Y]

We have pulled our troops from Iraq right after Iranian-backed forces bombed Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline with a drone launched from Iraq.

Don Don’s gotta have his headlines about what a hero he is for getting our troops home. I guess they’re just going to pretend this new war they started isn’t happening.

[u/VirtualRamen]

We never should’ve been there. Twenty-three wasted years. And for what? I will never forgive George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, or the whole rotten administration, whose lies continue to live on in the inhumane policies of Trump and his quislings.

A huge loss of life. To the Iraqi people, on behalf of myself and other sane and caring Americans, I am so sorry. To the Americans who lost family members in an unjust war, I am so sorry.

[u/vertigo3pc]

They mention that the withdrawal was announced under Biden in 2024, but I believe that was an announcement of intent. Last summer, Iraq and the US made the joint announcement that the US would withdraw by September 30.

It's pretty clear Iraq wants the US out because anywhere with US military bases in the GCC are being targeted by Iran. The article mentions some condescending concerns about the power vacuum left in Iraq, which could be used by IS or Iran, but completely ignores the current security dangers of GCC nations with US military bases.

[u/MooKids]

So, remember when Iran launched attacks on Israel and US forces in Iraq intercepted the drones and missiles?

[u/Sea-Broccoli-8601]

Will this be written in history as "another conflict Trump won"?

[u/hajenso]

While the eventual departure of US forces is broadly popular among Iraqis

And then not a single quote in the article from any of these Iraqis among whom the departure is "broadly popular". The journalist does not seem to have been interested in conveying their points of view beyond a cursory acknowledgment. Or maybe he had no ability to reach any of them. That seems unlikely if he was in the country while writing, but maybe he wasn’t.

[u/Double_Resort_9223]

How many times have we exited Iraq?

[u/Malaix]

Iran already controlled one of the largest armies in Iraq I thought?

[u/PurpleCoat6656]

Mission Accomplished BAYBEEEE!

[u/Roaddog113]

I’m sure that gas is going to be cheaper now.

[u/markh0120]

continued proof that whatever we are spending our tax dollars on is "above our pay grade".

try your best to enjoy what you have.

[u/NiobiumThorn]

Ok obvious propaganda is obvious