‘Victory for US’: Trump says last American forces leaving Iraq

Washington: President Donald Trump has announced that the last American forces are leaving Iraq, declaring an end to the US military involvement that began more than two decades ago and saying Washington was taking all its equipment with it.

“Today I’m pleased to announce that the last American forces are leaving Iraq,” Trump said at a White House event on Wednesday (local time) marking National Hispanic Heritage Month.

“It’s been a long time with very bad decision-making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place.”

Trump described the withdrawal as a major moment for both countries.

“It was a quagmire. Many, many years it lasted, but soon that part of history will be over. This is a great day for America,” he said.

The President said the United States was leaving Iraq with a new government in place and praised Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, whom he said he had supported during the country’s election.

Trump traced the US involvement back to the 2003 invasion under President George W. Bush and referred to Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led campaign launched against the Islamic State group in 2014.

“Operation Inherent Resolve, which is what they called it, ends in 2026 under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump,” he said.

“We’re getting the hell out of there.”

Trump called the departure a victory for the United States and Iraq and linked it to the defeat of the Islamic State group’s territorial caliphate.

“So, this day is a victory for the United States. It’s a victory for Iraq and a decisive victory over ISIS, which has been completely decimated, which is the reason we went in there in the first place,” he said.

Trump said the withdrawal from Erbil Air Base included US personnel and equipment. He repeatedly contrasted the departure with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

“This orderly departure of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the end of a very expensive excursion into hell,” Trump said.

“And again, we took all of our equipment.”

Trump said he had instructed commanders to ensure nothing was left behind.

“I said I want every screw taken. If there’s a screw lying on the ground, take it. If we have a canvas tent, take it. We took everything,” he said.

“I set a clear mission, gave our commanders the tools to finish it, and refused to let a temporary presence become a permanent one.”

Trump said there had been pressure for the United States to maintain a permanent presence in Iraq, but he had decided against it.

“A lot of people wanted us to be permanently there. I had a choice to stay or to leave, and felt without question that it was time for America to go home,” he said.

“We came to fight a caliphate, and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home indeed.”

Trump said the United States had been involved in the conflict for 23 years and cited the human cost of the military presence.

“We have been in that war for 23 years, lost more than 4,500 great American soldiers and had over 31,000 injured, some very badly, plus hundreds of civilian contractors were killed,” he said.

The US-led invasion of Iraq began in March 2003 and toppled Saddam Hussein’s government. Most US troops were withdrawn in 2011, but American forces returned in 2014 as part of an international coalition fighting Islamic State after the militant group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria.

IANS