US ends Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq after 12 years
U.S. troops complete withdrawal from Iraq
The U.S. military says all American troops have now left Iraq, officially ending a 12-year mission focused on fighting ISIS. The final U.S. forces departed the last air base in northern Iraq under an agreement between Washington and Baghdad. The withdrawal comes as the U.S.-Iran war continues, with fighting and tensions at times spilling over into Iraq.
U.S. forces have completed their withdrawal from Erbil Air Base, formally ending the U.S. military mission in Iraq under Operation Inherent Resolve after over a decade of counter-ISIS operations, U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday.
What we know:
CENTCOM said the September 30 departure of personnel and equipment marks a planned shift toward a bilateral U.S.-Iraq defense relationship. The mission’s headquarters, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, has relocated to Jordan, where U.S. forces will continue supporting counter-ISIS operations in Syria alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government.
The backstory:
CJTF-OIR was established in 2014 and has spent years advising, assisting and enabling Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian partner forces in the fight against ISIS.
A U.S. Army soldier looks onto Baghdad and the Saddam-era Crossed Sabers monument from the International Zone on May 30, 2021 in Baghdad, Iraq. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
What they're saying:
"Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq," CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement. "Because of your grit, sacrifice and professionalism, ISIS no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq’s national security."
Cooper said Iraq security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Kurdistan Region units, now have the capacity, leadership and operational independence to manage threats on their own.
Big picture view:
The drawdown began last October as U.S. and coalition forces started leaving federal Iraq. Erbil Air Base, located in northern Iraq, served as the primary hub for CJTF-OIR and hosted most of the roughly 1,500 American and coalition personnel supporting counter ISIS missions.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the U.S. Central Command. This story was reported from Orlando.