Earlier this month, Iraq’s prime minister said American troops were no longer needed in his country. That might sound surprising, but it’s nothing new: Iraqi leaders have been calling on the U.S. to withdraw its forces for years.
American troops in Iraq completed their mission fully more than five years ago, in March 2019, when ISIS lost all of its territory. Yet for inexplicable reasons, U.S. troops have remained, overstaying their welcome and becoming magnets for insurgent attacks, including from Iranian proxies.
The mandate to leave Iraq ought to be clear, but not everyone is eager to see U.S. troops. Detractors are throwing all shapes of proverbial pasta at the wall, searching for anti-withdrawal arguments that will stick. Perhaps inevitably, given the recent anniversary of 9/11, they have resorted to scare tactics, conjuring images of smoke plumes and burning towers while breathlessly warning of an ISIS resurgence that will terrorize the world.
Such fearmongering is disingenuous, and the American people must see through it. The truth is, the ISIS threat to the American homeland is remarkably small, and always has been. It certainly isn’t a reason to station U.S. soldiers in Iraq indefinitely.
Author
Rosemary
Kelanic
Director, Middle East Program
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