newsweek.com
American Troops Leave Iraq With a Warning for Iran
Wednesday will witness the last American troops withdraw from Iraq, officially ending a two-decade-long military presence that began with an invasion in 2003 and resumed again in 2014 when U.S. forces returned to aid Baghdad in its fight against the Islamic State group. Taken together with the somewhat abrupt pullout from Afghanistan five years ago, this closes a messy and complicated chapter in American history. A pair of so-called "forever wars,” waged at a great cost to the citizens of all countries—one that taught a lesson on the limits of what U.S. military power alone can achieve. Or did they? Read More on Analysis As the last plane out of Iraq takes off, two U.S. carrier strike groups are operating in the Arabian Sea in support of military operations against Iran, some seven months after Operation Epic Fury embroiled Washington in yet another highly complex foreign conflict. Nothing New Under The Sun Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March 2003. By April 9, American forces had taken Baghdad and overturned Saddam Hussein’s government. Saddam himself was captured before the year was out. Granted, the troops didn’t find those WMDs—no one can be expected to achieve the impossible!—but it looked as if...
