Trump Announces Last US Forces Leaving Iraq
US President Donald Trump announced the last American forces are leaving Iraq, saying the coalition mission ended with an orderly exit from Erbil Air Base.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the last convoy of American troops from Iraq, calling it "a Great Day for America" and saying the coalition operation has ended with an orderly departure from Erbil Air Base.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said: "Today, I am pleased to announce, that the last American Forces are leaving Iraq! It has been a long time, with very bad decision-making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place, but soon, that will be part of History."
Trump said the US is leaving as Iraq is now led by a new prime minister. He stated: "This is a Great Day for America and, importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, somebody I supported from the beginning and fully endorsed. He won an Election that he was not expected to win, and did so, in a landslide!"
Trump then traced the operation's history across successive US administrations. He wrote: "Launched in 2003 under the presidency of George W. Bush, and continued under the Administration of Barack Hussein Obama in 2014, and Sleepy Joe Biden, Operation Inherent Resolve ends in 2026 under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump."
He described the moment as a victory on several fronts: "This Day is a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory over ISIS, which has been completely decimated by the Trump Administration, First Term, along with other very bad and dangerous players."
The US president contrasted the withdrawal with the one from Afghanistan. He said: "Unlike Afghanistan, where much Military Equipment and everything else was left behind, and 13 Warriors lie dead, with many badly wounded, this orderly departure of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the end of a very expensive excursion into Hell."
Trump also described his own decision. "I set a clear mission, gave our Commanders the tools to finish it, and refused to let a temporary presence become a permanent one," he said. "I had a choice to stay or to leave, and felt, without question, that it was time for America to go home!"
He returned to Iraq's prime minister, saying: "Prime Minister al-Zaidi, is outstanding, and he will hopefully be able to handle things very well."
Trump closed his statement with a message to Americans: "We came to fight a caliphate. There is no longer a caliphate. We are going home!"