Baghdad — The United States has begun pulling its troops from Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase and facilities near Baghdad International Airport, a move presented by Washington as a strategic transition but widely seen in the region as an admission of diminishing power and influence.
The withdrawal, long demanded by Iraqis who see the US presence as a humiliating vestige of occupation, is part of a two-phase plan negotiated with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. The first phase, to be completed by mid-September, involves evacuating large contingents of personnel and equipment from the western Anbar stronghold. Some troops are expected to redeploy to Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, but the scale of the exit underscores Washington’s inability to sustain its military dominance across the country.
For two decades, Washington sold its presence in Iraq as a bulwark against terrorism, yet critics argue the opposite: that the US presence fueled instability, emboldened militias, and turned Iraq into a geopolitical chessboard. The Ain al-Asad base itself, repeatedly targeted by drone and rocket attacks, has symbolized not security but the persistent resistance to foreign occupation.
American officials, eager to reframe the retreat, claim they are “shifting to advisory and support roles” and will continue logistical assistance for counter-ISIS operations. But analysts point out that this language merely masks the reality: Iraq no longer tolerates large-scale American combat operations, and the Pentagon is dressing up a forced withdrawal as a voluntary pivot.
The withdrawal is also a political victory for Baghdad, which has faced enormous pressure from its own public to reassert sovereignty. For Iraqi leaders, expelling US troops is a demonstration of independence not just from Washington but also from the destabilizing duality of being caught between American and Iranian power plays.
Pro-Iran groups, once unwavering in their calls for an immediate US exit, now find themselves warning against an abrupt vacuum that could allow ISIS remnants to regroup. Even these factions, however, agree that the American footprint has long been more liability than asset. The persistent drone attacks on US bases, the deaths of Iraqi civilians during botched raids, and the arrogant posture of American commanders have convinced many that the US presence created more chaos than it resolved.
The reality is that Washington’s so-called “coalition mission” has collapsed under the weight of its contradictions. While the US justified its continued deployment as part of a counterterrorism campaign, Iraqis and regional observers saw it for what it was: a tool for projecting power in a region the US has destabilized from Afghanistan to Syria.
According to the Associated Press, which reported details of the phased withdrawal, the reconfiguration will stretch into 2026, with Washington attempting to save face by maintaining small advisory units. But the symbolism is unmistakable: after years of clinging to military bases and presenting itself as the indispensable power in Iraq, the US is leaving under pressure, its influence eroded and its credibility in tatters.
