Trump calls Iraq withdrawal ’costly operation in hell’

US President Donald Trump has welcomed the decision to withdraw all US troops from Iraq, calling it a "costly operation in hell".

The United States withdrew all troops from Iraq on Wednesday (September 30), ending a decade-long fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, Arab News reported.

The remaining US troops are leaving an air base in northern Iraq under an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.

Trump has called the withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq by the September 30 deadline "orderly." In a post on social media, he wrote, "It's been a long time coming; we got into this mess in the first place because of very bad decisions. But it will soon be history." 

He said it was a victory for the United States and Iraq and a sign of victory over the Daesh (IS) group.

The United States agreed to withdraw its troops from Iraq two years ago. The withdrawal comes as the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran has spilled over into Iraq. Iranian-backed militias have launched attacks on US troops in Iraq. The United States has responded by striking the bases of the armed groups. 

The United States has seemed to have tried to shift its focus away from the Middle East and toward Asia in recent years. However, this process has lacked consistency. On the one hand, the Pentagon has tried to reduce its presence in the Middle East, while on the other hand, it has become embroiled in new conflicts, especially with Iran.

Iraq has hailed the end of the US operation as a symbol of its growing strength and sovereignty. While the withdrawal of US troops has been welcomed by Iran-backed groups, it has also raised concerns among many other Iraqis, especially the Kurds, who fear that IS could re-emerge and that Iran-backed groups could become more aggressive after the US forces leave.

Meanwhile, questions have also arisen about the future of Iraqi militias. Baghdad has tried to disarm them, but so far has had little success. 

A new chapter in Iraq

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the "orderly withdrawal" of US troops and equipment from the Erbil air base in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq has been completed.

"The milestone highlights the success of a 12-year campaign that has defeated Daesh (IS), a threat to Iraq and the region," he said. 

He also said the US military will continue to provide specific training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called the withdrawal of US troops the "beginning of a new chapter." He said Iraqi security forces would continue the fight against IS and the government would ensure that no non-state groups had weapons.

US forces launched an invasion of Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. US forces left Iraq in 2011. However, three years later, Iraqi authorities invited US forces to fight ISIS, which had by then taken control of large areas of Iraq.

With the extremist group now reduced to isolated 'sleeper cells', Washington and Baghdad agreed to end the campaign in 2024. The US finally formally withdrew all troops from Iraq on Wednesday.