What happened the last time the US military left Iraq?
The article reviews the US military withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, the consequences that led to the rise of ISIS, and compares them to the current withdrawal in 2026. It describes the security vacuum left by the previous withdrawal, the strengthening of Iran and al-Qaeda, and the collapse of the Iraqi army against ISIS in 2014. Now, with another withdrawal, the article asks whether history will repeat itself.
The article examines the US military withdrawal from Iraq in 2026, comparing it to the previous withdrawal in 2011. It describes how the 2011 withdrawal left a security vacuum: Iran armed Shia terrorist organizations, al-Qaeda strengthened, and the Iraqi army, which received 150 tanks and was expected to receive 96 F-16 aircraft, was not ready. The article notes that according to American assessments at the time, at least ten years were needed to build an effective Iraqi army. The vacuum led to the rise of ISIS, which captured Mosul in 2014 after Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions. Now, with the current withdrawal, the article points to worrying signs: the new Iraqi government, less than six months old, delayed the disarmament of armed militias by nine months. The Kurds have turned Kurdistan into a near-complete autonomy, and ISIS has not yet completely disappeared. The article ends with the question of whether President Trump saw something others find hard to see.