US Led Coalition Withdraws To Iraq’s Kurdistan

 

On November 27 it was announced that the U.S. led Coalition against the Islamic State had ended its mission in federal Iraq. Only 4-5 personnel were left in Baghdad to do logistics and diplomatic tasks. The rest of the 1,500 Coalition troops were all now in Kurdistan. This is the first part of the Coalition’s withdrawal from Iraq.

Review James Baker III and Hamilton, Lee, The Iraq Study Group Report, The Way Forward – A New Approach, Vintage Books, 2006

Baker, James, III and Hamilton, Lee, The Iraq Study Group Report, The Way Forward – A New Approach, Vintage Books, 2006

 

By 2006 the American political establishment finally realized that things were not going right in Iraq. Violence was going up and neither the Iraqis nor the U.S. seemed like they had any answers. That led to several strategy reviews including the independent Iraq Study Group whose main findings are contained within this book. Ironically rather than coming up with a course adjustment the group actually advocated for maintaining the status quo showing that many of the elites didn’t know what the actual policy was in Iraq.

U.S. Army in The Iraq War Volume 2 Chapter 14 From New Dawn To Zero August 2010-December 2011

The 14^th chapter in the U.S. Army’s second volume on the Iraq war covers the American withdrawal from the country in 2011. Iraq was still facing major problems with its security forces, militias, the insurgency and the struggle for political power. The Obama administration thought it could keep a stay behind force in the nation to help with stability but failed to do so.

Iraq May Delay US Troop Withdrawal Due To Syria

There are an increasing number of articles coming out of Iraq that the ruling Coordination Framework may ask for U.S. troops to stay longer rather than demanding their withdrawal due to the recent events in Syria.

US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Chapter 12 A New Iraq Policy For The United States

The twelfth chapter of the U.S. Army’s 2^nd Volume on the Iraq War is about the 2011 U.S. withdrawal and its impacts upon Iraq. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki continued his concentration of power and was using the security forces to go after his opponents, the Islamic State of Iraq began its comeback while the Americans willingly gave away its influence with Baghdad.

US Withdrawal Date From Iraq Postponed

On August 15 the Sudani government announced that a date for an American withdrawal from Iraq would not be made because of recent attacks by pro-Iran groups. This was a convenient excuse to delay talks which the administration has not been enthusiastic about.

Security In Iraq July 22-28, 2024

The Islamic State was absent from Iraq for another week while pro-Iran groups focused back upon the United States.

US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Ch 2 “The Eve Of The Surge, December 2006-February 2007”

Chapter 2 of the U.S. Army’s second volume on the Iraq War covers the period after President Bush decided to surge troops into Iraq but before it was actually implemented. It showed more dysfunction within the U.S. government, while inside Iraq the warring factions were preparing for a final confrontation.

US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Ch 1 “Strategy In Crisis, October-December 2006

The second volume of the U.S. Army’s official history of the Iraqi War starts off with President Bush trying to come up with a new Iraq strategy. He’d been disengaged from the war and finally realized in 2006 that things were not going well. It took an extended period of time to formulate a new approach which highlighted the continued dysfunction within the White House over a conflict which was supposed to be a defining moment in the administration.

Security In Iraq February 15-21, 2024

For the second week in a row there were no reported attacks by either the Islamic State or pro-Iran groups in Iraq.

Coordination Framework Can’t Rally Its Own MPs To Hold Parliamentary Vote To Demand US Leave Iraq

(Acting Speaker of Parliament Mandalawi's Office)

On February 10 Iraq’s parliament was to meet and vote on a resolution demanding the U.S.-led Coalition depart Iraq. That didn’t happen because of a boycott by Sunni and Kurdish parliamentarians. Not only that but a large number of lawmakers from the largest bloc the Coalition Framework didn’t show up either.

Is Iraq Serious About A US Withdrawal?

On January 29 an Iraqi government spokesman said that Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani wants the U.S. led Coalition to leave Iraq by the end of his term in office. This came after the first meeting between Baghdad and Washington to discuss a withdrawal. The question is whether Iraq is serious about this request or just playing politics with the issue.

Iraq May Ask The US-Led Coalition To Leave

(Reuters)

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani recently called for all Coalition forces in Iraq to leave. That came after the Biden Administration carried out its second retaliatory attack upon pro-Iran groups. The questions is whether the premier is serious about this statement or is just trying to appease the militant elements of his government.

How Will PM Sudani’s Allies In The Coordination Framework React To His Comments About US Troops In Iraq?

(AP)

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Sudani recently gave an interview with the Wall Street Journal where he said that there was no timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from his country. He also said foreign forces were needed to help fight the Islamic State. His comments could lead to problems with his backers within the Coordination Framework.  

Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.7 May 2008 To October 2009

Section 9.7 of the Chilcot Inquiry covered the end of the British presence in Iraq. It dealt with two main issues. First was the aftermath of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s Charge of Knights security operation against Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia in Basra. The second was the timetable for the U.K.’s withdrawal from the country.

Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.6 28 June 2007 To April 2008

Section 9.6 of the Chilcot Inquiry covers the new British government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown who wanted to withdraw from Iraq and the Charge of Knights security operation launched in Basra against the Mahdi Army. The irony was the British made deals with the Sadrists so it could pull out its forces and then the Iraqi government went after Sadr’s militia and the UK was drawn back into the fight.

Review Days Of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House

Baker, Peter, Days Of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland: Doubleday, 2013

 

Peter Baker wrote Days Of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House to refute the idea that Vice President Dick Cheney was the driving force behind President George Bush. Baker argues that the two largely agreed about issues during the first administration but then drifted apart in the second. The Iraq War was an example of their relationship since both individuals wanted to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The author also pointed out how badly the war was handled by the White House.

Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.5 June 2006 To 27 June 2007

By the summer of 2006 the British were much more realistic about their assessments of the situation in Iraq than their American counterparts. While the Bush administration was full of hope for the new government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the UK said he was weak. There was report after report to London that violence was out of control. What was similar between the Bush and Blair governments however was that they both were focused upon withdrawing from Iraq.

Review Worthy Fights

Panetta, Leon with Newton, Jim, Worthy Fights, New York: Penguin Press, 2014

 

Worthy Fights is an autobiography of Leon Panetta written by the Los Angeles Times’ Jim Newton. Panetta went from a Congressman specializing in the budget to heading budget matters with the Clinton administration to President Clinton’s chief of staff to the CIA director and Defense Secretary under President Obama.

Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006

From the summer of 2005 to the summer of 2006 the British were having trouble on two fronts in Iraq. First, despite Prime Minister Tony Blair still thinking positively about the war officials in his government still believed that the Coalition was failing. In the south which the U.K. was responsible for its own strategy was also not working and the focus turned to how it could withdraw as quickly as possible, which mimicked the American plan which the Brits were critical of.