US to Complete Iraq Troop Withdrawal by September 30

The United States will complete a full withdrawal of all its troops from Iraq by September 30, U.S. and Iraqi officials confirmed on Wednesday, marking the end of a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. The announcement follows a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper, during which the date was affirmed as the fixed and final deadline for ending the mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq.

The confirmation solidifies a timeline for the departure of the remaining U.S. forces, which had already withdrawn from most Iraqi bases last year but maintained a presence in the semiautonomous northern Kurdish region. A U.S. official stated that the military is on track to complete the pullout by the end of September but declined to specify how many troops remain in the country or where they would be redeployed. The official emphasized that the U.S., Iraq, and coalition partners have achieved significant success in defeating ISIS, and that Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga, will now lead counterterrorism efforts.

The drawdown from the Kurdish region appears to be underway. Two Iraqi...