BAGHDAD: After more than a decade, the US-led international coalition in Iraq is completing its mission and withdrawing from the country today, Wednesday.
The coalition forces had started operations in 2014 for the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. At that time, ISIS had occupied vast areas of both countries and carried out large-scale massacres and other atrocities. ISIS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019; however, the coalition forces maintained their presence for operations against the remaining fighters and for security cooperation.
Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to end the coalition mission in phases, after which coalition troops gradually started withdrawing from various bases across the country. The coalition forces finally limited their presence to the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north of Iraq, from where the withdrawal of the last troops is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday.
Iraq Declares October 1 as Sovereignty Day
The Iraqi government says that with the withdrawal of foreign forces, a major justification for powerful armed factions to retain weapons in the country will end. The government has long been trying to ensure complete control of weapons by state institutions. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has announced that the day after the withdrawal of coalition forces, October 1, will be celebrated as Sovereignty Day.
In a joint statement, the heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches said that this day will be a symbol of the completion of Iraq’s journey to sovereignty and strengthening the role of state institutions. The government has also stressed the need to resolve the issue of weapons outside state control. Prime Minister al-Zaidi has expressed his determination to establish the supremacy of state institutions and to make armed factions hand over their weapons to the state. The government had initially set a September 30 deadline for armed groups to disarm; however, this final deadline was withdrawn as negotiations on the management of weapons and bringing them into the state system continued.
After several powerful groups refused to disarm, senior politicians have also joined the negotiations, and efforts are being made to reach a compromise. The armed factions have also demanded an end to US political and economic interference along with the withdrawal of foreign troops.
The powerful group Kataib Hezbullah, while calling the withdrawal of coalition forces a step towards complete sovereignty, warned the government that a government that does not work in the interest of the people can be removed from power through various means. During the war against ISIS, the US-led coalition and some of Iraq’s armed groups fought against a common enemy; however, after the defeat of ISIS, the presence of coalition forces became a major cause of tension between these groups and the Iraqi authorities.
The armed groups carried out drone and missile attacks on US soldiers, in response to which the US carried out operations on various occasions, in which several commanders of armed factions were also killed.
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