Kizigenza_
Senior Member
- Apr 20, 2026
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A 23-Year Occupation Ends in an Ignominious Retreat
September 30, 2026. The last contingent of US troops is withdrawing from Iraqi soil.
This is not a "Mission Accomplished" moment. This is not a "peaceful handover." It is the conclusion of a 23-year military occupation that ended in an ignominious retreat—marking the full trajectory from the 2003 invasion, the 2011 withdrawal, the 2014 return, to the final expulsion in 2026.
The US and its international coalition have handed over all military bases and command centers to Iraqi authorities, including facilities in Baghdad and the Kurdish region. Saad Maan, head of the media office for Iraqi security agencies, explicitly declared: "After September 30, there will no longer be any coalition combat or training forces in Iraq." The Iraqi Ministry of Defense has officially designated September 30 as the nation's "Sovereignty Day" and announced a four-day national holiday to celebrate.
In short: Iraq is observing a four-day national holiday, celebrating not merely the "departure of the US," but the "expulsion of the occupier."
Abu Mujtaba al-Yasiri, a commander of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, made a statement to Reuters that has been widely cited by global media:
"On September 30, we will celebrate the turning of a dark page in Iraq's history and the failure of the occupier to impose its will upon our nation."
He continued: "Iraq has proven that its sovereignty is not guaranteed by foreign armies, but by the resistance movement and the will of the people."
The resistance forces have characterized the US withdrawal as a "historic victory for the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and the honorable Iraqi people, and a devastating failure of the American project."
This is not merely a "declaration of victory." It is a statement of fact. Over the course of 23 years, the US spent trillions of dollars and lost more than 4,500 soldiers in Iraq, only to be ultimately driven out of the country by the Iraqi resistance. An Ultimatum from the Resistance
Before the U.S. military withdrawal, the resistance forces had already drawn a red line.
On September 3, Akram al-Kaabi, Secretary-General of Iraq’s "Al-Nujaba Movement," issued a public statement: "Let Trump know that we are watching September 30 the deadline for the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraqi territory with eagerness and full readiness. If the occupying forces renege on their promise of a complete withdrawal, we will launch a decisive battle against them."
He even added a taunt directed at Trump: "Trump is a megalomaniac who has already failed and proven powerless against Iran. If Iran scared the U.S. President enough to make him hide in a refrigerator, Iraq will soon give him a stroke."
On September 28, Haj Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official for the Kata'ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades), issued a more specific ultimatum:
"The Iraqi Islamic Resistance will monitor Iraqi airspace to ensure no hostile aircraft violate it. We will issue a warning first, and then shoot them down."
He also issued a direct warning to Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani: "Let Sudani and those standing behind him know: a government that does not work in the interests of the people will be overthrown by any means necessary."
The Cost of Occupation
What did this war leave for the people of Iraq?
◾Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths, a significant portion of whom were children.
◾Millions of people displaced, many of whom have still not fully returned to their homes.
◾The destruction of the nation's infrastructure; electricity, water supply, healthcare, and education systems suffered systematic devastation.
◾The rise of ISIS. The power vacuum and sectarian divisions created by the 2003 U.S. invasion gave birth to this terrorist organization. The U.S. subsequently re-occupied Iraq under the banner of "counter-terrorism" creating the problem, then positioning itself as the solution.
◾In 2008, an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush, shouting, "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog." That reflected the true attitude of the Iraqi people toward the occupiers.
U.S. Strategic Retrenchment
The U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq was not a "strategic choice"; it was a forced retreat.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain has been destroyed by Iran. U.S. military bases in Jordan have been struck with precision by Iranian missiles. U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar lie within the range of Iranian missiles. The Strait of Hormuz is controlled by Iran. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is controlled by Ansar Allah. U.S. troop levels in Iraq were reduced from thousands to 2,500 before the forces were ultimately expelled.
This is not merely a "reduction in military presence." It is a rout across the entire West Asia region. Withdrawals from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, combined with the destruction of the Bahrain base, signal the piecemeal collapse of the U.S. military architecture in the Middle East.
Sovereignty Day
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated: "October 1st will mark a new day in Iraq's national journey, a day when the nation sheds all foreign military presence and achieves full national sovereignty over its territory."
The Iraqi government will hold a "Sovereignty Conference" in Baghdad on October 1st to formally celebrate this historic moment.
Twenty-three years. 4,500 U.S. soldiers dead. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians dead. Trillions of dollars spent. The final outcome: Iraq declares sovereignty, and U.S. forces withdraw.
Meanwhile, the resistance forces continue to monitor every inch of Iraqi airspace.
September 30, 2026. The last contingent of US troops is withdrawing from Iraqi soil.
This is not a "Mission Accomplished" moment. This is not a "peaceful handover." It is the conclusion of a 23-year military occupation that ended in an ignominious retreat—marking the full trajectory from the 2003 invasion, the 2011 withdrawal, the 2014 return, to the final expulsion in 2026.
The US and its international coalition have handed over all military bases and command centers to Iraqi authorities, including facilities in Baghdad and the Kurdish region. Saad Maan, head of the media office for Iraqi security agencies, explicitly declared: "After September 30, there will no longer be any coalition combat or training forces in Iraq." The Iraqi Ministry of Defense has officially designated September 30 as the nation's "Sovereignty Day" and announced a four-day national holiday to celebrate.
In short: Iraq is observing a four-day national holiday, celebrating not merely the "departure of the US," but the "expulsion of the occupier."
Abu Mujtaba al-Yasiri, a commander of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, made a statement to Reuters that has been widely cited by global media:
"On September 30, we will celebrate the turning of a dark page in Iraq's history and the failure of the occupier to impose its will upon our nation."
He continued: "Iraq has proven that its sovereignty is not guaranteed by foreign armies, but by the resistance movement and the will of the people."
The resistance forces have characterized the US withdrawal as a "historic victory for the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and the honorable Iraqi people, and a devastating failure of the American project."
This is not merely a "declaration of victory." It is a statement of fact. Over the course of 23 years, the US spent trillions of dollars and lost more than 4,500 soldiers in Iraq, only to be ultimately driven out of the country by the Iraqi resistance. An Ultimatum from the Resistance
Before the U.S. military withdrawal, the resistance forces had already drawn a red line.
On September 3, Akram al-Kaabi, Secretary-General of Iraq’s "Al-Nujaba Movement," issued a public statement: "Let Trump know that we are watching September 30 the deadline for the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraqi territory with eagerness and full readiness. If the occupying forces renege on their promise of a complete withdrawal, we will launch a decisive battle against them."
He even added a taunt directed at Trump: "Trump is a megalomaniac who has already failed and proven powerless against Iran. If Iran scared the U.S. President enough to make him hide in a refrigerator, Iraq will soon give him a stroke."
On September 28, Haj Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official for the Kata'ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades), issued a more specific ultimatum:
"The Iraqi Islamic Resistance will monitor Iraqi airspace to ensure no hostile aircraft violate it. We will issue a warning first, and then shoot them down."
He also issued a direct warning to Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani: "Let Sudani and those standing behind him know: a government that does not work in the interests of the people will be overthrown by any means necessary."
The Cost of Occupation
What did this war leave for the people of Iraq?
◾Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths, a significant portion of whom were children.
◾Millions of people displaced, many of whom have still not fully returned to their homes.
◾The destruction of the nation's infrastructure; electricity, water supply, healthcare, and education systems suffered systematic devastation.
◾The rise of ISIS. The power vacuum and sectarian divisions created by the 2003 U.S. invasion gave birth to this terrorist organization. The U.S. subsequently re-occupied Iraq under the banner of "counter-terrorism" creating the problem, then positioning itself as the solution.
◾In 2008, an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush, shouting, "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog." That reflected the true attitude of the Iraqi people toward the occupiers.
U.S. Strategic Retrenchment
The U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq was not a "strategic choice"; it was a forced retreat.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain has been destroyed by Iran. U.S. military bases in Jordan have been struck with precision by Iranian missiles. U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar lie within the range of Iranian missiles. The Strait of Hormuz is controlled by Iran. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is controlled by Ansar Allah. U.S. troop levels in Iraq were reduced from thousands to 2,500 before the forces were ultimately expelled.
This is not merely a "reduction in military presence." It is a rout across the entire West Asia region. Withdrawals from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, combined with the destruction of the Bahrain base, signal the piecemeal collapse of the U.S. military architecture in the Middle East.
Sovereignty Day
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated: "October 1st will mark a new day in Iraq's national journey, a day when the nation sheds all foreign military presence and achieves full national sovereignty over its territory."
The Iraqi government will hold a "Sovereignty Conference" in Baghdad on October 1st to formally celebrate this historic moment.
Twenty-three years. 4,500 U.S. soldiers dead. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians dead. Trillions of dollars spent. The final outcome: Iraq declares sovereignty, and U.S. forces withdraw.
Meanwhile, the resistance forces continue to monitor every inch of Iraqi airspace.