US Completes Iraq Withdrawal: 23 Years, 4,419 Military Dead, $1.79 Trillion Cost – Key Figures | Today’s news
The United States announced on Tuesday (local time) that it had completed the withdrawal of its remaining military forces from Iraq, ending a military presence that began in 2003 with an invasion to topple Saddam Hussein and later evolved into a campaign against Islamic State.
The final withdrawal was made under the 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad.
The withdrawal closes a 23-year chapter of US military involvement in Iraq – a chapter that included the initial invasion, a protracted counterinsurgency, a full withdrawal in 2011 and a return in 2014 to fight the Islamic State.
Key figures behind the American war and military presence in Iraq
23 years of US military involvement
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
The US has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq, marking the end of a presence that began with the 2003 invasion and lasted over 23 years.
The 2024 deal facilitated the eventual withdrawal of US troops, symbolizing a shift in military responsibility and Iraq’s effort to establish greater sovereignty and control over its security.
The U.S. military presence evolved from an initial invasion and occupation to a counterinsurgency focus and later to return in 2014 to fight the Islamic State after it seized significant territory.
After the withdrawal, Iraq must deal with the security challenges posed by residual threats from the Islamic State and the influence of Iranian-backed militias within its borders.
Yes, Iraq is tasked with consolidating state power over armed groups, which includes negotiating disarmament or integrating Iran-aligned factions into state security institutions.
The US invaded Iraq in March 2003 and overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein. US combat forces eventually withdrew in December 2011.
That departure lasted less than three years. The US returned to major military operations in Iraq in 2014 after the Islamic State seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria.
Thus, the latest withdrawal marks the end of the second major phase of US military involvement, rather than a continuous 23-year deployment.
More than 1 million Americans served
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, more than one million US service members served in Iraq during the first phase of the war.
At the height of the war in Iraq, the US deployment was far larger than the force that has remained in the country in recent years.
During the 2007 “surge,” US troop numbers were around 1,70,000, while congressional estimates at the time called for roughly 2,10,000 personnel deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and related theaters, depending on the scenario, according to Reuters.
4,419 American soldiers dead
The US Department of Defense records 4,419 military deaths as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including 3,482 enemy and 937 non-hostile deaths. According to Reuters, it also records 31,993 wounded in action.
Broader US death tolls linked to the Iraq conflict are commonly rounded to about 4,500.
Bown University’s Costs of War Project estimated that between 5,50,000 and 5,80,000 people, including combatants and civilians, were killed in Iraq and Syria between 2003 and 2023, and said indirect deaths could substantially increase the number.
Read also | Challenges for the Middle East as it Prepares for a Post-American Security Era
$1.79 trillion spent
Brown University’s Costs of War Project estimates that the United States has spent about $1.79 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Syria by early 2023. When projected future health care and disability costs for veterans are factored in, that number rises to approximately $2.89 trillion by 2050.
By comparison, a Congressional Budget Office estimate made during the earlier withdrawal process projected $156 billion in direct costs related to the war in Iraq between 2009 and 2014 under the then-planned withdrawal schedule.
The US completed its first major withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011, ending the post-invasion military mission.
But the rapid expansion of the Islamic State changed the calculation.
U.S. forces returned to major combat operations in 2014, helping Iraqi forces push the terrorist group out of territory they had seized.
Following the defeat of the Islamic State, the US subsequently maintained a smaller military and advisory presence.
Why the final exit matters
The military drawdown comes as Iraq tries to balance relations with Washington and Tehran.
Iraq maintains close political and security ties with both the United States and Iran, while Iranian-backed armed groups have established considerable influence within the country.
Iraqi security analysts cited by Reuters warned that the withdrawal could strengthen Tehran-linked groups and create room for Islamic State to regroup.
