America Will Lose Foothold in Iraq [UPDATE]

National embarrassment

US diplomacy, cultural and foreign policy have surely never been at a lower ebb in the Post-War period than it has been in past months. It has just been announced that the U.S. military is pulling its coalition troops out of Iraq, after the Iraqi parliament voted yesterday to expel them, according to official documents. The U.S. has 5,200 troops stationed there. The letter refers to Iraq's "sovereign decision to order our departure". So, basically for the Baghdad Airport raid just three days ago and the subsequent unhinged threats of 'disproportionate' (sic!) action, the US has been sent packing with tail between its legs. They are flying out at night, probably to avoid humiliating pictures appearing around the world of them getting rotten vegetables thrown at their people like happened when the US treacherously abandoned northern Syria a few weeks ago. Now they've lost their foothold in neighbouring Iraq, it will be more difficult for the belligerent occupant of the Oval Office to carry out those caveman threats to bomb Iraq back to the Stone Age

How many US and locals died only to get to this situation where they are unceremoniously thrown out as unwelcome guests like this?

It will be interesting to see what will happen to the 'ISIL are making money through the antiquities trade' narrative that was being fostered by the US and how many antiquities from Mesopotamia and surrounding regions that are going to "surface" (from underground) on the poorly-regulated US market after this.

UPDATE 7th Jan 2010
The ineptness an amateurishness of the Trump administration continues to shock, though is no longer a surprise (Zachary Cohen, Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne, 'Top general says letter suggesting US would withdraw troops from Iraq was a 'mistake'...' CNN January 7, 2020).

The document in question was an unsigned draft of a memo from the US Command in Baghdad notifying the Iraqi government that some US forces in the country would be repositioned. It also seemed to suggest a removal of American forces from the country, prompting an immediate wave of questions, particularly after US officials in Baghdad said the letter was authentic but could not confirm whether it indicated a troop withdrawal. At the Pentagon, Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper were asked about the letter by reporters. "We are repositioning forces throughout the region," Esper said. "That letter is inconsistent of where we are right now." But the confusion lingered even after the two men left the Pentagon briefing room and persisted until Milley returned to clarify further. "That letter is a draft. It was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should not have been released ... (it was) poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what's happening," Milley said. "It's an honest mistake ... it should not have been sent," he added. Milley went on to say that the copy of the unsigned letter that was leaked to the press was a draft that was shared with the Iraqi military for the purposes of coordination and was never sent as a formal memorandum.

The version of the letter that was published after being leaked by someone connected (apparently) with the Iraqi military does not say 'draft' at the top, standard office practice.

Trump on Sunday threatened sanctions on Iraq should US troops be expelled from the country. "If they do ask us to leave, if we don't do it in a very friendly basis. We will charge them sanctions like they've never seen before ever," Trump said aboard Air Force One, according to a pool report. "It'll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame." Trump said the costs of maintaining an American troop presence in the country over the past many years should be repaid by Iraq if the country chooses to rescind the agreement allowing them to stay. "We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that's there. It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We're not leaving unless they pay us back for it," Trump said.

Meanwhile,  internationally more and more leaders are distancing themselves from the Trump regime. Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel had nothing to do with the Gen. Soleimani assassination and it was all done by Trump, further adding that Israel would stay out of any US-Iran confrontation.

Update Update 11th Jan 2020
Now, it seems, the Trump administration is refusing to leave Iraq.