A deal has apparently been reached for a drawdown of most U.S. forces from Iraq. Negotiations started in January and after several pauses have now reportedly settled on a plan that pulls all but a small contingent of troops out in phases through 2026. Critics of a U.S. drawdown claim that a recent uptick in terrorist activity—notably, heightened violence in Iraq, a March attack in Moscow, and a foiled bombing at a Taylor Swift concert last month in Vienna—are reasons to keep troops in place. The Biden administration thought otherwise.
Biden is right and the critics are wrong on this one. The benefits of staying in Iraq (or Syria) are no longer worth the costs of doing so. We can only hope the small contingent left behind in Iraq along with U.S. forces in Syria will come home soon too.
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