Last American Troops Leave Iraq Marking End of War

The last U.S. soldiers rolled out of Iraq across the border into neighboring
Kuwait at daybreak Sunday, whooping, fist bumping and hugging each other
in a burst of joy and relief. Their convoy's exit marked the end of a
bitterly divisive war that raged for nearly nine years and left Iraq
shattered, with troubling questions lingering over whether the Arab
nation will remain a steadfast U.S. ally.

The mission cost nearly 4,500 American and well more than 100,000 Iraqi
lives and $800 billion from the U.S. Treasury. The question of whether
it was worth it all is yet unanswered.

The last convoy of MRAPs, heavily armored
personnel carriers, made a largely uneventful journey out except for a
few equipment malfunctions along the way. It was dark and little was
visible through the MRAP windows as they cruised through the southern
Iraqi desert.


When the convoy crossed the border into
Kuwait around 7:45 a.m. local time, the atmosphere was subdued inside
one of the vehicles, with no shouting or yelling. Along the road, a
small group of Iraqi soldiers waved to the departing American troops.


"My heart goes out to the Iraqis," said
Warrant Officer John Jewell, acknowledging the challenges ahead. "The
innocent always pay the bill."


Soldiers standing just inside the crossing
on the Kuwaiti side of the border waved and snapped photos as the final
trucks crossed over.
"I'm pretty excited," said Sgt. Ashley Vorhees. "I'm out of Iraq. It's all smooth sailing from here."


The war that began in a blaze of aerial
bombardment meant to shock and awe the dictator Saddam Hussein and his
loyalists ended quietly and with minimal fanfare.


U.S. officials acknowledged the cost in
blood and dollars was high, but tried to paint a picture of victory --
for both the troops and the Iraqi people now freed of a dictator and on a
path to democracy. But gnawing questions remain: Will Iraqis be able to
forge their new government amid the still stubborn sectarian clashes?
And will Iraq be able to defend itself and remain independent in a
region fraught with turmoil and still steeped in insurgent threats?


Many Iraqis, however, are nervous and
uncertain about the future. Their relief at the end of Saddam, who was
hanged on the last day of 2006, was tempered by a long and vicious war
that was launched to find nonexistent weapons of mass destruction and
nearly plunged the nation into full-scale sectarian civil war.


Some criticized the Americans for leaving
behind a destroyed country with thousands of widows and orphans, a
people deeply divided along sectarian lines and without rebuilding the
devastated infrastructure.


Some Iraqis celebrated the exit of what they called American occupiers, neither invited nor welcome in a proud country.


Others said that while grateful for U.S.
help ousting Saddam, the war went on too long. A majority of Americans
would agree, according to opinion polls.


The low-key exit stood in sharp contrast to
the high-octane start of the war, which began before dawn on March 20,
2003, with an air strike in southern Baghdad where Saddam was believed
to be hiding. U.S. and allied ground forces then stormed across the
featureless Kuwaiti desert, accompanied by reporters, photographers and
television crews embedded with the troops.


The final few thousand U.S. troops left in
orderly caravans and tightly scheduled flights. They pulled out at night
in hopes it would be more secure and left in time for at least some of
the troops to join families at home for the Christmas holidays.


Before the final convoy departed Saturday
evening from Camp Adder base near Nasiriyah in southern Iraq, the
vehicles lined up in an open field to prepare. Soldiers went through
last-minute equipment checks to make sure that radios, weapons and other
gear were working.


Gen. Lloyd Austin, the commanding general
for Iraq, walked through the rows of vehicles talking to soldiers over
the low hum of the engines. He thanked them for their service and
reminded them to stay vigilant on their final mission.


"I wanted to remind them that we have an
important mission left in the country of Iraq. We want to stay focused
and we want to make sure that we're doing the right things to protect
ourselves," Austin said.


The final troops completed the massive
logistical challenge of shuttering hundreds of bases and combat
outposts, and methodically moving more than 50,000 U.S. troops and their
equipment out of Iraq over the last year -- while still conducting
training, security assistance and counterterrorism battles.


As of Thursday, there were two U.S. bases
and less than 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraq -- a dramatic drop from the
roughly 500 military installations and as many as 170,000 troops during
the surge ordered by President George W. Bush in 2007, when violence and
raging sectarianism gripped the country. All U.S. troops were slated to
be out of Iraq by the end of the year, but officials are likely to meet
that goal a bit before then.


"The biggest thing about going home is just
that it's home," Staff Sgt. Daniel Gaumer, 37, from Ft. Hood, Texas said
before the convoy left Camp Adder. "It's civilization as I know it, the
Western world, not sand and dust and the occasional rain here and
there. It's home."


Spc. Jesse Jones, a 23-year-old who
volunteered to be on the last convoy, said: "It's just an honor to be
able to serve your country and say that you helped close out the war in
Iraq. ... Not a lot of people can say that they did huge things like
that that will probably be in the history books."


The total U.S. departure is a bit earlier
than initially planned, and military leaders worry that it is a bit
premature for the still maturing Iraqi security forces, who face
continuing struggles to develop the logistics, air operations,
surveillance and intelligence-sharing capabilities they will need in
what has long been a difficult region.


Despite President Barack Obama's earlier
contention that all American troops would be home for Christmas, at
least 4,000 forces will remain in Kuwait for some months. The troops
will be able to help finalize the move out of Iraq, but could also be
used as a quick reaction force if needed.


Obama stopped short of calling the U.S. effort in Iraq a victory in an interview taped Thursday with ABC News' Barbara Walters.


"I would describe our troops as having
succeeded in the mission of giving to the Iraqis their country in a way
that gives them a chance for a successful future," Obama said.


The U.S. plans to keep a robust diplomatic
presence in Iraq, foster a deep and lasting relationship with the nation
and maintain a strong military force in the region.


U.S. officials were unable to reach an
agreement with the Iraqis on legal issues and troop immunity that would
have allowed a small training and counterterrorism force to remain. U.S.
defense officials said they expect there will be no movement on that
issue until sometime next year.


Obama met in Washington with Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki last week, vowing to remain committed to Iraq
as the two countries struggle to define their new relationship.


Ending the war was an early goal of the
Obama administration and will allow the president to fulfill a crucial
campaign promise during a politically opportune time. The 2012
presidential race is roiling and Republicans are in a ferocious battle
to determine who will face off against Obama in the election.


Capt. Mark Askew, a 28-year-old from Tampa,
Florida who was among the last soldiers to leave, said the answer to the
question of whether the Iraq war was worth the cost will depend on what
type of country and government Iraq ends up with years from now,
whether they are democratic, respect human rights and are considered an
American ally.


"It depends on what Iraq does after we
leave," he said, speaking before the final convoy departed. "I don't
expect them to turn into South Korea or Japan overnight."
Source

finally over.

STRANGEgenius wrote:finally over.

Its never gonna be over...This is just propaganda to make the US citizens feel like something was accomplished.

GangusKahn wrote:

STRANGEgenius wrote:finally over.

Its never gonna be over...This is just propaganda to make the US citizens feel like something was accomplished.

you are props right.