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Subscribe to RSSA ceremony held in Baghdad marked the official end of the nearly 9-year military campaign in Iraq, and now the 4,000 remaining troops in the country are heading home for the holidays. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Updated at 6:10 p.m. ET
President Barack 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.
Iraqi citizens offered a more pessimistic assessment. "The Americans are leaving behind them a destroyed country," said Mariam Khazim of Sadr City. "The Americans did not leave modern schools or big factories behind them. Instead, they left thousands of widows and orphans."
The Iraq Body Count website says more than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion. The vast majority were civilians.
Updated at 10:58 a.m. ET
BAGHDAD -- U.S. forces formally ended their nine-year war in Iraq with a low-key flag ceremony in Baghdad on Thursday.
"After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at the ceremony at Baghdad's still heavily fortified airport.
Almost 4,500 U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis lost their lives in the war that began with a "Shock and Awe" campaign of missiles pounding Baghdad and descended into sectarian strife and a surge in U.S. troop numbers.
U.S. soldiers lowered the flag of American forces in Iraq and slipped it into a camouflage-colored sleeve in a brief outdoor ceremony, symbolically ending the most unpopular U.S. military venture since the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 70s.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani were invited to the ceremony but did not attend.
In addition to the dead, the war left 32,000 Americans wounded and cost the U.S. more than $800 billion.
The remaining 4,000 American troops will leave by the end of the year.
Bombings are still common. Experts are also concerned about the Iraqi security force's ability to defend the nation against foreign threats.
However, Panetta said veterans of the conflict can be "secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to cast tyranny aside."
Some Iraqi citizens offered a more pessimistic assessment. "The Americans are leaving behind them a destroyed country," said Mariam Khazim of Sadr City. "The Americans did not leave modern schools or big factories behind them. Instead, they left thousands of widows and orphans."
Gen. Lloyd Austin, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also spoke during the ceremony.
Updated at 5:46 a.m. ET: Austin says Iraqis now have "unprecedented opportunities."
Sen. John McCain, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, discusses the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq with TODAY's Matt Lauer. McCain says we risk losing everything we gained in the war-torn country by not leaving a residual force behind, apart from about 200 military advisers.
Updated at 5:42 a.m ET: "Since 2003, we have helped the Iraqi security forces grow from zero to 650,000-strong," Austin says.
Updated at 5:40 a.m. ET: Austin recalls how he was present when American forces secured the airfield where the ceremony is being held. "After 21 days of tough fighting, we ended Saddam Hussein's reign of terror," he adds.
Updated at 5:37 a.m. ET: Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, points out that the next time he visits Baghdad it will have to be at the invitation of the Iraqi government. "I kinda like that," he adds.
Updated at 5:32 a.m. ET: "This is not the end, this is the beginning," Panetta says. "May God bless Iraq, its people and its future."
NBC News
U.S. troops take part in the end of mission ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq, on Thursday.
Updated at 5:29 a.m. ET: "Let me be clear, Iraq will be tested in the days ahead -- by terrorism, by those who would seek to divide," Panetta says. "Challenges remain but the United States will be there to stand with the Iraqi people. We are not about to turn our backs on all that has been sacrificed and accomplished."
Updated at 5:26 a.m. ET: "Your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people begin a new chapter in history, free from tyranny," Panetta says. "This outcome was never certain, particularly during the war's darkest days."
Updated at 5:23 a.m. ET: Panetta highlights the "heartbreak" of military families who watched their loved ones go off to war.
Updated at 5:18 a.m. ET: "It is a profound honor to be here in Baghdad," Panetta says at ceremony."No words, no ceremony can provide full tribute to the sacrifices that have brought this day to pass."
Saddam's Iraq is gone, but in its place is a state with close ties to one of America's biggest and most unpredictable enemies: Iran. NBC's Richard Engel has been covering the war from the start, and went back for this historic week to take a closer look at the Iran connection.
Updated at 5:16 a.m. ET: "We look forward to an Iraq that is sovereign, secure and self-reliant," US Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey says.
Published at 4:45 a.m. ET: After nearly nine years, 4,500 American dead, 32,000 wounded and more than $800 billion, U.S. officials prepared Thursday to formally shut down the war in Iraq — a conflict that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said was worth the price in blood and money, as it set Iraq on a path to democracy.
Panetta stepped off his military plane in Baghdad Thursday as the leader of America's war in Iraq, but will leave as one of many top U.S. and global officials who hope to work with the struggling nation as it tries to find its new place in the Middle East and the broader world.
He and several other U.S. diplomatic, military and defense leaders will participate in a highly symbolic ceremony during which the flag of U.S. Forces-Iraq will officially be retired, or "cased," according to Army tradition.
During several stops in Afghanistan this week, Panetta made it clear that the U.S. can be proud of its accomplishments in Iraq, and that the cost of the bitterly divisive war was worth it.
After nearly nine years and 4,500 American lives lost, President Obama and the first lady officially marked the end of the Iraq war Wednesday. NBC's Kristen Welker has more.
"We spilled a lot of blood there," Panetta said. "But all of that has not been in vain. It's been to achieve a mission making that country sovereign and independent and able to govern and secure itself."
That, he said, is "a tribute to everybody — everybody who fought in that war, everybody who spilled blood in that war, everybody who was dedicated to making sure we could achieve that mission."
Panetta has echoed President Barack Obama's promise that 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.
As of Thursday, there were two U.S. bases and about 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 are slated to be out of Iraq by the end of the year, but officials are likely to meet that goal a bit before then.
Read more about the Iraq withdrawal
- Post-US Iraq: Welcome to Shia-stan
- Iraqis unable to defend borders as US exits
- Iraqi voices: Patchwork electrical grid a symbol of country's disconnects
- Iraqi voices: Colonel helped with surge, then his past came calling
- A special homecoming from Iraq
The total U.S. departure is a bit earlier than initially planned, and military leaders worry that it is 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 neighborhood.
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.
Jon Soltz of VoteVets.org and Matthew Hoh of the Center for International Policy debate the winners and losers of the Iraq War and the non-military presence that will remain.
Still, despite 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.
Bombings and attacks have eased since American and Iraqi security forces weakened insurgents. But roadside bombs, car bombs and assassinations still kill and maim almost every day.
A frail economy, constant power shortages, scarce jobs and discontent with political leaders all fuel uncertainty among Iraqis.
"Thanks to the Americans. They took us away from Saddam Hussein, I have to say that. But I think now we are going to be in trouble," said Malik Abed, 44, a vendor at a Baghdad fish market. "Maybe the terrorists will start attacking us again."
Read more content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Post-US Iraq: Welcome to Shia-stan
- Nazi hunters boost drive to find aging war criminals before they die
- Pakistan opposition leader: War on terror creating extremists
- Wild monkeys to detect radiation at Fukushima
- North Korea's heir apparent's hair apparent as fashion hit
- UN chief defends NATO, calls for action on Syria
- Rebellious Chinese village under siege by police
- Iraqis unable to defend their borders as US exits
The Associated Press, Reuters, NBC News and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Kudos to President Obama for finally fulfilling his 2008 campaign promise to end the war in Iraq. This final act of ceremony and withdrawal marks the end of a troubled and disgusting era in American history, when we were lied to by our government in order to manufacture a pretext to justify an invasion and war that has cost trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives. Now Obama must do the same thing in Afghanistan. Stop spending billions every week on bloated military adventures overseas when we need that money to create real jobs in America. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
you forget about the 16,000 civilians that are still there- Black Water and other companies in the largest embassy on the planet- check it out-
Iraq is not over. We need to close our multi-billion dollar embassy (military base) and remove the 17,000 diplomats, advisers, and contractors (spies and soldiers) that we have there, as well. Oh, yeah, and stop sending them money.
Good! Now Iraq can start paying us back the $900 gazillion we spent on this war - remember, W and Dickie said it wouldn't actually cost the U.S. anything because Iraq would be able to pay for it with all the oil reserves they have! Get the invoices ready!
What was it George Washington said about foreign entanglements? Something about staying out of them?? Funny -- these teatard Republicans just love to talk about the founding fathers but then ignore what they actually said.
I remember George W. Bush in his debates with Al Gore talking about the evil of nation building.
Saddam was doing the US a favor by keeping the lid on the three rival groups in Iraq:
Shiite, Sunni, and Kurd.
He ruled by FEAR: periodically executing those who got in his way.
He was a good foil for Iran, fighting a war against them in the 1980's.
Now, the US got rid of Saddam, destabilized Iraq, and left a ripe plum for Iran.
then they'll have 20% of world's oil I mean China would
We can't undo history but we sure can take a lesson from it.
I hope we have.
How many Amerikan mercenaries, er, I mean, contractors are still there? This idiotic propaganda piece is filled with pretty quotes about troops who sacrificed, but as usual the government along with the corporate media are not giving us the full story.
16,000 largest so-called Embassy in the world
The cancarous, old John McCain is at it again!! RIP!!
McCain's words yesterday were an absolute disgrace to this country. Sad that we can't do better than that.
Just goes to show that some people never learn from past mistakes.
So, all in all in retrospect how did this go? There were no WMD's to be found, we removed Saddam Hussein from power and now Iraq is wide open to extremists and Iran which it wasn't while Saddam was in power. We expended over 4,400 US lives and close to 50,000 Iraqi lives at a cost of over 3 trillion dollars which collapsed our economy. I can just imagine 30 years from now how this will be put down in history! DumDum Bush and Cheney should be bought out to the mall and drawn and quartered over this!
AS I said 4 years ago, all we have accomplished in Iraq is to lay the foundation for the Islamic Republican of Iraq at a cost off 5000 brave soldiers, 13000+ soldiers maimed for life and about $1T. Iraq, being over 70% Shi'ite, is a natural ally of Iran! In his attempt to secure Iraq's oil and have bases throughout the entire country from which to wage war in the middle east, Bush committed the greatest foreign policy blunder in the country's history! I dont imagine the families of the dead, maimed and wounded are feeling very good right now!
what a shameful event in history...over 4500 us troops dead over 40,000 us troops injured and hundreds of thousands of dead and injured iraqi women children and men too!
what was accomplished? nothing...saddam could have been taken out with a drone while he was in the square dancing with the sword...but no...channey and Bush envisioned money and oil in the end game!
lesson learned I hope! live and let live!
lesson learned I hope!
Not according to GOP presidential candidates...they're ready to attack Iran.
you don't think O is too- look we are flying drones over Iran under Pres. O's watch- they all want the oil there in the interest of Nat'l security in conjunction w/Israel
No, Obama most certainly is not. Reconnisance isn't invasion. Obama knows the limits of our military. Republicans don't.
its a smoke screen- we still have 16,000 civilians working in Iraq- Black water and the likes- I was a military guy once- its all smoke and mirrors- we now have the largest embassy in the world built there- check it out- we are far from out of Iraq- both sides lie- its how gov'ts work- they have become double agents to their own people- people couldn't handle the truth so they must water it down
dang... now who do we pick on? who's down to attack Iran?
What a joke. Unless you don't think a massive shadow government building a mercenary army of millions of Africans and Eastern Europeans to commit genocides is funny.
Thank God and Obama!!
Really? Really? Barry had nothing to do with it. He followed Bush's policies, the same policies he was against before meatheads like you put him in the Whitehouse.
this is a joke- we still have 16,000 civilians living in an embassy that we built that's as large as the Vatican- remember Black Water and the other civilian mercenaries they are still there- we just don't have soldiers in uniforms but we still have soldiers in civilian clothes- this is a photo op and campaign stop for O
And remember folks, Buhs had nothing to do with it, it's not like Obama was following Bush's PLan or anything. Obama murdered Bin Laden instead of arresting him and reading him his miranda rights. We'll only give Bush credit for ending the war if Iraq fails! Then watch Bush be blamed, but nope, this is all Obama! Worship your Messiah America! Especially you votwers that walked away in disgust, and somehow are not considered racist bigots, like we who refused to vote for him because of his policies!
To have a ceremony for this is ridiculous. What are we celebrating, the end of our government making bad choices and throwing our money and people at a problem for 9 years costing thousands of lives. This should have ended quietly in a humbled way to show we have learned a lesson, not old fashioned foolish American pride. You cannot learn when arrogant. I wonder why the Iraqi Prime Minister didn't attend. Probably because it is political suicide for him.
You saw pride on that podium or in that audience???
And (another) 4500 citizens of the Land of the Free turned land of the Fee are gone. Where in hell - it's certainly not in the U.S. Constitution - did government get the authority to use our military to defend IRAQ?
Neither is there anything in the "Supreme Law of the Land" that says a citizen can be committed to killing and being killed to defend "American Interests." In order to refresh the memory of a people who say that George Washington won the Civil War, that Pearl Harbor was a shampoo, and that they can't name the three houses of U.S. Government, let me remind us all that our military is solely authorized to defend the United States against attack by a foreign power.
There is much more, but that will do (otherwise, you'd have to study history as much as you do the latest celebrity gosspi or play with your latest electronic gadget toys).
Soooo, what you are trying to say is that we should have only fought the Japanese and not the Germans and Italians in WW2? Without our help Mr. von Luebbert, everyone in Europe would probably be saying: ACHTUNG!!!! Sprekken de Duetche?
But now on hindsight, it looks like you are saying that we shouldn't have fought Japan either, even though they bombed Pearl Harbor. Remember, Hawaii was not a state back then, but a territory because of it's strategic location in the Pacific. A territory like this is an "American Interest" as you so put it.
My oath to the military (USMC) said nothing about foreign powers... It said foreign and domestic enemies... We were called upon by the U.N. to help Kuwait back in 1990 along with a U.N. coalition. Being part of that coalition, Iraq was our enemy as he invaded Kuwait to steal their oil reserves.... Kuwait is part of the U.N. and pleaded for help, and got it... That is what started this whole mess in the first place! After we herded the Iraqi army back to their border, the U.N. put sanction after sanction on them. If they only complied with the inspectors and stopped kicking them out of the country, or pulling down their camera's to hide their processing labs activity, none of this probably wouldn't have happened...
And to the rest of you that say we went in for the oil, answer me this..... WHERE IS IT? So you all are saying that we just pranced into another country wreaking havok and mayhem, and G.W. is saying that Iraq is going to pay for it? Get a life people!! DEE DEE DEEEEEEE!!!
Would have been nice to have had a well defined mission (based on real facts) on the way in as well as a well planned exit strategy on the way out. Oh...that's right, mission was accomplished years ago.
If you are referring to the "Mission Accomplished" banner behind G.W., FYI it was hung there by the Captain of that Carrier for his sailors, because they just finished a tour in the Persian Gulf. Not for the end of the Iraqi war.
The Republicans are going to try to start a war in Iran now. Newt would love to lead the charge. Are we going to fall for the "threat to the United States" nonsense again? I hope not.
Too bad Obama didn't also tell people he quadrupled the number of troops that Bush had in Afghanistan and the expense instead. We need a leader who respects our country and loves it. Not a First Lady who said "All this for a damned flag?" at the the National Veterans Day Cermony or a President who answered her with "Yeah, kinda dumb isn't it!" That video is on the internet and what they said is clear for all.
Today Iran is a bigger threat than it has ever been due to lousy leadership in the Whitehouse!
The cold facts are, 4500 is about one weeks American KIAs in WWII from a population that was 1/3 of what it was today. That tells you something about the weakening of the American Will.
Obama's cut and run policy fits precisely into his hatred of what he sees is the US's Superpower hegemony in the world and its role as the evil neocolonial overlord. Iraq will tumble into chaos, and we'll be back over there in another 10 years. The place is just too critical to the world economy. Not just the vast Iraqi oil reserves, but its position as a critical crossroads between Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Israel. The Bush-Cheney Vision was the correct one. Establish a moderate Islamic Democracy to act as a bulwark against Iran, protecting Saudi Arabia from their potential agression as well as hopefully providing a model that the other Arab state could aspire too.
Obama puts all that at risk by doing a South Vietnam. We stir the pot, then leave, leaving a power vacuum hoping for the best. We saw how well that worked in Afghanistan in the 80's. The s**t for brains we have in the Whitehouse has proven to be incompetent in every endeavor he has attempted. His transparent attempt to win point in the face of reelection is laughable. It spits on the graves of the men and women who died in Iraq, to leave the job incomplete.
"cut and run"? Most people don't buy that BS anymore, though some obviously still do.
Fuuny that people like you think that invading a mid-east country compels those being invaded to love and respect us but leaving compels them to hate and disrespect us.
What a remarkably upside down logic that is.
what if the Iraqi's real plan was to start a war, keep it going for 8 yrs and send the USA into an economic failure?? hmmmmm.....
First, we have ignominiously been kicked out by the Iraq's.
Second the troops are not "coming home." Many if not most will be posted to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait to be in position to return to Iraq if or when the Iranians attempt a takeover of the Iraq.
If the American Government thinks otherwise, they are continuing to be governed by the same fools that led them into this morass in 1992.
It was NEVER War, IT WAS AN INVASION !!!