Combat mission in Iraq ends, again, for the few remaining in theater
17 June, the U.S. House issues the following statement on repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002:
Democratic-led House took the important step of repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) Against Iraq. Saddam Hussein is no longer in power. The Iraqi government is democratic and working closely with the United States to confront security threats. The reasons this AUMF was enacted no longer exist.
In 2011, President Obama announced that the rest of our troops will be home by the holidays:
Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq—tens of thousands of them—will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. The last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq—with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America’s military efforts in Iraq will end.
The U.S. ended up with around 6,000 troops in Iraq and Syria by the time President Donald Trump arrived in office. September, 2020 Trump announced that the cutting of troop levels by the end of the month to 3,000, down from around 5,200. The administration continually presses the Pentagon for options that would bring the presence in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to zero — Courant reported. The background of troops remaining at the end of the Trump Administration: