After more than two decades in Iraq following the U.S.-led invasion, America has now removed its final troops from the country. The pullout marks a return to full independence for Iraq. However, a retired general who once commanded U.S. forces there believes the departure will give Iran an advantage and increase the risk that ISIS will rise again.
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who led U.S. forces in Iraq during his time in uniform, spoke with NPR’s Morning Edition and argued that withdrawing from the country is the wrong choice. He claimed the move will strengthen Iran and cast doubt on whether ISIS has truly been vanquished.
McMaster’s career
After serving 34 years in the Army, McMaster went on to serve as President Trump’s national security adviser during his first term. In 2005, he led the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment through a major counterinsurgency campaign against al-Qaida in Tal Afar, a city located in northwestern Iraq near the Syrian border.
Later, he assisted in shaping U.S. military strategy for both Iraq and Afghanistan, and he is currently serving as a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
The warning to Iran
Israel and the United States are now engaged in hostilities against neighboring Iran. McMaster’s warning makes the point plainly: a withdrawal from the region would give Iran added confidence to act.
ISIS remains a threat
McMaster raised doubts about whether ISIS has been defeated for good, saying that it is not yet clear whether the group has been defeated for good.
The speaker made the case for keeping American troops on the ground, arguing that their presence was essential for intelligence work and for backing Iraqi forces engaged against ISIS.
Iranian-backed militias
The retired general pointed to a continuing risk inside Iraq. He said Iranian-backed militias, which operate independently of Baghdad’s control, still threaten the country’s sovereignty.
The human cost of the war
A British group that monitors civilian casualties through morgue records and other documentation reports at least 200,000 Iraqi people died during the U.S.-led invasion and the fighting that followed.
Millions more were displaced during the war and its aftermath.
How his troops might react
Asked how the troops he led might view the withdrawal, McMaster said he hoped they would feel “tremendous pride.” He called their fight against al-Qaida in Iraq “a righteous mission.”
The stakes for Iraq
The Iraqi people are marking the withdrawal of American forces as a restoration of full independence for their nation. Yet McMaster’s caution points to the possibility that Iraq could soon confront threats from two directions: Iran and ISIS alike.
The withdrawal takes away a stabilizing force, along with the intelligence and training assistance that kept Iraqi forces prepared to battle ISIS.
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| U.S.-led invasion begins | More than two decades ago | Iraq |
| U.S. troops withdrawn | Now | Iraq |
| War with Iran continues | Ongoing | Neighboring Iran |
| Tal Afar campaign | 2005 | Northwestern Iraq |
This retired general’s warning holds weight because he was there during the fighting. He led soldiers on the ground in Tal Afar and helped shape U.S. strategy across the region. His judgment is not abstract; it is grounded in his own experience.
The new balance of power in the region may prompt Iran to test it out. ISIS could seize the moment to regroup. The militias operating outside Baghdad’s control remain a threat to the country’s independence will also be watching closely.
On paper, the pullout returns control to its original holders. Peace remains unproven, however.
Source material: “Retired general who led troops in Iraq warns U.S. exit may give Iran, ISIS an opening,” NPR.
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