Trump hails Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as US forces leave
'This is a Great Day for America and, importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi,' says US president
President Donald Trump placed Iraqi new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the center of his announcement that the last American forces are leaving the country, portraying the new Iraqi leader as a key figure in the next chapter of US-Iraq relations.
"This is a Great Day for America and, importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, somebody I supported from the beginning and fully endorsed.
"He won an Election that he was not expected to win, and did so, in a landslide!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Earlier Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced that the US and its coalition partners have formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq.
Trump also said that the last American forces are leaving Iraq, declaring an end to more than two decades of US military involvement in the country.
“It has been a long time, with very bad decision-making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place, but soon, that will be part of History,” Trump said.
Trump said the withdrawal would mark the end of Operation Inherent Resolve and described the departure of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base as an "orderly conclusion" to the US mission.
The president said al-Zaidi is "outstanding."
"He will hopefully be able to handle things very well. We came to fight a caliphate. There is no longer a caliphate. We are going home!" he added.
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