And that was it. No pronouncements of victory, no cheers or jubilation — only a profound sense that the war’s real reckoning is yet to come even as America’s part in it draws to a close.
America’s war in Iraq came to an unspectacular and deeply uncertain end Thursday at a ceremony held amid fortified concrete blast walls at Baghdad’s international airport, not far from a highway where U.S. troops first fought their way into the capital more than eight years ago.
There were speeches paying tribute to the fallen, promising that America would not abandon Iraq and warning of challenges ahead. A brass band played, and the flag that had flown over the headquarters of the U.S. mission here was lowered for the last time.
Iraqi businessman Qais al-Lami, 39 summed up the countries thanks for our efforts to bring freedom to their country by saying, “So I’m happy they’re leaving because they are occupiers.
In total, over 1 million American troops served in Iraq since 2003, including about 4,487 who were killed and 30,000 who were wounded http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraq-war-draws-to-quiet-close/2011/12/14/gIQAPEjLvO_story.html?hpid=z1
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