Iraqis concerned about security challenges after U.S. troop withdrawal

Iraqis are concerned about the country's security capabilities after the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces.

The United States and its allies have officially ended Operation Inherent Resolve against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

The Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, will "lead the continuing effort to secure Iraq and keep IS remnants suppressed," according to a Pentagon statement.

The primary responsibility for addressing Iraq's remaining security challenges now rests with the Iraqi government, the statement said, adding that the United States will continue to provide "targeted training and intelligence support" to its Iraqi partners.

The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs of Iraq's Kurdistan Region on Monday warned about security risks following the U.S. withdrawal.

In a statement, the ministry said the withdrawal comes at a sensitive time, amid continued security instability in Iraq and the Middle East. It stressed that the ongoing instability in the region requires vigilance and sound political decisions.

It added that the Kurdistan Region came under more than 1,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks during the war between the U.S. and Iran in recent months, expressing concern over the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region amid complex regional security conditions, without the provision of a defensive system.

"Although Iraq has forces capable of sustained ground operations -- lasting months rather than days -- we still have significant shortcomings in areas such as air power and modern electronic technology," said Baghdad resident Anwar Musawi.

In addition to the external security environment, attention is also focused on how to further integrate Shia militias in Iraq under the unified state control following the foreign troops withdrawal.

The Iraqi government had previously set September 30 as a key deadline and worked to ensure that armed groups outside state institutions completed their disarmament. However, this process has now been extended.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated that Iraqi militias will cease armed activities and hand over their weapons in phases, and the government plans to complete the process by June 30, 2027.

"Only by keeping weapons in the hands of the state can we secure the future of the Iraqi people and ensure that we live in safety and stability," said another resident Majid Hasnavi.

The withdrawal of U.S. troops does not mean that U.S. influence in Iraq has come to an end. Iraq's fiscal revenue is heavily dependent on oil, and the U.S. dollar revenue from oil exports has long been managed through the Iraqi central bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In recent years, the United States has influenced Iraq's financial system by, for example, tightening scrutiny of U.S. dollar transactions and restricting certain Iraqi banks' use of the U.S. dollar.

"The Americans have many tricks, [and] we may ultimately have no choice but to cooperate with them again," said Anwar Musawi.

"I believe the U.S. will continue to exert influence. First, although U.S. troops have withdrawn from Iraq, they remain deployed in Jordan and Kuwait, which border Iraq. Should an emergency arise in Iraq, the United States would still be able to intervene. The United States will continue to keep a close eye on Iraq and will not allow it to fall into the hands of other powers so easily after its withdrawal," said Majid Hasnavi.

In 2014, the United States and its allies launched their campaign and deployed forces to fight the IS militants in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

In 2024, Washington and Baghdad agreed on a gradual pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq, seven years after the Iraqi government declared the country's full liberation from the IS militants at the end of 2017.

Iraqis concerned about security challenges after U.S. troop withdrawal

A group of Japanese protesters rallied on Wednesday near Higashi-ginza Station in Tokyo to oppose the Japanese government's attempts to amend the pacifist constitution and its moves to expand military capabilities and revise the Three Non-Nuclear Principles.

The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, not possessing, not producing and not allowing introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory, were first declared in the Diet, Japan's parliament, by then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967 and viewed as a national credo.

The national security strategy, one of the three documents approved by the Japanese Cabinet in 2022, states, "The basic policy of adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles will remain unchanged in the future."

The demonstrators expressed concern that Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi had repeatedly made remarks in public regarding the revision of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles.

They voiced strong opposition to Japan's consideration of introducing nuclear submarines and other related moves.

"The Japanese people will absolutely not accept any revision of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. In various public opinion polls in Japan, an overwhelming majority of people share this view. Shinjiro Koizumi's statements on issues such as nuclear submarines and the government's consideration of revising the Three Non-Nuclear Principles are both vastly at odds with public opinion. We must not let our guard down. We must raise our voices in even stronger opposition," said a rally participant.

"Japan is a country that has suffered nuclear attacks. So, we absolutely cannot allow nuclear weapons into Japan. I believe this is the most fundamental principle. I am absolutely opposed to it," said another protester.

"I don't want Japan to attack other countries. Nor do I want Japan to become a victim or perpetrator of war. So, I still hope we can stop all of this. I hope they won't do this. I hope the Three Non-Nuclear Principles won't be revised," said the third protester.

Seventy-six percent of people in Japan support upholding the country's Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Kyodo News reported in early August, citing a nationwide opinion poll.

Japanese citizens protest against altering Three Non-Nuclear Principles