President Obama is withdrawing American troops from Iraq after one of the longest wars in U.S. history. Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon says Iraq remains far from stable, and that a continued U.S. presence as advisors to Iraq on building a democracy would have been preferable. However, O’Hanlon says the Iraqis failed to deliver the assurances that could have kept American advisors on the ground, despite creditable efforts by the Obama administration.
![Members of the Taliban and their supporters gather in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 14, 2024, to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the takeover. They decided to celebrate according to the Afghan calendar. Photo by Orian Zerah/ABACAPRESS.COM](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-08-14T000000Z_1765455351_MT1ABCPR911276006_RTRMADP_3_ABACA-PRESS-1.jpg?quality=75&w=500)
Afghanistan
The Taliban’s three years in power and what lies ahead
Commentary
Podcast@ Brookings Podcast: The Consequences of the Iraq Troop Withdrawal
November 11, 2011