Retired general who led troops in Iraq warns U.S. exit may give Iran, ISIS an opening
Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster has criticized the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, warning that it may embolden Iran and leave the region vulnerable to an ISIS resurgence. McMaster argues that a continued presence was necessary for intelligence and stability.
Why it matters
The withdrawal marks the end of a two-decade military engagement, and expert criticism highlights ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Middle East U.S. military withdraws from Iraq two decades after invasion The last U.S. troops have left Iraq, more than two decades after the U.S.-led invasion and as the United States and Israel are at war with neighboring Iran.
Iraq is marking the withdrawal as a restoration of sovereignty. Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who commanded U.S. troops in Iraq, says the timing could strengthen Iran and leave Iraq vulnerable to a resurgence of ISIS.
"I think it's not the right time," McMaster told Morning Edition . "This is going to embolden, I think, the Iranians to a certain extent, and it's not clear that there has been the enduring defeat of ISIS."
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