U.S. to withdraw remaining troops from Iraq by year-end

US President Barack Obama said on Friday the U.S. will withdraw all troops from Iraq by December 31, ending a conflict that has lasted nearly nine years. The announcement came after the two countries failed to reach an agreement that would have seen thousands of US military remaining in Iraq for special operations and training. Though some Iraqi officials worry that their country still needs a US military presence to help keep the peace in the face of sectarian and ethnic divides, Iraqi leaders could not agree to guarantee legal immunity to American troops left behind, as Washington demanded. The last 44,000 U.S. soldiers are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of the year, as planned.

Washington Post