Officially, it's over. Thursday's withdrawal of the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the last U.S. combat brigade in Iraq, marked the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The move fulfilled the promise of U.S. President Barack Obama to end his country's combat mission in Iraq by the end of August.
Yet, like the infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner that his predecessor Mr. George W. Bush deployed in May 2003, the headline does not tell the whole story. A considerable number of U.S. military personnel will remain in Iraq, and their presence may continue even past the Dec. 31, 2011, deadline agreed to by the two countries for a complete withdrawal. Troop presence — like that ill-considered banner — is not the indicator of success. It is another milestone in Iraq's long march back to normalcy — an outcome that is by no means guaranteed.
A coalition of forces, led by the United States and predominately American, invaded Iraq in March 2003. The reasons for the invasion remain disputed, but the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein was intended to remove a threat to regional and world peace, and transform international relations in the Persian Gulf and perhaps beyond. It is unlikely that the architects of that move expected it to reshape the world as it did — undermining U.S. legitimacy, weakening the nation's economy and status, and tying down its military for such a long time. Saddam was removed but the cost has been astronomical.