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US completes withdrawal of troops from Iraq, ending 12-year anti-ISIS mission

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 39 outlets across the spectrum.

63 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

The US military announced it has completed the withdrawal of all American forces from Iraq, with the last troops and equipment departing Erbil Air Base on September 30. The move concludes Operation Inherent Resolve, the 12-year mission against the Islamic State group, and follows more than 20 years of US military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. CENTCOM called the departure “orderly,” and said the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve will remain operational, headquartered in Jordan, to support counter-ISIS efforts in Syria. President Trump called the withdrawal “a victory for the United States” and “a decisive victory over ISIS.” Iraqi security forces held parades in Baghdad and Najaf to mark the occasion. Some Kurdish officials and Iraqi security experts expressed concern about a possible ISIS resurgence or exploitation of the vacuum by Iran-aligned groups.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The last US forces and equipment departed Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq on September 30, completing the withdrawal from the country.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. The withdrawal marks the end of Operation Inherent Resolve, the 12-year US-led mission against the Islamic State group.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The US had maintained a military presence in Iraq for more than 20 years, since the 2003 invasion.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. President Trump described the withdrawal as a “victory for the United States” and a “decisive victory over ISIS.”

    Reported byLeftCenter

  5. Iraqi security forces held parades in Baghdad and Najaf to celebrate what was called National Sovereignty Day.

    Reported byLeftCenter

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Some Kurdish officials and Iraqi security experts raised concerns that the withdrawal could allow ISIS to recover or let Iran-aligned militias exploit the vacuum.

    Reported byLeft

  2. CJTF-OIR will remain operational, now headquartered in Jordan, to continue the counter-ISIS mission in Syria.

    Reported byCenterRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether the withdrawal poses a security risk by enabling an ISIS resurgence or Iranian exploitation.

    NBC News and The Guardian report that Kurdish officials and Iraqi security experts worry the withdrawal could allow ISIS to recover or let Iran-aligned militias fill the vacuum; right-leaning outlets such as the Washington Examiner, Townhall, The Center Square and RedState frame the mission as having “defeated” or “decimated” ISIS with no mention of resurgence risk.

  • How to characterize the overall US mission in Iraq.

    Trump, quoted by NBC and The Hill, calls it a “decisive victory”; the Washington Examiner calls it “one of the U.S.’s most controversial military adventures”; other outlets describe it more neutrally as the conclusion of a 12-year counter-ISIS operation.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    13 outlets

    Left-leaning outlets frame the withdrawal around mixed consequences, pairing Iraqi celebration with warnings about ISIS resurgence and Iran’s influence, while Al Jazeera’s headline focuses solely on Iraqi celebration of sovereignty.

    America leaves Iraq, again
    VoxFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    9 outlets

    Center outlets present the event descriptively, noting the formal completion of withdrawal and offering diplomatic or analytical perspectives, including direct quotation of Trump’s “victory” remarks.

    Former diplomats assess U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and region's future
    PBS NewsHourCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    17 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets emphasize the successful conclusion of the mission and the scale of the anti-ISIS campaign, with Far Right outlets using more sweeping language about the mission’s achievements.

    America Will Regret Withdrawing from Iraq
    The Free PressRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left10

    high-stakes security balancing actbloody decadesbalance of power shifts to Iranunleashed waves of bloodshed

  • Center5

    despite fears Iran will exploit withdrawalquestions remainraising fears of Iran-backed militias amid power vacuumsome fear will embolden

  • Right5

    Thousands Dead And Trillions Spenttouted by Baghdad as a signthreat remainsmost controversial military adventures

In the outlets’ own words

  • Vague attribution

    despite fears Iran will exploit withdrawalMore neutral: amid concerns about Iran's regional influence

    Attributes a specific fear to unnamed parties without saying who holds it.

    US forces to leave last bases in Iraq despite fears Iran will exploit withdrawal

    Used bySky News (Center)

  • Vague attribution

    questions remainMore neutral: state the question and who is asking

    The writer is raising the question while pretending someone else did.

    But as US troops leave, questions remain over militias, foreign forces and the country's future security.

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

  • Sensational language

    Thousands Dead And Trillions SpentMore neutral: After Nearly 4,500 Deaths And Significant Financial Cost

    Frames the withdrawal primarily around dramatic cumulative losses rather than the event itself, amplifying emotional impact.

    US Closes Iraq Chapter After Thousands Dead And Trillions Spent

    Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    high-stakes security balancing actMore neutral: security transition

    frames Iraq's situation as inherently dramatic rather than describing concrete events

    Iraq begins high-stakes security balancing act as US troops withdraw

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

Show 16 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    bloody decadesMore neutral: two decades of conflict

    Adds an emotionally charged descriptor to the historical period beyond a neutral factual account.

    …forces are set to depart from bases in Iraq on Wednesday, a milestone in two bloody decades of American involvement.

    Used byThe Washington Post (Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    balance of power shifts to IranMore neutral: as concerns grow over Iran's regional influence

    States a contested geopolitical outcome as settled fact rather than an assessment.

    withdraws forces in Iraq as balance of power shifts to Iran

    Used byThe Washington Post (Left)

  • Vague attribution

    raising fears of Iran-backed militias amid power vacuumMore neutral: amid concerns over Iran-backed militias and a security vacuum

    Attributes fears to unspecified people without naming who expresses them in the headline itself.

    US forces leave Iraq, raising fears of Iran-backed militias amid power vacuum

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Sensational language

    unleashed waves of bloodshedMore neutral: was accompanied by significant violence

    Uses dramatic, emotionally charged language to characterize the war's effects rather than a neutral description.

    Some Iraqis are celebrating the end of an American military presence that unleashed waves of bloodshed.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    trapped between Washington and TehranMore neutral: caught between US and Iranian influence

    Frames Iraq's geopolitical position with a word implying helplessness rather than a neutral description of competing influence.

    Others fear what happens next for their country, trapped between Washington and Tehran.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    did not understand the country when they invadedMore neutral: faced criticism for misjudging the country when they invaded

    presents a contested judgment about U.S. understanding as settled fact rather than an assessment

    The Americans did not understand the country when they invaded in 2003.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    touted by Baghdad as a signMore neutral: described by Baghdad as a sign

    ‘Touted’ implies exaggerated or self-serving promotion rather than a neutral statement of position.

    …United States and Iran that has also sometimes spilled over into Iraq, was touted by Baghdad as a sign of the country’s increasing strength and sovereignty.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Vague attribution

    threat remainsMore neutral: security concerns persist, officials say

    Asserts an ongoing security threat without specifying who determined this or on what basis.

    US faces another major Middle East troop withdrawal, but threat remains

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Vague attribution

    some fear will emboldenMore neutral: some Iraqi officials and analysts say they fear

    attributes a concern to unnamed people without specifying who

    …mission on Wednesday, a move celebrated by the country's leaders, but which some fear will embolden pro-Iran armed factions.

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    most controversial military adventuresMore neutral: one of the U.S.’s most debated military deployments

    Characterizes the entire 20-year mission with a subjective judgment rather than describing it neutrally.

    …in Iraq after 23 years on Wednesday, ending one of the U.S.’s most controversial military adventures.

    Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

  • Sensational language

    wipe the planet clean of the threatMore neutral: eliminate the threat

    Uses dramatic, exaggerated phrasing to describe a military mission rather than neutral description.

    …Inherent Resolve was the name for the United States' mission to wipe the planet clean of the threat that was the Islamic State, known as ISIS, in Iraq and Syria.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    car bomb capital of the worldMore neutral: a city that experienced frequent car bombings

    adds dramatic characterization beyond the factual description of violence

    …sectarian bloodbaths, civil war and an insurgency that made Baghdad the car bomb capital of the world — continues to cast its shadow on the country today.

    Used byLos Angeles Times (Left)

  • Vague attribution

    Iraqi security experts worryMore neutral: some Iraqi security analysts said

    Attributes a concern to an unnamed group of experts without identifying who they are.

    …Iran and its allies celebrated the departure as a victory, while Iraqi security experts worry that the withdrawal could give the Islamic State and others a chance to…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    Iran war grinds onMore neutral: the Iran conflict continues

    Characterizes an ongoing conflict with a dramatic, weary tone rather than neutral description.

    …caliphate but raising fears about what might fill the vacuum as the Iran war grinds on.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    pummeledMore neutral: struck

    A dramatic verb that adds intensity beyond a neutral description of missile strikes.

    …concerned the Biden-era decision was being carried out even after Iranian missiles pummeled them following the war launched by the United States and Israel earlier this year.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Vague attribution

    widely celebratedMore neutral: celebrated by many Iraqis and U.S. officials

    claims broad public sentiment without specifying who celebrated or by what measure

    …also comes 23 years after US-led forces ousted Saddam Hussein – which, while widely celebrated, sparked the rise of Islamic State.

    Used byStraight Arrow News (Center)

Words quoted from someone else (2)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    The country has become a battlefieldMore neutral: The country has experienced ongoing violence

    Presents a dramatic characterization of the country's condition as a quoted framing device rather than a factual description.

    ‘The country has become a battlefield’: Last US troops exit Iraq

    Quoted byFrance 24 (Center)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Partisan shorthand

    Quoted

    forever warMore neutral: prolonged military engagement

    a politically loaded term framing the conflict's length and purpose rather than neutrally describing it

    BEIRUT — America opened its “forever war” in Iraq more than 23 years ago with “Shock and Awe.” It ended it on Wednesday with…

    Quoted byLos Angeles Times (Left)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

13 outlets

Leads with

  • security risks and potential ISIS resurgence
  • Iran and Iran-backed militias’ reaction
  • Kurdish officials’ concerns
  • Iraqi celebrations of sovereignty

Leaves out

  • cost figures for the mission (billions of dollars)
  • CENTCOM’s description of the departure as “orderly”

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 13 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

9 outlets

Leads with

  • official announcements and statements
  • diplomatic/expert analysis of what comes next
  • mixed Iraqi reactions

Leaves out

  • specific cost figures for the mission
  • Kurdish officials’ security concerns

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 10 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

17 outlets

Leads with

  • mission success and ISIS defeat
  • military and financial scale of the operation
  • transition to Iraqi-led security

Leaves out

  • Kurdish officials’ concerns about timing
  • fears of ISIS resurgence or Iran exploiting the withdrawal
  • Iraqi celebrations of sovereignty

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 19 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    11 hr 42 min later

    Its first report, Sep 29, 3:05 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Sky News, Sep 29, 3:23 AM EDT

  • Right

    7 hr 35 min later

    Its first report, Sep 29, 10:58 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Sky NewsCenterSep 29, 3:23 AM EDT
  2. Deutsche WelleCenterSep 29, 7:08 AM EDT
  3. The Epoch TimesFar RightSep 29, 10:58 AM EDT
  4. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftSep 29, 3:05 PM EDT
  5. The Daily CallerFar RightSep 29, 4:19 PM EDT
  6. The Washington PostLeftSep 29, 8:04 PM EDT
  7. ABC NewsLeftSep 29, 8:25 PM EDT
  8. France 24CenterSep 29, 9:04 PM EDT
  9. NPRLeftSep 30, 4:43 AM EDT
  10. CBS NewsLeftSep 30, 4:54 AM EDT
  11. SemaforCenterSep 30, 4:56 AM EDT
  12. The New York TimesLeftSep 30, 5:31 AM EDT
  13. New York PostRightSep 30, 5:34 AM EDT
  14. Fox NewsFar RightSep 30, 6:00 AM EDT
  15. Financial TimesCenterSep 30, 7:28 AM EDT
  16. BBC NewsCenterSep 30, 7:36 AM EDT
  17. The Daily WireFar RightSep 30, 7:36 AM EDT
  18. The Washington TimesRightSep 30, 7:41 AM EDT
  19. Washington ExaminerRightSep 30, 8:33 AM EDT
  20. TownhallFar RightSep 30, 9:00 AM EDT
  21. The Center SquareRightSep 30, 9:03 AM EDT
  22. RedStateFar RightSep 30, 9:58 AM EDT
  23. Los Angeles TimesLeftSep 30, 10:01 AM EDT
  24. PBS NewsHourCenterSep 30, 10:07 AM EDT
  25. The HillCenterSep 30, 10:29 AM EDT
  26. The GuardianLeftSep 30, 10:31 AM EDT
  27. TheBlazeFar RightSep 30, 10:45 AM EDT
  28. NBC NewsLeftSep 30, 1:39 PM EDT
  29. The IndependentLeftSep 30, 2:20 PM EDT
  30. Straight Arrow NewsCenterSep 30, 2:30 PM EDT
  31. BloombergLeftSep 30, 2:35 PM EDT
  32. One America NewsFar RightSep 30, 2:48 PM EDT
  33. Breitbart NewsFar RightSep 30, 4:16 PM EDT
  34. Mother JonesFar LeftSep 30, 4:32 PM EDT
  35. VoxFar LeftSep 30, 5:00 PM EDT
  36. The Western JournalFar RightSep 30, 6:15 PM EDT
  37. ReasonRightOct 1, 4:34 PM EDT
  38. The Free PressRightOct 1, 4:56 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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