“Very embarrassing that people around the world thought it was a terrorist attack. But in the end, no — it’s a lot of noise for nothing,” says a resident.
Coalition troops were deployed to Iraq and Syria in 2014 to fight IS; Pentagon will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraq.
The project was delivered within just 1.5 years against a 3-year payment plan, while commercial possession had already been handed over to customers in January 2026.
Since its 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US has held effective control of the country’s oil revenue dollars, giving Washington extraordinary leverage over Baghdad’s affairs.
