The Lift Line
“Iran and its allies have vowed to push the U.S. out of West Asia. They may not have the wherewithal to achieve that goal, but they have managed to drive the U.S. out of Iraq.”
Why This Editorial Matters for Your Exam
The Hindu’s editorial of 5 October 2026 reflects on the departure of US troops from Iraq on 30 September 2026, more than 23 years after the March 2003 invasion. The exit came during a wider war: the editorial dates US and Israeli strikes on Iran from late February 2026. The withdrawal itself was reported in the 1 October roundup; this is the paper’s verdict on the whole venture. For Mains, it is a ready case study on regime change, non-state armed groups and India’s stakes in West Asia.
GS Paper 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed countries on India’s interests; important international institutions; India and its neighbourhood (extended).
Background and Context
Timeline of the US in Iraq.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2003 (March) | US-led invasion; Saddam Hussein’s regime toppled; WMD claim later found false |
| 2006-2007 | Sectarian civil war at its peak |
| 2008 | US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement sets end-2011 for withdrawal |
| 2011 | US combat troops leave Iraq |
| 2014 | Islamic State seizes large parts of Iraq and Syria; US returns at Baghdad’s request; Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) form |
| 2017 | Iraq declares victory over the Islamic State’s territorial hold |
| 2026 (late February) | US and Israel begin bombing Iran, per the editorial; the PMF joins the war |
| 2026 (30 September) | Last US troops leave Iraq |
The actors.
| Actor | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ba’ath Party | Arab nationalist party that ruled Iraq under Saddam Hussein until 2003 |
| Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) | Post-invasion jihadist branch; became the Islamic State by 2014, the editorial notes |
| Popular Mobilisation Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) | Umbrella of mostly Iran-backed Shia militias; “a state within the state”, says the editorial |
India’s stake. Iraq has long been among India’s largest crude oil suppliers, and West Asia hosts a large Indian workforce. In 2014, 39 Indian workers abducted near Mosul were later confirmed killed (March 2018). In April 2003, the Lok Sabha passed a unanimous resolution deploring the military action in Iraq.
The Analysis
1. A strategic and humanitarian disaster. The editorial calls the war one of the gravest disasters of the century: the WMD claim was false “if not an outright lie”, and al-Qaeda found a new base in post-war Iraq.
2. State collapse fed sectarian war. Destroying the Ba’athist state and the abrupt rise of Shia parties widened cleavages and triggered a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
3. From AQI to the Islamic State. Al-Qaeda in Iraq became the Islamic State by 2014 and spread terror across the region and beyond, pulling US troops back after the 2011 exit.
4. The buffer is gone. Saddam’s Iraq, hostile to the Gulf monarchies, still stood between them and Iran. After 2003, Iran extended its influence through Shia parties and militias.
5. The irony of timing. The US is leaving Iraq while trying to defeat Iran in a major regional war. Since the bombing began in late February, Iran and its allies have carried out at least 600 attacks on US facilities in Iraq, the editorial says.
6. Afghanistan, again. As in Afghanistan, where the US left after 20 years to the Taliban it had toppled in 2001, it leaves Iraq to a weak government and powerful militias backed by a resurgent Iran.
Data and Institutions Vault
Prelims-grade facts:
The war and the exit:
- Invasion: March 2003; US troops left Iraq on 30 September 2026, more than 23 years later (the editorial).
- Status of Forces Agreement (2008) set the first withdrawal for the end of 2011.
- Islamic State: grew out of Al-Qaeda in Iraq; declared its “caliphate” in 2014.
Actors:
- Popular Mobilisation Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi): Iran-backed Shia militia umbrella.
- Iraq’s capital is Baghdad; the Kurdistan Region’s capital is Erbil.
India link:
- Lok Sabha resolution of April 2003 deplored the war.
- 39 Indian workers killed after abduction near Mosul in 2014.
⚠️ Watch the trap: The Islamic State emerged from Al-Qaeda in Iraq, not from the Taliban or Hezbollah. And the PMF is an Iraqi body of mostly Shia militias, not a branch of Iran’s armed forces, though many of its groups are Iran-backed.
The Debate
For the editorial’s view. The invasion rested on a false premise, broke the Iraqi state, gave jihadists a base and handed Iran a sphere of influence; the 2026 exit under fire confirms that the costs outlasted any gains.
The other side. The 2014 return came at Baghdad’s request and helped end the Islamic State’s territorial rule; the exit follows a negotiated transition; and Iraq, unlike Afghanistan, still has an elected government and functioning, if weak, institutions.
The balanced verdict. The invasion’s legacy is largely negative, but Iraq’s future is not settled. Outside powers can help most by backing Iraqi institutions over armed factions.
How to Think About This
Trace second-order effects. Regime change removes a government; it also removes what that government held in balance. For any intervention question, ask what the toppled state was doing for the region (here, a buffer against Iran) and who fills the space. That chain of consequence is what examiners reward.
Diagram-in-Words
Takeaway Box
- Thesis: the US leaves Iraq “in weariness, if not defeat”; regime change destabilised the region.
- Dates: invasion March 2003; first exit 2011; return 2014; final exit 30 September 2026.
- Actors: Al-Qaeda in Iraq became the Islamic State; PMF (Hashd al-Shaabi) is the Iran-backed militia umbrella.
- India: energy, diaspora and the 2003 Lok Sabha resolution deploring the war.
Sources: The Hindu, Ministry of External Affairs, Lok Sabha Debates
Source: Outbound Force: US Troops Leave Iraq After 23 Years — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Editorial Analysis
