Last American troops leave Iraq
The US military says the last American troops have left Iraq as the nearly nine-year war ends.
The final convoy rolled across the border into neighbouring Kuwait as day broke on Sunday.
Soldiers whooped, bumped fists and embraced each other in a burst of joy and relief.
The exit marked the end of a bitterly divisive war that raged for nearly nine years and left Iraq shattered, with troubling questions lingering over whether the Arab nation will remain a steadfast US ally.
The mission cost well over 100,000 Iraqi lives and $800bn (€613.1m) from the US Treasury. The question of whether it was worth it all is unanswered.
Captain Mark Askew, a 28-year-old from Tampa, Florida, who was among the last soldiers to leave, said the answer to that question will depend on what type of country and government Iraq ends up with years from now, whether they are democratic, respect human rights and are considered an American ally.
"It depends on what Iraq does after we leave," he said, speaking ahead of the exit. "I don't expect them to turn into South Korea or Japan overnight."
The war that began in a blaze of aerial bombardment meant to shock and awe the dictator Saddam Hussein and his loyalists ended quietly and with minimal fanfare.
US officials acknowledged the cost in blood and dollars was high, but tried to paint a picture of victory - for the troops and the Iraqi people now free from tyranny and on a path for democracy.
But gnawing questions remain: Will Iraqis be able to forge their new government amid the still stubborn sectarian clashes? And will Iraq be able to defend itself and remain independent in a region fraught with turmoil and still steeped in insurgent threats?
The soldiers left behind an Iraq free from the tyranny of Saddam, inching toward democracy and vowing to be a good neighbour in the region. Many Iraqis, however, are nervous and uncertain about the future.
Their relief at the end of Saddam, who was hanged on the last day of 2006, was tempered by a long and vicious war that was launched to find non-existent weapons of mass destruction and nearly plunged the nation into full-scale sectarian civil war.
Some criticised the Americans for leaving behind a destroyed country with thousands of widows and orphans, a people deeply divided along sectarian lines and without rebuilding the devastated infrastructure.
Some Iraqis celebrated the exit of what they called American occupiers, neither invited nor welcome in a proud country.
Others said that while grateful for US help ousting Saddam, the war went on too long. A majority of Americans would agree, according to opinion polls.
The low-key exit stood in sharp contrast to the high octane start of the war, which began before dawn on March 20, 2003, with an air strike in southern Baghdad where Saddam was believed to be hiding. US and allied ground forces stormed across the featureless Kuwaiti desert, accompanied by reporters, photographers and television crews embedded with the troops.
The final few thousand US troops left Iraq in orderly caravans and tightly scheduled flights. They left at night in hopes it would be more secure and got out in time for at least some of the troops to join families at home for the Christmas holidays.
They completed the massive logistical challenge of shuttering hundreds of bases and combat outposts, and methodically moving more than 50,000 US troops and their equipment out of Iraq over the last year - while still conducting training, security assistance and counter-terrorism battles.
The total US departure is a bit earlier than initially planned, and military leaders worry that it is a premature for the still maturing Iraqi security forces, who face continuing struggles to develop the logistics, air operations, surveillance and intelligence-sharing capabilities they will need in what has long been a difficult region.
Despite President Barack Obama's earlier contention that all American troops would be home for Christmas, at least 4,000 forces will remain in Kuwait for some months. The troops will be able to help finalise the move out of Iraq, but could also be used as a quick reaction force if needed.
Mr Obama stopped short of calling the US effort in Iraq a victory in an interview taped on Thursday with ABC News' Barbara Walters.
"I would describe our troops as having succeeded in the mission of giving to the Iraqis their country in a way that gives them a chance for a successful future," he said.
The Iraq Body Count website says more than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the US invasion. The vast majority were civilians.
The US plans to keep a robust diplomatic presence in Iraq, foster a deep and lasting relationship with the nation and maintain a strong military force in the region.
US officials were unable to reach agreement with the Iraqis on legal issues and troop immunity that would have allowed a small training and counter-terrorism force to remain.
US defence officials said they expect there will be no movement on that issue until some time next year.
