The Washington Times reported since 2012, 200 US troops have been inserted in Iraq.  They serve exclusively as nonoperational training and liaison experts and cannot directly engage AQ fighters or help the Iraqi military.  Fallujah’s recent fall to AQ is placing a spotlight on this situation and how it has come about.

The Obama administration pulled troops in 2011 after failing to reach an agreement with Iraq that U.S. troops remain under the military’s criminal jurisdiction, not Baghdad’s.  Reports at the time and since indicate the White House did not try hard to win an agreement to make a campaign issue of ending U.S. involvement in the war.

It’s ironic that AQ had largely given up fighting by 2009 because of US military operations.