U.S. withdrawal from Iraq: How neoliberal geopolitics and proxy wars reshape Middle East instability
Original framing: “U.S. forces exit Iraq, emboldening Iran’s proxies and Islamic State” — The Japan Times
The U.S. withdrawal echoes **historical patterns of imperial retreat**: the **British abandonment of Iraq in 1948** (leading to coups and instability), the **French withdrawal from Algeria in 1962** (followed by decades of violence), and the **Soviet exit from Afghanistan in 1989** (which enabled the rise of the Taliban). The **Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916)** artificially divided the region, creating artificial borders that fuel modern conflicts—a precedent the current narrative ignores. Additionally, the **CIA’s role in destabilizing Iran in 1953** and **Iraq in 1963** set the stage for today’s proxy wars, yet these are framed as isolated events rather than systemic cycles.