The troop withdrawal created a ton of surplus armament. Through the so-called “1033 program,” police departments can acquire excess military gear from the Pentagon for free.
Source: https://www.stephensemler.com/p/how-the-iraq-war-turbocharged-police
According to the graph there were fewer US troops deployed in Iraq during the last years of Obama’s presidency than there are now.
So Bush started the war in Iraq and Obama ended the war in Iraq?
Sorry, but this graph just doesn’t fit with the both sides forever war narrative.
I was deployed to Iraq in 2010, the mission at that time was changed and called “Operation New Dawn” this was Obama’s drawdown of forces. The base I was on had one more deployment after us then it was turned over to Iraqi forces and we pulled out, mostly.