FILE – A U.S. military vehicle, part of a convoy, arrives near Dahuk, Iraq, Oct. 21, 2019. Twenty years after the U.S. invaded Iraq, in blinding explosions of shock and awe, American forces remain in the country in what has become a small, but consistent presence to ensure an ongoing relationship with a key military and diplomatic partner in the Middle East. (AP Photo/File) 
FILE – Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 24, 2020. Thousands of supporters of an influential, radical Shiite cleric gathered Friday in central Baghdad for a rally to demand that American troops leave the country. Twenty years after the U.S. invaded Iraq, in blinding explosions of shock and awe, American forces remain in the country in what has become a small, but consistent presence to ensure an ongoing relationship with a key military and diplomatic partner in the Middle East. (AP Photo/File) 
FILE – American soldiers inspect the site of Iranian bombing at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar, Iraq, on Jan. 13, 2020. U.S. officials say new air defense systems are now protecting American and allied forces at military bases in Iraq where troops have been attacked by Iranian-backed insurgents in recent months. Twenty years after the U.S. invaded Iraq, in blinding explosions of shock and awe, American forces remain in the country in what has become a small, but consistent presence to ensure an ongoing relationship with a key military and diplomatic partner in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Ali Abdul Hassan, File)
Why US troops remain in Iraq 20 years after ‘shock and awe’
