US diplomats face Iraq challenge as troops leave
By Andrew Quinn | China Daily | Updated: 2011-12-19 07:51
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A US soldier celebrates after crossing into Kuwait during the last convoy out of Iraq on Sunday. The last convoy of US soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending nearly nine years of war that cost almost 4,500 US and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Shannon Stapleton / Reuters |
WASHINGTON - As the last US soldiers leave Iraq, the US State Department assumes the reins of a complex and risky operation, the success or failure of which could determine whether the costly nine-year US engagement with the country finally bears fruit.
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