# Can Iraq handle future security challenges alone?

An episode of [The Inside Story Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1587936366), 30 Sep 2026, 25 min.

Audio: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/9c074afa-3313-47e8-b802-a9f900789975/223113c5-ff31-4f9a-b650-ada90106df0f/53b05957-b6b9-47b2-b804-b4d4014ac0f4/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=7c994764-510f-469f-80a3-ada901076c74

The last remaining US troops have left Iraq, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. After years of conflict and instability, Iraq is entering a new phase without US forces on the ground. Is the Iraqi government ready? And who stands to gain from the US withdrawal? In this episode: • Ahmed Rushdi, President of the House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation • Kenneth Katzman, Senior Fellow at The Soufan Center • Abdullah AlShayji, Professor at Kuwait University Host: Dareen Abughaida Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

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