US soldiers leave Iraq

After nine years, the last American soldiers are set to leave Iraq in the coming days.

The war in Iraq started in March 2003 with an American led invasion. Although many other countries were against the invasion, the US government believed at the time that the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was hiding dangerous weapons.

Saddam quickly fell from power, but the war dragged on, as Iraqis and foreign soldiers tried to establish peace, security and a stable government. In the end, more than 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives in the conflict, along with about 4,500 Americans.

Although many Americans and Iraqis are happy that the troops are leaving, the situation in Iraq is still unstable. "It is the end for the Americans only," wrote Emad Risn in an Iraqi newspaper. "Nobody knows if the war will end for Iraqis too."