American troops have withdrawn from Iraq, according to President Barack Obama's wishes. And whether or not Obama agrees with his earlier statement that going to war in Iraq was a "dumb" decision, history will judge the decision of launching a war against Iraq as arrogance and foolishness, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

The US war in Iraq lasted nearly nine years in which about 4,500 American soldiers were killed and more than 30,000 injured. The full cost of the war is about $3 trillion, which has played a big role in the US' budget deficit. But Washington has paid a bigger price for the war, for now Iran exercises greater influence over Iraq.

The US seldom considers the impact of the war on Iraq. Even Obama said Iraq was now a "sovereign" and "inclusive" country with "enormous potential", and that a "democratic Iraq can be a model for the entire region". But the truth is Iraq is mired in serious problems.

The war has claimed more than 100,000 Iraqis' lives and displaced millions. The US war in Iraq has ended but the pains linger. The number of children born with biological defects in Fallujah has risen dramatically, which some studies attribute to the use of US weapons.

Apart from that, the country's infrastructure is in tatters. And Iraqis are worried that terrorist organizations and anti-American forces could become stronger in the new set-up and pose a serious threat to the country.

The US' original aim of attacking Iraq was to clear the country of the non-existent weapons of mass destruction and overthrow the Saddam regime for sponsoring terrorism, which it actually didn't. The war gave rise to terrorism the country. Therefore, the decision to launch a war against Iraq is self-evident.

(China Daily 12/21/2011 page9)