Yeah but aircraft don’t fly too well when surrounded by enemies
There is no country surrounding Iraq that can challenge our domination of the air. Well, they could try, but they'd just get dead.
Not completely surrounded. Our forces can leave by sea from the south, or via Turkey to the north. If Turkey gives any hard time at all, then they are out of NATO (if not in the Obama administration, then guaranteed in the following Republican admin). Turkey is already not likely to join the EU -- being kicked out of NATO would sink them.