as US troops leave....
I have mixed feeling about that. Iraq is moving towards a more radical Islamic government, as shown by how badly the Christians there are being treated. The problem between the Kurds and Turks is not going to get better anytime soon and Iraq is wholly incapable of controlling their borders, especially in the semi autonomous Kurdish North. They took a looong time to form a government after the last round of elections and I wonder how much longer the pretense of democracy will hold.
I would love for Iraq to succeed, they could be a great stabilizing influence in the region. However, I'm not very comfortable with our troops being trapped in some "mutual protection pact" or "combat advisory role" when things go from bad to worse. I get the "you broke it, you own it" philosophy but that needs to have an end date. And I think 4,000 lives and a few $100 billion should be about it.
Turkish incursions into Iraq go back many years. Nothing new here.