Newsweek is reporting that the last American troops will withdraw from Iraq on Wednesday, officially ending a two-decade-long military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and resumed in 2014 when U.S. forces returned to aid Baghdad in its fight against the Islamic State group. It said the pullout, taken together with the withdrawal from Afghanistan five years ago, closes a messy and complicated chapter in American history. Newsweek said the two so-called "forever wars" were waged at great cost to the citizens of all countries involved and taught a lesson on the limits of what U.S. military power alone can achieve.
In a separate item, Newsweek is reporting on what it calls the football politics of President Donald Trump's Washington. It said the Department of Homeland Security used video of former Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins making violent hits in a promotion of immigration enforcement. Newsweek said Dawkins said he had not authorized the use of his image, and the NFL asked DHS to remove it. It said DHS responded that Border Patrol was "playing lockdown defense" and would use every "Weapon" available, a reference to Dawkins' nickname, "Weapon X." Newsweek said the country's favorite game offers a convenient language for the exercise of power.
Newsweek also reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has released a detailed strategy to fight antisemitism while leaving unsettled the question of what his administration will consider antisemitic when Israel and Zionism are involved. It said the question followed him into office.
Newsweek additionally reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing his nation for a long war in Ukraine and is trying to hide whatever breaks in the process.