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In Iraq, militias backed by Iran have attacked U.S. troops and the U.S. embassy and consulate for years. American forces pulled out of Iraq last week, and now those militias agreed to stop the strikes. NPR's Jane Arraf reports from Baghdad.
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WORLD MP: (Singing in Arabic).
JANE ARRAF, BYLINE: It seemed like everywhere you went in Baghdad over the last week, the national anthem was playing.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAWTINI")
WORLD MP: (Singing in Arabic).
ARRAF: September 30 marked the official withdrawal of the U.S. military, 23 years after the U.S. invaded and toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Iraq's prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, dubbed it Sovereignty Day.
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PRIME MINISTER ALI AL-ZAIDI: (Speaking Arabic).
ARRAF: It was also celebrated by Iran-backed militias who have long demanded that the U.S. leave.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking Arabic).
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting in Arabic).
ARRAF: At a rally of some of the hardest-line militias, college student Hassan Kamel (ph) told us Iraq is its own master now.
HASSAN KAMEL: (Speaking Arabic).
ARRAF: He said Iraqis had long wanted the U.S.-led coalition that was formed to fight ISIS 12 years ago to go. Now Iraq's prime minister is grappling with how to persuade the most powerful militias to give up their weapons, which include rockets, missiles and drones. Those groups said last week they would halt attacks, but they have not agreed to disarm. U.S. forces left Iraqi cities and withdrew to bases years ago. On a recent trip to Fallujah, one of the most hard-fought battles by the U.S., it's clear how much the country has changed.
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ARRAF: I'm in Fallujah on a busy street lined with restaurants, and the amazing thing is, it looks so normal. In 2004, the U.S. Marines fought one of the fiercest battles here since Vietnam. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed as they were fighting al-Qaida. Most Iraqis will tell you that the reconstruction that's happened here since isn't because of the American presence that followed - it's in spite of it.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Allawi traces a lot of Iraq's deepest problems - dysfunctional government ministries and rampant corruption - to the political system the U.S. introduced when it occupied Iraq.
ALI ALLAWI: In government, I think there's no doubt that the system introduced after 2003 has been a disaster.
ARRAF: That system divvied out government posts along sectarian and ethnic lines. The vacuum created by removing Saddam opened the door to Iranian influence. Former Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says, if the Iran-backed paramilitary groups do hand over weapons, they will expect a more political representation in return.
HOSHYAR ZEBARI: Some of the groups will argue, well, we were asked to hand over our weapons. OK. We did hand over. But why shouldn't we have any representation in the government for us?
ARRAF: The U.S. departure also leaves Turkish troops in Iraq and continued Iranian leverage. U.S. troops may be gone, but not the legacy of the U.S. invasion.
Jane Arraf, NPR News, Baghdad.
(SOUNDBITE OF EARTH'S "RISE TO GLORY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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