Iraq Transitions As U.S. Forces Withdraw After 8-Year Presence

BAGHDAD, IRAQ - DECEMBER 09: A blast wall is seen painted with an image of the famed spiral minaret of Samarra on December 9, 2011 in Baghdad, Iraq. While violence has dropped dramatically in Baghdad since the peak of the conflict in 2006-2007, around 60,000 blast wall sections remain in the city. Iraq is transitioning nearly nine years after the 2003 U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation. American forces are now in the midst of the final stage of withdrawal from the war-torn country. At least 4,485 U.S. military personnel have died in service in Iraq. According to the Iraq Body Count, more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died from war-related violence. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)