BAGHDAD: Iraq will assume command Friday of the last US military base in the country, a day after US forces formally marked the end of their mission here by bringing a divisive war to a low-key conclusion.Baghdad s security forces will take over a sprawling installation on the outskirts of the southern city of Nasiriyah, a senior Iraqi official said, a final step ahead of a complete American withdrawal from Iraq in the coming days.On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and top US military officers took part in a subdued 'casing of the colours' ceremony near Baghdad airport, the first site US forces occupied in Baghdad in 2003.All that remains of the American military in Iraq are around 4,000 soldiers, down from a peak of nearly 170,000 troops on 505 bases across the country. After year-end, the US embassy will retain just 157 US soldiers, for training of Iraqi forces, and a group of marines to secure the diplomatic mission.The withdrawal ends a war that left tens of thousands of Iraqis and nearly 4,500 American soldiers dead, many more wounded, and 1.75 million Iraqis displaced, after the US-led invasion unleashed brutal sectarian fighting.
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