US struggles to evacuate American personnel from facilities under fire in Iraq: [View all]
Source: abc news
Some U.S. staff were flown out by the British air force, officials said.
By Shannon K. Kingston March 11, 2026, 4:48 PM
In the nearly 10 days since the State Department directed non-emergency government employees to leave Iraq amid the war with Iran, the U.S. has struggled to remove all personnel impacted by the order from potential danger, two U.S. officials tell ABC News.
Officials say U.S. diplomatic missions across the Middle East were given little warning in the run up to the strikes, and that even though conditions in countries like Iraq quickly deteriorated to a point where an ordered departure for non-emergency personnel would be expected, days passed before the orders were formally issued.
Military flights to remove personnel from Baghdad, where the U.S. embassy is located, were delayed by several days after the order was issued due to hazardous security conditions, the officials said..................
Though heavily fortified, American diplomatic facilities in Iraq have been under near-constant attack from Iran and its proxy militia groups since the U.S. initiated military action against Iran on Feb. 28...................
Read more: https://abcnews.com/International/us-struggles-evacuate-american-personnel-facilities-fire-iraq/story?id=130981420
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A drone was intercepted in the sky near the former U.S. consulate and the airport at around 4:30 pm, in Erbil, Northern Iraq, on March 1, 2026.
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