Paxton audio; force changes ABC's White House report

Sep 30

Mary Bruce reports audio obtained by The New York Times in which Republican Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton says the Dallas midterm convention hurt campaign numbers; ABC characterizes this as criticism of Trump's effect on Republican campaigns. The package describes polls giving James Talarico a slight edge without identifying a specific survey, includes Talarico's earlier criticism near the convention and Trump's same-day praise of it, and airs outgoing Senator John Cornyn's warning about making elections revolve around a president with weakened favorability. Muir says Trump is scheduled to campaign with Paxton the following day. In the complete defense follow-up, Bruce says Pete Hegseth announced that day a twenty-percent reduction in generals and admirals at the Pentagon and reports that U.S. forces have formally withdrawn from Iraq after more than two decades. These are distinct updates in the same correspondent unit; the planned Texas visit is not reported as completed.

Oman TV reports the Pentagon announcing completion of its Iraq troop withdrawal after nearly twenty-three years of presence and the conclusion of U.S. and coalition operations there. It says training and logistical support will continue while Iraqi forces maintain security and suppress ISIS. The completed deployment withdrawal is distinguished from the continuing support relationship; the report does not establish the end of every U.S. counterterrorism activity elsewhere. Democracy Now's September 30 bulletin reports the final troops departing a northern Iraqi air base under a bilateral agreement, recalls the 2003 invasion, 2011 departure and 2014 anti-ISIS return, and carries Baghdad resident Ahmed Saleh welcoming the departure and urging militias to surrender weapons to the government. ABC's same-day correspondent response briefly reports formal withdrawal after more than two decades. These accounts do not negate Oman's qualification that training and logistical support continue or establish an end to every regional U.S. mission. TV Brasil says the mission has ended but phrases the last troops' departure, mainly from Erbil, as expected by September 30. Its historical death counts are attributed, including civilian deaths to Iraq Body Count, and it describes Baghdad celebrations. Preserve this prospective wording alongside the other accounts' reported completion and Oman's continuing-support qualification; it is the same withdrawal process. IRINN's September 30 Baghdad field report adds celebrants crediting resistance, recalls the 2014 deployment and parliamentary withdrawal vote after Soleimani and al-Muhandis's killing, and airs Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi saying national security becomes Iraq's full responsibility while counterterrorism continues. It describes a demand for airspace sovereignty and concern about continuing U.S. political/economic influence. Its separate analytical editorial attributes to David Pyne a claim that Iran inflicted the withdrawal as a military defeat and that Trump plans broader regional withdrawal. That causal interpretation and wider-plan claim are not established by the other accounts; Oman's continuing-support qualification remains intact. Vremya's September 30 bulletin reports Trump's confirmation of withdrawal and quotes his description of ending a nearly twenty-three-year excursion into hell. It presents a sharply critical retrospective of the invasion and chemical-weapons allegation and gives 1.5 million Iraqis killed as its own estimate. That figure concerns Iraqis generally, not TV Brasil's narrower attributed civilian count, and is not reconciled here. Oman's continuing training and logistical-support qualification remains intact. DD India's package also reports the remaining Iraq forces withdrawing while targeted training and intelligence support continue. It contrasts Baghdad resident Ahmed Saleh's welcome with Erbil resident Azad Hassan's fear of an ISIS resurgence and distrust of governments. In a separate complete interview, Skand Ranjan Tayal says adherence to the Biden-era withdrawal agreement and its timing are surprising and forecasts that Iranian-backed militias may become bolder against Saudi Arabia. His timing judgment and risk forecast are analysis, not a newly observed attack or reversal of withdrawal. IRINN's October 1 Baghdad follow-up carries the Iraqi Defense Ministry's claim that no coalition soldiers remain and that bases will become Iraqi training centers. Khaledi describes the latest presence as twelve years, carries celebrations and tribal leader Farhan al-Fakaiki's distinction between troop departure and full economic sovereignty, and explains his concern about Iraqi oil revenues and Federal Reserve dollar leverage. This source framing does not erase the other accounts' continuing-support qualification or their longer historical periods. An October 1 IRGC response attributes withdrawal to resistance rather than negotiations and warns against renewed destabilization; a separate Iranian street-interview feature carries compatible resistance-victory reactions. These causal interpretations remain attributed, and the later statement and undated interview recording do not move the withdrawal date. CCTV's October 1 bulletin reports Zaidi's September 30 formal announcement that the anti-ISIS coalition mission has ended and Iraq takes independent responsibility for security and stability. It recalls the 2024 withdrawal-timetable agreement. This additional announcement supports the same completed mission transition; it does not disprove the other reports' continuing training, intelligence or logistical-support qualifications. IRINN's October 2 opening frames departure as a resistance victory vindicating Soleimani and al-Muhandis. Its Friday-sermon report quotes Aboutorabi-Fard calling it a beginning of Iraqi independence and greatness and predicting an end to U.S. regional presence through resistance. These are the sources' political and causal interpretations, not proof that every U.S. regional mission or continuing support relationship has ended. The sermon response is also recorded as its own public-statement occurrence.