"There is no upside to us losing influence in a region to a terrorist organisation and then letting them embed themselves as a valid government." The US and UK

"There is no upside to us losing influence in a region to a terrorist organisation and then letting them embed themselves as a valid government." The US and UK never properly seized control in Iraq. We were losing troops on a daily basis. Now we have withdrawn, leaving an entirely predictable power vacuum, things have got so mental that even Iran is collaborating with us, and they are currently the main external force now loosing troops in the area. Also, this new caliphate is completely surrounded by folk who really do not like them. To be honest the whole thing looks like a deliberate trap, that is probably going to be used as a drone proving ground, given the political statements about use of troops.