Politico: Obama: Troops home for the holidays
President Barack Obama announced Friday that all American forces will leave Iraq by the end of December, bringing to a close the U.S. presence there that began in 2003 and ending speculation that a small number of troops would remain into 2012.
“Today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year,” Obama said in a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room. “After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over.”
The public commitment to remove the last U.S. forces in the coming months comes after Iraqi political leaders announced last week that they would not grant immunity under Iraqi law for any American troops that remained in the country past Jan. 1. The Obama administration had considered keeping some troops in Iraq to keep the country stable, but without immunity, no deal could be reached.
Obama said he spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earlier Friday and that the Iraqi leader stressed “the determination of the Iraqi people to forge their own future.”
Obama said he has invited al-Maliki to visit the White House in December to “plan for all of the important work that we have to do together” to strengthen the Iraqi economy, culture and education.
Going forward, the two countries will have “a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interest and mutual respect,” Obama said. The United States will continue discussions on offering training and support to Iraqi security forces, he said, “just as we offer training and assistance to countries around the world.”
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the announcement marked “a clear end to the U.S. combat presence in Iraq.”
Republicans in the race to replace Obama next year quickly emerged to criticize the full withdrawal.
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