Obama declares end to war in Iraq
Source: Agencies |
October 23, 2011, Sunday
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AMERICA'S long and deeply unpopular war in Iraq will be over by year's end, and all US soldiers "will definitely be home for the holidays," US President Barack Obama declared on Friday.
Stretching more than eight years, the war cost the United States heavily: More than 4,400 members of the military have been killed, and more than 32,000 have been wounded.
The final exit date was sealed after months of intensive talks between Washington and Baghdad failed to forge an agreement on conditions for leaving several thousand US troops in Iraq as a training force. The US also had been interested in keeping a small force to help the Iraqis deal with possible Iranian meddling.
The task now is to speed the pullout of the remaining US forces, nearly 40,000 in number.
Staying behind in Iraq, where bombings and other violence still occur, will be some 150-200 US military soldiers as part of the US Embassy's security force, defense attache's office and office of security cooperation. That is common practice but still a danger to American forces.
Obama, an opponent of the war since before he took office, nevertheless praised the efforts of US troops in Iraq. He said American soldiers would leave "with their heads held high, proud of their success."
For Obama, Friday's announcement capped a remarkable two days of national security successes, although there is no indication how much they will matter to re-election voters more concerned with economic problems at home.
On Thursday, Obama heralded the death of Moammar Gadhafi and a day later the end to the divisive conflict in Iraq. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the United States more than US$1.3 trillion.
Afghan war continues
Obama did not declare victory.
He did speak, though, about the string of wins on his watch, none bigger than the killing of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Afghanistan war still rages, but there, too, Obama has moved to end the combat mission by the end of 2014.
This was, in essence, the third time Obama had pronounced an end to the war, allowing him to remind the nation he had opposed it all along, a position that helped his White House bid in 2008.
Shortly after taking office, Obama declared in February 2009 that the combat mission in Iraq would end by August 31, 2010. And when that milestone arrived, he said it was "time to turn the page" on Iraq and put the focus back on building up the United States. On Friday, he said: "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over."
Stretching more than eight years, the war cost the United States heavily: More than 4,400 members of the military have been killed, and more than 32,000 have been wounded.
The final exit date was sealed after months of intensive talks between Washington and Baghdad failed to forge an agreement on conditions for leaving several thousand US troops in Iraq as a training force. The US also had been interested in keeping a small force to help the Iraqis deal with possible Iranian meddling.
The task now is to speed the pullout of the remaining US forces, nearly 40,000 in number.
Staying behind in Iraq, where bombings and other violence still occur, will be some 150-200 US military soldiers as part of the US Embassy's security force, defense attache's office and office of security cooperation. That is common practice but still a danger to American forces.
Obama, an opponent of the war since before he took office, nevertheless praised the efforts of US troops in Iraq. He said American soldiers would leave "with their heads held high, proud of their success."
For Obama, Friday's announcement capped a remarkable two days of national security successes, although there is no indication how much they will matter to re-election voters more concerned with economic problems at home.
On Thursday, Obama heralded the death of Moammar Gadhafi and a day later the end to the divisive conflict in Iraq. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the United States more than US$1.3 trillion.
Afghan war continues
Obama did not declare victory.
He did speak, though, about the string of wins on his watch, none bigger than the killing of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Afghanistan war still rages, but there, too, Obama has moved to end the combat mission by the end of 2014.
This was, in essence, the third time Obama had pronounced an end to the war, allowing him to remind the nation he had opposed it all along, a position that helped his White House bid in 2008.
Shortly after taking office, Obama declared in February 2009 that the combat mission in Iraq would end by August 31, 2010. And when that milestone arrived, he said it was "time to turn the page" on Iraq and put the focus back on building up the United States. On Friday, he said: "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over."
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