Obama Sets End to US Combat in Iraq by Aug. 2010 (All Troops Out by End of 2011)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Obama sets end to US combat in Iraq by Aug. 2010

By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer – 1 min ago

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Declaring "I have come to speak to you about how the war in Iraq will end," President Barack Obama on Friday moved to fulfill the defining promise of his campaign, announcing that all U.S. combat troops will be withdrawn by September 2010. But in the same speech to Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C., he revealed that the vast majority of those involved in the pullout will not leave this year. He also said that tens of thousands of U.S. personnel will remain behind afterward.

"The most important decisions that have to be made about Iraq's future must now be made by Iraqis," Obama told hundreds of Marines and officers at the sprawling base, which is deploying thousands of troops to the U.S.'s other war front, in Afghanistan.

Senior Obama administration officials had said earlier that of the roughly 100,000 U.S. combat troops to be pulled out of Iraq over the next 18 months, most will remain in the war zone through at least the end of this year to ensure national elections there go smoothly. The pace of withdrawal suggests that although Obama's promised pullout will start soon, it will be backloaded, with most troops returning in the last few months of the time frame.

And even after the drawdown, a sizable U.S. force of 35,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops will stay in Iraq under a new mission of training, civilian protection and counterterrorism.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obam...

[Cant trust em]

1. McCain likes the plan, says its substantially different from campaign plan

How much different is the plan, really? At that point Obama was talking about 16 months, this is 19 with all troops out by 2011 (22 months, essentially). Is the residual force the amount that is so much different than the campaign promise; or is McCain just weaving another fabrication?

[hugo_from_TN]

8. All troops out by Dec 31, 2011 - 35 months

[Cant trust em]

9. Thanks for correcting my fuzzy math. nt

[supernova]

2. He got a really warm reception today

I think the troops are really gonna love him in ways they didn't like * and even Big Dawg.

[YvonneCa]

3. Today Obama began to...

...end a war, while honoring the soldiers who were sent there. Doing so will prevent what happened after Viet Nam...a country divided for decades afterward. This speech was about a way forward that will do the right thing for the Iraqi people, and bring unity to our country. Today the healing for our country starts.

GREAT speech, Mr. President! As an American who is tired of the divisiveness of the last several years, I applaud you.

[sledgehammer]

4. What a speech!

Wow! Just read it, haven't seen the delivery yet. But I can't imagine it's anything less than perfect (as always). My eyes were welling up just reading it.

Full text here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/27/obamas-iraq-sp...

[Dumak]

5. MSNBC's David Gregory was all upset

that Obama didn't tell the troops that he was opposed to the war from the start and that all their buddies died in vain.

[YvonneCa]

11. Everyone knows he was opposed from the...

...start. Saying that AGAIN doesn't help unify the country...it just reopens a wound. Obama wants to heal the country and reunite us. That's the only way we'll even be able to solve our huge problems like the economy, etc. JMO.

[CONN]

6. Kucinich hits Obama's Iraq withdrawal: 'You can't be in and out'

Obama plans to keep 50,000 in Iraq (a third).

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Kucinich_hits_Iraq_withdr...

[Buenaventura]

7. yup ... and he considers it "withdrawal" -

maybe that's why he ended up with malia & sasha

[Mari333]

10. Kucinich is always right on as usual

people keep acting like the Iraq war is a legitimate enterprise....when its really an illegal occupation by a huge bullying military empire that attacked a country for no fucking reason..
what utter bullshit this all is...

[Nye Bevan]

12. 3 recs in 10 hours?

This is the day we have been waiting for since 2003. A Democratic president finally ending this monstrous war and committing to withdraw all of our troops- why so little enthusiasm?