President Barack Obama addressed the nation Tuesday night as the nation officially ended its combat mission in Iraq after more than seven years of war.
“Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended,” said Obama from the Oval Office. “Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office.
“But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that our future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.”
Although the combat mission has ended, some troops will continue to be present in Iraq as part of the new Operation New Dawn. They will support and train the Iraqi forces, assist them with counterterrorism missions, and protect American civilian and military efforts.
Since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, a million men and women in uniform had served in Iraq and 4,400 have died. At its peak, the nation had about 160,000 troops, a number that has been brought down to fewer than 50,000 troops.
Early Tuesday, Obama thanked the returning troops in Texas for their sacrifices in Iraq.
“I just want to say thank you on behalf of the country, because without you we couldn’t enjoy the freedoms and the security that are so precious,” said Obama, addressing about 170 troops at Fort Bliss Army Base.
“There are times where, in our country, we’ve got political disagreements. And appropriately we have big debates about war and peace. But the one thing we don’t argue about is the fact that we’ve got the finest fighting force in the history of the world.”
As the troops have mostly returned to home soil, the president said that the nation’s focus should shift to recovering the fragile economy and putting the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work.
“We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil,” said Obama. “We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as president.”
Leading up to the new phase, Vice President Joe Biden met with Iraqi officials on Monday to discuss the most recent developments in the country and to urge them to wrap up negotiations on the formation of a new government.
All U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.
“Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended,” said Obama from the Oval Office. “Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office.
“But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that our future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.”
Although the combat mission has ended, some troops will continue to be present in Iraq as part of the new Operation New Dawn. They will support and train the Iraqi forces, assist them with counterterrorism missions, and protect American civilian and military efforts.
Since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, a million men and women in uniform had served in Iraq and 4,400 have died. At its peak, the nation had about 160,000 troops, a number that has been brought down to fewer than 50,000 troops.
Early Tuesday, Obama thanked the returning troops in Texas for their sacrifices in Iraq.
“I just want to say thank you on behalf of the country, because without you we couldn’t enjoy the freedoms and the security that are so precious,” said Obama, addressing about 170 troops at Fort Bliss Army Base.
“There are times where, in our country, we’ve got political disagreements. And appropriately we have big debates about war and peace. But the one thing we don’t argue about is the fact that we’ve got the finest fighting force in the history of the world.”
As the troops have mostly returned to home soil, the president said that the nation’s focus should shift to recovering the fragile economy and putting the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work.
“We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil,” said Obama. “We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as president.”
Leading up to the new phase, Vice President Joe Biden met with Iraqi officials on Monday to discuss the most recent developments in the country and to urge them to wrap up negotiations on the formation of a new government.
All U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.
