Obama sees Iraq vow fulfilled

Saying that he had fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war in Iraq, a solemn President Obama on Tuesday declared U.S. combat operations over — but with violence and political gridlock continuing to plague the country, he warned that America's mission is not complete.

In only his second Oval Office address to the nation, the president hailed the progress of Iraqi security forces and the symbolism of the U.S. troop drawdown — about 50,000 are slated to remain throughout 2011 in a supporting role — but he warned that American sacrifices will continue as part of a continued partnership with the fledgling democracy in Baghdad.

“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,” Mr. Obama said in the speech, which lasted about 20 minutes. “Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page.”

Mr. Obama prodded Iraq’s feuding politicians to “move forward with a sense of urgency” to end a months-long political stalemate and form a new government. At the same time, he called forunity in the U.S. around his own troop escalation in Afghanistan, while noting that the United States has a number of domestic issues to address as well.

With the Afghanistan war now nearly a decade old, “there are those who are understandably asking tough questions about our mission there,” Mr. Obama said.

“But we must never lose sight of what’s at stake. As we speak, al Qaeda continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.

An early opponent of the war and subsequent troop surge in Iraq, Mr. Obama said political debates over the brutal conflict should not prevent all Americans from honoring the more than 1 million U.S. troops who served there.

More than 100,000 troops have left Iraq on Mr. Obama’s watch. The war began under President George W. Bush with 90,000 troops in March 2003 and reached a high of 170,000 during the surge in October 2007. More than 4,400 members of the U.S. military have been killed during the conflict, according to the Associated Press.

During a visit with troops at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, ahead of his remarks, Mr. Obama insisted that the speech doesn’t represent a “victory lap” — a sentiment that’s borne out by continued insurgent attacks and the failure of Iraqi politicians to form a governing coalition six months after an election earlier this year.

Indeed, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the American Legion National Convention in Milwaukee at nearly the same time that the milestone doesn’t mean “all is, or necessarily will be, well in Iraq.”

Still, Mr. Obama said the challenges have not shaken Iraqis’ allegiance to their new constitution, nor their determination to control their destiny. He expressed confidence that Iraqi security forces would be able to maintain the gains made in the fighting over the past few years.

In his own nationally televised address hours before Mr. Obama spoke, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called Tuesday “an immortal day,” despite the huge challenges still facing his country.

“Iraq today is sovereign and independent,” he said. “With the execution of the troop pullout, our relations with the United States have entered a new stage between two equal, sovereign countries.”

Republicans said Mr. Obama has essentially embraced the status-of-forces agreement Mr. Bush negotiated with Iraqi leaders at the end of his tenure, which left the plan for a structured withdrawal that Mr. Obama has embraced.

“By adopting the Bush administration’s plan for winding down the war and transitioning security responsibilities to the Iraqi military over time, the president has enabled us and the Iraqis to build on the gains our troops have made,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said in a speech to the Lexington Public Policy Luncheon.

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