Obama announces full U.S. pullout from Iraq

CBS/AP

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Friday declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in U.S. history, announcing that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end.

Mr. Obama's statement put an end to months of wrangling over whether the U.S. would maintain a force in Iraq beyond 2011.

"After nearly nine years," the president, "America's war in Iraq will be over."

He spoke at the White House after a private video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and he offered assurances that the two leaders agreed on the decision.

The American withdrawal by the end of 2011 was sealed in a deal between the two countries when George W. Bush was president. Mr. Obama declared the end of the combat mission earlier this year.

[KatBallou1]

It's so nice to know Obama is keeping his word and getting us out of Iraq by Christmas. Remember what GW implied after the first 4 days in Iraq? We "won"! The pulled Hussein's statue over and Bush declared victory. That was the end of the war. But instead of bringing our troops home or sending them back to Afghanistan to crush bin Laden's movement, destroy them instead of giving them nine yrs to spread their poison around the world, increase his terrorist count 10,000 times what it was on 9/11 - think how many of our troops would still be alive, unharmed. He'd keep other promises if the teapartiers, Repubs, wouldn't be so determined to keep corporate welfare in place at the expense of the other 99% of Americans. Remember what the banks did with both the $14 billion Bush dropped into their pockets just before sneaking out the back door of the White House and what they later did to the bailout the Repubs voted, with Dems, for after Obama took office? They passed it out to their CEOs by the millions in the form of "bonuses" so they wouldn't loose? them. Like who would want such manipulative crooks except the banks and Wall Street. Repubs like it when tax cuts, subsidies, stipends go to the top 1%, even at our expense, because that's how they get re-elected. But, finally, us 99% are standing up for ourselves. Now it is a world-wide movement. We no longer are just occupying Wall Street. We're occupying nearly every city across this country. Standing together, WE are in charge, not the rich. They say they need tax cuts to make jobs? They've enjoyed a free ride for 11 yrs and have yet to spend their billions creating even 1 job. The ones hiring are creating their own jobs and small businesses. And Obama has created ways for them to finance these businesses, refinance homes, etc., all the things the teapartiers and Repubs are trying to undo. So thank you, President Obama, for being a man of your word.

[AmericanConscious]

Too bad Obama's father didn't pull out.
We wouldn't have this idiot messing up all the progress we made in Iraq. Most Americans think things are going good in Iraq and significant progress has been made for OBOZO to throw it all away on a political scheme to get re-elected.

[whosaid1]

LOL....good try.....we're actually leaving...because "they" would LET US STAY !!!

[whosaid1]

wouldn't......type-o

[americaforamericians]

90% our money,weapons and troops in libya, while we killed over 150,000 civilians in libya, 200,000 contractors re-building in afganistan on taxpayer money, troops too be left in iraq, after we killed millions of civilians in iraq,obama has been just another corporate lapdog, ron paul 2012.

[hrnydgs2]

Oh look what I did, re-elect me. I ended the war. Is'nt that what you all wanted. I am sooooo good at this president thing.....It's the "re-election card" DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!!! This guy is useless as a president and does not deserve to be re-elected. I though he was going to do this within the first 10 months of his presidency? Promises, promises.....

[superdem1]

Thank you, President Obama. Now you need to do the same thing in Afghanistan. Now, let's talk about President Reagan, who:
1. Gave weapons to Iran and we don't know what else to get the hostages back, we'll never know what deals he made.
2. Allowed corporations to eliminate employee pensions, throwing American workers into the stock market using their own earnings, i.e. the brilliant 401(k) scam. How's your 401(k) doing now ? Still have one ?
3. Spent America into the ground with defense contracts, especioally with the Star Wars missile program, in an attempt to eliminate the Soviet Union. He hurt us as much as them.
4. Got 241 marines killed in Lebanon in 1983 because he could not control Israel's invasion and seige of Beirut. Israel wouldn't get out unless we got in, so Reagan said OK and put all our marines in a single building, which was destroyed by one truck bomb. Reagan should have been impeached for this incredible malfeasance.
5. Sold arms to central American dictators and then lied to Congress about it in the Iran-Contra scandal.
6. Cut federal funding to social programs causing psychiatric facilites across the nation to close and put psychotic patients out in the street, giving rise to "street people."
7. Began the federal assault on womens' rights, by making abortion a federal issue where the government intrudes into a woman's reproductive health options. This struggle is even worse today.

[USA_is_back_]

Boy was that superdum1.
Soon superdum will go all the way back and find fictitious blame to put on Abraham Lincoln a Republican for freeing the slaves and blame him for starting the civil war.
More tossing of monkey or gorilla dust to cloud the Obama failed and incompetent presidency who spent and wasted 4 trillion in less tha two years. Imagine how much he would have spent if the GOP House had not stopped him?
5, 6 trillion?
That's a lot of lettuce to throw away!

[noloyalisti]

Obama chalks up yet another foreign policy victory. What a feat ending the quagmire started by the Bush Crime Family during their 8 year Reign of Terror. Even now, I am shocked at how these war criminals were able to manipulated the obviously stupid, uneducated and obviouslt challenged right wingers and independents of America.

[USA_is_back_]

That isn't going to put food on the unemployeds and others table.
Foreign Policy v.s. the bad economy and 9.1% and even higher enemployment.
Sorry barry, you loose in 2012.
Economy and high unemployment always trumps foreign policy.

[oldman67]

500,000Iraqi children de because of US scantions before the war and 500,000 born deformed due to the US use of depleated uranium.1.5 million civilians dead. Their country destroyed. Women afraid to have children. Now, if only they had been guilty of something beside being born Muslim.In the mean time,the terrorist who where almost all Saudis, their country was never mentioned in 9/11.That's right. The US get their oil from there and has bases in Saudi Arabia.It is only fair that the US taxpayers pay for the $700,000,000 US Embassy with its annual budget of one billion bollars.

[USA_is_back_]

What the heck took him so long??? Oh that's right, the election is coming up and he needs prop up his pathetic poll numbers.
We thought he said the troops were through fighting in Iraq last year. I guess he just forgot to bring them home. Too bad he doesn't have any jobs waiting for them when they get back since he wasted time and money doing nothing to create them when he had control of the Congress.

He'll probably send them to Libya now since he claims he "stands' with the Liyban people.

[USA_is_back_]

Gee! Thank you and the same to you on the loss of your Dear friend Osama Bin Laden.
Har!

[noloyalisti]

Weren't you one of those who hated the anti-war demonstrations because we couldn't "cut and run"?

[nomealaska]

Thank you! ... a long-overdue end to another needless war! Another American puppet dictator overthrown and another country's people displaced and in turmoil. We are leaving them, armed with our weapons and with a frail government (i.e. doomed to become a problem for their neighbors - and America). Good luck, Iraq! Please stop offering $$$ (sign-up/re-up bonuses) to our country's young men and women to take part in these actions. Our nation is suffering from a economic depression, and they are vulnerable to quick-talking recruiters with cash to offer. Shame, shame, shame!