Obama to Give Oval Office Address on Iraq
President Obama will deliver a live address to the nation about the Iraq war next Tuesday night -- the day the American combat role in Iraq formally comes to an end.
Starting September 1, the U.S. mission in Iraq shifts from combat to support of Iraqi security forces. There will also be a change in command in Iraq. In addition to addressing these changes Tuesday night, the president will also make remarks about the war in Afghanistan.
Fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq for the altered mission -- a milestone the U.S. reached yesterday, when the number of American troops fell below 50,000 for the first time since the start of the war. Yesterday, Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan hailed the removal of some 94,000 troops from Iraq since Mr. Obama took office, calling it "a truly remarkable achievement for our military and for the country." He also said it "demonstrates the capability of the Iraqi security forces."
Violence in the country, however, continues. Today, bombers and gunmen killed at least 50 people in an apparently coordinated string of attacks against Iraqi government forces.
Tuesday's address will be the second the president has given from the Oval Office. Earlier this year, he spoke to the nation about the Gulf oil spill.
Mr. Obama will deliver his address at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. You can follow our live coverage on your CBS television station, on CBS Radio News or online here at CBSNews.com.
