President Obama: “We will continue with the responsible removal of U.S. forces from Iraq,”

[bigtree]

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama congratulated Iraqis Sunday for braving violence to vote in a parliamentary election, praising Iraqi security forces and repeating his end-2011 deadline for removing all U.S. troops from the country.

“As expected, there were some incidents of violence as al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists tried to disrupt Iraq’s progress by murdering innocent Iraqis who were exercising their democratic rights,” Obama told reporters at the White House, praising Iraqis for going to vote.

“But overall the level of security and the prevention of destabilizing attacks speaks to the growing capability and professionalism of Iraqi security forces, which took the lead in providing protection at the polls,” he said.

“We will continue with the responsible removal of the United States forces from Iraq,” Obama said, repeating that the U.S. combat mission would conclude at the end of August.

“We will continue to advise and assist Iraqi security forces, carry out targeted counterterrorism operations with our Iraqi partners and protect our forces and civilians. And by the end of the next year, all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq,” he said.


read: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Obama+keeps+troop+withdrawal+plan+after+Iraq+poll/2651975/story.html

related:

A Clear Iraq Exit
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree/1360

[Bluebear]

1. 4380

http://www.icasualties.org/

[bigtree]

2. and the thousands of suicides

. . . and tens of thousands of other casualties - still unacceptably risky for our troops there and still a pernicious threat for Iraqis in their way.

[bigtree]

3. kick

:kick:

[tabasco]

4. Thank you, President Obama.

The Iraq invasion and occupation were unjustified.

Our real enemies are in Afghanistan. Thanks for getting the military's eye back on the ball.

[Orsino]

5. It's a very flexible definition of "responsible"...

...but slow and low-key enough that They may let him get away with it.

[ipaint]

6. Are private for profit troops replacing them? nt

[bigtree]

7. that will be up to the Iraqis

they'll be paying for them

[bigtree]

8. .