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Weekly UpdatesAddressing Marines at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, President Obama on Feb. 27 said the US had now "begun the work of ending this war" in Iraq, as he announced the withdrawal of most American combat forces by end-August 2010 while leaving behind as many as 50,000 troops for more-limited missions until end-2011. Nearly six years after US troops crossed the border into Iraq to topple Saddam's regime, Obama said "renewed cause for hope" produced by improved security would allow Americans to begin disentangling militarily and turn the country over to the Iraqis themselves.
Obama added: "Let me say this as plainly as I can. By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end". The "transitional force" he will leave behind will no longer participate in major combat missions, but will instead train and advise Iraqi security forces, hunt down "terrorist cells" and protect US civilian and military personnel working in Iraq. He said all remaining forces would leave by end-2011 in accordance with the US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed on Dec. 14 by Bush and Maleki.
Obama vowed to continue the US commitment to building a new Iraqi society and to resettling millions of displaced Iraqis still away from home - elsewhere in their country or in neighbouring countries. He promised to escalate diplomacy in the broader region, including new lines of communication with Iran and Syria. He added: "Every nation and every group must know - whether you wish America good or ill - that the end of the war in Iraq will enable a new era of American leadership and engagement in the Middle East. And that era has just begun".
The announcement marked a sharp turning point in the American venture in Iraq, one which signalled a shift in the once-fiery political debate at home and in the nation's priorities abroad. The choice of Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine base on the East Coast, symbolised the transition because 8,000 troops from there will soon ship out to Afghanistan as part of a 17,000-troop build-up ordered by Obama.
The reaction to his Iraq draw-down plan indicated an emerging consensus in the US that it was time to begin getting out. While some leading congressional Democrats grumbled about the size of the residual force, the draw-down largely won support across party lines, including from leading Republicans like Sen John McCain of Arizona, who lost the Nov. 4 election to Obama after a fierce debate over Iraq. Speaking on the Senate floor on Feb. 27 before Obama's speech, McCain credited the opportunity to pull troops out to the surge Bush ordered two years ago with his support. But he cautioned that Iraq was still fragile, urging Obama to remain flexible and listen to military commanders, adding: "With these factors in mind, I believe the president's withdrawal plan is a reasonable one. Given the gains in Iraq and the requirements to send additional troops to Afghanistan, together with the significant number of troops that will remain in Iraq and the president's willingness to reassess based on conditions on the ground, I am cautiously optimistic that the plan as laid out by the president can lead to success".
Former Bush aides also offered support for the plan, calling it the logical next step after the SOFA. Gordon Johndroe, Bush's last national security spokesman, said: "The specific timing is only slightly different but consistent with the goal of helping Iraq become self sufficient in providing its own security. This is possible because of the success of the surge".
Obama called Bush from a holding room at Camp Lejeune just before going on stage in the base gymnasium to make the announcement. He called Maleki from Air Force One on the flight from Washington to brief him on the withdrawal plan. During his speech, Obama praised troops who "got the job done", but gave no credit to the troop surge and associated strategy shift which he opposed in January 2007. He praised Ambassador Ryan Crocker as an "unsung hero" and David Petraeus and Ray Odierno as the "finest generals", without mentioning Bush. His only implicit reference to his predecessor came when he said Iraq had taught painful lessons about how and when America should go to war. He also introduced Christopher Hill, a veteran diplomat, as his ambassador to Iraq.
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