 |
| American soldiers will return home from Iraq by the end of this year. |
WASHINGTON - The war in Iraq is over - and all U.S. troops will leave the country by the end of the year, President Obama announced Friday.
"Today I can report that as promised, the last of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year."
"The last American soldier will cross the border with his head held high," Obama said, "Our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays."
The move follows a breakdown in talks to ensure continued legal immunity for U.S. troops in the fledgling democracy.
A U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq more than eight years ago based on shoddy intelligence indicating Saddam Hussein maintained a dangerous cache of weapons of mass destruction.
While Hussein's regime fell within weeks, the U.S. presence stoked a protracted insurgency that drew Muslim and Arab nationalist fighters from around the world.
The violence has abated but continues with bombings targeting the new government, in particular its police forces.
Obama spoke to Iraqi Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and the two were "in total agreement" about the plans, Obama said.
Nearly 4,500 American troops have died in the fight, with more than 32,000 wounded.
Estimates of enemy dead top 70,000 and civilian casualties as high as 220,000.
Thousands of U.S. State Department personnel and contractors will remain in Iraq indefinitely.
jstraw@nydailynews.com
President Barack Obama on Friday declared an end to the Iraq war, announcing that all U.S. troops will be withdrawing from the country by year's end as promised in a deal struck before he took office. (Oct. 21)
Ads by Ves Intelligence
