Ukrainian Troops Retreat on the Eastern Front
Ukrainian forces have undertaken a strategic withdrawal to new positions in at least three key area
US President Barack Obama has announced that he is bringing all American troops back from Iraq at the end of 2011, closing out a war that has lasted nearly nine years.
Obama's decision is to end a war that cost the lives of 4 500 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis, which turned into a guerrilla insurgency after the Bush Administration send in US troops to topple the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, arguing the notorious Iraqi dictator had weapons of mass destruction that could end in the hands of terrorists.
Obama's announcement of a complete withdrawal came after the White House and the Iraqi government failed to reach an agreement that would have left some US forces in Iraq to provide security and function as trainers, the LA Times reminds.
The White House said that all of the approximately 40,000 troops now serving in Iraq will come home by the end of 2011. Only a "normal embassy presence" will remain, a White House official said.
"Today I can say our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays," Obama said in an appearance in the news briefing room, as cited by The Los Angeles Times.
Earlier in the day, Obama took part in a secure video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Malaki, in which the two leaders discussed the pullout.
"During their conversation, Obama and Maliki strongly agreed that this is the best way forward for both countries," another White House official said.
The end of the US military's role is supposed to fulfill a promise Obama made on the campaign trail in 2008, when he argued that the Iraq War diverted scarce resources from the fight against terrorism at a high cost to the American taxpayers. The war helped distinguish then-Sen. Obama from his main opponent in the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton.
As a senator, Clinton had voted to authorize the war. Obama, for his part, delivered a speech opposing the US invasion.
Obama made the withdrawal announcement one day after the killing of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a development that some experts say vindicated his strategy for assisting rebel forces. The two conflicts underscore the difference in how Obama and his immediate predecessor wage war.
Where George W. Bush deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein with a massive deployment of U.S. forces, Obama opted for different tactics in Libya, relying on an international coalition, intelligence and airstrikes to help force Kadafi from power, The LA Times points out.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Tragedy struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa as Russia unleashed a devastating assault, claiming the lives of five people and leaving over 30 injured
Chinese President Xi Jinping is embarking on a six-day tour of Europe amidst escalating trade tensions with the European Union and concerns over China's support for Russia. The trip, Xi's first to the continent since 2019, includes visits to France, Serbi
During the World Economic Forum, United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken raised concerns over Russia's unprecedented pace of weapon production, comparing it to historical records, including the Cold War era of the USSR.
A recent report by a group of Western insurers has shed light on Russia's ability to circumvent Western oil sanctions, revealing that measures aimed at capping Russian oil prices have proven ineffective and have inadvertently fueled a surge in gray zone a
The impending enforcement of the new mobilization law, slated to target all able-bodied men between the ages of 25 and 59, has instilled a sense of dread and desperation among Ukrainians
A devastating Russian rocket attack on an educational institution in the picturesque seaside park of Ukraine's Black Sea port, Odesa, has left a trail of destruction and claimed the lives of four individuals
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022