US withdraws 90,000 troops from Iraq
By Our Staff Writer – 23rd–29th Aug 2010
The United States has in the last 18 months withdrawn a total of 90,000 US servicemen from war torn Iraq. In a statement, US President Barack Obama said, “…shortly after taking office, I put forward a plan to end the war in Iraq responsibly. Today, I’m pleased to report that thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians in Iraq, our combat mission will end this month and we will complete a substantial drawdown of our troops”.
By the end of this month, he said, only 50,000 troops will be serving in Iraq. President Obama added that “…as Iraqi Security Forces take responsibility for securing their country, our troops will move to an advise-and-assist role. And, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all of our troops will be out of Iraq by the end of next year. Meanwhile, we will continue to build a strong partnership with the Iraqi people with an increased civilian commitment and diplomatic effort”.
A few weeks ago, men and women from one of the most deployed Brigades in the US Army, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and 10th Mountain Division returned home from Iraq. US Vice President Joe Biden went to meet the returning war veterans at Fort Drum.
President Obama further said that the US’s commitment to its troops doesn’t end once they come home; it’s only the beginning. “…Our troops and their families have made tremendous sacrifices to keep our nation safe and secure and as a nation we have a moral obligation to serve our veterans as well as they have served us”; Obama said.
