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| Iraq |
| As last US troops leave Iraq, Obama and al-Maliki meet to chart next steps in relationship |
| 2011-12-12 |
| With the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in its final days, President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met at the White House Monday to discuss the next phase of the relationship between their countries. The withdrawal of all American troops on Dec. 31 marks the end of a nearly nine-year war that has been deeply divisive in both the U.S. and Iraq. While Obama and al-Maliki have pledged to maintain strong ties, the contours of the partnership between Washington and Baghdad remain murky, especially with Iran eager to assert influence over neighboring Iraq. And serious questions remain about IraqÂ’s capacity to stabilize both its politics and security. Yet the end of the war still marks a promise kept for Obama, one the White House is eager to promote. In addition to his meeting with al-Maliki, Obama will mark the milestone Wednesday when he speaks to troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. And he thanked service members and their families for their sacrifices when he attended the annual Army-Navy football game Saturday. The number of U.S. troops in Iraq has dwindled to about 6,000, down from 170,000 at the warÂ’s peak in 2007. Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, met with al-Maliki in the Oval Office Monday morning. The meeting was expected to focus heavily on how the U.S. and Iraq will continue to cooperate on security issues without the presence of American troops. Iraqi leaders have said they want U.S. military training assistance for their security forces but have been unable to agree on what type of help theyÂ’d like or what protections they would be willing to give American trainers. |
| Posted by:tipper |