Obama will bring back troops from Iraq by end of 2011

Lesley Clark | McClatchy Newspapers

President Obama today announced that all U.S troops in Iraq will be home by the end of the year,

"As promised, the rest of our troops will be coming home by the end of the year," President Barack Obama just said from a lectern in the White House briefing room."The long war in Iraq will come to an end by the end of the year.

Obama said he spoke a few hours with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and that they're in "full agreement how to move forward."

He said the US will continue to have an interest in a secure and stable Iraq. But promised a "season of homecoming"across the U.S.

"Today I can say our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays as promised."

To date more than 100,000 troops have been removed from Iraq. The withdrawal of troops from Iraq would fulfill one of the president's 2008 campaign pledges.

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