Sunday, August 29, 2010
Obama cites progress in Iraq
President Barack Obama on Sunday hailed reductions in violence in Iraq and said he believed Iraqis would resolve the impasse in their attempts to form a coalition government.
"The trend lines have been steadily declining violence. Even after we left the cities, what you've seen is lower and lower levels of violence," Obama said in an interview with NBC News.
"The Iraqi security forces are functioning, at least as well, if not better, than any of us had anticipated."
Obama will deliver a nationally televised speech on Tuesday that will highlight what administration officials say is his fulfillment of a promise to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq.
The address will mark the formal end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, where the American military in Iraq has cut its strength to under 50,000.
Obama also plans to visit troops in Fort Bliss, Texas.
Overall violence has fallen sharply in Iraq since the peak of sectarian carnage in 2006 and 2007, but security remains fragile. Suicide bombers and other attackers killed at least 62 people in coordinated attacks on Iraqi security forces throughout the country on Wednesday.
Six months after Iraq's election, efforts to form a new coalition government are at a standstill.
Obama said he believed Iraqis would work through that.
"They are going through a political process that is natural in a fledgling democracy," he said. "But we're confident that that will get done."
Obama said that while "remnants" of the militant group Al Qaeda in Iraq would keep trying to stir up sectarian violence, he did not expect a return to the chaos of a few years ago.
"That doesn't mean that it's going to be smooth sailing from here on out," he said, but the United States has been "able to successfully transition and turn over sovereignty and security operations to the Iraqis."
http://www.einnews.com/news.php?vid=RrpnJiHfekgB7Plg
Obama cites progress in Iraq
President Barack Obama on Sunday hailed reductions in violence in Iraq and said he believed Iraqis would resolve the impasse in their attempts to form a coalition government.
"The trend lines have been steadily declining violence. Even after we left the cities, what you've seen is lower and lower levels of violence," Obama said in an interview with NBC News.
"The Iraqi security forces are functioning, at least as well, if not better, than any of us had anticipated."
Obama will deliver a nationally televised speech on Tuesday that will highlight what administration officials say is his fulfillment of a promise to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq.
The address will mark the formal end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, where the American military in Iraq has cut its strength to under 50,000.
Obama also plans to visit troops in Fort Bliss, Texas.
Overall violence has fallen sharply in Iraq since the peak of sectarian carnage in 2006 and 2007, but security remains fragile. Suicide bombers and other attackers killed at least 62 people in coordinated attacks on Iraqi security forces throughout the country on Wednesday.
Six months after Iraq's election, efforts to form a new coalition government are at a standstill.
Obama said he believed Iraqis would work through that.
"They are going through a political process that is natural in a fledgling democracy," he said. "But we're confident that that will get done."
Obama said that while "remnants" of the militant group Al Qaeda in Iraq would keep trying to stir up sectarian violence, he did not expect a return to the chaos of a few years ago.
"That doesn't mean that it's going to be smooth sailing from here on out," he said, but the United States has been "able to successfully transition and turn over sovereignty and security operations to the Iraqis."
http://www.einnews.com/news.php?vid=RrpnJiHfekgB7Plg
