Shadow
12-15-2011, 09:08 AM
President Barack Obama marked the ending of the Iraq war on Wednesday with a tribute to the troops who fought and died in a conflict he opposed from the start.
"As your Commander in Chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, I'm proud to finally say these two words, and I know your families agree: welcome home."
Accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, the president traveled Wednesday to Fort Bragg in North Carolina to address service members and their families as he brings the war to a close.
At a base that's seen more than 200 deaths over nearly nine years of fighting in Iraq Obama said, "today, we pause to say a prayer for all those families who have lost a loved one, for they are all a part of our broader American family."
Obama highlighted the human side of the war and reflected on the bravery and sacrifices of U.S. forces now on their way back home.
"Tomorrow, the colors of United States Forces-Iraq-the colors you fought under-will be formally cased in a ceremony in Baghdad," Obama said. "One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the American military will come to an end."
All U.S. troops are to be out of Iraq Dec. 31, though Obama has pledged the U.S. will continue to help Iraq as it faces an uncertain future in a volatile region of the world. Even as majorities in the U.S. public favor ending the war, some Republicans have criticized Obama's withdrawal, arguing he's leaving behind an unstable Iraq that could hurt U.S. interests and fall subject to influence from neighboring Iran. Obama has on several occasions addressed his reasons for ending the war, casting it as a promise kept after he ran for president as an anti-war candidate and speaking of the need to refocus U.S. attention on rebuilding the troubled economy at home.
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-harder-to-end-a-war-than-to-begin-one
"As your Commander in Chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, I'm proud to finally say these two words, and I know your families agree: welcome home."
Accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, the president traveled Wednesday to Fort Bragg in North Carolina to address service members and their families as he brings the war to a close.
At a base that's seen more than 200 deaths over nearly nine years of fighting in Iraq Obama said, "today, we pause to say a prayer for all those families who have lost a loved one, for they are all a part of our broader American family."
Obama highlighted the human side of the war and reflected on the bravery and sacrifices of U.S. forces now on their way back home.
"Tomorrow, the colors of United States Forces-Iraq-the colors you fought under-will be formally cased in a ceremony in Baghdad," Obama said. "One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the American military will come to an end."
All U.S. troops are to be out of Iraq Dec. 31, though Obama has pledged the U.S. will continue to help Iraq as it faces an uncertain future in a volatile region of the world. Even as majorities in the U.S. public favor ending the war, some Republicans have criticized Obama's withdrawal, arguing he's leaving behind an unstable Iraq that could hurt U.S. interests and fall subject to influence from neighboring Iran. Obama has on several occasions addressed his reasons for ending the war, casting it as a promise kept after he ran for president as an anti-war candidate and speaking of the need to refocus U.S. attention on rebuilding the troubled economy at home.
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440996-obama-harder-to-end-a-war-than-to-begin-one