The announcement, politely received by Marines at a military base in North Carolina, reconciled Obama's pledge to end a war which has killed more than 4,250 troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis. "Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010 our combat mission in Iraq will end," Obama said, laying out a new war strategy.
"I intend to remove all US troops from Iraq by the end of 2011," Obama said, adding the post-2010 residual force would number between 35,000 and 50,000 troops. The president, an early opponent of the Iraq war, briefed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Bush on the new plan by telephone, shortly before making his speech, the White House said.
Obama said ending the unpopular war would mean a new era of US diplomacy in the Middle East, which he said will include "principled and sustained engagement" with Iran and Syria. The president also formally announced the appointment of veteran diplomatic trouble-shooter Christopher Hill, most recently in charge of talks on North Korea's nuclear program, as the new ambassador to Iraq.
The president warned that despite progress in a troop surge strategy - which he opposed as a senator - Iraq was still not secure and there could be tough days ahead. But in a pragmatic tone that contrast to the ambitious hopes for Iraq often voiced during the Bush administration, Obama said "we will not let the pursuit of the perfect stand in the way of achievable goals."
"We cannot rid Iraq of every single individual who opposes America or sympathises with our adversaries. "We cannot police Iraq's streets indefinitely, until they are completely safe, nor can we stay until Iraq's union is perfect."
Several Democratic leaders expressed reservations at aspects of the plan, notably because of the size of the interim force. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said the strategy was "sound and measured" but said the United States "must keep in Iraq only those forces necessary."
House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi had previously criticised the size of the residual force. "I don't know what the justification is for ... the 50,000 troops in Iraq," Pelosi told MSNBC. "I would think a third of that, maybe ... 15,000 or 20,000 ( would be sufficient)," she said.
But top Republicans, including defeated presidential candidate Senator John McCain welcomed the move. "I believe the president's withdrawal plan is a reasonable one," said McCain, noting Obama had shown a willingness to "revisit" the timetable depending on events on the ground in Iraq. "I am cautiously optimistic that the plan as laid out by the president can lead to success."
The timeline Obama laid out Friday at Camp Lejeune will unfurl at a slightly slower pace than his promise to get all US combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months. The interim force will take on a new mission of training, equipping and advising Iraqi security forces, to protect US civilian personnel in Iraq, and to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations on its own and in conjunction with the Iraqi forces, Obama said.
Speaking privately, officials refused to definitively rule out changes to the status of forces agreement, agreed with Iraq by the former Bush administration that could entail US troops remaining beyond 2011. A senior US official said US military commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, believed it was "very important to have adequate forces to get through a number of key events in 2009," especially mid-year regional elections and national elections scheduled for December.
The officials made it clear that fewer troops in Iraq would mean more troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, which Obama has said is his priority. Obama held a private White House meeting late Thursday with congressional leaders including McCain.