[SOURCE] BBC News
US President Barack Obama is to confirm the withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq by the end of August.
Some 50,000 of 65,000 US troops currently in Iraq are set to remain until the end of 2011 to advise Iraqi forces and protect US interests.
Mr Obama is to make the announcement in a speech to disabled veterans in Atlanta, Georgia.
Related Sources
Sky News - Video of Speech
Washington Times
So far as I can see the the coalitions continued presence in Iraq is varying degrees of pointless - we're killing people, so their friends and family
then try to kill us... it's an endless cycle of violence and the only way to end it (in my opinion) is for us to leave and let them try to sort out
the mess we've made. It appears the Obama Admin agrees, although apparently this was an agreement that Bush made with the Iraqi Government (see the
Washington Times link).
Winding down combat troops is a good step towards that, although 50,000 troops on 'guard and advice' duty still seems ridiculously high to me. If
they're saying less than a quarter of the troops are classed as combat troops, what are the rest of them doing?
Edited to add further sources.
[edit on 2-8-2010 by eightfold]
