Obama Sets August 2010 for Iraq Withdrawl

President Barack Obama presented a three-phase plan to end the war in Iraq to a packed room of Marines and invited guests gathered in the Goettge Memorial Field House at Camp Lejeune today. His plan focused on ending combat in Iraq, removing all combat brigades and following combat operations with diplomacy and support for the civilian infrastructure in Iraq.

Bystanders stood along Holcomb Blvd. hoping to catch a glimpse of the President and his motorcade and Marines in Marpat uniforms crowded the stands and echoed loud "Oorahs" at various points throughout the speech.

Obama launched into his plan by saying, definitively, "Today I have come to speak about how the war in Iraq will end." He described the first phase of his plan by saying that "we will not let the pursuit of the perfect stand in the way of achievable goals."

Obama announced that by Aug. 31, 2010 "our combat mission in Iraq will end," and addressed the Marines directly, saying, "So many of you have fought block by block, province by province, year by year to give the Iraqi people a chance at a future."

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He said over and 18-month period  all combat brigades will be removed from Iraq and the United States will continue to help Iraq by providing training and equipment, conducting counter-terrorism missions and protecting the military and civilian infrastructures there. He said that he intends to have all American out of Iraq by the end of 2011.

"We sent our troops to Iraq to do away with Saddam Hussein's regime -- You got the job done. We sent you to help establish the Iraqi government -- You got the job done," he said.

The long-term success of Iraq, he said, will depend on the decisions of the Iraqi leaders and the fortitude of the Iraqi people.

Obama also addressed the Iraqi people directly, saying, "ours is a bond forged by shared bloodshed," and said that Americans have offered Iraqis "our most previous resource, our young men and women." He encouraged the Iraqis to struggle through this difficult time and said that the United States has no claim on their territory or their resources.

The third phase of his plan involves increased diplomacy with the countries neighboring Iraq, he said, citing Iran and Syria by name.

Obama gained the loudest applause, however, when he talked about his plans to relieve the pressure on the U.S. military, telling those present that those in the military represent only "a fraction of the nation." He said that plans to increase the number of Soldiers and Marines so that those currently serving can spend more time at home. He also announced plans to increase spending on veteran's health care and building more wounded warrior facilities. He also said that he hopes to find new ways to deal with the "signature wounds of this war," traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder.

Obama received a booming "Oorah!" when he announced plans to raise military pay and got loud applause when he said that taking care of military families was a priority for him and his wife. He also announced plans to implement a 21st Century G.I. Bill.

He said that U.S. troops and their families have done their duty and "now a grateful nation must do ours."

"In an age when many people and institutions have acted irresponsibly, you have behaved responsibly," Obama said.

Most of the Marines present for the speech were enthusiastic about what they'd heard afterwards.

"I liked the part where he said we would get paid more," said Staff Sergeant Marwin Glenn. "I just hope it's not going to be like those little pay raises we get each year."

Corporal Nathan O'hara said he wasn't surprised by anything he heard today but was pleased to hear the president's plan for phasing out the war in Iraq and increasing operations in Afghanistan. "I think he's got his priorities in the right place," O'hara said. "Debate on the war is pointless at this point."

Staff Sergeant Joshua Keller also approved of the President's plan to shift the focus from Iraq to Afghanistan. "There's still a lot to be done in Iraq but I think it's time for us to head to Afghanistan," he said. "We're not turning our tail -- we're going where the terrorists are going."

Shannon Shurko, an Army wife who traveled from Fort Bragg, said she was pleased that Obama acknowledged the effect the war has had on military families and laid out a plan to withdraw from Iraq.

"For me this means that by the time my 13-year-old son graduates from high school he might not have any family members at war." Shurko said that the U.S. has been at war almost the entire time her son has been in school.

For Theresa Hanniford, whose husband is a Lieutenant Colonel Select in the Marine Corps, the end of the combat operations in Iraq means that her husband and other troops might not continue to miss "everything."

"The guys don't get much time at home between deployments right now," she said, "They miss the dance recitals, the swim meets, everything."

She attended the speech as a guest of the White House because of her involvement with Blue Star Families, a group that advocates for military families.

"The policy change may not do anything for my family right away," she said, "but it shows that he sees that it's time for us to get out of Iraq and to let them take care of their own country."