Washington (CNN) - President Obama declared that "the American combat mission in Iraq has ended" in his primetime address Tuesday.
"Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country," he said.
The president addressed the economic crisis in America by talking about how restoring prosperity at home is critical to maintaining the nation's strength abroad. Obama said getting the economy back on track is his "central responsibility as president."
"Today, our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work," the president said.
From CNN Politics
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After 19 months of Obamacare, Union bail-outs, NOT prosecuting terrorists, NOT enforcing our immigration laws, vacations, and campaigning for the very same ineffective/inept politicians that did NOTHING to curb unemployment and a sickly economy, somehow this President now gets it? Wow, you can't get anything by this guy!
President Obama gave a heartfelt speech on appreciation, admiration of the fighting men and women in an unwarranted war. We must all give them the credit and support they deserve.
Four thousand plus lost their lives and thousands upon thousands were wounded. They fought to keep our United States of America the great country it is.
They will be astounded upon finding the hatred, discrimination, bigotry, hypocrasy, racism, lack of respect that has emerged.
What a welcome home that is.
I feel it is time for former President George Bush to speak out about the individual who took his place in the Oval Office. It's time for the facts to be made very clear, by the individual who totally supported and still supports every member of the military, about who won the war in Iraq and who did not support the troops or the decisions of the then CinC. Enough elitism and arrogance from the failure named Barack Obama.
What drivel! Those troops still in Iraq are fully armed and trained combat soldiers and will be involved in further combat in Iraq.
If you want to be ruled by the same type of fear that took us to war, then by all means vote Republican. With the very same vote you can end abortion, stem cell research, make the insurance and banking industrys very happy, clamp down on any religion you don't agree with, destroy the middle class (what is left of it), call for the freedom of speech (as long as it agrees with you) and spread all of the fear and hate you can. If that is what you want, then by all means do it. Lets see where that puts the rest of us in about 10 years.
Hurray for Obama. Glad to see a president end a war rather than start one. God Blass you President Obama. 4420 lives given by our brave service men and women is far too many. Hundreds of thousands wounded and mangled and all for nothing. I hope George Bush never has another peaceful nights sleep because of the families he destroyed.
snoozer... of course – when you were against the very thing that turned Iraq around.... what else can you do but be anti-climatic and bore people to death about it instead.
IF he had been a leader – a true leader – he would have invited the real commander-in-chief back to celebrate.
Why did we go to Iraq?
No WMDs have been found, so we did NOT go there to "disarm" Saddam.
Iraq WASN"T involved in the 9/11 attacks nor did Saddam provide a santuary for Al Queda so the Iraq war had NOTHING to do with the "War on Terror".
The USA was NOT under Saddam's rule, so we DIDN'T send our troops there to fight for "our freedoms".
So again I ask the question...Why DID we go to Iraq?...what was the REAL reason?
Once again he delivers! Yet one more thing the Republicans could not do!
YES WE CAN!!!!! Way to go MR. PRESIDENT.
No thanks to you Mr. President.
Thank you former President Bush.
Iraqi freedom is indeed over, I think! Iran is on the way to take over there!
He said what he had to say, but I suspect there was a lot he wanted to say that he could not. 4400 lives lost ... and yes they made the sacrifice for the country, but it should not have been asked of them. This war has cost us dearly - the deficits began during it, the longest war in our history, the horrible division of this country, the them vs. me attitude of our leaders in both parties who will stop at nothing to be elected, even if it means selling their souls to their campaign contributors.
Osama said America would never be the same after 911. Sadly, from what I have observed, he was right.
We will never get the economy back on track unless you repeal the healthcare bill , the financial reform bill, and take back taxpayer money that you give the unions in the bailout that you give them earlier this month,then you need to resign .
Thank you President Bush.
How can people actually find something in which to claim credit when thousands of lives have been lost due to an illegal war? Have egos gotten so large they can now justify uneeded death?
Congratulations to president Barrack Obama for keeping his promise and ending this nightmare.
thank you Mr. President
President Obama's speech was wonderful. He gives me confidence that we are in good hands. We have loss enough lives and spent enough money over a war that was perpetuated over lies to the American people.
Fareed Zakaria, was a wonderful and enlightening addition to the discussion tonight on Anderson Cooper's show. He is so intelligent and finally presented a honest debate, which was refreshing in comparison to the very bias opinions we usually see. Hopefully he will be called upon more often so that the public can get a fair assessment of what President Obama is trying to do for the country.
This could possibly lead to less misconceptions about the President and what he is trying to accomplish.
There will be 45,500 support troops and 4,500 combat tested troops in Iraq until who knows when. If things go bad and our troops are in danger then we will have to return to Iraq again in force.
Good, now to hell with the Repug and Tea idiots, they are the enemies of America.
I am glad he has ended a war that was started on lies. This war has done nothing but brought misery and death and more death. The only people who benefitted are the defense industries and the republican partyin the way of contribution from these very same industries.
I agree with President Obama that getting the economy back on track is his central responsibility.
Why does he keep walking away from the rails?