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| Obama to Address Nation to Mark End of Iraq Combat (655095) | |||
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Obama to Address Nation to Mark End of Iraq Combat |
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Posted by SMAZ on Wed Aug 25 18:24:54 2010 Obama to address nation to mark end of Iraq combatBy ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer Erica Werner, VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. – President Barack Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office and also visit troops at Fort Bliss in Texas on Tuesday to mark the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced the dual commemoration in a statement and Twitter post on Wednesday. The speech with mark only Obama's second address from the Oval Office. He first spoke from the presidential office on June 15 to address the nation about the gulf oil spill. Meanwhile, Fort Bliss is a symbolic military venue. The sprawling Army base in El Paso, Texas, has fielded numerous units to Iraq. Last week, some 600 soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat team returned there in two groups after their latest tours. Obama promised in 2009 to end the formal combat mission by Aug. 31, and earlier this week the White House said the number of U.S. troops staged in Iraq had fallen below 50,000. Iraq is scheduled to assume security for its own territory after next Tuesday, with the U.S. falling into an advisory and backup role. U.S.-led forces attacked Iraq in March 2003. More than 4,400 U.S. troops have subsequently died in the fighting. |
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