dence in Karzai as a credible partner.
Obama's challenge is to convince a skeptical American public and Congress that the war is worth fighting and funding and to keep Afghanistan from becoming a political liability in a congressional election year.
(Writing by Matt Spetalnick
NFL Youth Jerseys , editing by Jackie Frank and Vicki Allen)
Barack Obama
President Barack Obama vowed on Monday to make good on his promise to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq by the end of August, despite a dangerous political deadlock in Baghdad and a recent surge in militant violence.
Speaking to the Disabled American Veterans group in Atlanta even as he struggles with waning public support for the war in Afghanistan
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With congressional elections looming in November
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"Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy for Iraq and for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility," Obama said. "And I made it clear that by August 31, 2010, America's combat mission in Iraq would end. And that is exactly what we are doing -- as promised and on schedule."
The U.S. military plans to reduce forces in Iraq to 50
Wholesale NBA Jerseys,000 troops by the end of the month, when they will formally move to a more advisory role supporting Iraq's security forces.
Obama recommitted to "remove all our troops from Iraq by the end of next year."
But he acknowledged that for now there will still be dangers. "The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq," he said.
Obama's speech came amid tensions and uncertainty in Iraq over the failure by major parties to agree on a new government five months after inconclusive parliamentary elections.
A sharp increase in deadly attacks in July has raised concern that insurgents are trying to exploit the political vacuum in Baghdad to sow sectarian strife.
AFGHANISTAN LOOMS
Obama faces growing opposition at home to the war in Afghanistan, where he has increased U.S. troop levels to confront a Taliban resurgence and he sought to rally public support for his strategy there.
"We face huge challenges in Afghanistan
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Obama also stressed that Pakistan was beginning to take the fight to militants within its borders, pushing back against leaked Afghan war documents that questioned its commitment and fanned doubts about the war. "Major blows have been struck against al Qaeda and its leadership," Obama said.
While Iraq has mostly faded from the headlines and has figured little in midterm congressional campaigns, Obama's speech allowed him to put his stamp on a milestone in the U.S. withdrawal and show h
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