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President Barack Obama announced Friday that troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the year. "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he said. Here are five things to know about the withdrawal:
1. There are about 39,000 troops in Iraq right now. By year’s end, all will have withdrawn from the country.
2. U.S. officials wanted to keep 3,000-5,000 troops in the country to help with security and training, but Iraq’s government and the U.S. couldn’t come to an agreement over the forces, so the Obama administration decided to pull out all the troops.
3. The White House said that after the withdrawal, “We will have a very robust diplomatic presence. But it will be a normal diplomatic presence like we have in many countries.”
4. The toll of the war: 4,400 troops killed, more than $1 trillion in costs for the U.S.
5. The war began on March 19, 2003, under President George Bush. Coalition forces toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime on April 9, and the deposed dictator was captured on Dec. 13 of that year. After his trial, he was sentenced to death by hanging and was killed on Dec. 30, 2006.
- Sources: CNN, AP, NYTimes
President Barack Obama announced Friday that troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the year. "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he said. Here are five things to know about the withdrawal:
1. There are about 39,000 troops in Iraq right now. By year’s end, all will have withdrawn from the country.
2. U.S. officials wanted to keep 3,000-5,000 troops in the country to help with security and training, but Iraq’s government and the U.S. couldn’t come to an agreement over the forces, so the Obama administration decided to pull out all the troops.
3. The White House said that after the withdrawal, “We will have a very robust diplomatic presence. But it will be a normal diplomatic presence like we have in many countries.”
4. The toll of the war: 4,400 troops killed, more than $1 trillion in costs for the U.S.
5. The war began on March 19, 2003, under President George Bush. Coalition forces toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime on April 9, and the deposed dictator was captured on Dec. 13 of that year. After his trial, he was sentenced to death by hanging and was killed on Dec. 30, 2006.
- Sources: CNN, AP, NYTimes
