Obama announces full American troop withdrawal from Iraq

By Chris Moody

President Obama announced a nearly complete withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq by the end of the year during a press conference Friday afternoon.

"Today, I can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home from Iraq at the end of this year," Obama said. "After nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over. Over the next two months our troops in Iraq--tens of thousands of them--will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home."

Obama also affirmed that he has been in talks with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and that the government was in agreement with the drawdown.