Summary
The president says U.S. troops have given Iraq an opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country. That, he said, is an extraordinary achievement. Obama has pledged to end the war and bring home most troops by next summer.
Story Published: Apr 7, 2009 at 7:34 AM PST
Story Updated: Apr 7, 2009 at 12:25 PM PST
President Barack Obama is greeted by Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, as he arrives in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 7, 2009.
BAGHDAD (AP) - President Barack Obama is telling U.S. troops in Iraq that the time to "transition to the Iraqis" has come.
Huge cheers went up from the troops as their commander in chief said Iraqis also need to take responsibility for their country.
The U.S. military has been a presence in Iraq since leading the March 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Obama has pledged to end the war and bring home most troops by next summer.
The president also says U.S. troops have given Iraq an opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country. That, he said, is an extraordinary achievement.
Obama is on his first visit to the Iraq war zone as president.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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