WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – President Obama on Tuesday announced the end of the United States combat mission in Iraq, marking the transition of responsibility of the country’s security into Iraq’s hands and the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The President commemorated the event with a prime time address to the Oval Office. He said that the historic moment of the transition comes at a “time of great uncertainty for many Americans.” He noted that the U.S. has been engaged in a war for nearly a decade, enduring a recession at the same time. President Obama reassured the American public, saying that the milestone that America has reached serves as a reminder that the future “is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment.”

“From this desk, seven and a half years ago, President Bush announced the beginning of military operations in Iraq. Much has changed since that night. A war to disarm a state became a fight against an insurgency. Terrorism and sectarian warfare threatened to tear Iraq apart. Thousands of Americans gave their lives; tens of thousands have been wounded. Our relations abroad were strained. Our unity at home was tested.”

He then announced that the American combat mission in Iraq is over, and that Operation Iraqi Freedom had ended. He said that now, the Iraqi people have the lead responsibility for the security of their own country. President Obama said that he had fulfilled his pledge to the American people, as last February he announced a plan to bring all combat brigades out of Iraq. The U.S. has removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops out of Iraq since.

He said that Iraq has held credible elections, praising the country’s progress. “[…] there should be no doubt: the Iraqi people will have a strong partner in the United States. Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq’s future is not.” The President said that going forward, a transitional force of U.S. troops will be in Iraq with a different mission, mainly operating in an advising capacity.

President Obama said that ending the war in Iraq is not only in the interest of Iraq, but also in the interests of the people of the United States. “The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home.” He said that the U.S. pressed on because it shared a belief with the Iraqi people that a new beginning could be born in the cradle of civilization.

He concluded that a number of Americans had given their lives for the war and served multiple tours of duty for people they didn’t know. “In an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of our own nation.” He praised the troops in his closing remarks, saying that “our troops are the steel in our ship of state” and promised that better days lie ahead.

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