i'm joined by dennis mcdonough.ny residual trainers s there could not be an agreement about legal protection for american troops is that essentially what maliki told the president today? >> thank you, andrea, for letting me be here. i would say, we made this assessment based on one interest, namly we want to make sure we have the kind of security relationship going forward that allows for a stable, self-reliant and secure iraq. that's what the president called for in february of 2009. that's what we have today. the agreement we have now going forward, getting our troops out of there and reestablishing a normal relationship with the iraqis allows to us do what we want to do in the heart of this very unstable region. so, it's not a question of what exactly we did or did not get from the iraqis. this is a question of what the president and the prime minister determined was in both our countries best interests moving forward. we think the agreement we have here is exactly that. >> are they ready to defend themselves int

dennis mcdonough insisting that this is exactly what the u.s. wants even though there has been a failure, at least so far, to work out any new agreement with the iraqi government and prime minister nuri al maliki to maintain at least some u.s. troops in iraq after the start of next year, 3,000 to 5,000, which had been the hope of a lot of u.s. officials. but nuri al maliki's government refused to provide the immunity that's currently provided to all u.s. military personnel in iraq and as a result those negotiations apparently collapsed at least for now. chris lawrence is our pentagon correspondent. chris, all u.s. military forces will be out, i assume there will be a handful, 50, 100 u.s. marines that will protect the u.s. embassy in baghdad. that's the largest u.s. embassy in the world. thousands of american diplomats and contractors are stationed there. there will be some other marines, i assume at consulates or other places but the pentagon will be out of the picture as far as the future of iraq is concerned. state department, the cia will st

. >> dennis mcdonough had reaction ---he president's speech 2001. >> thank you for being here this afternoon. we will continue with the briefing. i have with me the president's deputy national security adviser on my left, and on my right the vice president's national security adviser. they're here to take your questions about the announcement just made. after that, you can give your questions on that subject, and then i will remain to take your questions. >> nine years complete withdrawal -- this is a victory for the united states -- >> one of the more poignant moments was when president obama congratulated prime minister maliki and the people of iraq for getting to this moment. and the prime minister congratulated the president for the troops and what they have done. the president said what we are looking for is an iraq that is as secure, stable, and self reliance, and that is what we have here. there is no question this is a success. >> specifically, long discussions covered issues of unity. -- immunity. has that issue been resolved? >> the present preferred was for the best relationship f

saying that iraq is secure, stable and self-reliant is deputy national security adviser dennis mcdonough recently did does not make it so. and to borrow a quote from you, madam secretary, when you were serving in the other body, it requires, quote, the willing suspension of disbelief, unquote, to accept that withdrawing our forces from iraq at a time when iranian agents seek to harm at every turn our country and its allies advances our strategic interests. although i understand that iraq is a sovereign country, i believe that there is much more that this administration could have done to secure a more realistic troop presence beyond the end of this year. accordingly, i'd like to echo senator lieberman's recent call to reopen negotiations with the iraqis. it would be a failure of colossal proportions to withdraw our forces before iraq is ready to stand on it own. this decisional offers -- also offers a disturbing insight into the administration's definition of, quote, conditions-based withdrawal, unquote, which is, of course, its policy in afghanistan. when asked recently whether not leav