troops will remain in iraq with a different mission. advising and assisting iraq security forces. supporting iraqi troops in targeted counterterrorism missions. and protecting our civilians. consistent with our agreement with the iraqi government, all u.s. troops will leave by the end of next year. as our military draws down, our dedicated civilians, diplomats, aid workers and advisers are moving into the lead to support iraq as it strengthens its government, resolves political disputes, resettles those displaced by war, and builds ties with the region and the world. that's a message that vice president biden is delivering to the iraqi people through his visit there today. this new approach reflects our long-term partnership with iraq. one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect. of course, violence will not end with our combat mission. extremists will continue to set off bombs, attack iraqi civilians, and try to spark sectarian strife. but ultimately, these terrorists will fail to achieve their goals. iraqis are a proud people. they have rejected sectarian war. and they hav

direct involvement in iraq and u.s. engagement in iraq and leaving iraq to take its own course you've seen a sort of distance that this has created from iraq there's been five months of complete limbo since the elections as you know government being formed new really haven't seen a lot of american involvement in trying to change the status quo they've said you know we can deal with the congress when it gets done it gets done so this is either going to be the beginning of the end by two thousand and eleven the end of two thousand and eleven you have the last american soldier leave iraq and they'll just say it was a misadventure would have never done this and wear them with it or. this can be the end of the beginning a very very shaky beginning of new relations between iraq and the us up until two thousand and three iraq in the us have always had some sort of strained relations although in the one nine hundred eighty s. of course they were allies in the war against iran but you dition iraq from the fifty's really has been

combat mission in iraq is ending. the iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. >> larry: we're back. executive director of vets for freedom, a decorated veteran of the war in iraq. john sultz is co-founder of votevets.org. served as a united states army cap tab during operation iraqi freedom. pete, what did you think of his speech and was it time to end this war? >> well, i think it was strong in some points and disappointing in others. the president spoke movingly especially to the end about the service and sacrifice of our troops. there's no doubt about that. he talked about ending the war but also renewed -- he said we will renew and continue our commitment to the iraqis and the iraqi government which is great to hear. but it would have been a lot -- it would have been nice for him to acknowledge the surge and the policies that were part of making this outcome possible. he did mention president bush's name, said he was a patriot and loved this country. those are givens. if he wan

when iran, iraq -- iraq is the biggest market for iran. the iranians are dumping their substandard goods was a cannot sell anywhere. they are sending electricity to iraq. i have seen numbers saying that iran earns between $7,000,000.9999999 dollars with its trade with iraq. what are we doing to stop the flow of trade and money from iraq to iran? >> i would submit that there actually is a national army, and that it is developing not only its capacity but its sense of nationalism every single day. it continues to be a work in progress, but what we have seen again in recent months, in particular, is that the army has remained loyal to the government of iraq, not to individuals or coalitions, that it is taking on extremists, various strikes, from -- emanating from various communities. it has not been just going after one group or another. critically, moving forward, you are right that until there is real integration and full integration of the sons of iraq, we will all have a fully nationalized army, but that process is ongoing. i have been en

troops be removed from iraq. we have it moved billions of pieces of equipment out of iraq.this completes the transition to iraqis responsibility for their own security. u.s. troops pull out of iraqi cities last summer and iraqis have moved with incredible skill. even as our rock continues to suffer as the lowest on record and iraqi forces have taken the fight to all kinds. there is much leadership. this year also saw incredible selection that drew a strong turnout. the candidate for and been a station is in place as iraqis form of government is based on that the results of the election. tonight i encourage the rock leaders to meet this with a sense of urgency. they are as consul and accountable to the rocky crudity. the iraqi people will have a strong partner in the united states. our combat mission and our commitment to rock's future is there. going forward a transitional force will remain in iraq with a different mission. supporting a rocket troops of terrorism which in and protecting civilians. with our partnership all u.s. troops will leave by the end of next year. as o

we believe that iraq -- the sovereignty will be respected and iraq is not going to become a satellite in any way. so we feel that it is in our interests and in the interests of the iraqis to follow through on the agreement we made with them and to begin this process by ending our combat engagement, ending our military engagement at the end of 2011 and we feel that can be done with some confidence. >> larry: thanks, david, always good seeing you. >> thanks, larry. good to be with you. >> larry: david axelrod, senior adviser to president obama. a couple of iraq war veterans with very different points of view about all this are next. ♪ [ male announcer ] sit down. it's ok. you've got preparation h with the only cream that gives you maximum strength pain relief. and relieves swelling, burning, and itching. preparation h. doctor recommended -- by name. ♪ eggland's best eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e, and b12. a good source of vitamin a and b2. plus omega 3's. and, 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one impo

we know iraq something. and the least we know -- we of them to acknowledge they are still suffering because of us. host: do you define it as walking away, using your words? caller: it is pretending it is over. turning the page is not quite the right word. we have something to amend. i do not know what we will do to amend for it because we never do. but i do not think it is the end of anything. it is not turning the page. it is turning the page for us and i hope for those people. i truly do. host: ann off of twitter -- philadelphia, pennsylvania. fans are waiting. oscar, democrats line. caller: my name is oscar hilton. i am calling to keep the book open. the book should be open until we find out why we went there. 5000 people have been killed. i don't know how many have been wounded. it does not make any sense. host: when you say keep the book open, what do you mean by that? caller: to find out why we went to iraq. the real reason. not the bs reason they always come out with about weapons of mass destruction

so no one's abandoning iraq. no one's quitting iraq. we're leaving responsibly, and we hope to leave behind a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant country. i think that's what we're actually seeing emerge. host: jal known arlington, democrats line. good morning. caller: colin, what a great face for the obama administration. they need more people like you who can come on and talk to the american people in a conversation with a serious face, a very, very well dressed. ads i say, most republicans are and the democrats are not, but you have done a great job today. i thank you so much. like the last caller and the tea party and boehner and all of those people who try to make their party a representative of the country, and try to make the other part of the country and other parties seem like we're not american. it is those callers that lose immediate credibility, immediate credibility when you tell other americans that they quit and run, that they're not american, that they're un-american, that their children service, that their past service,

iraq, at the iraq assistance groups.nsignia is the same as that approve for multinational force iraq, originally approved in january 2005, amended in february 2005. the start represents a vision of unity among the people of iraq -- star represents a vision of unity among the people of iraq. the colossal statue of the mess n winged-- mesopotamia an bull represents strength and protection of the people. u.s. division northcom u.s. division south, u.s. division central -- u.s. division north, u.s. divisions upcoming u.s. division central -- u.s. division south, u.s. division at central. it serves as a rallying point for soldiers. this symbolic passing of the unit's colors is a time-honored tradition that signifies the command from the outgoing commander to the incoming commander. the history, traditions, and accomplishments of the unit are embodied in its colors, and although commanders may come and go, the colors always remained steadfast. with the passing of the colors, the legacy is also past, well as the responsibility

. >> iraq, iraq, iraq.re all iraq right here. >> reporter: and she worries the american public may turn away from the conflict there, considering it done. >> don't forget us, we're still there. >> because the war isn't over, right? >> not over, until every last soldier is home. >> reporter: for the next year, nikki, eric, and their three children will visit long- distance over the computer. >> hi, babe! >> reporter: and wait for the day all the troops come back. dean reynolds, cbs news, fort stewart, georgia. see you again soon. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org they say they have the audio tapes to prove it. >>> angry firefighters say their fellow citizens are not safe. tonight they say they have the audiotapes to prove it. >>> we all know we share the bay area with native wildlife. but even animal experts are expressing shock at where a mountain lion showed up overnight. >>> and some new rules of the road for hybrid drivers. good evening, i'm allen martin.

troops from iraq. we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of iraq. this completes the transition to iraqi responsibility for their own security. u.s. troops pulled out of iraqi cities last summer and iraqi troops have moved in with considerable skill. even as iraq continues to suffer attacks, security incidents have been near the lowest on record since the war began, and iraqi forces have taken the fight al-qaeda, removing much of its leadership in iraqi-led operations. this year also saw iraq hold credible electrics -- elections. a care-taker government is in place. tonight i encourage iraq's leaders to move forward with a sense of urgency to form an inclusive government that is just, representative, and accountable to the iraqi people. when that government is in place, 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. going forward, a transitional force of u.s. troops will remain in iraq with a different mission, advising and assisting

discuss and as the combat missions have come to an end we have to reflect on what brought the us to iraq in the first place the reason for invading has clearly been discredited and many are still claiming that this is a foreign policy success so we're going to debate was this war really worth it also we're going to take an in-depth look on where the military is currently directing its efforts all eyes might be on iraq and afghanistan although the u.s. is involved in several other countries secretly targeting enemies who aren't necessarily on the battlefield some of whom are even u.s. citizens they say oh you is putting its foot down on this one but will there challenge when we'll speak with former cia special agent jack rice then we're going to look back at the neo cons some of the architects of this war in iraq they were key players years ago when the war started but where are they now and how much influence do they still have we'll speak with national security researcher matt and is this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning what iraqi journalist was asking that question

formally ends operations in iraq. chancellor angela merkel fears east german braverynd th country's unification set an example for the world, marking the moment that the treaty was signed two decades ago, she praised the role of civil rights activists and those who escaped the regime. the german leader grew up in the east and says it is now germany's responsibility to fight globally for freedom. >> the original unification treaty was presented to today's chancellor to commemorate its signing in the same room 20 years ago. angela merkel, who grow up in east germany, was joined ere byany politicns iolved in the deal. the interior met -- for the then interim minister, signing the treaty was the high point of his career. >> we left the room together for a moment, and then we simply cried because we were moved, exhausted, and overjoyed. >> it took just 23 minutes to end four decades of communist east german rule. unification had previously been approved by east germany's parliament. chancellor merkel was present at the pro

in iraq. is there a danger of them filling in "void," or do you even see there's a void? froip i think that's probably not the way i would frame t. all of iraq's neighbors have an interest in iraq not falling apart i think that's true. even in the case of iran, although iran's behavior is most troubling because they continue to provide assistance to certain shia militant groups inside iraq. but even iran doesn have an interest in seeing iraq become a failed state. but i think what you're seeing in terms of iranian involvement in iraq, saudi involvement in iraq, turkish involvement in iraq, syrian involvement in iraq is a recognition of how important iraq is in the region. it's one of the reasons why we're not going to abandon iraq, why we're going to continue to build a long-term partnership with them, because iraq's going to connue to be a very, very important country in a very, very important region. host: let's get to the calls. maria joins us on o democrats line from dallas. hi, maria. cal

combat mission in iraq.said it's time to turn the page and focus on restoring the american economy. the number of americans killed in afghanistan this month reached 56 . and hurricane earl advanced on the outer banks of north carolina. forecasters said it would swipe the coast, then turn north. the newshour is always online. hari sreenivasan, in our newsroom, previews what's there. hari? >> sreenivasan: on art beat, watch a performance by michael white, and more of his interview with jeff. we've asked foreign policy and political experts to weigh in on president obama's speech. find that in a special annotated version of the text, along with full video of the address. and more from our team in baghdad on how ordinary iraqis feel about security in their country. plus a follow-up to our story on the art of negotiating. harvard law professor robert mnookin answered your questions. find that on paul solman's making sense page. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. judy? >> woodruff: and that's

and i said "um, in what sense am i the iraq guy?" "i've seen you on the t.v." >> rose: (laughs). >> and i said "do you remember why i was on there?" "no, he says i don't remember that." i said "do you remember who i work for?" he said "i don't." he was impatient, he obviously had business to do. he was out of brooklyn or something. >> rose: welcome to television. >> he says "alls i remembered is you needed a [no audio] hair cut." so there's something to be said for that. it gives me a certain recommend. >> rose: how is iraq going to end? >> god. i have rather somber thoughts about that. >> rose: somer? >> yes, we all hoped-- whether you supported or didn't support the war-- that america would find an exit that was honorable for america that left behind a country add what had... you know, by the time of the surge they had reformulated what the objective would be. it's no longer democracy. it was a government able to defend its own territory. something to that effect. i'm not sure that that's been achieved and i'm afraid that that may

had to do with iraq itself. in other words, this may have been-- and i think i said this to you from baghdad in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, it may have been a mission impossible from the start. this was very infertile ground for an american attempt to implant democracy and civil society in the heart of the middle east. you couldn't find a less promising place. >> rose: so you're saying that's a noble ideal but unlikely to happen and we should have never believed we could? >> and i think we should also have understood that saddam-- whatever we make of him-- was a fiendishly clever fellow. and when he didn't fight for baghdad-- and he really didn't, they told us they would fight for baghdad and they didn't, as you remember the american troops 3rd infantry division rolled into the city unopposed, we were puzzled, those of us who were there. because we'd seen the saddam fedayeen out in the streets with antiaircraft guns and all kinds of weaponry as if they were going to fight for it. we should have realized immediately

. >> veggie bu >>> tonight on "world news," turning point in iraq. after seven years, america's formal combat mission is over, the president talks about the road ahead. >>> hurricane earl. zeroing in on the east coast. residents warned to prepare for winds gusting to 160 miles per hour. >>> an answer for women at risk of breast cancer. if you remove a healthy breast, can it save your life? >>> and, a peek at the big oval office makeover. the obama style on display, and what the president had woven into his rug. >>> good evening. a long road and a long war have reached a milestone tonight. president obama announcing that america has officially ended its combat mission in iraq, giving the lead to iraqi forces. and beginning a new chapter. >> from this desk, 7 1/2 years ago, president bush announced the beginning of military operations in iraq. the americans who are served in iraq completed every mission they were given. they defeated a regime that had terrorized its people. together with iraqis and coalition partners that made huge sacrifices of their

on sanctions, iraq is the biggest market for i ran -- iran. selling electricity to iraq. theyseen numbers that say turn from iraq. what are we doing to stop the flow of trade of money from iraq to rerun -- to iran? >> i would submit there is a national army and they are developing capacity and a sense of nationalism every single day. it continues to be a work in progress, but what we have seen again is that the army has remained loyal to the government of iraq and not to individuals or coalitions. the have taken on various interests and strives emanating from various communities. they're not going after just one group or another. critically, moving forward your are right that until there is real integration and full integration of the sons of iraq that we will let have a fully nationalized army. the process is ongoing. i have been encouraged by the performance of the army of only in dealing with extremist groups but in the way they have done that. we have not seen nationalization or them doing the bidding of one collation, one individual, or an outside country. i'd knowle

the u.s. -- not only in iraq's interest. we persevered because they believe we shared with the iraqi people, a belief that a new beginning can be born in this cradle of civilization. >> but can it? the situation in iraq is fragile which is why america's vice president flew to baghdad to mark the moment in the pressure nouri al maliki to come up with a stable political settlement. >> speaking on television today, maliki said his country is an equal partner with the u.s., iraq is sovereign and independent. it is also safer. there is occasional violence but a semblance of normality has returned. it is a far cry from the brutal years after the invasion when insurgents may iraq one of the most violent places in the world. i iraqis grew painfully used to burying their dead. the numbers are disputed but at least 150,000 iraqis are thought to have died since the invasion. in 2008 u.s. policy changed, a surege of american troops brought greater stability and the political opportunity for president obama's speech tonight. >> this shou

, is the war in iraq really over?as the sacrifice worth it? >> palle always and the balance over time i think remains to be seen. >> alaska senator lisa marie caskey throws in the towel. >> i don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor of them atop another win for sarah palin and tea party. >> lasting peace will only be achieved with mutual and painful concessions from both sides. >> mideast peace talks -- will president obama succeed where others before him have failed? hurricane earl is happening and storm clouds return for congress in washington. ♪ >> president obama spoke to be a nation from the oval office this week seven years after the united states invaded iraq. he said the american combat mission has ended and he has kept his promise to the american people. >> this was my pleasure to the american people as a candidate for this office. last february, i announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of iraq by redoubling our efforts to strengthen their security forces and support

has met its responsibilities in iraq. as of today, our role has changed. >> it's time to turn the page. >> reporter: u.s. combat operations may have come to an end but the war in iraq isn't over. >> i can't tell my soldiers you're not a combat armed soldier anymore. that's offensive. you know what i'm saying? we're still doing what we did before. >> reporter: today roughly 50,000 american forces begin "operation new dawn." their mission, advising and supporting iraqi security forces over the next year. >> they have to be successful really early on. the next 90 days will tell whether or not the iraqi security forces have been successful and trained well. >> reporter: this morning defense secretary robert gates arrived in iraq joining vice president biden who has been in the country all week. pushing political leaders to end a stalemate and form a new government. president obama also urged iraqi leaders to come to an agreement during his prime time address from the oval office last night. >> i encourage iraq's leaders to mo

the iraq war divided the country, and those divisions were deep and bitter. >> i'm mindful that the iraq war has been a contentious issue at home. here, too, it's time to turn the page. >> in the battle of iraq, the united states and our allies have prevailed. >> reporter: president obama's predecessor who launched the war and rejoiced in the success of its early stages, saw his presidency ultimately crippled by it. here, too, though, president obama sought to make a gesture of reconciliation. >> this afternoon, i spoke to former president george w. bush. it's well known that he and i disagreed about the war from its outset. yet, no one can doubt president bush's support for our troops or his love of country and commitment to our security. the greatest of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences. and to learn from our experience, as we confront the many challenges ahead. >> reporter: but for most, this moment is one for reflection. defense secretary robert gates was overcome with emotion at the thought of what has been given and lost in this war. >> the cou

host: in iraq or afghanistan? caller: iraq. host: we will go to dorothy. we have these these posted on our website at c-span.org. dorothy, you are next. caller: i am a to service better. i think the speech was very honorable. i think most of the country would support him. i support our former president's decision to go to war. what is going to be so much of our blessing to our nation is that our troops have occupied iraq. they had seen the the haters of the terrorists. there will be able to come home. our entire country should be grateful. host: thank you very much for phoning them. robert gates also speak at the same convention that john boehner spoke at today. azaan 97 convention of the american legion propel. put the total death toll to 4427. that is from the defense secretary robert gates since 2003. republican line. caller: i would like to thank the president for bringing an end to this painful chapter of our history. now i hope that he can get congressional support to move the country forward and tell the american to heal and prosper within our borde

troops will remain in iraq with a different mission -- advising and assisting iraq's security forces, supporting iraqi troops in targeted counter-terrorism missions, and protecting our civilians. consistent with our agreement with the iraqi government, all u.s. troops will leave by the end of next year. as our military draws down, our dedicated civilians -- diplomats, aid workers, and advisors -- or moving into the lead to support iraq as it strengthens its government, resolves political disputes, resettles those displaced by war, and builds ties with the region and the world. and as a message that vice president biden is delivering to the iraqi people through his visit there today. this new approach reflects our long-term partnership with iraq, one based upon mutual interests and mutual respect. of course, violence will not end with our combat mission. extremists will continue to set off bombs, attack iraqi civilians, and try to spark sectarian strife. but ultimately these terrorists will fail to achieve their goals. iraqis are a proud people. they have rejected sectarian war and the

i had worked in iraq before the american invasion and had seen what he had done to iraq. i had seen the miseries that the people of iraq were in during -- enduring, enless violence. although it was not my job as a reporter to be an advocate, i did think that getting rid of saddam hussein would vastly benefit the people of iraq. as i said in my blog piece today, those of us who were there during the initial shock and awe, watching it from the hotel, what became the green zone, and we must every vote -- we must be frank about this, we did not anticipate the nightmare that incident. perhaps we should have. we are not clear of. -- clairvoyants. watching those missiles fly in, i think what was uppermost in our minds was the misery of the iraqi people was over. i do not think that many of us were convinced of the mass weapons. saddam hussein is gone and dead and buried. america did bring an opportunity for iraq to completely rebuild itself, an opportunity that in my view has been squandered, and the price that america has paid has been high, much, much too high already, and i t

-led invasion of iraq. he has come to understand the controversy of that decision and reaffirmed the convictions that led to it. since leaving office in 2007, he has led a full and engaged life. he converted to catholicism, he established the tony blair faith foundation to promote interreligious dialogue, he teaches at yale university, he is a consultant to a number of private enterprises around the world. he's continued in public service as the middle east envoy of quartet, that keeps him involved in the peace process. many have come to this program and talked about tony blair's decisions. here are two that showed the dramatic difference of opinion. one from the dramatist and late nobel laureate harold pinter and the other recently from writer christopher hitchens. >> i'm not anti-american. >> rose: that's the way it's perceived. they don't say anti-bush, they say anti-american. >> well, tell them they've got it wrong. >> rose: because i... that's part... >> an anti-bush, cheney, rumsfeld and all that lot.

eastern time for the president's address on iraq. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening as well. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> a firestorm of controversy tonight over firefighter layoffs in the south bay. good evening, everyone. >> san jose firefighters igniting a four-alarm fight tonight with city hall claiming that they have audiotapes that prove that city leaders kept crucial safety information from residents. information about the potential life and death consequences of

abandons its combat role in iraq, but 50,000 troops will remain. the world bank has increased funding to help pakistan cope with the catastrophic flooding by $100 million to a total of $1 billion. the funds are being diverted from money already earmarked for pakistan. children have been especially badly affected by the crisis. it is no net more than 10,000 school buildings have been destroyed. chris morris reports. >> flying into the flood zone, the head of the united nations children's fund. how many children are suffering down there, and when can they go back to school? at the relief camp on the ground, people are waiting patiently for supplies. the visitors from the u.n. arrive. from the himalayas right to d.c., thousands of school buildings have been damaged or destroyed. even ones like this one have been turned into a temporary relief camps. there are very few places where children can go to school. >> there is one room where children can be themselves inside. playing games or drawing pictures about what they had just been through. >> he says

troops remain in iraq.others come home and their mission changes, president obama tried to draw inspiration from what they did. serve with honor. >> our troops are the steel in our ship of state. and though our nation may be traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true. and beyond the predawn darkness, better days lie ahead. >> and a major seven and a half year chapter coming to a close. just the start of a very busy week for president. >> no doubt about that. mideast peace talks, much negotiated to get this to happen. they begin today at the white house. hurricane earl threatening the east coast of the united states. not a lot of sleep for the president this wee >>> well, it's time for back to school for a lot of the kiddos out there. as you can imagine the first day of class can be a stressful thing to a child. >> that's for sure. according to the mom-friendly website, cafemom.com, heading back to school can be stressful on parents as well. here now is claire shipman. >>

continues. >> troops will remain in iraq with a different mission, advising and assisting iraq troops. >> republican leaders in congrey america's success in iraq is not because of president barack obama, but inpiet of him because as a senator he opposed the surge that many credit for turning the tide of the convict. the top house republicans said this in a vail swipe. >> one lawmaker rejected the ida saying and again i'm quoting, in fact, i think we will do the reverse. >> with one combat mission compe , president barack obama made it clear the fight against terrorism and the war in afghanistan are far from over. >> and because of our draw down in iraq, we are now able to apply the resources necessary to go on offence. >> president barack obama repead and praised all those that sacrificed during the iraq war. he also talked about the economic situation in the u.s. saying the most urgent task for the country is to restore the economy and zbet people back to work. reporting live from washington. i'm nicole collins. >> the war in iraq might end for thousands of troops, but they will face

the war in iraq. you could have waited. you could have contained it. >> as soon as they get a nuclear weapon -- >> you see a military possibility with them. how did you get over the fear. and on second thought. a "this week" exclusive. >>> then -- >> it's time to turn the page. >> president obama declares an end to the combat mission in iraq. turns to middle east peace. and struggles to find a voice on the economy. >> can you guys still hear us? >> analysis from the "roundtable" with george will, thomas friedman. paul krugman, and mary jordan. >>> and "the sunday funnies." >> it's labor day. one day a year, we honor our workforce. do we still have a workforce? i don't know. do we? >>> today marks a new beginning for "this week." through our partnership with the bbc, we're delighted that as of now, this program is being broadcast globally in more than 200 countries. we begin with one of the most polarizing figures on the international stage, tony blair. this week, the former british prime minister released his memoir, "a jou

people in iran and iraq marry each other. many iranians were born in iraq. many iraqis were born in iran. every year five million people cross the borders between the two countries. in security in iraq, therefore, who do you think it would impact first and foremost. if it had security, who do you think it would impact first? now on top of that, is it the american troops or the iranian troops that are in the borders of iraq? is it us stationing our troops along the borders or is it the united states that has troops on both sides of our borders? on the east and west. i mean, these equations are fundamentally wrong and i think that if we can sincerely sit down and talk, these can all be talked about. mr. obama could come here, i'd gladly sit down with him and talk, we can find some solutions. i don't want to go back to the past. i look to the future. and i think that there's this problem that we need to resolve and we have to address the root cause of the problem. what is this? is the problem... what is the problem in afghanistan. where does it come from. why i

troops in iraq. this is 40 minutes. >> thankk you. >> ladies and gentlemen, the last several years, every time i have been in this old palace, am here, i can't but help think of the irony that we are here today occupying a palace for a noble reason that was once occupied by saddam hussein. secretary gates, admiral mullen, general mattis, general odierno, general austin, ambassador jeffrey, our distinguished and honored iraqi leaders and military, it's an honor to be with you today. it's an honor to be joined by such a distinguished group of americans and iraqi commanders and civilian leaders bound together, i might add -- as a nation, we are now bound together as well by years of shared struggle and significant sacrifice. in the predawn hours of march 20, 2003, columns of coalition troops set off across the desert and marshlands from kuwait en route to baghdad. last week -- after seven-and-a- half years that tested our mettle like no conflict in recent american history -- the last of our combat units

it is different than in iraq. they are not the tribal sheikhs we had in iraq.we do have tribal chiefs, but there is a hierarchy of leadership we are finding in afghanistan. it is a little more difficult to work with. we are working with it on the ground right now. probably 70%, maybe 75% of those great lessons learned, certainly the fundamental lessons on counterinsurgency applied in afghanistan the same way they applied in iraq. but the way we deal with the culture, the way we interact with the leadership of the tribes is a bit different. there are what we call district governors on the ground in places like nawa, all these different names you read in the paper, there are district governors appointed by the central government. some are more affected than others. -- more effective than others. there was the expectation that if we came into town, where a year and ahlhalf ago, the taliban came in five years ago and ran the villagers off. the marines were there. i spent christmas there. there is a good example of the central government providing a strong district

forces in iraq, general ray odierno.ng with general odierno, the departing commander of the u.s. you've been in iraq a number of times, including quite recently. you told "the new york times" last week, the bottom line is there are a lot of bad ass 50,000 troops that are left. these guys can shoot straight. 50,000 troops in country is still a big, big contention. with 50,000 as you put it bad ass troops -- >> and women can shoot too, by the way. >> they are in peril. since the handover, we have had u.s. killed in action and wounded in action. does it undercut their service and their sacrifice to say this is no longer a combat mission? why do we need to use that phrase-ology when it seems like they're in combat? >> i'll tell you why, because the iraqis, we've trained up 640,000 iraqi forces. here's the point -- and i know you know this -- they have been taking over since january of last year. we made a firm commitment to the iraqi people and the american people. we get all people out of the city last year. we bring down f