Foreign Policy Victories!

Within the last few months, President Obama, his security team, and US armed forces have secured several huge victories. It began on May 1, 2011 when the most-wanted terrorist in the world -- Osama Bin Laden -- who George Bush and Dick Cheney failed to capture for 8 years, was captured and killed.

On September 30, 2011,President Barack Obama publicly and proudly confirmed the death in Yemen Friday of one of the most prominent leaders of Al Qaeda, American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

“The death of al-Awlaki is a major blow to Al Qaeda’s most active operational affiliate,” Obama said at a military ceremony Friday morning in Arlington, Va. “The death of Awlaki marks another significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat Al Qaeda and its affiliates.”

On October 20, 2011, after running Libya for 42 years as a ruthless dictator, Moammar Khadaffy was captured and killed by rebel forces in that country, thanks to the aid of President Obama and NATO forces.

Now, on October 21, 2011, President Obama sent this message:

Good evening,

I'm writing to tell you that all US troops will return home from Iraq by the end of December. After nearly nine years, the American war in Iraq will end. Our servicemen and women will be with their families for the holidays.

The war in Iraq came with tremendous cost. More than a million Americans served in Iraq, and nearly 4,500 gave their lives in service to the rest of us. Today, as always, we honor these patriots.

When I came into office, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. As Commander in Chief, I ended our combat mission last year and pledged to keep our commitment to remove all our troops by the end of 2011. To date, we’ve removed more than 100,000 troops from Iraq.

This is a significant moment in our history. For more information, including video, please visit WhiteHouse.gov/BringingTroopsHome.

The end of the war in Iraq reflects a larger trend. The wars of the past decade are drawing to a close.

As we have removed troops from Iraq, we have refocused our fight against al Qaeda and secured major victories in taking out its leadership–including Osama bin Laden. And we’ve begun a transition in Afghanistan.

On the first day of my Administration, roughly 180,000 troops were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. By the end of this year that number will be cut in half, and we’ll continue to draw it down.

As we welcome home our newest veterans, we’ll enlist their talents in meeting our greatest challenges as a nation—restoring our economic strength at home. Because after a decade of war, the nation that we need to build is our own.

Today the United States moves forward, from a position of strength. 

Thank you,

President Barack Obama