President Obama has announced that all American combat troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year.
Speaking at a press conference in the White House, Obama said that he expected all US troops to be back in the United States by Christmas.
"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with the their heads held high, proud of their success," he said.
Obama indicated the move would enable his administration focus on other priorities, including domestic US problems such as a troubled economy.
"After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he said. "The nation we need to build, the nation we will build, is our own."
There are currently 44,000 remaining US troops in Iraq. The US military presence in the country peaked at 165,000 in 2008.