US President Barack Obama hails the withdrawal of US forces from Iraqi towns and cities as a “milestone” but warns of the “difficult days” he believes are yet to come.
The president, however, acknowledged that “there will be difficult days ahead” and warned that there are “those who will test Iraqi security forces and the resolve of the Iraqi people through more sectarian bombings”.
Obama advised leaders of the various Iraqi factions to make the needed “hard choices” to settle disputes and overcome obstacles to real political reconciliation.
Iraqi celebrations, however, were marred as a car bomb hit a market in the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk and killed at least 32 Iraqis and injured over 100 others.
The bombing, which was the latest in a wave of attacks that have claimed more than 250 lives in the past two weeks, came amid tight security and anticipation of horrific terrorist attacks amidst the pullback.
Iraqi authorities welcomed the US pullback with nationalist rhetoric and celebrations in what appeared to be an attempt by al-Maliki to rally the public behind his government and secure more support ahead of an election in January.
Al-Maliki, whose three years in office saw a dramatic decline in violence, used a nationally televised address to project an air of confidence.
‘Those who think that Iraqis are incapable of protecting security in their country and that the withdrawal of foreign forces will leave a security vacuum which will be difficult for Iraqi forces to fill are making a grave mistake,’ the prime minister said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama declared late Tuesday that ‘Iraq’s future is in the hands of its own people,’ warning of more violence in the days ahead but signaling optimism that Iraq will prevail as a stable, sovereign nation.
The US pullback is a significant step toward the final American withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2011, a deadline set by a US-Iraqi security agreement.
The CIA’s top weapons inspector in Iraq said earlier that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has “gone as far as feasible” and has found nothing”.
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