As Iraq war ends, Obama welcomes troops home

He pledged to bring the troops home.

And with his campaign promise almost fulfilled, US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to some of the last US soldiers to return from Iraq.

Visiting Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he hailed the winding down of the conflict as “an extraordinary achievement.”

“As your Commander-in-Chief and on behalf of a grateful nation, I am proud to finally say these two words and I know your families agree: Welcome Home. Welcome home, Welcome Home.”

Obama’s words were met with loud applause.

The US withdrawal from Iraq will allow the White House to focus more on Afghanistan and economic worries at home, ahead of next year’s election.

After a war that has claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis, the pullout is due to be completed by the end of the year.

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