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December 13, 2011

Obama, Maliki Agree: Troop Pull-Out Will Not End U.S. Involvement in Iraq 
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Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met with President Obama at the
White House Monday as the U.S. military continues its withdrawal from
Iraq. Obama assured Baghdad on Monday the United States would remain a
strong partner after the pullout concludes.

President Barack Obama: "As we end this war and as Iraq faces its
future, the Iraqi people must know that you will not stand alone. You
have a strong and enduring partner in the United States of America. So
today the prime minister and I are reaffirming our common vision of a
long term partnership between our nations. This is in keeping with our
strategic framework agreement and it will be like the close
relationships we have with other sovereign nations."

While the United States is pulling its troops out of Iraq, it will
maintain close military ties to Iraq and will operate the largest
embassy in the world in Baghdad. The U.S. mission will include up to
16,000 people nationwide, including thousands of private mercenaries.
President Obama used Prime Minister Maliki's visit to notify Congress of
the administration's intent to sell Iraq 18 more F-16 fighter jets.
Maliki also spoke of the U.S.-Iraq relationship after the military
pullout.

Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister: "Anyone who observes the nature of
the relationship between the two countries will say that the
relationship will not end with the departure of the last American
soldier."



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