Barack Obama, Iraq | featured news

President Barack Obama said on Saturday Iraq faced difficult days ahead after taking control of its towns and cities from U.S. forces but he pledged to remain a strong partner on behalf of the country's security and prosperity.

The United States' top military officer said on Sunday he was "comfortable" with President Barack Obama's plan to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq in 18 months.

President Obama's planned announcement Friday to remove most U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August 2010 will free up more forces for the worsening fight in Afghanistan and help the Army end a policy that holds soldiers past enlistment periods, military officials and experts say.

Ambitious budget seeks to cut deficit in half in 4 years, largely by raising taxes on businesses, the wealthy, cutting spending in Iraq, Afghanistan.

U.S. military planners have drawn up three options to allow President Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq, with senior commanders favoring the slowest of the three, officials said on Saturday.

CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, supported by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 18 months at an Oval Office meeting Jan. 21.