Barack Obama says US effort in Iraq to switch from troops to diplomats as timetable for military withdrawal is on track

Barack Obama said the US strategy in Iraq will shift "from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats" by the end of this month, in the first of a series of speeches trumpeting the success of his administration's policy.

After a seven-year conflict costing US taxpayers some $700bn and the lives of more than 4,000 American troops, Obama proclaimed that the withdrawal of US forces was happening "as promised, on schedule," fulfilling his pledge as a presidential candidate to bring the conflict in Iraq to a "responsible end".

"As we mark the end of America's combat mission in Iraq, a grateful America must pay tribute to all who served there," Obama told the Disabled Veterans of America conference in Atlanta today, using a phrase that recalls George Bush's ill-fated claim on 1 May 2003 that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended".

In an attempt to avoid the premature triumphalism that damaged Bush's presidency, Obama also warned: "The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq."

Today's speech comes after a year in which Obama's administration has been concentrating on the conflict in Afghanistan and on US domestic policy, as the economy has remained the public's top concern and Democrats have wrestled with passing landmark healthcare and financial regulation reform

The withdrawal of American troops and the shift to a "civilian effort" will, however, likely include a build-up in contractors working for the US State Department, driving armored vehicles, flying aircraft and disposing of explosive devices, according to a report by McClatchy Newspapers.

By the end of August this year, according to Obama's plan, the total number of American military in Iraq will have fallen to 50,000 – from a peak of 144,000 at the start of Obama's term in January 2009. The remaining US troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

Republican leaders argued that the US military and the earlier surge strategy of the Bush administration deserved credit for the success. John Boehner, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, said: "Despite many difficult debates in 2007 and 2008, Republicans stood on principle against the irresponsible plans put forth by congressional Democrats to withdraw all our troops and leave Iraq in chaos."

In his speech before an audience pf 2,500 veterans, with many in wheelchairs or having lost limbs, Obama also paid tribute to America's soldiers, and outlined the "major investments" he said the government was making in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, "no matter what war you served in".

After the relatively up-beat news from Iraq, Obama attempted to make comparisons with Afghanistan, where coalition forces are still struggling to contain the Taliban. "We face huge challenges in Afghanistan," Obama said. "But it's important that the American people know that we are making progress and we're focused on goals that are clear and achievable."

Those goals include targeting the Taliban's leadership, building up Afghan security forces and encouraging Pakistan to "begin to take the fight to violent extremists within its borders".

"Because in this region and beyond, we will tolerate no safe [haven] for al-Qaida and their extremist allies. We will disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately defeat al-Qaida. And we will give our troops the resources and equipment to get the job done and keep our country safe," Obama said, to strong applause from the audience in Atlanta.



The White House has released the full text of Obama's speech. Here are the key passages dealing with US strategy in Iraq:

Already, we have closed or turned over to Iraq hundreds of bases. We're moving out millions of pieces of equipment in one of the largest logistics operations that we've seen in decades. By the end of this month, we'll have brought more than 90,000 of our troops home from Iraq since I took office – more than 90,000. Today – even as terrorists try to derail Iraq's progress – because of the sacrifices of our troops and their Iraqi partners, violence in Iraq continues to be near the lowest it's been in years. And next month, we will change our military mission from combat to supporting and training Iraqi security forces. In fact, in many parts of the country, Iraqis have already taken the lead for security. As agreed to with the Iraqi government, we will maintain a transitional force until we remove all our troops from Iraq by the end of next year. During this period, our forces will have a focused mission – supporting and training Iraqi forces, partnering with Iraqis in counter-terrorism missions, and protecting our civilian and military efforts. These are dangerous tasks. And there are still those with bombs and bullets who will try to stop Iraq's progress. The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq. But make no mistake, our commitment in Iraq is changing – from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats. And as we mark the end of America's combat mission in Iraq, a grateful America must pay tribute to all who served there.

Here are the key extracts dealing with Afghanistan: