Obama in Iraq

Obama in Baghdad, tells troops Iraq must take over

BAGHDAD – Flying unannounced into a still-dangerous war zone, President Barack Obama told U.S. troops and Iraqi officials alike Tuesday it is time to phase out America's combat role in a conflict he opposed as a candidate and has vowed to end as commander in chief.

Iraqis "need to take responsibility for their own country," Obama told hundreds of cheering soldiers gathered in an ornate, marble palace near Saddam Hussein's former seat of power.

"You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country. That is an extraordinary achievement," he told the troops, saluting their efforts during six years of American fighting and losses.

Just hours before he arrived, a deadly car bomb exploded in Baghdad, underscoring the continuing peril despite a recent decline in violence. But the mood was festive as Obama spoke to troops gathered inside an ornate, marble palace.

"We love you," someone yelled out.

"I love you back," responded the president, repeating a sequence that played out at hundreds of campaign stops on his successful run for the White House last year.

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