End Is Near For U.S. Combat Mission In Iraq, Says Gibbs

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs answers questions from reporters during his daily briefing on Wednesday.

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Obama: We Will Disrupt, We Will Dismantle, We Will Defeat Al-Qaeda

President Barack Obama says the United States has zero tolerance for the harboring of al-Qaeda terrorists and their extremist allies. (0:32)

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War In Iraq Nears Its End, Afghanistan Still At Risk, Says Obama

President Barack Obama reminds an audience that even though the war in Iraq is nearly over, troops remain in Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda trained and recruited terrorists responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001. (0:40)

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All American Forces Out Of Iraq By End Of 2011, Says Commander-In-Chief

President Barack Obama says that all American forces will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011 but will continue to support and train Iraqi security forces. (0:25)

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Obama: End Of Combat Mission In Iraq On Schedule

President Obama says that his August 31, 2010 deadline to end America’s combat mission in Iraq is on schedule. (0:26)

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Attacks On Americans In Iraq Have Decreased Drastically, Says Top Commander

During an address in Washington, D.C., head of U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus says the number of daily attacks on Americans in Iraq has gone down from 220 attacks a day, to nowadays between 15 or 16 attacks per day. Petraeus says this gradual decrease has occurred over the past several months. (0:20)
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Troops in Iraq Cut To 50,000 By September, Says U.S. Army Commander

Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Army said on Tuesday that forces in Iraq are expected to be reduced from 97,000 to 50,000 by the end of August. (0:49)

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Obama Administration Should Defer To U.S. Generals In Iraq On Issue Of Withdrawing Troops

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says the Obama administration should base its decision to withdraw U.S. troops on what Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. general in Iraq, says. (0:48)
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Training Afghan Police Should Be DOD's Responsibility, Says Independent Inspector General For Iraq Reconstruction

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen says during a hearing Monday that it was the policymakers' decision to decide if the State Department was doing an adequate job in the rebuilding of Afghanistan's police force. He says that view hasn't changed, and says his commission's recommendation to transition power from the State to the Department of Defense still stands. (0:18)
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Veterans Affairs Secretary Says Troops Are Returning Home With 'Invisible Wounds'

“Invisible wounds are as debilitating as the physical trauma sustained on those battlefields," said Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki during a mental health summit in Washington, D.C. "Warriors suffer emotional injuries just as they do physical ones.” (0:19)

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Iraqi Politician Says Country's Security Is Temporary

Iraqi Front for National Dialogue leader Saleh Muhamed al-Mutlaq says Iraqi security cannot last with present pressures from neighboring countries. (0:35)
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Ambassador Says U.S. Needs to Watch Iraq In Coming Months

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill said during his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that while U.S. troops are slated to slowly leave Iraq, the U.S. still needs to maintain effective relations with the country. (0:36)
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Exposure To Toxic Chemical In Iraq Was Preventable, Says U.S. Soldier

Rocky Bixby, a former staff sergeant of the Oregon Army National Guard, says he is disturbed by the fact that his exposure to a highly toxic chemical in Iraq, sodium dichromate, was preventable. He says he and his fellow soldiers could have used protective gear for toxic environments, but no one warned them of the substance's dangers. (0:26)
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U.S. Soldier Explains Exposure To Toxic Chemical

Russell Powell, a former staff sergeant of the West Virginia Army National Guard, explains the thick orange powder, now known to be the highly toxic chemical sodium dichromate, he was exposed to at the Qarmat Ali water injection facility in Iraq. (0:20)
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Iraqi Troops Can Handle Security Says Maliki

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki assures the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that U.S. troops are no longer needed in Iraq. “Iraqi troops were able to maintain security and law and order, and this is a result of joint efforts,” he says. (0:30)
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Kerry Says Maliki Believes Iraq Has No More Need For American Troops

“He made it very clear to the committee that he envisions no reason at all at this time, and can’t really envision it in the future by which he would ask for American troops to remain,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. (0:24)
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Iraq Wants UN Sanctions Lifted Says Maliki

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expresses his "strong desire" for the removal of UN Chapter 7 sanctions imposed on Iraq. “Iraq now does not represent any threat to peace and security,” he says. (0:23)
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U.S. Inaction Toward North Korea Inspired Iran's Nuclear Ambitions, Says Expert

David Menashri, Director for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University, explains how U.S. inaction toward North Korea may have lead to Iran's nuclear ambitions. As the third country named in Bush's "axis of evil," Menashri explains, Iran felt that the best way to defend itself was to develop nuclear technology and stall U.S. military involvement. (0:55)
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Petraeus: 'You Gotta Beat The Bad Guys To The Headlines'

General David Petraeus, Commander of the U.S Central Command, mentioned cooperation with the media as an essential part of the fight against terrorism and insurgencies. Petraeus explained that the U.S military should be the first to make a truthful announcement to the media before the terrorists or insurgents do, so as to prevent propaganda. (0:36)
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Petraeus: Cooperation With The Afghan Populations Crucial

General David Petraeus, Commander of the U.S Central Command, talks about the role of the military amongst the populations of the countries in which U.S troops are stationed. Petraeus says that troops must make sure the populations in areas where insurgents hide do not think the U.S military are against them but rather serving them, and that protection of the civilians must remain a priority, no matter what the conditions are like. (0:40)
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