President Barack Obama gave these remarks in Washington, DC

President Obama. Good afternoon, everybody. As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end—for the sake of our national security and to strengthen American leadership around the world. After taking office, I announced a new strategy that would end our combat mission in Iraq and remove all of our troops by the end of 2011.

As Commander-in-Chief, ensuring the success of this strategy has been one of my highest national security priorities. Last year, I announced the end to our combat mission in Iraq. And to date, we've removed more than 100,000 troops. Iraqis have taken full responsibility for their country's security.

A few hours ago I spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki. I reaffirmed that the United States keeps its commitments. He spoke of the determination of the Iraqi people to forge their own future. We are in full agreement about how to move forward.

So today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over.

Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq—tens of thousands of them—will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. The last American soldier[s] will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end.

But even as we mark this important milestone, we're also moving into a new phase in the relationship between the United States and Iraq. As of January 1st, and in keeping with our Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq, it will be a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect.

In today's conversation, Prime Minister Maliki and I agreed that a meeting of the Higher Coordinating Committee of the Strategic Framework Agreement will convene in the coming weeks. And I invited the Prime Minister to come to the White House in December, as we plan for all the important work that we have to do together. This will be a strong and enduring partnership. With our diplomats and civilian advisors in the lead, we'll help Iraqis strengthen institutions that are just, representative and accountable. We'll build new ties of trade and of commerce, culture and education, that unleash the potential of the Iraqi people. We'll partner with an Iraq that contributes to regional security and peace, just as we insist that other nations respect Iraq's sovereignty.

As I told Prime Minister Maliki, we will continue discussions on how we might help Iraq train and equip its forces—again, just as we offer training and assistance to countries around the world. After all, there will be some difficult days ahead for Iraq, and the United States will continue to have an interest in an Iraq that is stable, secure and self-reliant. Just as Iraqis have persevered through war, I'm confident that they can build a future worthy of their history as a cradle of civilization.

Here at home, the coming months will be another season of homecomings. Across America, our servicemen and women will be reunited with their families. Today, I can say that our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays.

This December will be a time to reflect on all that we've been though in this war. I'll join the American people in paying tribute to the more than 1 million Americans who have served in Iraq. We'll honor our many wounded warriors and the nearly 4,500 American patriots—and their Iraqi and coalition partners—who gave their lives to this effort.

And finally, I would note that the end of war in Iraq reflects a larger transition. The tide of war is receding. The drawdown in Iraq allowed us to refocus our fight against al Qaeda and achieve major victories against its leadership—including Osama bin Laden. Now, even as we remove our last troops from Iraq, we're beginning to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, where we've begun a transition to Afghan security and leadership. When I took office, roughly 180,000 troops were deployed in both these wars. And by the end of this year that number will be cut in half, and make no mistake: It will continue to go down.

Meanwhile, yesterday marked the definitive end of the Qaddafi regime in Libya. And there, too, our military played a critical role in shaping a situation on the ground in which the Libyan people can build their own future. Today, NATO is working to bring this successful mission to a close.

So to sum up, the United States is moving forward from a position of strength. The long war in Iraq will come to an end by the end of this year. The transition in Afghanistan is moving forward, and our troops are finally coming home. As they do, fewer deployments and more time training will help keep our military the very best in the world. And as we welcome home our newest veterans, we'll never stop working to give them and their families the care, the benefits and the opportunities that they have earned.

This includes enlisting our veterans in the greatest challenge that we now face as a nation—creating opportunity and jobs in this country. Because after a decade of war, the nation that we need to build—and the nation that we will build—is our own; an America that sees its economic strength restored just as we've restored our leadership around the globe.

Thank you very much.

Vice President Joe Biden made the following remarks in Baghdad, Iraq

Vice President Biden. Mr. Prime Minister, my distinguished colleagues, as I stated at the outset, both our countries are now launching on a new phase of this relationship. What we discussed here today was not totally new, but what we discussed here today was a way forward.

We will continue to keep our promises as we have thus far. We will in fact, as I said at the outset, draw down our military forces by the end of December in agreement with the so-called SOFA that was signed some years ago. And we're embarking on a new—and I think we learned today, or we discussed today a new and a comprehensive civilian relationship between the United States and Iraq as sovereign partners in a way that will benefit, as I said at the outset, not only Iraq but the region and in turn the world.

Our civilian mission in Iraq—I think it's worth saying this—is sized. It is big, as the Foreign Minister said. But it's sized to meet the request and the obligations and the promises we've made. The reason it's as big as it is, and I say this for American audiences as well as Iraqi audiences is because in order to fully meet the obligations that the strategic framework agreement calls for, in order for Iraq to meet its incredible promise, incredible opportunities that it has before it, that we will have in country, on hand for direct relationships—and the last thing we just discussed is how can we make these coordinating meetings more available, more regularized and more engaging because there's so much opportunity and so much work to be done. So we will have in country, which we don't in every country, on hand experts, U.S. experts in every one of the fields that we discussed here today.

It is not a matter of us having the luxury of being able to send—or Iraq—diplomats and experts back and forth across the world. If we're going to get this job done together, we need to have people on the spot, on the job, in place, immediately accessible for meetings and emergencies relating to their areas they're concerned with in a matter of hours, not a matter of weeks’ planning. So that's the reason why we're going to have in country not only diplomatic experts but experts on trade, agriculture, education, health care, transportation, rule of law, energy, security and the list goes on because I don't know about you, Mr. Prime Minister, but occasionally I at home have to explain why we have such a large embassy here. Why.

We are here for one reason and only one reason: to assist in the development of the capacity of this great nation. Because as you develop, as you reach your potential which has been stinted by—stunted by Saddam and terror following it, it is good for the whole world, it will bring stability to this region. That is our sole interest in Iraq. Period. End of story.

And so in the coming months, the various joint coordinating committees in order to implement what we've set out here, as the Foreign Minister said earlier, is going to require some traditional, normal written agreements that accommodate all of the people we have here. And we appreciate that cooperation. We appreciate that is not—that's what normally occurs where we have these bilateral relationships. But it just is bigger here because the need is greater and the request is more consequential.

As we have seen today our relationship continues to evolve in a positive way, notwithstanding the naysayers in your country and the naysayers in our country. Every year, every visit I have made here, the cooperation evolves—is more positive. It has. It's difficult. But it is constantly moving in a direction that is forward.

We've in both our countries had to overcome certain misperceptions in both our countries, and we'll continue to have to do that. In my country some question, is this worth it? Why are we continuing to expend so much energy and money? In your country I'm sure it's the same thing you hear. Why do you need these guys? Why do you want them around?

The truth of the matter is—the truth of the matter is I think you have demonstrated and we have demonstrated jointly that it's worth it. It is worth it as costly and as difficult and sometimes as controversial as it is.

An example, the first meeting of this joint committee, this high committee was one that took place in January of 2009 at the time the SOFA was put forward. If I'm not mistaken, you and your colleagues suggested, Mr. Prime Minister, that it couldn't just be about security. It had to be more. And so we set this committee up—not this committee, we agreed on having a long-term, strategic agreement that went well beyond security. So the first meeting took place in January of 2009. The number of committees that existed under this umbrella committee were relatively small. It met then again in July of 2009 in a new administration.

If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Prime Minister, it was your suggestion and a very good one that we increase—we increase the interchange that this committee had, increase the areas of—that this committee was going to cover. It was suggested that we talk about student visas. It was suggested that we expand and have a committee relating to trade and commerce, et cetera. It continued to grow. It continued to expand as the needs became apparent and the help was available.

Today, in this meeting, the Foreign Minister and our ambassador agreed that, well, we should have another committee—another committee within this committee based on security.

The point I'm trying to make is both our people should understand that this is of the mutual benefit to each of us and to the region, and as it continues to grow, the opportunities—we stand ready to the extent that you want assistance. We stand ready to be of assistance with expertise that we have. Had you not been under the thumb of Saddam Hussein for so long and the victim of terror for so long, you would not need this help. You all have the capacity. You all have the capacity to do everything that need be done here. But as one of you said today, you're kind of starting from scratch. There has not been the availability of these institutions to have developed and changed and grown over the past half a century as they have in our country. We have no doubt that your capacity is as unlimited as your natural resources.

As was pointed out here today, already a great deal has been done. Most people in both—I'll speak for my country. Most people in our country think that bulk of what we've done relates to security. Well, as was pointed out by our colleagues today, the United States has completed nearly 1,800 projects in Iraq's health sector valued at over $800 million—close to $1 billion—renovating 133 primary health care centers; providing critical emergency maternity care, along with medical and dental equipment. With the government of Iraq, we've jointly built, renovated and expanded hospitals in Basra, Baku [sic] and so on throughout this country. We've just launched a $74 million project to improve primary health care at 360 clinics in over 18 provinces. That has nothing to do with self-interest. It has to do with the needs of the people of Iraq because for you to reach your potential, you not only need an educated population but a healthy population. So I admit most of this is directed—what I'm saying today—toward my citizens.

The United States government has invested over $100 million in Iraq's transportation infrastructure, helping update regulations and standards in Iraq's civilian aviation authority. Iraq's civilian air traffic controllers—$60 million; dispatching systems for the Iraqi railways, et cetera.

So the generic point that I want to make is the one you all have made, and we've it made in private, but the press should know—the press should know that this is about developing a people's capacity, it's about developing what every people in the world are entitled to, the opportunity to choose their own future and have a chance to realize their great potential.

So I want to thank everyone involved in preparing for this meeting. It's clear that a lot of work remains to be done to make it a success. I've been impressed as I've just outlined by the progress that has been made to date, and I expect even greater progress to come. Now it's time for us to get to work in the coming months the various joint coordinating committees are going to meet and meet more regularly in order to implement the plans we've discussed here today. The menu is very large, very large. The opportunities are immense.

As you've heard we have big plans. Just to cite a few. We're going to continue to expand our trade engagement, working hard to connect U.S. and Iraqi businesses in order to benefit the economies of both our countries, as well as connecting the rest of the world's businesses with Iraq. We don't look at this as an opportunity for the United States to have business opportunities. Again, everyone will benefit the more engaged, the more countries, the more Arab, as well as non-Arab countries that are engaged in—and European countries engaged with Iraq.

The fact is that we are demonstrating our commitment, 85 American companies are going to—with a market capitalization of $1 trillion recently participated in a trade fair here in Baghdad. We're going to expand exchange opportunities to connect agro-entrepreneurs with U.S. counterparts to improve agriculture as was mentioned here earlier today. We're going to collaborate to improve, as was your idea in 2009, Mr. Prime Minister, that we should have a joint committee on local law enforcement and police training. We're going to launch a new security, defense and joint coordinating committee to serve as an important forum for determining the future contours of our security relationship, made jointly and made as equal sovereigns.

As I stated before, our nations are embarking on a new phase of our relationship. Our military forces are going to draw down. There will still be security concerns, but we are confident your government is fully capable of handling those internal security concerns. And by far from leaving Iraq, the United States is going to deepen our engagement with you as we build a comprehensive relationship with a sovereign power.

And under the leadership of our able ambassador, in my view one of the best ambassadors—I mean this sincerely, I've been doing this a long time, Mr. Prime Minister, you have gotten our best, our very best in Ambassador Jeffrey; and you know you got our best in General Austin.

And under their leadership, under Jeffrey's leadership now, his mission as I said is going to be staffed by serious, serious, serious civilian experts at his disposal and at your disposal as you wish them—only if you wish them.

The next milestone in what will be a historic month in our relationship will come in less than two weeks when you and President Obama and I—when President Obama and I welcome you, Mr. Prime Minister, and your delegation to Washington.

Mr. Prime Minister, the President and I—and I speak for the President—we very much look forward to your visit. And we thank you and the Iraq government for your leadership. And we look forward—we look forward to building a mature 21st century relationship with a nation that has much, much to contribute to the world and to the region.

Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister.

President Barack Obama and Prime Mininster Nuri al-Maliki gave the following remarks in Washington, DC

President Obama. Please have a seat. Good afternoon, everyone.

When I took office, nearly 150,000 American troops were deployed in Iraq, and I pledged to end this war, responsibly. Today, only several thousand troops remain there, and more are coming home every day.

This is a season of homecomings, and military families across America are being reunited for the holidays. In the coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq, with honor and with their heads held high. After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq ends this month.

Today, I'm proud to welcome Prime Minister Maliki—the elected leader of a sovereign, self-reliant and democratic Iraq. We're here to mark the end of this war; to honor the sacrifices of all those who made this day possible; and to turn the page—begin a new chapter in the history between our countries—a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect.

Iraq faces great challenges, but today reflects the impressive progress that Iraqis have made. Millions have cast their ballots—some risking or giving their lives—to vote in free elections. The Prime Minister leads Iraq's most inclusive government yet. Iraqis are working to build institutions that are efficient and independent and transparent.

Economically, Iraqis continue to invest in their infrastructure and development. And I think it's worth considering some remarkable statistics. In the coming years, it's estimated that Iraq's economy will grow even faster than China's or India's. With oil production rising, Iraq is on track to once again be one of the region's leading oil producers.

With respect to security, Iraqi forces have been in the lead for the better part of three years—patrolling the streets, dismantling militias, conducting counterterrorism operations. Today, despite continued attacks by those who seek to derail Iraq's progress, violence remains at record lows.

And, Mr. Prime Minister, that's a tribute to your leadership and to the skill and the sacrifices of Iraqi forces.

Across the region, Iraq is forging new ties of trade and commerce with its neighbors, and Iraq is assuming its rightful place among the community of nations. For the first time in two decades, Iraq is scheduled to host the next Arab League Summit, and what a powerful message that will send throughout the Arab world. People throughout the region will see a new Iraq that's determining its own destiny—a country in which people from different religious sects and ethnicities can resolve their differences peacefully through the democratic process.

Mr. Prime Minister, 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.

And 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. Simply put, we are building a comprehensive partnership.

Mr. Prime Minister, you've said that Iraqis seek democracy, “a state of citizens and not sects.” So we're partnering to strengthen the institutions upon which Iraq's democracy depends—free elections, a vibrant press, a strong civil society, professional police and law enforcement that uphold the rule of law, an independent judiciary that delivers justice fairly, and transparent institutions that serve all Iraqis.

We're partnering to expand our trade and commerce. We'll make it easier for our businesses to export and innovate together. We'll share our experiences in agriculture and in health care. We'll work together to develop Iraq's energy sector even as the Iraqi economy diversifies, and we'll deepen Iraq's integration into the global economy.

We're partnering to expand the ties between our citizens, especially our young people. Through efforts like the Fulbright program, we're welcoming more Iraqi students and future leaders to America to study and form friendships that will bind our nations together for generations to come. And we'll forge more collaborations in areas like science and technology.

We'll partner for our shared security. Mr. Prime Minister, we discussed how the United States could help Iraq train and equip its forces—not by stationing American troops there or with U.S. bases in Iraq—those days are over—but rather, the kind of training and assistance we offer to other countries. Given the challenges we face together in a rapidly changing region, we also agreed to establish a new, formal channel of communication between our national security advisors.

And finally, we're partnering for regional security. For just as Iraq has pledged not to interfere in other nations, other nations must not interfere in Iraq. Iraq's sovereignty must be respected. And meanwhile, there should be no doubt, the drawdown in Iraq has allowed us to refocus our resources, achieve progress in Afghanistan, put al Qaeda on the path to defeat, and to better prepare for the full range of challenges that lie ahead.

So make no mistake, our strong presence in the Middle East endures, and the United States will never waver in defense of our allies, our partners, or our interests.

This is the shared vision that Prime Minister Maliki and I reaffirm today—an equal partnership, a broad relationship that advances the security, the prosperity and the aspirations of both our people.

Mr. Prime Minister, you've said it yourself—building a strong and “durable relationship between our two countries is vital.” And I could not agree more.

So this is a historic moment. A war is ending. A new day is upon us. And let us never forget those who gave us this chance—the untold number of Iraqis who've given their lives; more than one million Americans, military and civilian, who have served in Iraq; nearly 4,500 fallen Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion; tens of thousands of wounded warriors, and so many inspiring military families. They are the reason that we can stand here today. And we owe it to every single one of them—we have a moral obligation to all of them—to build a future worthy of their sacrifice. Mr. Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Al-Maliki. –positive atmosphere that prevailed among us, and for the obligations, the common obligations, of ending the war, and the commitment to which the American forces will withdraw from Iraq, which is a withdrawal that affects—that indicates success, and not like others have said that it was negative, but the goals that we established were achieved.

Iraq had a political process established, a democratic process, and adoption of the principles of elections and the transfer—peaceful transfer of authority. Iraq is following a policy, a foreign policy, which does not intervene in the affairs of others and does not allow the others to intervene in its own affairs. Iraq is looking for common grounds with the others, and establishes its interest at the forefront and the interest of the others, which it is concerned about, like from any confusion.

Your Excellency, today we meet in Washington after we have completed the first page of a constructive cooperation in which we also thank you and appreciate you for your commitment to everything that you have committed yourself to. And 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. It only started when we signed in 2008, in addition to the withdrawal treaty, the Strategic Framework Agreement for the relationship between our two countries.

And because we have proven success in the first mission, a very unique success—nobody imagined that we would succeed in defeating terrorism and the al Qaeda—we must also establish the necessary steps in order to succeed in our second stage, which is the dual relationship under the Strategic Framework Agreement, in the economic sphere, as well as in educational and commercial and cultural and judicial and security cooperation fields.

Iraq now has become—reliant completely on its own security apparatus and internal security as a result of the expertise that it gained during the confrontations and the training and the equipping. But it remains in need of cooperation with the United States of America in security issues and information and combating terrorism, and in the area of training and the area of equipping, which is needed by the Iraqi army. And we have started that. And we want to complete the process of equipping the Iraqi army in order to protect our sovereignty, and does not violate the rights of anybody—or do not take any missions that sovereignty of others.

Today, the joint mission is to establish the mechanisms and the commitments that will expedite our—we have reached an agreement, and we have held a meeting for the higher joint committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Biden, the Vice President, and myself in Baghdad, and we spoke about all the details that would put the framework agreement into implementation.

And here we talked about it and its activation. And there will be other discussions and other meetings with the higher committee here in Washington in order to put the final touches regarding the necessary mechanisms for cooperation and achieving the common vision that we followed, which was based on our common wills and political independent decision, and the desire to respect the sovereignty of each other.

And we feel that we need political cooperation as well, in addition to cooperating in the security and economic and commercial fields. We need a political cooperation, particularly with regard to the matters that are common and are of concern for us as two parties that want to cooperate.

The common vision that we used as a point of departure we have confirmed today. And I am very happy, every time we meet with the American side, I find determination and a strong will to activate the Strategic Framework Agreement. And I will say, frankly, this is necessary and it serves the interests of Iraq, as it is necessary and serves the interests of the United States of America.

This makes us feel that we will succeed with the same commitment, common commitment that we had in combating terrorism and accomplishing the missions, the basis of which Iraq was independent. Iraq today has a lot of wealth and it needs experience and expertise, and American and foreign expertise to help Iraq exploiting its own wealth in an ideal way. Iraq is still suffering from a shortage of resources, and we have established a strategy to increase the Iraqi wealth. And we hope that the American companies will have the largest role in increasing our wealth in the area of oil and other aspects as well.

Iraq wants to rebuild all these sectors that were harmed because of the war and because of the adventurous policies that were used by the former regime, and we need a wide range of reform in the area of education.

We have succeeded in signing several agreements through the educational initiative, which put hundreds of our college graduates to continue their graduate studies and specialized subject in American universities. And I am putting it before everyone who is watching the relationship between the U.S. and Iraq. It is a very—it has very high aspirations.

And I would like to renew my thanks for His Excellency the President for giving me this opportunity, and I wish him more success, God willing. Thank you very much.

President Obama. We have time for a few questions. I'm going to start with Ben Feller of AP.

Q. Thank you, Mr. President, and Mr. Prime Minister. Mr. President, I have two questions for you on the region. In Syria, you have called for President Assad to step down over the killing of his people, but Prime Minister Maliki has warned that Assad's removal could lead to a civil war that could destabilize the whole region. I'm wondering if you're worried that Iraq could be succumbing to Iran's influence on this matter and perhaps helping to protect Assad.

And speaking of Iran, are you concerned that it will be able to weaken America's national security by discovering intelligence from the fallen drone that it captured?

Prime Minister Maliki, I'd like to ask you the question about Syria. Why haven't you demanded that Assad step down, given the slaughter of his people?

President Obama. First of all, the Prime Minister and I discussed Syria, and we share the view that when the Syrian people are being killed or are unable to express themselves, that's a problem. There's no disagreement there.

I have expressed my outrage in how the Syrian regime has been operating. I do believe that President Assad missed an opportunity to reform his government, chose the path of repression, and has continued to engage in repressive tactics so that his credibility, his capacity to regain legitimacy inside Syria I think is deeply eroded.

It's not an easy situation. And I expressed to Prime Minister Maliki my recognition that given Syria is on Iraq's borders, Iraq is in a tough neighborhood; that we will consult closely with them as we move forward.

But we believe that international pressure, the approach we've taken along with partners around the world to impose tough sanctions and to call on Assad to step down, a position that is increasingly mirrored by the Arab League states, is the right position to take.

Even if there are tactical disagreements between Iraq and the United States at this point in how to deal with Syria, I have absolutely no doubt that these decisions are being made based on what Prime Minister Maliki believes is best for Iraq, not based on considerations of what Iran would like to see.

Prime Minister Maliki has been explicit here in the United States, he's been explicit back in Iraq in his writings, in his commentary, that his interest is maintaining Iraqi sovereignty and preventing meddling by anybody inside of Iraq. And I believe him. And he has shown himself to be willing to make very tough decisions in the interest of Iraqi nationalism even if they cause problems with his neighbor.

And so we may have some different tactical views in terms of how best to transition to an inclusive, representative government inside of Syria, but every decision that I believe Prime Minister Maliki is making he is making on the basis of what he thinks is best for the Iraqi people. And everything that we've seen in our interactions with Prime Minister Maliki and his government over the last several years would confirm that.

With respect to the drone inside of Iran, I'm not going to comment on intelligence matters that are classified. As has already been indicated, we have asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond.

Prime Minister Al-Maliki. —difficult in Syria, and perhaps in other states as well. But I know that peoples must get their freedom and their will and democracy and equal citizenship. We are with these rights, the rights of people and with their wills because we have achieved that ourselves. And if we could compare Iraq today with the past, we find that there is a great difference in democracy and elections and freedom.

Therefore, we honor the aspirations of the Syrian people. But I cannot have—I do not have the right to ask a president to abdicate. We must play this role, and we cannot give ourselves this right.

Iraq is a country that is bordering on Syria, and I am concerned about the interest of Iraq and the interest of the security of the region. And I wish that what is required by the Syrian people would be achieved without affecting the security of Iraq. And I know the two countries are related to each other, and we must be very prudent in dealing with this matter.

We were with the initiative by the Arab League. But, frankly speaking, because we suffered from the blockade and the military interventions, we do not encourage a blockade because it exhausts the people and the government. But we stood with the Arab League, and we were very frank with ourselves when they visited us in Baghdad, and we agreed on an initiative. Perhaps it will be the last initiative that we'll see in this situation and will achieve the required change in Syria without any violent operations that could affect the area in general.

I believe that the parties, all the parties realize the dangers of a sectarian war in Iraq, in Syria, and in the region, because it will be like a snowball that it will expand and it will be difficult to control it.

We will try to reach a solution, and I discussed the matter with His Excellency, the President, President Obama, and the Secretary General of the Arab League. And there is agreement even from the Syrian opposition, who are leading the opposition in Syria, to search for a solution. If we can reach a solution, it will avoid all the evils and the dangers. And if we don't, there must be another way to reach a solution that will calm the situation in Syria and in the area in general.

Q. —establish a new relationship—to establish the characteristics of a new relationship with the United States after the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Iraq? Relying on the Strategic Framework Agreement, have you reached a specific mechanism for the implementation of the framework agreement? Your Excellency, President Obama, you said that there will be long-range relationships with Iraq. Can you tell us exactly, will Iraq be an ally of the United States or just a friend, or will have a different type of relationship? Thank you very much.

Prime Minister Al-Maliki. Definitely, without mechanisms, we will not be able to achieve anything we have. These mechanisms will control our continuous movement. Therefore, the framework agreement has a higher committee, or a joint committee from the two countries that meets regularly, and it has representatives from all the sectors that we want to develop relationship in—commerce, industry, agriculture, economy, security.

So the joint higher committee is the mechanism in which the ideas will be reached in relationship between the ministries that will implement what is agreed upon. We believe through these two mechanisms, the mechanism of the joint committee and the mechanism of contact between each minister and his counterpart, we will achieve success, and this will expedite achieving our goal.

President Obama. As the Prime Minister described, I think our goal is to have a comprehensive relationship with Iraq. And what that means is, is that on everything from expanding trade and commerce, to scientific exchanges, to providing assistance as Iraq is trying to make sure that electricity and power generation is consistent for its people, to joint exercises militarily—to a whole range of issues, we want to make sure that there is a constant communication between our governments; that there are deep and rich exchanges between our two governments—and between our peoples—because what's happened over the last several years has linked the United States and Iraq in a way that is potentially powerful and could end up benefiting not only America and Iraq but also the entire region and the entire world.

It will evolve over time. What may be discovered is, is that there are certain issues that Prime Minister Maliki and his government think are especially important right now—for example, making sure that oil production is ramped up, and we are helping to encourage global investment in that sector.

I know that the Prime Minister has certain concerns right now, militarily, that five years from now or 10 years from now, when the Iraqi air force is fully developed or the Iraqi navy is fully developed, he has less concern about.

Our goal is simply to make sure that Iraq succeeds, because we think a successful, democratic Iraq can be a model for the entire region. We think an Iraq that is inclusive and brings together all people—Sunni, Shia, Kurd—together to build a country, to build a nation, can be a model for others that are aspiring to create democracy in the region.

And so we've got an enormous investment of blood and treasure in Iraq, and we want to make sure that, even as we bring the last troops out, that it's well understood both in Iraq and here in the United States that our commitment to Iraq's success is going to be enduring.

Christi Parsons.

Q. Thank you [] Mr. President, could you also address how convinced you are that the Maliki government is ready to govern the country and protect the gains that have been made there in recent years? I also wonder if, on this occasion, you still think of this as “a dumb war”?

President Obama. [] I think history will judge the original decision to go into Iraq. But what's absolutely clear is, as a consequence of the enormous sacrifices that have been made by American soldiers and civilians—American troops and civilians—as well as the courage of the Iraqi people, that what we have now achieved is an Iraq that is self-governing, that is inclusive, and that has enormous potential.

There are still going to be challenges. And I think the Prime Minister is the first one to acknowledge those challenges. Many of them, by the way, are economic. After many years of war and, before that, a brutal regime, it's going to take time to further develop civil society, further develop the institutions of trade and commerce and the free market, so that the extraordinary capacity of the Iraqi people is fully realized. But I have no doubt that Iraq can succeed.

With respect to security issues, look, when I came into office, I said we're going to do this in a deliberate fashion. We're going to make sure that we leave Iraq responsibly, and that's exactly what we've done. We did it in phases. And because we did it in phases, we were continually able to build up Iraqi forces to a point where when we left the cities, violence didn't go up in the cities; when we further reduced our footprint, violence didn't go up. And I have no doubt that that will continue.

First question you had had to do with what footprint is left. We're taking all of our troops out of Iraq. We will not have any bases inside of Iraq. We will have a strong diplomatic presence inside of Iraq. We've got an embassy there that is going to be carrying out a lot of the functions of this ongoing partnership and executing on the Strategic Framework Agreement.

We will be working to set up effective military-to-military ties that are no different from the ties that we have with countries throughout the region and around the world. The Iraqi government has already purchased F-16s from us. We've got to train their pilots and make sure that they're up and running and that we have an effective Iraqi air force.

We both have interests in making sure that the sea lanes remain open in and around Iraq and throughout the region, and so there may be occasion for joint exercises. We both have interests in counterterrorism operations that might undermine Iraqi sovereignty but also could affect U.S. interests, and we'll be working together on those issues.

But what we are doing here today, and what we'll be executing over the next several months, is a normalization of the relationship. We will have a strong friend and partner in Iraq; they will have a strong friend and partner in us, but as one based on Iraqi sovereignty and one based on equal partnerships of mutual interest and mutual respect. And I'm absolutely confident that we're going to be able to execute that over the long term.

While I'm at it, since this may be the last question I receive, I just want to acknowledge—none of this would have been successful, obviously, without our extraordinary men and women in uniform. And I'm very grateful for the Prime Minister asking to travel to Arlington to recognize those sacrifices.

There are also some individuals here who've been doing a bang-up job over the last year to help bring us to this day. And I just want to acknowledge General Lloyd Austin, who was a warrior and, turns out, is also a pretty good diplomat—as well as Ambassador Jim Jeffreys [sic]. Both of them have done extraordinary work on the ground, partnering with their Iraqi counterparts.

And I'm going to give a special shout-out to my friend and partner, Joe Biden, who I think ever since I came in has helped to establish high-level, strong links and dialogue between the United States and Iraq, through some difficult times. And I think Prime Minister Maliki would agree that the Vice President's investment in making this successful has been hugely important.

Q. Mr. Prime Minister, you stated that there is cooperation in the area of armament. Can you tell us the amount of military cooperation between the United States and Baghdad in this area? Specifically, have you received any promises from President Obama in this regard, specifically—of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad? There is argument going on inside Iraqi politician now regarding the size—it's 15,000. And I wonder if you discussed with Prime Minister to reduce the number of the diplomats. Thank you.

Prime Minister Al-Maliki. Definitely, we have raised the issue of Iraqi need for weapons, for aerial protection and naval and ground protection. We have a lot of weapons, American weapons, and it requires trainers. And we received promises for cooperation from His Excellency the President for some weapons that Iraq is asking for, especially those related to its protection of its airspace. And we hope that the Congress will approve another group of F-16 airplanes to Iraq because our air force was destroyed completely during the war that Iraq entered into.

And this is not all. We also need technical equipment related to the security field. These are issues that are being discussed by the concerned people in both countries, between the ministers of defense and interior, with their counterparts in the United States, and we received promises and facilitations. And we agreed on how to make this relationship continuous in the security field, because both of us need each other and need cooperation, especially in chasing al Qaeda, which we started and was not defeated anywhere except in Iraq. And we hope to cooperate with all those who feel the dangers of this organization—to cooperate with us as well.

President Obama. Our view is a sovereign Iraq that can protect its borders, protect its airspace, protect its people. And our security cooperation with other countries I think is a model for our security cooperation with Iraq. We don't want to create big footprints inside of Iraq—and that's I think demonstrated by what will happen at the end of this month, which is we're getting our troops out. But we will have a very active relationship, military-to-military, that will hopefully enhance Iraqi capabilities and will assure that we've got a strong partner in the region that is going to be effective.

With respect to the embassy, the actual size of our embassy with respect to diplomats is going to be comparable to other countries’ that we think are important around the world. There are still some special security needs inside of Iraq that make the overall number larger. And we understand some questions have been raised inside of Iraq about that.

Look, we're only a few years removed from an active war inside of Iraq. I think it's fair to say that there are still some groups, although they are greatly weakened, that might be tempted to target U.S. diplomats, or civilians who are working to improve the performance of the power sector inside of Iraq or are working to help train agricultural specialists inside of Iraq. And as President of the United States, I want to make sure that anybody who is out in Iraq trying to help the Iraqi people is protected.

Now, as this transition proceeds, it may turn out that the security needs for our diplomats and for our civilians gradually reduces itself, partly because Iraq continues to make additional progress. But I think the Iraqi people can understand that, as President of the United States, if I'm putting civilians in the field in order to help the Iraqi people build their economy and improve their productivity, I want to make sure that they come home—because they are not soldiers.

So that makes the numbers larger than they otherwise would be, but the overall mission that they're carrying out is comparable to the missions that are taking place in other countries that are big, that are important, and that are friends of ours. Okay?

Secretary Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari gave these remarks in Washington, DC

Secretary Clinton. Good afternoon. It's my honor to welcome Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari and his distinguished delegation here to the third meeting of our political and diplomatic Joint Coordination Committee. We have had a series of very constructive discussions, starting at dinner last night and going through the meetings at the White House with the President, and now here at the State Department. Together, we are opening a new chapter in the relationship between Iraq and the United States under our Strategic Framework Agreement.

We believe these are truly historic days for both nations, and as we complete the withdrawal of American troops, we are defining our new partnership with a free and democratic Iraq. Our Strategic Framework Agreement commits our countries to work together on a wide range of issues, from governance and rule of law, to economics and education, to energy and the environment. And we are committed to following through. As Vice President Biden said in Baghdad two weeks ago, we intend to keep our promises.

Now, our new beginning is founded in mutual understanding, shared interests, and mutual respect for each other as sovereign equals. We share the same goal, building a self-reliant Iraq with a government that is able to serve the needs of the Iraqi people. And we have made a lot of progress together. Iraq is in charge of its own security and it stands as an important example of democracy in a region experiencing historic transformation and democratic transition.

We are very committed to doing everything we can to support this new Iraqi democracy. We are pleased by the steps being taken by the government to secure the country and to protect Iraq's minorities as well. And we are very committed to working with our friends in Iraq to create opportunities for minorities and women to participate in the life of this new country that Iraqis together are building.

Likewise, we want to help Iraq increase its voice and engagement on the regional stage. It's one of the most important countries, certainly in the Arab world and in the region. The upcoming summit of the Arab League to be held in Baghdad represents a key step in reestablishing Iraq's status in the region and in the international community.

We also want to continue working with Iraq to resolve Iraq's remaining UN Chapter 7 issues. The Joint Coordination Committee has been critical in helping meet several of the requirements, and the United States was proud to help pass three key resolutions at the UN Security Council last December that recognized Iraq's progress. We will continue working with Iraq to address the outstanding issues between Iraq and Kuwait through initiatives such as the Tripartite Commission for Gulf War Missing. We look forward to Iraq taking its rightful place and building strong, peaceful ties with its neighbors.

So the Strategic Framework Agreement provides a strong roadmap for us to work together at the highest levels. And we know that there will be challenges ahead, but we will encounter them together as strategic partners and as friends. The United States, Minister, will continue to stand with Iraq and work with the Iraqi people and your government to build a nation that is stable, secure, and prosperous.

Thank you very much.

Foreign Minister Zebari. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary. On behalf of myself and my colleague in the delegations, we want to thank you for hosting us. Iraq is committed to an enduring partnership with the United States on the basis of the Strategic Framework Agreement, which is very comprehensive, and in fact, it provides both countries ways for mutual cooperation in the future in many fields in Iraq and the United States.

Also, Madam Secretary, we think that the withdrawal of the United States forces in Iraq doesn't mean the withdrawal of U.S. presence and friendship and influence in Iraq. We believe that will continue but in different forms, not through the military means or security means, through the civilian and diplomatic means, which we will carry out. And we want to make sure that your Embassy, your missions will have a secure, healthy environment to work and operate to help us.

Also, we appreciate your help and assistance to free Iraq from the sanction regime, from the many Security Council resolutions under Chapter 7. We look forward also to you to help us to finish the remaining Chapter 7 resolutions related to the situation between Iraq and Kuwait.

And lastly, Madam Secretary, Iraq nowadays has a say in what's happening—what goes on in the region. And rest assured that Iraq will be an ally to the United States and a friend, and also committed to enduring partnership.

President Barack Obama made the following remarks at Fort Bragg, NC

President Obama. Today, I've come to speak to you about the end of the war in Iraq. Over the last few months, the final work of leaving Iraq has been done. Dozens of bases with American names that housed thousands of American troops have been closed down or turned over to the Iraqis. Thousands of tons of equipment have been packed up and shipped out. Tomorrow, the colors of United States Forces-Iraq—the colors you fought under—will be formally cased in a ceremony in Baghdad. Then they'll begin their journey across an ocean, back home.

Over the last three years, nearly 150,000 U.S. troops have left Iraq. And over the next few days, a small group of American soldiers will begin the final march out of that country. Some of them are on their way back to Fort Bragg. As General Helmick said, “They know that the last tactical road march out of Iraq will be a symbol, and they're going to be a part of history.”

As your Commander-in-Chief, I can tell you that it will indeed be a part of history. Those last American troops will move south on desert sands, and then they will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high. One of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the American military will come to an end. Iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. America's war in Iraq will be over.

Now, we knew this day would come. We've known it for some time. But still, there is something profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long.

Now, nine years ago, American troops were preparing to deploy to the Persian Gulf and the possibility that they would be sent to war. Many of you were in grade school. I was a state senator. Many of the leaders now governing Iraq—including the Prime Minister—were living in exile. And since then, our efforts in Iraq have taken many twists and turns. It was a source of great controversy here at home, with patriots on both sides of the debate. But there was one constant—there was one constant: your patriotism, your commitment to fulfill your mission, your abiding commitment to one another. That was constant. That did not change. That did not waiver.

It's harder to end a war than begin one. Indeed, everything that American troops have done in Iraq—all the fighting and all the dying, the bleeding and the building, and the training and the partnering—all of it has led to this moment of success. Now, Iraq is not a perfect place. It has many challenges ahead. But we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people. We're building a new partnership between our nations. And we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home.

This is an extraordinary achievement, nearly nine years in the making. And today, we remember everything that you did to make it possible.

We remember the early days—the American units that streaked across the sands and skies of Iraq; the battles from Karbala to Baghdad, American troops breaking the back of a brutal dictator in less than a month.

We remember the grind of the insurgency—the roadside bombs, the sniper fire, the suicide attacks. From the “triangle of death” to the fight for Ramadi; from Mosul in the north to Basra in the south—your will proved stronger than the terror of those who tried to break it.

We remember the specter of sectarian violence—al Qaeda's attacks on mosques and pilgrims, militias that carried out campaigns of intimidation and campaigns of assassination. And in the face of ancient divisions, you stood firm to help those Iraqis who put their faith in the future.

We remember the surge and we remember the Awakening—when the abyss of chaos turned toward the promise of reconciliation. By battling and building block by block in Baghdad, by bringing tribes into the fold and partnering with the Iraqi army and police, you helped turn the tide toward peace.

And we remember the end of our combat mission and the emergence of a new dawn—the precision of our efforts against al Qaeda in Iraq, the professionalism of the training of Iraqi security forces, and the steady drawdown of our forces. In handing over responsibility to the Iraqis, you preserved the gains of the last four years and made this day possible.

Just last month, some of you—members of the Falcon Brigade—turned over the Anbar Operations Center to the Iraqis in the type of ceremony that has become commonplace over these last several months. In an area that was once the heart of the insurgency, a combination of fighting and training, politics and partnership brought the promise of peace. And here's what the local Iraqi deputy governor said: “This is all because of the U.S. forces’ hard work and sacrifice.”

That's in the words of an Iraqi. Hard work and sacrifice. Those words only begin to describe the costs of this war and the courage of the men and women who fought it.

We know too well the heavy cost of this war. More than 1.5 million Americans have served in Iraq—1.5 million. Over 30,000 Americans have been wounded, and those are only the wounds that show. Nearly 4,500 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice—including 202 fallen heroes from here at Fort Bragg—202. So today, we pause to say a prayer for all those families who have lost their loved ones, for they are part of our broader American family. We grieve with them.

We also know that these numbers don't tell the full story of the Iraq war—not even close. Our civilians have represented our country with skill and bravery. Our troops have served tour after tour of duty, with precious little dwell time in between. Our Guard and Reserve units stepped up with unprecedented service. You've endured dangerous foot patrols and you've endured the pain of seeing your friends and comrades fall. You've had to be more than soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen—you've also had to be diplomats and development workers and trainers and peacemakers. Through all this, you have shown why the United States military is the finest fighting force in the history of the world.

Part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who fought it. It's not enough to honor you with words. Words are cheap. We must do it with deeds. You stood up for America; America needs to stand up for you.

That's why, as your Commander-in Chief, I am committed to making sure that you get the care and the benefits and the opportunities that you've earned. For those of you who remain in uniform, we will do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our force—including your families. We will keep faith with you.

We will help our wounded warriors heal, and we will stand by those who've suffered the unseen wounds of war. And make no mistake—as we go forward as a nation, we are going to keep America's armed forces the strongest fighting force the world has ever seen. That will not stop. But our commitment doesn't end when you take off the uniform. You're the finest that our nation has to offer. And after years of rebuilding Iraq, we want to enlist our veterans in the work of rebuilding America. That's why we're committed to doing everything we can to extend more opportunities to those who have served.

That includes the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, so that you and your families can get the education that allows you to live out your dreams. That includes a national effort to put our veterans to work. We've worked with Congress to pass a tax credit so that companies have the incentive to hire vets. And Michelle has worked with the private sector to get commitments to create 100,000 jobs for those who've served.

Policymakers and historians will continue to analyze the strategic lessons of Iraq—that's important to do. Our commanders will incorporate the hard-won lessons into future military campaigns—that's important to do. But the most important lesson that we can take from you is not about military strategy—it's a lesson about our national character.

For all of the challenges that our nation faces, you remind us that there's nothing we Americans can't do when we stick together.

For all the disagreements that we face, you remind us there's something bigger than our differences, something that makes us one nation and one people regardless of color, regardless of creed, regardless of what part of the country we come from, regardless of what backgrounds we come out of. You remind us we're one nation.

And that's why the United States military is the most respected institution in our land because you never forget that. You can't afford to forget it. If you forget it, somebody dies. If you forget it, a mission fails. So you don't forget it. You have each other's backs. That's why you, the 9/11 Generation, has earned your place in history.

Because of you—because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met, Iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny. That's part of what makes us special as Americans. Unlike the old empires, we don't make these sacrifices for territory or for resources. We do it because it's right. There can be no fuller expression of America's support for self-determination than our leaving Iraq to its people. That says something about who we are.

Because of you, in Afghanistan we've broken the momentum of the Taliban. Because of you, we've begun a transition to the Afghans that will allow us to bring our troops home from there. And around the globe, as we draw down in Iraq, we have gone after al Qaeda so that terrorists who threaten America will have no safe haven, and Osama bin Laden will never again walk the face of this Earth. So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of you, we are ending these wars in a way that will make America stronger and the world more secure. Because of you.

That success was never guaranteed. And let us never forget the source of American leadership: our commitment to the values that are written into our founding documents, and a unique willingness among nations to pay a great price for the progress of human freedom and dignity. This is who we are. That's what we do as Americans, together.

The war in Iraq will soon belong to history. Your service belongs to the ages. Never forget that you are part of an unbroken line of heroes spanning two centuries—from the colonists who overthrew an empire, to your grandparents and parents who faced down fascism and communism, to you—men and women who fought for the same principles in Fallujah and Kandahar, and delivered justice to those who attacked us on 9/11.

Looking back on the war that saved our union, a great American, Oliver Wendell Holmes, once paid tribute to those who served. “In our youth,” he said, “our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing.”

All of you here today have lived through the fires of war. You will be remembered for it. You will be honored for it—always. You have done something profound with your lives. When this nation went to war, you signed up to serve. When times were tough, you kept fighting. When there was no end in sight, you found light in the darkness.

And years from now, your legacy will endure in the names of your fallen comrades etched on headstones at Arlington, and the quiet memorials across our country; in the whispered words of admiration as you march in parades, and in the freedom of our children and our grandchildren. And in the quiet of night, you will recall that your heart was once touched by fire. You will know that you answered when your country called; you served a cause greater than yourselves; you helped forge a just and lasting peace with Iraq, and among all nations.

I could not be prouder of you, and America could not be prouder of you.

God bless you all, God bless your families, and God bless the United States of America.

Secretary Leon Panetta delivered these remarks in Baghdad, Iraq

Ambassador Daniel Fried, Special Advisor for Camp Ashraf, Iraq, gave these remarks in Washington, DC

Ambassador Fried. I'll start out with some prepared remarks and then take your questions if that's all right. Oh, and forgive me if I speak a little slowly. This is the result of Novocain and the dentist this morning.

The U.S. seeks a safe, secure, humane resolution of the impasse at Camp Ashraf. Our interest is humanitarian and independent of our views of the MEK's past record. Thanks to intense efforts by Ambassador Martin Kobler, the head of the UN Mission in Iraq, a reasonable path forward for a safe and secure relocation from Ashraf to Camp Liberty is at hand. On Christmas Day, Kobler signed with the Government of Iraq an MOU that provides details of the transfer and commitments from the Iraqi Government for the safety and security of the residents of Camp Ashraf.

The residents of Camp Ashraf will be moved from Camp Ashraf to former Camp Liberty, which used to be a U.S. military facility and is located near the Baghdad Airport. UNHCR is—will begin immediately to process these people for refugee status. At the same time, those wishing to return voluntarily to Iran as, by the way, several hundred from Ashraf have already done, will be able to do so.

The UN will conduct 24/7 monitoring at Camp Liberty—or former Camp Liberty. In addition, Embassy Baghdad will visit former Camp Liberty on a frequent basis to provide robust observation. The Government of Iraq has agreed in this MOU to the safety and security of Camp Liberty and those there and not to forcibly repatriate any resident of Camp Ashraf/former Camp Liberty to Iran. The Government of Iraq accepted many of Ambassador Kobler's suggestions, and the plan agreed now reflects major progress since the discussions began. Secretary Clinton, the EU, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have all publicly welcomed the signing of the MOU and have urged that it be implemented in good faith by all sides.

This is Iraq we're talking about, however. We must be realistic about the difficulties. We're also acutely aware of the mistrust and even animosity between the MEK and many Iraqis, given the MEK's history in Iraq. We're concerned by the recent series of rocket attacks on Ashraf and we condemn them. While these have not caused injuries or damaged property, they heighten and underscore the risks in this situation. U.S. facilities in the area have also been under attack recently.

The UN has expressed its concerns about these attacks to the Iraqi Government. We are doing so as well. Nevertheless and for—perhaps especially because of these attacks, it's important to move ahead with the MOU. We welcome the willingness expressed yesterday by the MEK to cooperate with implementation of the MOU, specifically their announcement that they are prepared to move the first 400 persons to Camp—to former Camp Liberty. That move is being prepared now.

The UN is putting its assets in place for monitoring and refugee processing. It's up to the Iraqi Government to prepare Camp Liberty, to receive the first residents of Ashraf, and this is likely to take several more days at least. It's important that this first move be followed by other moves from Ashraf to former Camp Liberty. Ashraf is relatively isolated and, frankly, less secure than Liberty will be with its UN monitoring and a frequent U.S. presence. We also hope the day-to-day issues of camp management can be worked out on the ground as, hopefully, confidence grows.

The good news is that we are finally entering a phase of implementing an agreement that's been painfully negotiated and is understood by all sides. But implementation will take sustained cooperation and patience by all. The U.S. will remain closely engaged in all stages of this process.

So with that, let me take your questions.

Q. So how many people in all are we talking about moving? You said a few hundred have gone back to Iran.

Ambassador Fried. The MEK says there are about 3,200 people at Camp Ashraf. Years ago, when the—in the early phases of the Iraq conflict, we identified about that number of people, but we don't know how many people are there now. We don't know how many have left.

Q. Why do you think the MEK has changed its tune? Have you offered them anything? Like, will it be easier for them to get off the terrorism list if they cooperate?

Ambassador Fried. We have not offered them anything, but it is, I think—and I can't read their minds, but I think that it became very clear that the United States was (A) concerned with their welfare and willing to put substantial efforts into this process, and (B) quite serious that we could do nothing if they were going to stand pat with maximalist, unachievable positions.

So I think they realized that they had a reasonable offer made by one of the strongest UN officials I've ever worked with, Ambassador Kobler. They had the full engagement of the U.S. Embassy in Ambassador Jeffrey. They had the strong interest of Secretary Clinton and other senior people in the U.S. Government. And I think they realized that now was the time to deal seriously.

Q. Does the designation affect their migration status at all, their eligibility to go to any other country, let alone the U.S.?

Ambassador Fried. One of the enduring urban legends of this process is that the MEK's current status as a foreign terrorist organization, so listed by the American Government, is in itself a great impediment to resettlement and that removing them from that list would suddenly make many more eligible that are not now eligible. That apparently, as it has been explained to me by those very familiar with American immigration laws, is not true.

The FTO designation process is quite independent from my office and what we're doing. I haven't participated in this, in the paperwork. We will—the United States will look at people at Camp Ashraf or future Camp—those who will be at former Camp Liberty on a case-by-case basis. The status of the MEK as a foreign terrorist organization is not, by itself, disqualifying to any particular individual. And removal of the MEK from that list, if it were to happen in the future, would not necessarily make eligible someone who is now statutorily ineligible.

Q. Okay. Now the UNHCR—I understand when they do their interviews, they have to be private. So they won't have like a MEK superior watching over them and hearing what they say. But this determination of which ones want to return to Iran—is that done somehow through a private interview process? Because then otherwise you might get the groupthink and the “don't say you want to go back to Iran” and the numbers would be far smaller than you'd expect maybe.

Ambassador Fried. Without getting into the details of how individuals will be processed by international organizations, it's not the U.S. doing it on the ground, I should point out. I would say that the UN and other international organizations are very well aware of the potential problem of, as you said, groupthink or group pressure, and they're very well aware of the many reports about the atmosphere at Camp Ashraf and the character of that place. And I really shouldn't say any more than that, but—

Q. Dan, have you seen these latest statements from the MEK in Paris? There was one this morning that says that they have information that the IRGC is going to launch some new rocket attacks tonight. Whether you've seen it or not, the other thing they say is that they're asking for U.S. and UN monitors at the—at Camp Ashraf until it's been emptied. Is that something from—at least from the U.S. side, is that something that you guys would be willing to consider, sending people to observe?

Ambassador Fried. The UN has said that it will monitor the former Camp Liberty. Not Ashraf; that's not your question. But they'll be at Camp Liberty on a 24/7 basis. The United States is prepared to mount a very robust monitoring—or I should say observation—a robust observation operation at the former Camp Liberty. It's not practical, for a number of logistic and security arrangements, for us to be out with anything like that intensity at Camp Ashraf, which is one of the reasons people need to think seriously about moving fast.

Q. And who runs Liberty now? Is it the Iraqi army or—

Ambassador Fried. It's an Iraqi—that's right. We turned over Camp Liberty to the Iraqi military. They're there. There have been some—a lot of discussions about the security arrangements in future Camp Liberty, and Ambassador Kobler has had these in some detail with his—with his Iraqi counterparts. It will be an Iraqi facility. It's not going to be a kind of independent, self-governed, autonomous, extraterritorial facility, which is what Camp Ashraf has been for many years.

And the—Ambassador Kobler has had extensive and detailed discussions with both the people at Camp Ashraf—well, the leaders at Camp Ashraf and with—and in Paris. So the MEK knows very well what he is—what the circumstances will be and what the arrangements are.

Q. Some of those other reports that you mentioned have also discussed potential threats to the residents of Camp Ashraf may be internal rather than external. Without going into what your assessment is of where the threats are, is it the U.S. Government sort of understanding or feeling now that the immediate threats that they may have been facing to life and limb in the camp have decreased significantly? Are they not as at-risk as they were prior to this MOU being signed?

Ambassador Fried. Well, certainly the developments of the—the good developments of the past several days—that is, the signing of the MOU and the MEK's expressed willingness to work with Ambassador Kobler on the basis of the MOU and move 400 people out—have the effect of lowering the temperature and putting us on an implementation track rather than a negotiation and imminent disaster track.

Now that's better, right? That's a better place to be, but implementation is not easy. It's fraught with the problems we can imagine and probably some we can't. So no one who's working on this issue is putting their feet up and saying, well, job is now done, we can just—it's just on autopilot. Far from it. It will take a lot of work, a lot of work.