Its billed as an Iraq speech but thats not really what it is.

Tonight President Obama addresses the nation to mark the official end to combat operations in Iraq. intervention in Iraq is still to be determined it is possible and necessary given the implications for future interventions to attempt to tally the wars costs and benefits to the national. Political Punch Blog. The key part apparently will be a renewed call to take the fight directly to al Qaeda by finishing the job in Afghanistan.

By first light US troops were marching into Baghdad rolling into Baghdad liberators and conquerors both.

Polls conducted in August show that most Americans doubt the country has achieved its goals in Iraq and approve of the troop reductions there. Bob Woodward here here attributes it to strategic operational changes that had nothing to do. Obama employed a number of nautical metaphors about sailing through turbulent seas and storms in his speech. By nightfall Baghdad was afire swirling in a deathly orgy of looting and shooting and bloodletting.

Its hard not to examine President Obamas speech on Iraq and the economy without experiencing a sinking feeling. Political Punch Blog.

The White House sent these excerpts from President Obamas pending address to the nation on ending of combat operations in Iraq.

While thanking soldiers at Fort Bliss who served in the Iraq war for a job well done President Obama said his primetime address tonight is not going to be a victory lap.

But while the ultimate legacy of the U. David Dayen at FDL News previewed the speech earlier today by noting the following In remarks at Fort Bliss today the President.

Well why not dip some economyrhetoric chocolate into his Iraqrhetoric peanut butter Theyre two great tastes that taste not so great together actually. If he wanted to do the Dems a favor by talking about jobs why not just give.

Of course theres no doubt that violence did start to go down a great deal in Iraq about six months after the socall surge began in Iraq.