Vice President Joe Biden in Iraq

Vice President Biden traveled to Iraq this week to co-chair a meeting of the U.S.-Iraq higher Coordinating Committee, as well as meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, other political leaders. He also participated in an event to commemorate the sacrifices and accomplishments of U.S. and Iraqi service members before traveling to Erbil, where he met with Kurdish Regional President Masoud Barzani.

Over nearly three years in office, the Administration has kept its promises on Iraq. American forces withdrew from Iraq’s cities in July 2009. The United States ended its combat mission in Iraq on August 31, 2010, and drew down to fewer than 50,000 troops from approximately 144,000 in January 2009. And by the end of this year, in accordance with the 2008 Security Agreement between our two nations, all U.S. forces will leave Iraq.