U.S. presidents says security development in Iraq ‘huge’

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday described the security development in Iraq as “huge,” noting that he is sticking to the plan to withdraw troops by 2011. This came after his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at Camp Victory near Baghdad. He told reporters that he reassured al-Maliki that the U.S. has no greediness in Iraq or its resources, reiterating what he had said last February that his country respects the Iraqi people. The president had held a meeting at the same place with his Iraqi counterpart, Jalal Talabani, and his two deputies, Adel Abdulmahdi, and Tareq al-Hashemi in addition to Deputy Prime Minister Burham Saleh. Obama had said that the coming 18 months may pose a danger to Iraq, and that the time has come to withdraw from the country. This came during his meeting with U.S. soldiers at the Victory camp neat the Baghdad airport upon his arrival in Baghdad. Obama had arrived in Baghdad earlier on Tuesday in a surprise visit to the country, his first to an Arab country since assuming office last January. SH (P)/SR 1