Obama meets Odierno to discuss mission change in Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. President Barack Obama met Thursday morning with General Ray Odierno in the Oval Office to discuss the mission change in Iraq, Fox News reported. According to White House spokesman Bill Burton, General Odierno gave a “positive assessment” of the security conditions on the ground and the transition effort. The general is tasked with assessing the pace at which US troops will withdraw from Iraq. The Obama administration’s deadline is the end of August and White House officials say the everything is on schedule. Critics note that a delay in certifying election results and a recent uptick in violence may undermine the American administration’s exit plans. SH (P) 1