White House condemns Iraqi violence, pledges security assistance

October 6th, 2009 Obama offers assurances to Iraqi presidentWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is assuring the president of Iraq that the U.S. remains committed to working with Iraq to promote its security, political progress and economic development.

August 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US strongly condemned the wave of bombings that took place in Baghdad Wednesday and killed at least 90 people, while expressing confidence that Iraqi forces are capable of providing security. "These terrorist attacks are an attempt to undermine the progress that Iraqi institutions and security forces have worked hard to achieve," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

July 22nd, 2009 Obama says transition in Iraq going wellWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says there's been good cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi forces following the end of U.S.

July 22nd, 2009 Obama says US on schedule to leave Iraq by 2011WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday that despite continuing violence in Iraq, the U.S. is on schedule to remove all troops by the end of 2011.

July 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama called for greater reconciliation between Iraq's ethnic groups during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the White House Wednesday. Coming to agreements on contentious issues is essential to a unified Iraq and its stability in the future as US forces increasingly turn responsibility for security over to the Iraqis, Obama said.

July 22nd, 2009 Obama says US will keep pledge to leave IraqWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says violence will continue in Iraq, but that the insurgents will fail. Obama met Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (NEW-ree ahl MAHL-eh-key) at the White House.

July 21st, 2009 UN chief condemns looting of Somali officesUNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the looting of two United Nations offices in southern Somalia and pledged to continue to help the war-ravaged country emerge from decades of violence. The U.N. refugee agency said the looting had paralyzed its aid operations in the region.

July 15th, 2009 Obama, Iraqi prime minister to meet next weekWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will meet at the White House next week with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. A statement announcing next Wednesday's visit says the countries are "close partners" in building a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq.

July 2nd, 2009 White House: VP Biden has traveled to IraqWASHINGTON — The White House says Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq. He's there to visit U.S.

June 30th, 2009 White House: US pullback important step forwardWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that "Iraq's future is in the hands of its own people," warning of more violence in the days ahead but signaling optimism that Iraq will prevail as a stable, sovereign nation. "The Iraqi people are rightly treating this as a cause for celebration," Obama said, marking Tuesday's withdrawal of U.S.

June 28th, 2009 US commander: Iraqi troops ready for city securityWASHINGTON — The top U.S. commander in Iraq says he believes Iraqi forces are ready to take over when American combat troops pull out of Baghdad and other cities by Tuesday.

June 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US military believes there will be an upsurge in violence in Iraq ahead of the planned withdrawal of its forces from major Iraqi cities at the end of this month. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters Wednesday that violence in Iraq had typically spiked ahead of key dates such as elections and predicted the same for the June 30 pullout.

June 20th, 2009 Iraq calls US pullback from cities 'big victory'BAGHDAD — Iraq's prime minister says the withdrawal of U.S. troops from urban areas by the end of this month will be a "big victory" for the nation.

May 30th, 2009 US condemns bombing of Iranian mosqueWASHINGTON — The United States condemned an attack on a mosque in southeastern Iran that killed 25 people. Iran had blamed Israel and the U.S.

May 10th, 2009 US House speaker in Iraq for 1-day visitBAGHDAD — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a surprise one-day visit to Baghdad Sunday to meet with the prime minister and discuss U.S.-Iraqi relations, Iraqi and U.S.