Report: The War Is Over, Last US Troops Leave Iraq

 The IRAQ War is finally over.. or so they say..
After nearly nine long years, CBS News reported last night that the war in Iraq is officially over as the last U.S. troops left the country shouting and cheering as they crossed the border into Kuwait. President Obama said early on in his term that it was his mission to pull troops out of Iraq, bring our soldiers home and end the war that took at least 4,500 American (32,000 wounded) and 100,000 Iraqi lives (possibly many many more). Almost $800 billion later, the question still remains: what’s going to happen to Iraq now?
Saturday evening, president Obama welcomed the troops home during his weekly radio and internet address, saying that it was their service that says a lot about the character of America.

“There’s a reason our military is the most respected institution in America. They don’t see themselves or each other as Democrats first or Republicans first. They see themselves as Americans first.[...]For all our differences and disagreements, they remind us that we are all a part of something bigger, that we are one nation and one people.”
“Our troops are now preparing to make their final march across the border and out of the country,” Obama said. “Iraq’s future will be in the hands of its own people.[...]This is a moment for us to build a country that lives up to the ideals that so many of our bravest Americans have fought and even died for. That is our highest obligation as citizens. That is the welcome home that our troops deserve.”

Whether the country will remain an ally is up for debate, seeing as how it’s been five years since the execution of dictator Saddam Hussein, but U.S. officials remain confident that the introduction to democracy will keep relations with the Arab country. Capt. Mark Askew was one of the last soldiers to leave Iraq, and says that everything hangs on what the country does within the next few years.

“It depends on what Iraq does after we leave. I don’t expect them to turn into South Korea or Japan overnight.”

We took to our facebook with the news last night and received some mixed reactions:

M. Fletcher wrote:
My dad served 2 years in Iraq and I’m married to my soldier, he has to deploy to Afghanistan but so blessed the Iraq war is over, its a start!
E. Jones wrote:
This is true they are letting troops home early everyone in Iraq should be home by the end of this year I know because i am the military meaning my dad served 26 years of it and is now retired and my husband is in the military there for Ive been around it all my life so i know the ups and downs, i know about deployments. my sister in law is in the army and she was supposed to be home in Feb. but guess what she’s home early so obama kept his word and is doing the right thing. i appreciate that because it’s been a looong time coming. slowly but surely our fellow Americans will be home soon.
S. Frankling wrote:
Funny how obama claimed he’d bring them all home within 16 months. This is just a tactic to score some support in time for the election. Anyway it’s BS. Sure some soldiers came home, but did you also know that we replaced them with 20,000 private security contractors who are being payed triple what the soldiers were getting? Do the research before you start celebrating.

One thing’s for sure: this may be the most memorable holiday season in years as thousands of families welcome home members that they haven’t been able to spend time with in years. To the families and friends of the 4,500 who won’t be coming home, our deepest condolences go out to you.
We thank all of our troops, from the bottom of our hearts, for courageously serving our country. Welcome home!