|
In remarks at
Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, Obama paid tribute
to U.S. military personnel who served in conflicts such as World
War Two as well as the more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
which he wound down as commander in chief.
"For many of us, this Memorial Day is especially meaningful. It
is the first since our war in Afghanistan came to an end," Obama
said. "Today is the first Memorial Day in 14 years that the
United States is not engaged in a major ground war."
As a Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, Obama sharply
criticized the war in Iraq launched by his Republican
predecessor, former President George W. Bush.
U.S. forces are now involved in air campaigns against Islamic
State militants in Iraq and Syria as well as training missions
in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president has been reluctant to
relaunch ground operations in Iraq.
"Today, fewer than 10,000 troops remain on a mission to train
and assist Afghan forces. We’ll continue to bring them home and
reduce our forces further, down to an embassy presence by the
end of next year," Obama said.
"But Afghanistan remains a very dangerous place. And as so many
families know, our troops continue to risk their lives for us."
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|
