(Reuters) – President Barack Obama welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to the White House on Monday, showcasing the end of the American war in Iraq as he campaigns for reelection next year.
Sitting side by side in the Oval Office, the two leaders posed briefly for cameras but did not make statements. They will hold a news conference together later in the morning.
Fulfilling a pledge to Americans weary of the nearly nine year old war, Obama is pulling nearly all U.S. troops out of Iraq by December 31, after a deal to keep thousands of trainers on the ground fell apart over the issue of immunity.
