With an enormous American flag and normal-size military personnel as a backdrop, President Obama announced earlier today that he will withdraw all but 35,000 to 50,000 troops from Iraq by August 2011, and all troops entirely by the end of 2011. Interestingly, Obama placed a call to former President Bush moments before the speech “as a courtesy,” claims Robert Gibbs, and not to rub it in his face. [NYT, WP]
