economic indicators began to show signs of improvement in what they hailed as significant and fragile gains. Iraq was fifth on the 2008 Failed States Index, and sixth on the 2009 list. As public opinion favoring troop withdrawals increased and as Iraqi forces began to take responsibility for security, member nations of the Coalition withdrew their forces. In late 2008, the U. S. and Iraqi governments approved a Status of Forces Agreement effective through January 1, 2012. The Iraqi Parliament also ratified a Strategic Framework Agreement with the U. S., aimed at ensuring cooperation in constitutional rights, threat deterrence, education, energy development, and other areas. In late February 2009, newly elected U. S. President Barack Obama announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces, with approximately 50,000 troops remaining in the country "to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to provide intelligence and surveillance". [16] General Ray Odierno, the top U. S.military commander in Iraq, said he believes all U. S. troops will be out of the country by the end of 2011, while UK forces ended combat operations on April 30, 2009. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he supports the accelerated pullout of U. S. forces. In a speech at the Oval Office on 31 August 2010 Obama declared "the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. "Beginning September 1, 2010, the American operational name for its involvement in Iraq changed from" Operation Iraqi Freedom "to" Operation New Dawn. "The remaining 50,000 U. S. troops were designated as "advise and assist brigades" assigned to non-combat operations while retaining the ability to revert to combat operations as necessary. Two combat aviation brigades also remain in Iraq. In September 2010, the Associated Press issued an internal memo reminding its reporters that "combat in Iraq is not over," and "U. S. troops remain involved in combat operations alongside Iraqi forces, although U. S. officials say the American combat mission has formally ended. "[17] On October 21, 2011, President Obama announced that all U. S. troops and trainers would leave Iraq by the end of the year, bringing the U. S. mission in Iraq to an end. On December 15, 2011, U. S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta officially declared the Iraq War over, at a flag lowering ceremony in Baghdad. p align="center">
Conclusion For a long time America took part in social, ethnic and religious conflicts and wars, that had a significant influence on the development of different countries.the American Revolution of the late 18th century to the Iraq War in the early 21st, these conflicts have shaped the country s policies, influenced its culture, defined its borders and cost thousands of lives. Wars in these centuries, with the exception of WWII, have all been based on the expansion of Empire, but with the modern twist of multinational capitalism. Americans have gone to war to win their independence, expand their national boundaries, define their freedoms, and defend their interests around the globe.
References
[1] Title 10 of the United States Code
[2] "Organization Chart of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". JCS Leadership. Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. p align="justify"> [3] John Whiteclay Chambers, ed., The Oxford Guide to American Military History (1999).
[4] Jeremy Black, America as a Military Power: From the American Revolution to the Civil War (2002)
[5] "14 June: The Birthday of the U. S. Army ". United States Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 2011-07-01. an excerpt from Robert Wright, The Continental Army
[6] Army FY2010 Demographics brochure. US Army
[7] Ions, Edmund, Woodrow Wilson - The Politics of Peace and War (1977);
[8] Kennedy, David, M., Over Here: The First World War and American Society (1980).
[9] Iriye, Akira (1987), The Origins of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific
[10] Casey, Steven (2001), Cautious Crusade: Franklin D. Roosevelt, American Public Opinion and the War against Nazi Germany
[11] History Place, The Vietnam War January 27, 1973 # "justify"> [12] Frank E. Smitha, The Korean War # "justify"> [13] Wanda Anderson, Waltrip High School, Korean and Vietnam - Different Wars, Same Policies
[14] "Iraq War Logs: What the numbers reveal". Iraq Body Count. Retrieved 2010-12-03. p align="justify"> [15] Thomas E. Ricks (2006) Fiasco, The American Military Adventure In Iraq. Penguin
