DENVER – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) issued the following statement today following President Barack Obama’s announcement that the U.S. will withdraw completely from Iraq by the end of the year. 

“Having opposed the original Iraq war authorization in 2002, I am pleased with today’s announcement that U.S. troops will withdraw fully from Iraq by the end of the year.  Our engagement in Iraq has been a testament to the unflappable courage of our men and women in uniform, but it has also proven costly -- claiming far too many lives and misdirecting critical military and financial resources from where they were most needed. 

“While America’s military role in Iraq will soon come to and end, our commitment to the Iraqi people endures.  Cultivating a moderate ally from the remains of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship will require durable diplomatic assistance from the United States, and I look forward to working with President Obama to lend America’s support.” 

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