Obama promises to keep deadline of troop withdrawal from Iraq

U.S. President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-MalikiNuri al-MalikiNuri al-Maliki here on Tuesday, saying that his administration will keep its promise to withdraw troops from Iraq by August 2010.

"I re-emphasized my commitment to Prime Minister Maliki that we will have our combat troops out of Iraq by August of next year, and all of our troops out of Iraq by 2011," Obama told reporters after talks with Maliki at the White House.

Apart from military and security issues in Iraq, Obama said that he had a wide-ranging discussion with Maliki about economy, trade and commerce in the country.

"The business and investment conference that's taking place is going to be very well-attended. It includes not only Prime Minister Maliki, but business leaders from both the United States and Iraq," he said.

"We are very interested, both of us, in making sure that Iraq has an election law that is completed on time so that elections can take place on time in January," the president added.

In his remarks, Maliki attached importance to the ongoing business investment conference. "This is important to move Iraq forward and to promote investments. We will follow up on the outcome of the business investment conference ... We are trying to rebuild all our sectors of agriculture, oil sectors, tourism and so forth," he said.

The two-day U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Conference, which began here earlier in the day, is expected to facilitate contacts between American and Iraqi companies, businessmen and regional leaders from around Iraq.