President Obama says all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq before 2012

Speaking to the media Friday afternoon the president said, "today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of this year."

The announcement came after the president completed a video conference call with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  There has been a U.S. military presence in Iraq since the war began in March 2003 and 39,000 troops currently remain in country.

A small number of troops attached to the U.S. embassy will remain past the Dec. 31 deadline.  U.S. officials were unable to secure immunity for the troops past the end of the year, leading to the drawdown.

Obama stressed that the partnership between the U.S. and Iraq will continue despite the withdrawal of troops.