Obama visits U.S. troops in Iraq

美国总统奥巴马7日在事先未宣布的情况下突然飞抵巴格达，对伊拉克进行访问。这是奥巴马上任以来首次访问伊拉克。
当地媒体报道说，奥巴马当地时间7日下午乘“空军一号”专机飞抵巴格达国际机场，驻伊美军最高指挥官奥迪尔诺在机场迎接。据报道，奥巴马将同伊拉克总理马利基等伊高级官员就伊局势交换看法。此外，他还将同驻伊美军高级将领举行会晤。
奥巴马是在结束了对欧洲以及土耳其的一连串访问后，从土耳其伊斯坦布尔飞抵巴格达的。
奥巴马今年2月宣布，美国将在明年8月31日前从伊拉克撤离大部分军队，结束在伊拉克的作战任务。留下约3.5万至5万非作战部队将主要从事训练和指导伊拉克军队的工作。2011年年底前，所有美国军人将从伊拉克撤回。

Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday told his troops in Iraq to be critical in next 18-month period of their mission in the war-torn country.
Obama, who arrived in the Iraqi capital earlier in the day, made the remarks in a speech to the troops while he inspected the sprawling U.S. military base, Camp Victory, on the outskirts of Baghdad, according to media reports.
The next 18 months "is going to be a critical period," Obama said, referring to the deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August 2010.
He urged the U.S. troops to bear responsibilities to make sure Iraq is stable before the withdrawal, saying Iraq "is not a safe haven for terrorists, and we can start bringing our folks home."
Meanwhile, he also called on Iraqis to take responsibility for the country of their own.
Earlier, Obama said U.S. have made significant progress but there is still a lot of work to do in Iraq after he arrived in Baghdad.
Obama flew Baghdad in the afternoon from Istanbul at the end of his week-long international tour, making his first visit to Iraq since he took office three months ago.
He was received at the Baghdad airport by top U.S. troops commander in Iraq Gen. Ray Odierno and immediately left to a nearby U.S. military camp.
Obama is also expected to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki at the base just outside the capital after Obama cancelled his plan to fly with a helicopter to the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad.
His visit comes amid a new wave of car bombings in the war-torn country as the U.S. military is starting to draw down troops.