US combat troops will leave Iraq by the end of August next year, Barack Obama has announced.

A transitional force of between 35,000 and 50,000 personnel will remain in the country to support the Iraqi government and security forces.

“Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end,” the President said.

Mr Obama confirmed he intended to remove all US troops from Iraq by the end of 2011.

In a speech at the Camp Lejeune Marine base in North Carolina he added: “There will surely be difficult periods and tactical adjustments.

“But our enemies should be left with no doubt: this plan gives our military the forces and the flexibility they need to support our Iraqi partners, and to succeed.”

During his campaign for the presidency, Mr Obama said he wanted all US troops out of Iraq within 16 months of taking office.

The timetable for withdrawal he has announced, involving roughly 100,000 troops, is around two months longer.

“As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq,” Mr Obama said.

“We will proceed carefully, and I will consult closely with my military commanders on the ground and with the Iraqi government.”

The transitional force which remains will train and equip Iraqi forces, protect civilian reconstruction projects and conduct limited counter-terrorism operations.

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