(10-20) 09:57 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- President Barack Obama vows the United States still plans to have all American combat troops out of Iraq by next August.
After a meeting Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Obama also said he was watching closely for the parliament to pass an election law that would set out the legal structure for a critical nationwide vote in January. Al-Maliki also heard that message in meetings a day earlier with Vice President Joe Biden.
As Obama promised to hold to U.S. withdrawal plans, which would see all troops leave Iraq by the end of 2011, Obama also told al-Maliki that he was glad the two leaders were able to expand their talks beyond warfare to the "enormous opportunities for our two countries" to have a flourishing commercial relationship.