US moves into final military phase in Iraq

The U.S. on Wednesday stirred into the final phase of its military participation in Iraq, with management officials proverb the war was ending even as the new leader of the remaining 50,000 troops warn of the ongoing threat from "hostile elements."

The move of authority came a day after President Barack Obama make known the shift from battle operations to preparing Iraqi forces to assume responsibility for their own safety. Obama complete clear in Tuesday's speech that this was no victory fête.

A six-month deadlock over forming a new Iraqi government has raised concerns about the country's permanence and questions over whether the leadership can cope with a diminished but still unsafe insurgency.

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