With the announcement that the war in Iraq is coming to an end and the death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi this week, President Obama says the United States has renewed its leadership in the world and now, it is time to focus on the greater economic challenges at home. 

The president, who announced Friday that all U.S. troops would be out of Iraq by the end of the year, said today, “We’ve succeeded in our strategy to end the war,” and, “Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, the Iraqi people have the chance to forge their own future.” 

Obama also highlighted the U.S. policy in Libya, noting that “without putting a single U.S. service member on the ground, we achieved our objectives.

“These successes are part of a larger story,” he said. “After a decade of war, we’re turning the page and moving forward with strength and confidence.  The drawdown in Iraq allowed us to refocus on Afghanistan and achieve major victories against al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.  As we remove the last of our troops from Iraq, we’re beginning to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.”

Now, the president said, it’s time to focus “on our greatest challenge as a nation -rebuilding our economy and renewing our strength at home.”  

Pivoting from foreign policy to his plea for Congress to pass his jobs bill, Obama said, “We have to tackle this challenge with the same urgency and unity that our troops brought to their fight.

“That’s why,” he added, “I’m calling on Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, so we can rebuild our country – our schools, our roads, our bridges – and put our veterans, construction workers, teachers, cops and firefighters back to work.   And that’s why I hope all of us can draw strength from the example of our men and women in uniform.

“They’ve met their responsibilities to America,” he said. “Now it’s time to meet ours.  It’s time to come together and show the world why the United States of America remains the greatest source for freedom and opportunity that the world has ever known.”