President Obama Returns to Washington | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Washington President Obama has returned to Washington from his 8 day overseas trip.

On his way back from Turkey, he spent about five hours in the Iraq war zone, where he addressed U.S. soldiers.

President Obama stepped back onto American soil Tuesday night after his 8-day whirlwind trip overseas that ended with a surprise trip to Iraq.

At Camp Victory on Tuesday, the president spoke to an enthusiastic gathering of the troops inside a former palace of Saddam Hussein. "You have performed brilliantly in every mission that has been given to you. You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country," said Obama, "As long as I am in the White House you are going to get the support that you need and that thanks that you deserve from a grateful nation."

The visit to Iraq, which lasted just 5 hours, included a meeting with the country's leadership which re-committed to the president's timetable for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops by 2011. President Obama also pushed for continued reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites. "It's absolutely critical that all Iraqis are integrated into the government and security forces."

The visit was kept secret for security reasons the White House had announced Air Force One was flying directly to the U.S. from Turkey. The surprise visit topped off the president's trip where his biggest accomplishment may have been the good will he generated. "He was saying that this is a new era of American engagement. So he was looking to tell Europe that America has turned the page from the Bush years, said ABC News Political Director David Chalian.

Now that he is back home, the president turns his attention back to the economy.