Our President held a hastily planned press conference this morning, before heading off to Kennebunkport.

Violence is low.
Iraq forces are becoming capable.
Progress is reversible.
"Degree of durability in gains."
"its reasonable to expect "further reductions in our combat forces, as conditions permit."

There are still approximately 147,000 US troops in Iraq. There have been 4,125 US troop deaths since the beginning of the war, 85 of these were from Tennessee. There have been over 30,000 US troops wounded in the Iraq War.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan 561 US troops have given their lives for Operation Enduring Freedom. According to the Washington Post, "Nearly twice as many U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq so far this month, marking the lowest death toll of the Iraq war and the first time that the American military has suffered more casualties in Afghanistan than it has in Iraq ."