President Obama flew to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina the large Marine base to announce America's plans for a withdrawal from Iraq. In his speech the President stated "What we will not do is let the pursuit of the perfect stand in the way of achievable goals. We cannot rid Iraq of all who oppose America or sympathize with our adversaries. We cannot police Iraq’s streets until they are completely safe, nor stay until Iraq’s union is perfected. We cannot sustain indefinitely a commitment that has put a strain on our military, and will cost the American people nearly a trillion dollars. America’s men and women in uniform have fought block by block, province by province, year after year, to give the Iraqis this chance to choose a better future. Now, we must ask the Iraqi people to seize it." He announced a deadline of August 31, 2010 for an end of America's combat mission in Iraq. He stated that between 35-50,000 troops would remain in Iraq through the end of 2011 to continue training Iraqi forces and to undertake counter-terrorism missions. Complete Speech
In the evening the President attended a basketball game between the Chicago Bull and the Washington Wizards.