Also: Plugging Gulf oil well for good; skydiving plane crashes in western N.Y.
The remains of 1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan are carried off a plane July 24 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Balad, Iraq of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. All U.S. combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the month, but about 50,000 troops will remain for training, counterterrorism and security work.From The Associated Press:
President Barack Obama will set a course Monday for the nation's changing mission in Iraq as the military prepares to end its combat operations there.
In a speech at the national convention of the Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta, Obama was to address the progress being made to meet his deadline of drawing down all combat troops by the end of the month. A transitional force of 50,000 troops will remain to train Iraqi security forces, conduct counterterrorism operations and provide security for ongoing U.S. civilian efforts.
» Read the full story: Obama: US commitment in Iraq is shifting [The Associated Press]
» Excerpts from today's speech: Obama: U.S. combat mission in Iraq ends this month [USA Today]
» “Democracy didn’t bring us anything,” Mr. Farhan said in his newly darkened shop. Then he corrected himself. “Democracy brought us a can of Coke and a beer.” A benchmark of progress, electrical grid fails Iraqis [The New York Times]
In other news:
» Gulf crews prepare to start plugging well for good [The Associated Press]
» Boy who was returned to Russia by adoptive American mother is back in an orphanage [CNN]
» Skydiving plane carrying 6 crashes in western N.Y. [The Associated Press]