CNMI hails Obama’s decision to bring home troops from Iraq

President Barack Obama’s announcement on Saturday in Washington, D.C. that virtually all U.S. troops will come home from Iraq by the end of the year is welcome news to many in the CNMI, which has lost 14 sons and daughters in military service since the war against terror started in 2003.

“After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over,” Obama said in his weekly address.

Obama said as the U.S. removes the last of its troops from Iraq, it is also beginning to bring troops home from Afghanistan.

Janine Camacho, 24, wishes that her husband, Army Sgt. Billy Joe Camacho, comes home for Christmas.

Sgt. Camacho was deployed to Iraq two years ago, and is currently stationed in Afghanistan for one year starting in April this year.

“I want him to come home because it’s dangerous out there, but I know he has to do what he has to do. Everyone wants their loved ones home but they have a mission to do,” Mrs. Camacho told Saipan Tribune yesterday. They got married in 2007.

Mrs. Camacho said the CNMI welcomes home the troops, and hopes that people will continue to pray for the safety of those who will still be in Afghanistan and other areas outside the U.S.

The war in Iraq claimed the lives of more than 4,400 American lives, and has cost the U.S. Department of Defense nearly $757 billion for military operations over the past decade.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan (Ind-MP) said the president’s decision will put an end to an enormous drain on the nation’s financial resources.

“We can no longer afford to spend so much overseas, when our needs here at home are so great,” Sablan said in a statement in the wake of Obama’s address.

Sablan said “those of us with loved ones, family members, and friends still in Iraq are glad and grateful that the President has made the decision that all our troops will be home for the holidays.”

“The Northern Mariana Islands lost 14 of our sons and daughters in military service, since the Iraq War began in 2003. We will always mourn their loss and honor their service. Now, we can be grateful that no more of our brave soldiers will be at risk in Iraq, even as we continue to pray for those who remain at war in Afghanistan,” he said.

Ruth Coleman, former executive officer of the CNMI Veterans Affairs Office, said yesterday that Obama’s announcement is “good news” for the CNMI, and that the sacrifices made by troops from the CNMI and their families have been “worth it.”

“Our troops did not die in vain. Men and women who served and are serving sacrificed so much so that there will be peace in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. We honor all their sacrifices,” Coleman said.

Press secretary Angel Demapan said yesterday that the Fitial administration is “very much grateful that the President has made this decision.”

“This will certainly be a wonderful gift to families in the coming holiday season. Already, our country has expended an enormous amount of money overseas, but even greater than the value of cash, we have lost too many of our beloved sons and daughters. Right here at home, we have already laid to rest 14 of our own heroes,” Demapan said.

He said although the administration can draw a sense of reprieve from this latest announcement, it joins many other families whose loved ones are serving in Afghanistan and other places as they, too, await the day that they will hear a similar decision to draw down troops from there.

“To the families of our soldiers, every single day, we are honored and humbled by the sacrifice that our service members make in the name of our freedom and our country. Because of their valor and determination to preserve liberty and justice, each of us is able to sleep each night and wake up the next day with freedom on our side. As your loved ones currently in Iraq begin the process of winding down and completing their operation, we shall continue to pray that they be kept out of harm’s way and that they return home to their families safely,” he said.

House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), for his part, said he wishes the troops a safe and speedy return home.

“And we are forever grateful for the work they do,” he added.

Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo, in a statement, said “President Obama fulfilled a promise to America that he would responsibly end the war in Iraq.

“As we look forward to the return of our troops from Iraq, we must ensure that they have health care and support services in the coming years,” she said.

Bordallo said she will continue to work with the Obama administration and her colleagues in the House Armed Services Committee “to ensure that our brave men and women return home to communities that will be able to support them with jobs and the health care services they deserve.”

“I am grateful for the efforts of our men and women in uniform who helped bring down a tyrant and gave the people of Iraq a chance for freedom and democracy,” she added.

Obama’s announcement also came after talks that might have allowed a continued major military presence broke down amid disputes about whether U.S. troops would be immune to prosecution by Iraqi authorities, CNN reported.

“The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their head held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in support for our troops,” Obama said.

His decision also comes in the wake of the death of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya.

Obama said last year, he announced the end of combat mission in Iraq. He said the U.S. has already removed more than 100,000 troops,and Iraqi forces have taken full responsibility for the security of their own country.

He said when he took office, roughly 180,000 troops were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“By the end of this year, that number will be cut in half, and an increasing number of our troops will continue to come home,” he added.