A new course in Iraq

In April 2003, a month into the Iraq war, then-President Bush gave a major speech at Camp Lejeune, paying tribute to the Marines Corps leading the fight.

"These missions are difficult and they are dangerous, but no one becomes a Marine because it's easy. Now our coalition moves forward. Marines are in the thick of the battle. And what we have begun, we will finish," Bush told them.

"The United States and our allies pledged to act if the dictator did not disarm. The regime in Iraq is now learning that we keep our word. By our actions, we serve a great and just cause: We will remove weapons of mass destruction from the hands of mass murderers. Free nations will not sit and wait, leaving enemies free to plot another September the 11th, this time, perhaps with chemical or biological or nuclear terror. And by defending our own security, we are freeing the people of Iraq from one of the cruelest regimes on Earth."

Today, nearly six years and 4,300 US military deaths later, President Obama goes to the sprawling base in Eastern North Carolina to announce his plan for withdrawal.

It will be his highest profile appearance yet in his role as commander in chief, as he has been focusing on his role as CEO of the economic recovery.

Obama is expected to say that most of the 142,000 troops will come home by the end of August 2010, though the vast majority will stay through the end of this year to safeguard national elections in Iraq and though 35,000 to 50,000 will stay beyond the pullout date with a new mission of training, civilian protection, and counterterrorism. Under the plan Obama is expected to detail, all US troops would withdraw by Dec. 31, 2011 -- the deadline set under the agreement signed by former President Bush.

The size of the residual force and the timetable -- slower than the 16 months candidate Obama promised -- is drawing criticism from some fellow Democrats and antiwar groups.

Thursday evening, Obama had an unscheduled huddle at the White House to dampen the dissent.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, Obama's Republican presidential rival, is more supportive.

"I think the plan is reasonable," he said on the Senate floor today. "I am cautiously optimistic that the plan laid out by the president will lead to success."

But McCain also argued, "I think the plan is significantly different than the plan Obama had during the campaign."

Obama has already announced plans to send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, including a big contingent from Camp Lejeune.