NEWS FLASH

U.S. Military Officially Declares End To Mission In Iraq | Today in a speech just outside Baghdad, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta formally ended the American war in Iraq. More than 1 million American troops served in Iraq since 2003; 4,487 were killed and 32,226 wounded. “Challenges remain,” Panetta said, “but the U.S. will be there to stand by the Iraqi people as they navigate those challenges to build a stronger and more prosperous nation.” However the the violence isn’t quite over, The New York Times reports that “the remaining troops are still being attacked on a daily basis, mainly by indirect fire attacks on the bases and road side bomb explosions against convoys heading south through Iraq to bases in Kuwait.”