Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said, regarding the end of U.S. presence on Iraqi streets: ” ‘We are on the threshold of a new phase that will bolster Iraq’s sovereignty. It is a message to the world that we are now able to safeguard our security and administer our own affairs…’ ”
– Martin Chulov, “Iraqis to Mark US Street Exit with Holiday,” The Guardian, June 29, 2009