In foreign policy , President Obama withdrew U.S. troops from Iraq in large numbers , bringing the Iraq War to an end in December 2011 . At the same time , he also increased troop levels in the Afghanistan War . Early in his presidency , he successfully negotiated the New START treaty with the Russian Federation , which made significant reductions in their nuclear arsenals . The U.S. also maintained ongoing talks , led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program , as well as with Israel and the Palestinian Authority over a two-state solution to the Israeli – Palestinian conflict . In May 2011 , President Obama announced in a televised speech to the nation that al-Qaeda leader and culprit behind many deadly acts of terrorism ( including the September 11 attacks ) Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces at a compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
History of the United States (2008–present)