▁President ▁Ob ama ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁with dra wn ▁soldiers , ▁" I ▁hope ▁you ' ll ▁join ▁me ▁in ▁thank ing ▁them , ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁our ▁troops ▁and ▁military ▁families , ▁for ▁their ▁service ." ▁He ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁event ▁was ▁a ▁" mil estone ▁in ▁the ▁Ira q ▁war ." ▁ ▁The ▁closure ▁of ▁Operation ▁Ira qi ▁Fre edom ▁was ▁announced ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁August . ▁" It ▁is ▁time ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁page ," ▁Ob ama ▁said ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁address . ▁The ▁operations ▁in ▁Ira q ▁were ▁renamed ▁" New ▁Da wn ". ▁ ▁Part icip ating ▁nations ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁country ▁with ▁military ▁forces ▁station ed ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁Other ▁nations ▁also ▁present ▁but ▁under ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁b anner . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁there ▁were ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 4 5 , 0 0 0 ▁U . S . ▁troops ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁approximately ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁private ▁security ▁contract ors ▁of ▁different ▁national ities ▁under ▁various ▁employ ers . ▁ ▁Cas ual ties ▁ ▁Ira qi ▁coun c ils ▁and ▁authorities ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁President ▁Bush ' s ▁senior ▁advis er ▁on ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁Z al may ▁K hal il z ad , ▁released ▁U . S . ▁government ▁plans ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁American -