Obama hails end of war on Memorial Day

29 May 2012, 7:10 am   -   Source: AAP
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US President Barack Obama has marked Memorial Day by hailing the end of the Iraq war and plans to end America's role in the Afghan war.

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US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to dead soldiers and their families, saying the nation has reached a "milestone" of relative peace with the end of the Iraq war and plans to end America's role in the Afghan war.

"After a decade under a dark cloud of war we can see the light of a new day on the horizon," Obama told a crowd of military families gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Memorial Day on Monday.

Obama made his remarks after laying a wreath laden with red and white roses at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a presidential tradition each Memorial Day.

Under a bright, cloudless sky, the president was joined by first lady Michelle Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, at the marble sarcophagus on a hill overlooking Washington.

Obama was slated for a full day of Memorial Day ceremonies. From the cemetery, he was headed to the Vietnam War Memorial for a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the beginning of that war.

In his remarks, the president connected that conflict to the current one, honouring soldiers who stepped forward to serve "from the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan".

"They fought for a home they would never return to. They fought for buddies they would never forget," Obama said. "They rest here side by side, row by row because each of them loved this country and what it stands for more than life itself."

The president and NATO allies last week ratified plans to withdraw most US forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, although the details and the pace of the withdrawal are unclear.

Still, he has been eager to emphasise the near completion of that unpopular conflict. His message on Monday underscored that message and even carried a hint of the anti-war critique of his last presidential bid.

"As commander in chief, I can tell you that sending our troops into harm's way is the most wrenching decision that I have to make," Obama said.

" I can promise you I will never do so unless it's absolutely necessary.

"And that when we do we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation."

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