President Barack Obama concludes his remarks in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, where he declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in U.S. history, announcing that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama concludes his remarks in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, where he declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in U.S. history, announcing that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama speaks in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, where he declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in U.S. history, announcing that all U.S. troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Graphic shows U.S. troop deaths in Iraq
Graphic shows U.S. troop levels in Iraq
FILE - In this Friday, March 20, 2009 file photo, U.S. Army soldiers stroll past two bronze busts of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in the Green Zone in Baghdad on the sixth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Iraq's prime minister said Saturday that U.S. troops are leaving Iraq after nearly nine years of war because Baghdad rejected American demands that any U.S. military forces to stay would have to be shielded from prosecution or lawsuits. A day earlier, President Barack Obama had hailed the troops' withdrawal as the result of his commitment _ promised shortly after taking office in 2009 _ to end the war that he once described as "dumb."(AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says the death of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and the end of the Iraq war are powerful reminders of America's renewed leadership in the world.
At the same time, Obama said Saturday that the U.S. now must tackle its "greatest challenge as a nation" ? rebuilding a weak economy and creating jobs ? with the "same urgency and unity that our troops brought to their fight."
Obama informed the nation on Friday that the long and costly war in Iraq will be over by the end of the year and that some 40,000 U.S. servicemen and women still there "will definitely be home for the holidays."
A day earlier, he hailed the killing of Libya's longtime leader as a "momentous day" in the history of a country that Gadhafi had ruled for decades through tyranny.
Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address that these foreign policy successes were part of a larger story.
"This week, we had two powerful reminders of how we've renewed American leadership in the world," Obama said. "After a decade of war, we're turning the page and moving forward, with strength and confidence."
He said withdrawing troops from Iraq has allowed the U.S. to focus on Afghanistan and score major victories against al-Qaida, including the killing in May of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. Troops also have been coming home from Afghanistan.
Obama said ending both wars will allow the U.S. to focus on rebuilding a weak economy so it can start creating enough jobs to reduce high levels of unemployment. That could possibly aid his re-election bid, which is being jeopardized by the tough financial circumstances.
"Over the past decade, we spent a trillion dollars on war, borrowed heavily from overseas and invested too little in the greatest source of our national strength ? our own people," the president said. "Now, the nation we need to build is our own."
In the Republicans' weekly message, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., bemoaned 32 consecutive months with unemployment above 8 percent.
While Obama on Saturday called anew for passage of his $447 billion jobs bill, Burr urged action on a Republican alternative.
Senate Republicans recently blocked Obama's overall bill, leaving Democrats in charge of the chamber to try to pass it piece by piece. But Republican senators also blocked action on the first component of the larger bill, a $35 billion measure to boost hiring of teachers and emergency services workers.
In turn, Democrats stalled a measure both parties support that would stop the government from withholding 3 percent of payments to government contractors.
A test vote is expected next month, after the Senate returns from vacation, on a $60 billion bill to finance construction of roads, bridges and other public works projects.
Burr said people are hurting and the economy is in "grave danger."
"It's time for Congress to focus on the American people and not how difficult change might be," he said. "It's time stop playing games and to get on with the serious business that the American people expect from us."
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Online:
Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov
GOP address: www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress
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