Fresh off his town hall meeting in Turkey on Monday, U.S President Barack Obama made a surprise stop in Baghdad on Tuesday.
The U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, met Obama shortly after Air Force One landed at 4:42 PM local time (9:42 AM EDT).
According to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, Obama stopped in Iraq rather than Afghanistan because of the proximity of the country to Turkey.
The main purpose of Obama's stop was to visit U.S. troops, he added, and, among other things, Obama will participate in the awarding of 10 medals of valor while in Baghdad.
Obama is expected to also meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talibani at Camp Victory while in Iraq.
At Camp Victory, Obama made a brief statement to the troops:
"You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country. That is an extraordinary achievement.
"It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis. They need to take responsibility for their country."
Capt. Beau Biden, Vice-President Joe Biden's son, was among the troops who heard Obama's speech.
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