OBAMA VISITS US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ !

US President Barack Obama is in Iraq on an unannounced visit for talks with Iraqi leaders and to see US troops.
Mr Obama flew into Baghdad at the end of a Europe trip that included economic and Nato summits and a visit to Turkey.
Speaking on his first trip to Iraq as president, Mr Obama said it was time for Iraqis to take start taking responsibility for their country.
For security reasons, the White House made no advance announcement of the visit nor gave details of the schedule.
But the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad said there had been speculation that Mr Obama would visit Iraq after leaving neighbouring Turkey.
The Iraq visit is being described as a surprise when it is anything but.
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The US president arrived at Baghdad's international airport on Air Force One in the late afternoon, local time.
He was taken immediately by road to meet Gen Ray Odierno, the US military commander Iraq, and some of the 140,000 US soldiers serving in the country.
"We spent a lot of time trying to get Afghanistan right [but] there's still a lot of work to be done here," said Mr Obama.
He told the troops gathered at Camp Victory military base that they had helped Iraq to "stand on its own as a democratic country".
"That is an extraordinary achievement, and for that you have the thanks of the American people," he said.
Mr Obama also thanked Gen Odierno for "helping to lead a very effective operation" in Iraq.
The president then shook hands with many of the soldiers, who greeted him with cheers and shouts of "we love you Obama".

US officials said Mr Obama would have talks by telephone with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani while in the country, and would meet Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in person at Camp Victory.
Officials said Mr Obama was unable to travel into the city to meet Mr Talabani as planned, as weather conditions had prevented a helicopter flight.
However, our correspondent says this may have been a diplomatic way of keeping the visit short, and enabling Mr Obama to return to the US to deal with pressing domestic issues.
Mr Obama said his presence in Iraq could help the country's competing political factions to reach "equitable" solutions to the issues facing Iraqis.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Mr Obama had chosen to visit Iraq rather than Afghanistan, where the US is also engaged in conflict, to show Iraqi leaders that the way forward for the country lies "in political solutions".
Mr Obama has said he wants US soldiers to be out of Iraqi cities by the middle of summer this year, and most of them to be out of the country altogether by the end of 2010.
Our correspondent says Mr Obama will be seeking to reassure Iraq's leaders that the troops will be withdrawn responsibly and without plunging the country into chaos.
BBC NEWS REPORT.