With 
the pullout of US troops from Iraq only days away from completion, President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki on Monday observed the end of the US war in Iraq after nearly nine years of intervention. “We’re here to mark the end of this war; to honor the sacrifices of all those who made this day possible; and to turn the page—begin a new chapter in the history between our countries,” stated Obama during a joint press briefing with al Maliki at the White House during the latter’s state visit. “This is a historic moment,” continued Obama, as the two nations embark on “a normal relationship between sovereign nations.” He added, “Let us never forget those who gave us this chance—the untold number of Iraqis who’ve given their lives; more than one million Americans, military and civilian, who have served in Iraq; nearly 4,500 fallen Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion; tens of thousands of wounded warriors, and so many inspiring military families.” (Obama-al Maliki transcript) (White House blog entry) (See also Clinton-Zebari transcript.)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.