Obama praises transition in Iraq

WASHINGTON, June 30 (UPI) -- The transfer of control from the U.S. military to Iraqi officials is a milestone as Iraq takes control of its fate, U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday.

"So the Iraqi people are rightly treating this day as a cause for celebration," Obama said. "This is an important step forward as a sovereign and united Iraq continues to take control of its own destiny."

He warned there would be "difficult days" ahead and violence would continue.

"(There) are those who will test Iraq's security forces and the resolve of the Iraqi people through more sectarian bombings and the murder of innocent civilians," Obama said. "But I'm confident that those forces will fail."

The transition is proof "those who have tried to pull Iraq into the abyss of disunion and civil war are on the wrong side of history," he said.

He also congratulated the Iraqi people, saying their celebration of the transition "is a testament to the courage, the capability and commitment of every single American who has served in Iraq."