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U.S. President Barack Obama (front) addresses a joint session of U.S. Congress, on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 24, 2009. [Xinhua]

While focusing on the economy in his first speech to a joint session of the Congress on Tuesday night, U.S. President Barack Obama also outlined priorities of his domestic and war policies, laying out goals on Iraq and Afghanistan, as well energy, education and health care.

Annoucement soon on Iraq

"We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war," Obama told a joint session of the Congress.

He also said he "will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al-Qaida and combat extremism."

"I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away," he said.

"To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend -- because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America," Obama said.

"That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists -- because living our values doesn't make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger," he said.

"And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture," Obama said.

The president also said he will eliminate "the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions of U.S. dollars in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don't use."

Earlier in the day, senior administration officials said Obama plans to withdraw most U.S. troops out of Iraq in less than 19 months, pending a formal announcement later this week.

The officials said except for a residual force of between 30,000 and 50,000 to be left till Dec. 2011, most of the 142,000 U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by August 2010, 19 months after Obama's swearing-in on Jan. 20.

Obama met with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the White House on Tuesday afternoon and he is expected to make a formal announcement later this week.

The new withdrawal timetable will be three months later than Obama's original pledge to pull out most troops in 16 months after his inauguration.

Some 4,250 U.S. troops have died and US$650 billion have been spent since the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003.

Clean, renewable energy to be pursued

On the domestic front, the president said the budget he submits will invest in three areas which he thinks are absolutely critical to the U.S. economic future, namely energy, health care, and education.

"We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient," Obama said.

"Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation's supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We have also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history, an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology," he said.

"We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills, " he said.

Crushing costs of health care to be addressed

The president said "we must also address the crushing cost of health care."

"This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds ... And it's one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget," he said.

"Given these facts, we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold," Obama said.

He said his administration will invest in electronic health records and new technology "that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives."

"It makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that is one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control," Obama said.

He also said he will "bring together businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans" to begin work on the issue of health care reform next week.

Expanding the promise of education

In his one-hour speech, Obama also stressed the "urgent need to expand the promise of education in America."

He said the education levels of Americans are not good compared to other industrialized nations and it is a "prescription for economic decline."

The goal of his administration, Obama said is to "ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education -- from the day they are born to the day they begin a career."

He said the administration has made "an historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan."

The president also said "it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate" in the education reform.

"I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training," he said.

"By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world," Obama said.

Tuesday's speech largely focused on the economy and related issues, including energy, health care and education, with a light touch on foreign policy.

The broad theme was that the country needs to look forward and not backward to solve the financial crisis.

The speech comes a week after Obama signed a US$787 billion stimulus bill and two days before Congress receives a summary of his 2010 budget.

Analysts said the speech offered an opportunity for the president to narrow the gap between voters' confidence in him and their confidence in his plans.

Because Obama's presidency is just a month old, the speech is not defined as a State of the Union one, which is typically addressed by a president after one year in office to members of both the House and the Senate as well as the justices of the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, and foreign dignitaries.

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, 37, of the opposition Republican Party, delivered the Republican response to Obama's speech.

"To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in the hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you, the American people, because we believe that Americans can do anything, " he said, referring to Obama's stimulus plan.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2009)