Obama says next 18 months critical for Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, visiting U.S. troops in Iraq, told them on Tuesday that the next 18 months would be critical for their mission in the country.

"This is going to be a critical period, these next 18 months," Obama said, referring to the Aug 2010 deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

"You will be critical in terms of us being able to make sure Iraq is stable, that it is not a safe haven for terrorists, and we can start bringing our folks home," Obama told troops at Camp Victory, the sprawling U.S. military base on the outskirts of Baghdad.

The White House said that the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, told Obama that even with bombings this week in Iraq, the level of violence in the country is the lowest since the start of the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Editing by Frances Kerry)