President Barack Obama has said US and Iraq will enjoy a “normal relationship between sovereign nations” after US troops leave at the end of 2011.

He met Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Washington for talks on Iraq’s future as American troops prepare to complete their withdrawal.

Obama confirmed no bases or troops would remain in the country next year.

“Those days are over,” President Obama said, adding that Iraq’s sovereignty should be respected.

Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Jane Arraf, Baghdad-based reporter for the Christian Science Monitor and al-Jazeera International.