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      WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the death of
Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and the end of the Iraq war are powerful
reminders of America's renewed leadership in the world.


      At the same time, Obama said Saturday that the U.S. now must
tackle its "greatest challenge as a nation" - rebuilding a weak
economy and creating jobs - with the "same urgency and unity that
our troops brought to their fight."


      Obama informed the nation on Friday that the long and costly war
in Iraq will be over by the end of the year and that some 40,000
U.S. servicemen and women still there "will definitely be home for
the holidays."


      A day earlier, he hailed the killing of Libya's longtime leader
as a "momentous day" in the history of a country that Gadhafi had
ruled for decades through tyranny.


      Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address that these
foreign policy successes were part of a larger story.


      "This week, we had two powerful reminders of how we've renewed
American leadership in the world," Obama said. "After a decade of
war, we're turning the page and moving forward, with strength and
confidence."


      He said withdrawing troops from Iraq has allowed the U.S. to
focus on Afghanistan and score major victories against al-Qaida,
including the killing in May of terrorist mastermind Osama bin
Laden. Troops also have been coming home from Afghanistan.


      Obama said ending both wars will allow the U.S. to focus on
rebuilding a weak economy so it can start creating enough jobs to
reduce high levels of unemployment. That could possibly aid his
re-election bid, which is being jeopardized by the tough financial
circumstances.


      "Over the past decade, we spent a trillion dollars on war,
borrowed heavily from overseas and invested too little in the
greatest source of our national strength - our own people," the
president said. "Now, the nation we need to build is our own."


      In the Republicans' weekly message, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.,
bemoaned 32 consecutive months with unemployment above 8 percent.


      While Obama on Saturday called anew for passage of his $447
billion jobs bill, Burr urged action on a Republican alternative.


      Senate Republicans recently blocked Obama's overall bill,
leaving Democrats in charge of the chamber to try to pass it piece
by piece. But Republican senators also blocked action on the first
component of the larger bill, a $35 billion measure to boost hiring
of teachers and emergency services workers.


      In turn, Democrats stalled a measure both parties support that
would stop the government from withholding 3 percent of payments to
government contractors.


      A test vote is expected next month, after the Senate returns
from vacation, on a $60 billion bill to finance construction of
roads, bridges and other public works projects.


      Burr said people are hurting and the economy is in "grave
danger."


      "It's time for Congress to focus on the American people and not
how difficult change might be," he said. "It's time stop playing
games and to get on with the serious business that the American
people expect from us."

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President Barack Obama says the death of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and the end of the Iraq war are powerful reminders of America's renewed leadership in the world.

Obama: Gadhafi, Iraq show renewed US leadership

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