WASHINGTON -- Obama layed out his plan for Iraq and Afghanistan in a speech this morning at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, only blocks from the place Obama hopes to soon live and work.

The themes from the speech today were the same as those Obama included in his New York Times op-ed yesterday and those offered by his campaign spokesmen and surrogates in recent days. Obama said he plans to change the focus of military operations in Iraq, with the goal of leaving the country in 16 months and redeploying troops to Afghanistan. According to his plan, all but a "residual force" would vacate Iraq by the summer of 2010.

"True success will take place when we leave Iraq to a government that is taking responsibility for its future -- a government that prevents sectarian conflict, and ensures that the al Qaeda threat which has been beaten back by our troops does not re-emerge," Obama said in front of a large crowd of invited guests. "That is an achievable goal if we pursue a comprehensive plan to press the Iraqis to stand up. To achieve that success, I will give our military a new mission on my first day in office: ending this war."

Obama noted that he would consult with "commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government" to make tactical adjustments to his plan. He said the armed forces cannot take the strain the war has placed on it, and John McCain's plan to keep forces in the country is unsustainable.

"So let's be clear," Obama said. "Senator McCain would have our troops continue to fight tour after tour of duty, and our taxpayers keep spending $10 billion a month indefinitely; I want Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future, and to reach the political accommodation necessary for long-term stability. That's victory. That's success."

As he did in the TV ad his campaign released this morning, Obama touted his work across the Senate aisle with Sen. Richard Lugar, whom he worked with "to pass a law accelerating our pursuit of loose nuclear materials."

McCain has questioned Obama's judgment on national security and handling the war in Iraq due to the Illinois senator's belief that the troop surge in Iraq would not work. Today, however, Obama -- while admitting positive results from the surge -- said it has been far from a complete success.

"Senator McCain has argued that the gains of the surge mean that I should change my commitment to end the war," Obama said. "But this argument misconstrues what is necessary to succeed in Iraq, and stubbornly ignores the facts of the broader strategic picture that we face. In the 18 months since the surge began, the strain on our military has increased, our troops and their families have borne an enormous burden, and American taxpayers have spent another $200 billion in Iraq. That's over $10 billion each month. That is a consequence of our current strategy."