Obama: I want to make sure that U.S. diplomats in Iraq come home alive because they're not soldiers

During a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, on Monday, President Obama said that he plans to maintain a large number of employees in the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in order to protect U.S. diplomats who could be targeted after the U.S. military departs from Iraq.

Obama said that he wants U.S. diplomats and American civilians working in Iraq "to come home [alive], because they are not soldiers - so that makes the numbers larger than they otherwise would be..."

"With respect to the embassy, the actual size of our embassy with respect to diplomats..., there are still some special security needs inside of Iraq that make the overall number larger...

"Look, we're only a few years removed from an active war inside of Iraq. I think it's fair to say that there are still some groups... that might be tempted to target U.S. diplomats, or civilians... And as President of the United States, I want to make sure that anybody who is out in Iraq trying to help the Iraqi people is protected.

"Now, as this transition proceeds, it may turn out that the security needs for our diplomats and for our civilians gradually reduces itself... But I think the Iraqi people can understand that, as President of the United States, if I'm putting civilians in the field in order to help the Iraqi people build their economy and improve their productivity, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COME HOME - BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SOLDIERS. So that makes the numbers larger than they otherwise would be..."