WASHINGTON - In a State of the Union address here marked by a call for renewed American innovation and cooperation, President Barack Obama pointed to the nation's military as an example to follow.

"Look to Iraq, where nearly 100,000 of our brave men and women have left with their heads held high; American combat patrols have ended; violence is down; and a new government has been formed," the commander in chief said.

In Afghanistan, U.S. troops have taken Taliban strongholds and trained Afghan Security Forces, and will continue to deny al Qaeda the safe-haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11, he said.

"Thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer Afghans are under the control of the insurgency," Obama said. "There will be tough fighting ahead, and the Afghan government will need to deliver better governance."

But U.S. and coalition efforts are strengthening Afghan capacity and building an enduring partnership with the Afghan people, he said.

"This year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an Afghan lead. And this July, we will begin to bring our troops home," the president said.

The nation has sent a message to all parts of the globe, Obama said: "We will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you."

Obama credited American leadership, especially in the New Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, for curbing the global nuclear threat.

Thanks to the treaty, he said, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be deployed.

"Because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands of terrorists," he said.

America leads the world in the quest for freedom and security, the president said, and the nation must always remember "that the Americans who have borne the greatest burden in this struggle are the men and women who serve our country."

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