Washington, Rabi'II 3, 1434, Feb 13, 2013, SPA - President Barack Obama announced plans to withdraw more troops from Afghanistan and take steps to boost the fragile U.S. economy as he delivered a closely watched State of the Union address laying out his priorities for the year and for his newly begun second term in office. The hour-long speech before a joint session of Congress' two chambers on Tuesday night was dominated by domestic issues. With the economy still the biggest concern of most Americans, Obama devoted less time to foreign policy this year. But his announcement on the withdrawal of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan - about half the force there - was a major development, even if it was highly anticipated. It puts the United States on pace to formally finish the protracted war by the end of 2014, according to a report of the Associated Press. He also said the United States "will keep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people, and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian." Obama will seek to rally public support for his proposals with trips this week to North Carolina, Georgia and his home state of Illinois. --SPA 11:22 LOCAL TIME 08:22 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1078035