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[nahia]

WASHINGTON: Declaring that members of the US military will no longer be asked to lie, President Barack Obama fulfilled a campaign promise Wednesday and signed a landmark law repealing the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the armed services.

For Obama, it was the second high-profile bill signing ceremony within a week. On Friday, he signed into a law a tax package he negotiated with Republicans that extended Bush-era tax rates for two more years, cut payroll taxes and ensured jobless benefits to the unemployed for another year.

In signing the law Obama fulfilled a campaign pledge and notched the second of three expected victories in what's turned out to be - for Obama - a surprisingly productive closing weeks of the current session of Congress. The third win is expected later when the Senate ratifies the New START treaty with Russia on limiting nuclear weapons.

The military service chiefs must complete implementation plans for lifting the ban on gays before ending the old policy - and they must certify to lawmakers that it will not damage combat readiness, as critics charge.

But the signing ceremony was a breakthrough moment for the nation's gay community, the military and for Obama himself. The president had faced pressure from liberals, an important base in his Democratic party, who complained he was not acting swiftly enough.

The two events, however, could not have been more different in tone.

The tax deal divided Democrats and forced Obama to accept extensions of tax cuts for the wealthiest, a step he had promised to not take. With Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell at his side, Obama seemed dutiful and subdued.

The signing of the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" had the feel of a political rally. Speaking in the Interior Department's auditorium, Obama appeared in his element as shouts of "Thank you, Mr President!" interrupted him.

Obama hailed the "courage and vision" of defense secretary Robert Gates and praised Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, who advocated changing the 17-year-old policy.

"No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder in order to serve the country that they love," Obama said.