Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq

mywaynews via Drudge Report ^ | 11/27/2003 | TERENCE HUNT

[PeteFromMontana]

Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq Email this Story

Nov 27, 12:27 PM (ET)

By TERENCE HUNT

(AP) U.S. Army Specialist Thomas Huffstatler, left standing, of Summit Ark., standing, Sgt. Stephen... Full Image

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - President Bush made a surprise Thanksgiving visit to American troops in Baghdad Thursday, flying secretly to violence-scarred Iraq to thank U.S. forces for serving there. It was the first trip ever by an American president to Iraq - a mission tense with concern about his safety.

"You are defending the American people from danger and we are grateful," Bush told some 600 soldiers who were stunned and delighted by his appearance.

The president's plane - its lights darkened and windows closed to minimzie chances of making it a target - landed under a crescent moon at Bagdad International Airport.

Bush flew in on the plane he most often uses, and White House officials went to extraordinary lengths to keep the trip a secret, fearing its disclosure would prompt terrorist attempts to kill him.

The news of Bush's trip was not released until he was in the air on the way back to the United States. "If this breaks while we're in the air we're turning around," White House communications director Dan Bartlett told reporters on the flight to Baghdad.

Security fears were heightened by an attack last Saturday in which a missile struck a DHL cargo plane, forcing it to make an emergency landing at the airport with its wing aflame.

Bush spent only about two hours on the ground, limiting his visit to the airport dinner with U.S. forces. The troops had been told that the VIP guests would be L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition forces in Iraq.

In a ruse staged in the name of security, the White House had put out word that Bush would be spending Thanksgiving at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, with his wife, Laura, his parents and other family members. Even the dinner menu was announced.

Instead, Bush slipped away from his home without notice Wednesday evening and flew to Washington to pick up aides and a handful of reporters sworn to secrecy. Plans called for the trip to be abandoned if word had leaked out in advance.

Within the White House only a handful of senior aides knew about the trip, officials said.

Security fears were underscored by regular attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq. More than five dozen U.S. troops were killed by hostile fire in November, more than any other month since the end of major combat in Iraq on May 1. Early this week, a U.S. military official, Col. William Darley, said attacks peaked at more than 40 per day about two weeks ago and have since dropped to about 30 per day.

The violence persisted Thursday as the president was en route here.

Insurgents fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the Italian mission in Baghdad, damaging the building but causing no injuries, the U.S. military said. Also, a U.S. military convoy came under attack on the main highway west of Baghdad near the town of Abu Ghraib, witnesses said. And in the northern city of Mosul, unidentified gunmen shot dead an Iraqi police sergeant, said Brig. Gen. Muwaffaq Mohammed.

Since operations began, nearly 300 U.S. service members have died of hostile action, including 183 since May 1 when Bush declared an end to major fighting.

Bush's father visited U.S. troops at a desert outpost in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day 1990, in the runup to the Gulf War. "We won't pull punches. We are not here on some exercise. And we're not walking away until our mission is done, until the invader is out of Kuwait," he told the troops. At one p oint, he climbed into a bunker to chat with troops.

Bush's father shared lunch with U.S. troops 65 miles from Kuwait, occupied at the time by Saddam Hussein's forces. George H.W. Bush had been the first U.S. president to visit a front-line area since President Nixon went to Vietnam in 1969.

[thesummerwind]

He really is...it's fun to watch him, realizing that as an American he's so proud of his President that he's beside himself.

I'm new posting here. Could you tell me how I go about putting the above comment in italics? One great day for the troops, eh? Tom Daschle is deeply disappointed.

[goodnesswins]

Eleanor Clift ALWAYS IS SUCKING lemons!

[PoisedWoman]

This headline came as a surprise, but I've had a hunch for some time that Dubya WANTED to go to Baghdad.. As I recall, he did a flyover a few months ago on his way home from a conference in Bahrain (or Kuwait?). A photo showed him in profile at the airplane window with Baghdad spread at his feet. Judging by what we know about this president, he would have been eager to land, stride around, shake hands, encourage troops, and make the heroic statement to the world that he made today.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the MiddleEast press, especially alJazeera, says about the trip. His courage will probably be interpreted as arrogance if they report it at all.

As for Hitlery's much-heralded trip, who knows who in the Muslim world will take offence? They didn't all see the photo of her kissing Arafat's wife, or did they?

[goodnesswins]

Well, Campbell Brown on whatever station my husband was watching was near tears.....looked like she was REALLY depressed about the Pres being there....her demeanor was SAD.

[hunter112]

Eleanor Clift ALWAYS IS SUCKING lemons!

Hmm, I recall her sucking up to something else during the previous administration...

I couldn't help but wondering if this would piss the jihadists off so much, that they would double their efforts on Hillary. I just feel sorry for those brave men and women who are stuck guarding her.

[My2Cents]

All I can say is that the Bush campaign better use this footage in the campaign. The Democrats consider anything which shows their flaws, deficiencies, and weaknesses, is "unfair." The Democrats are a steaming pile of cowards, appeasers, power-mongers, and traitors. The contrast President Bush shows to them is obvious...it doesn't need to trumpeted. Let them grind their teeth.

[South40]

Great pic, Mr. President!

[shrinkermd]

President Bush has a noteworthy difference with most politicians: he thinks of others in spite of hazards to himself. It is a great day to be a Republican!

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I am glad Bush did this (having spent a Thanksgiving or two pretty much convinced that the Washington "leaders" had completely forgotten about us). Bush has my vote (he would anyway- the alternatives are too horrible to contemplate).

Let me throw something out here- remember Gary Aldrich's claim that Clinton was leaving the White House secretly at night to go shack up with some Holllywood bimbo in a DC hotel? Well, the media jumped all over Aldrich, claiming that such a thing was just flat IMPOSSIBLRE, given the 24/7 intense media scrutiny the President is under.

But here we have a President travelling halfway around the world, while CNN is telling us about his big Thanksgiving dinner in Crawford, Texas!

Could Aldrich have been telling the truth?

[Daniel Ramsey]

Yessss!!!


This is way too cool, better yet what must be going on in intelligence gathering....the AQ "chatter" must sound like feedback from a bad soundsystem at a rock concert by now.

[Jeff Chandler]

It's going to be difficult for the rat media to spin this as a negative. Hmmm, let's see...he was jealous of hillary???

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

What is DU? Please explain.

[thesummerwind]

I can't wait to see the ever-smug Ellen Ratner on this subject tomorrow morning. She is usually on FoxNews on Sunday mornings. She'll need a paper bag to breath into!

[goodnesswins]

I'll skip watching the rat, Ratner, thank you....YECH.

[buffyt]

I agree! I just saw footage of President Bush serving dinner to the troops! Awesome! He is just so wonderful. Often when he is on TV I kiss the screen and say "I love this man!" My husband understands!!!!!

[buffyt]

DemocraticUnderground.com

[My2Cents]

Eleanor is one bitter, painfully ugly woman. Close the lid, please.

And remember to flush.

[.cnI redruM]

I'm tempted to log into my Slate account and watch the train wreck. A lot of Bolsheviks are going to howl like stuck pigs.

[thesummerwind]

Oops! I forgot tomorrow is only Friday.

[haywoodwebb]

George W. Bush = True Genius!!