Bush leaves awe in his Baghdad wake (good read)

telegraph india ^ | 11/28/03

[knak]

Tikrit, Nov. 28 (Reuters): Awesome, courageous, a good move for morale, no way — these were some of the reactions of American soldiers when President George W. Bush flew secretly into Iraq for Thanksgiving yesterday.

“That is absolutely awesome,” said Sergeant Aaron Hildernbrandt, from Claremont, Florida, as he watched news of Bush’s two-and-a-half hour swing-through on television in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit.

“I think that shows real personal courage,” said his companion Sergeant Gilbert Nail of Oklahoma, both of whom had just returned from a patrol through Saddam Hussein’s hometown.

Bush secretly left his Texas ranch late on Wednesday and flew on Air Force One to Baghdad, where he helped serve Thanksgiving lunch to around 600 soldiers at Baghdad International Airport.

The lightning presidential visit seemed to go some way to dispelling an impression of low morale among US troops in Iraq given by many recent reports.

“I think this is a great move. For him to actually come here and spend time with the troops on the holiday. This is a good move,” said Private Michael Debratta from New York as he manned a checkpoint in central Baghdad.

“This is definitely a good move for morale. It makes us feel better that our leader is actually here on a holiday.”

Bush’s bold visit was kept secret from all but a very small pool of White House reporters who travelled with him on the long flight from the US.

The President, wearing a grey military zip-up top, was welcomed by Paul Bremer, the US-appointed governor of Iraq, and helped serve food to a group of stunned soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Armored Division.

They cheered and shouted as Bush, who is the overall commander of US forces, entered the military mess at the airport, and whooped and whistled as he made a short address.

“I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere,” Bush said. “Thanks for inviting me to dinner... I can’t think of a finer group of folks to have Thanksgiving dinner with than you all.”

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell, the commander of the 1-22 Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division, which is leading the hunt for Saddam around Tikrit, was astonished at Bush’s visit.

“No way,” he told a reporter when told of the trip.

“I think that’s great. It sends a strong message from the commander-in-chief that we’re focused on winning. It’s a real morale booster.” The US has more than 130,000 troops in Iraq. In recent months they have faced a deepening insurgency from loyalists of the former regime, who almost daily set off explosions or fire mortars at US positions.

More than 180 US soldiers have been killed since Washington declared an end to major combat on May 1. But despite those losses, soldiers said today’s visit from Bush was just the sort of thing to keep them upbeat.

“It’s a total morale booster,” said Nail in Tikrit. “I didn’t get to see him but what matters is that he cares enough to come and visit.”

Daring stunt

Britain’s Times newspaper hailed Bush’s trip as “one of the most daring stunts in modern American history”.

“Probably not since the American Civil War, when battles raged only a few miles from Washington, has the incumbent of the White House deliberately placed himself in so much danger,” the newspaper’s diplomatic editor wrote.

“Election raid on Baghdad,” declared a front-page headline in France’s Left-wing newspaper Liberation, beside a photograph of Bush carrying a platter laden with roast turkey and fruit and surrounded by US troops.

“This ‘Baghdad coup’, primarily intended for the US public, was a brilliantly conceived and executed piece of election propaganda,” the newspaper said.

But opinions on the trip differed in other sections of the press, with Britain’s tabloid Daily Mirror newspaper and The Independent both running a similar photograph of Bush holding a platter with the headline: “The Turkey has landed”.

In Baghdad, discussions were under way on amendments to a new US-backed plan to hand sovereignty back to Iraqis by July, after the Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said the political roadmap paid too little heed to Islam and did not include enough Iraqi involvement.

[Burkeman1]

Yet the 61st spelling champion has visited my site!

[sandlady]

You: Nixon and Johnson both visited Viet Nam under even tougher combat circumstances. Glad to see Bush visited the troops at the airport.

Let's Roll: "You mean the same airport where a SAM hit a DHL cargo plane last week, forcing it to make an emergency landing?"

Why don't you reply?

[Woahhs]

Are you unable to tell the difference between the words "spelling" and "definition?"

[Burkeman1]

Why Don't I? Because when Johnson and Nixon visited Viet Nam the Casualtiy rate was 50 to 250 a week with aircraft going down every other day in Viet Nam!

The Question is why didnt Bush do a tour of Baghdad and solute the troop since it it is "so safe" right?

He braised a turkey, hashed some mashed potatoes, got his photo op, and ran back home.

Less than Nixon or Johson even in worse wars.

[Colorado Doug]

Just an aside. Johnson visited Viet Nam when 50 to 250 Americans were being killed a week and he didn't just sit on an airstrip for 2 and one half hours and then leave.

Yes, LBJ certainly did get a lot more of our boys killed, didn't he. No matter how much time he spent there, he never did rise to become a great leader.

[sandlady]

Burkeman, are you a reporter who got left behind? :)

[Chad Fairbanks]

Less than Nixon or Johson even in worse wars.

Well, would you be happier if more soldiers were dying daily in Iraq, than were dying daily in Viet Nam?

[gatorbait]

They didn't have RPG's back then....geesh...go get sicker if you want but you sound plenty sick to me now.


They did have B40 and B42 rockets then,Now , the Grail(Strla) was a new development that caused a lot of heartburn late 1971-72.

I think McCain was brought down by conventional AAA.

The President did indeed take a hell of a risk; the secrecy not withstanding'

BM ,go on with your rant.

[rdb3]

geesh...go get sicker if you want but you sound plenty sick to me now.

More like drunk.

[flaglady47]

Even Bill Clinton doesn't want to eat it.

[Nam Vet]

After months or years of reading your idiotic posts I must reply. Yer a brain-dead idiot who has NO idea what you are talking about! You were OBVIOUSLY never well read reagarding Viet Nam, or most any other subject I've seen you reply to. I don't recall much of anything you have ever posted that I agree with.

Nam Vet

[rdb3]

From one vet to another, call 'em as you see 'em.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Something tells me that'll be the end of this discussion.

[NRA2BFree]

Great article! I'm proud of President Bush. He put himself in harms way to show the soldiers that he cares about them. God Bless him and God Bless our soldiers.

[Colorado Doug]

Well, don't quit now. I was hoping that you might enlighten us more about your hero, LBJ and his Viet Nam war. Didn't the Johnson Administration sell the items needed to build missile sites and other pieces of war equipment to Russia, knowing Russia was supplying the North Vietnamese with everything they needed to kill our men? Wasn't it the Johnson administration that ordered our pilots to not bomb SAM missile sites while they were under construction, they could only bomb them after they were finished being built. Oh, and wasn't Johnson's trip to Cam Ranh Bay supposed to be top secret? It's just that. . . well, . . . his security sucked. One thing I will say about your man, LBJ, he certainly knew how to make lots of money while in office.

[Fledermaus]

Special Report on FoxNews Friday all agreed, on the panel, that Tom Rosentihal was off base.

I've seen a few reports from the pool reporters that went, including Jim Angle from Fox, that were happy to be on rotation that day and had no problem with the secrecy. Most of them used a "family emergency" as cover.

On the program they all pointed out that, as journalists, they often get "info" from the White House that is "embargoed" which means here's a speech, we'd appreciate it if you don't report what's in it until 7 pm. It's the trade off they live with to get stories. This is standard procedure.

If the left wing wants to whine and complain, they are just making themselves look even more stupid and no one will pay attention to them.

[MEG33]

You must understand..The NYT and Allen's boss over at WP think they are more important than the security of the Republican President.

[Fledermaus]

You know, your act is getting old. You remind me of a bad comic from the 70's that still thinks he's funny today.

Your MO is now boring routine. The subject doesn't matter, but you are more predictable when talking about the war on terror you think doesn't exist.

1), you say something nice or make a few general comments.

2), you add some teeth and change your mind and start doubting.

3), you go fully into left wing mode and start complaining.

4), you start getting hostile to posters that disagree with you.

5), you then start calling people names like idiot, moron, a-hole, etc.

6), you then "challenge" the poster to some weird game you play within your MO to "private e-mail me with your real name and address and phone number". And in your little mind I'm sure if they refuse, correctly, you then fulfill your ego with the idea that "I've won the argument, they failed my challenge!" bullcrap.

7), you "apologize" for being rude and mean while you still fire zings.

8), you complain to the Admin Moderator about being slighted or abused or called names.

9), you then start all over again at #1 with someone else in another thread.

When you think about it, it's pretty pitiful and almost sad you are so unhappy and lonely in your life. I bet you treat everyone around you the same way.

[Fledermaus]

Another one of your MO's, switch the argument after you lose.

They weren't talking RPG's, they said there weren't "heat seeking missiles".

You don't bait and switch very well for scrutiny.

[CarolAnn]

"Repeat after me....F*CK FRANCE!!!!

" Back at the beginning of the year France was doing everything they could to make things difficult for the U.S., my tag line was Phuck Phrance. I don't think anyone minded, or if they did, they didn't complain.