Posted on 12/09/2004 11:24:43 AM PST by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) will travel to Iraq (news - web sites) next month as the war-torn country prepares for elections.
The Massachusetts senator, who lost his bid for the presidency in November, is expected to visit several Middle East countries, with the focus on the situation in Iraq and the war on terror.
A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Kerry also plans to meet with U.S. troops, including some from Massachusetts, to thank them for their services, spokeswoman April Boyd said Thursday.
During the campaign, Kerry criticized President Bush (news - web sites)'s handling of the Iraq war. Although Kerry voted in October 2002 to give Bush the authority to wage war, he later voted against additional funds for Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) reconstruction, arguing that the commander in chief didn't have a solid plan to restore peace.
Kerry is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In addition to his Iraq trip, Kerry will take time during the holidays to host events in Massachusetts and Iowa in which he will thank his campaign supporters. He travels to Iowa on Friday.
Kerry's solo overseas trip comes after several senators endured a harrowing flight out of Baghdad, and amid increased security concerns as violence there continues to escalate.
Last week, a group of senators, including Sen. Lincoln Chafee (news, bio, voting record), R-R.I., traveled to Iraq and found conditions far more dangerous than during a similar trip a year ago. Chafee described a frightening helicopter flight out of Baghdad as the aircraft weaved to avoid enemy fire.
The Iraqi elections are scheduled for Jan. 30 and will be the first popular vote since Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s ouster.
Maybe they'll have one of those giant plasma screens up with the Swifties ads running nonstop.
Will Michael Moron go with sKerry to film it?
He must be thinking of running in 2008. This is the first time he'll have visited Iraq. Numerous Senators have made numerous trips there already. Not like it matters since Kerry has a bad record when it comes to military funding and weapons systems. Maybe he can explain his vote against the $87 billion to the troops while over there. Maybe the media can have that soldier handy to ask Kerry about it?
Actually, NO.....
The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, put the LIE to all those false claims of Kerry's "decorations"..
He's as phony as a $3 bill..
Semper Fi
What a BIG waste of tax payers money.
The only reason he is going is that the tax payers are paying, otherwise he would have to beg his wife for some money.
Note to islamofacist terrorist. Don't you DARE kidnap this great American war hero. </sarcasm>
Note to islamofacist terrorist. Don't you DARE PLEASE kidnap this great American war hero.
he only needs to find a group of 30 or so of them for some photo ops. he can come up with that.
If I were a Marine, or any other member of the military, and was told to appear at a Kerry presentation, I'd rather say "No". If forced to appear, I'd rather face a military discipline than support John Kerry, whom I consider an American traitor.
And why couldn't he go with the other senators??
Oh that's right ... it's because they would be in his photo op
Because that would make to much sense
'Maybe he can explain his vote against the $87 billion to the troops while over there. Maybe the media can have that soldier handy to ask Kerry about it?'
"Senator Kerry, did you really vote not to give us body armor and armor the vehicles, or is that a Republican smear, as you claim"?
"Senator Kerry, why don't you sign the 180"?
I think he's got a meeting with Zarqawi first.
These politicians crack me up with their "frightening experiences." I have yet to take a helicopter flight across Baghdad without the enemy trying to take shots at us. It's all just part of the normal routine here.
And I'm a civilian.
These pols love to grandstand and make mountains out of molehills to impress people, but to us, they just look like a bunch of whiny wimps.
That pilot loved NOE and for a second I thought he was going to blue thunder us.
Now that was an interesting flight.
Lincoln Chafee my nominee for this years up class twit of the year contest.
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