Posted on 10/13/2005 4:42:44 PM PDT by snugs
Today President Bush participated in a video teleconference with troops from the 42nd Infantry Division on duty in Tikrit, Iraq
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice continues her tour of Asia
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld attended and spoke at the U.S. & Central America Ministers Conference on Security and Economic opportunity in Key Biscayne, Florida
Also today in England a great conservative and friend of the US Mrs (Baroness) Thatcher's celebrates her 80th birthday. There was a party tonight in London in her honour. Guests included political adversary and current UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The outgoing Tory Leader who is said to be a personal friend paid her a great tribute "I am delighted to congratulate Margaret Thatcher on the achievement of her 80th birthday. What Churchill did in wartime, Margaret Thatcher did in peacetime. Her political will and her iron courage saw off the threats to our way of life that Britain faced in 1979. We all owe her an enormous debt. I wish her well for her birthday and for many years to come."
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
QUOTE OF THE DAY
President Addresses U.S. Troops in Iraq in Video Teleconference
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS: Mr. President, I'm Captain David Williams. I'm from Los Angeles, California. I'm currently with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, attached to the Military Transition Team. Sir, in North-Central Iraq, voter registration is up 17 percent. That's 400,000 new voters in North-Central Iraq, and 100,000 new voters in the al-Salahuddin province. Sir, I was with my Iraqi counterpart in Tikrit, the city Tikrit last week, and he was going around, talking to the locals. And from what he told me that the locals told him, the Iraqi people are ready and eager to vote in this referendum.
THE PRESIDENT: That's good. It's pretty interesting. That's a pretty interesting concept for the people of Tikirt, when you really think about the fact that that was Saddam Hussein's hometown. They didn't get to vote too often when he was the leader there. Let me ask you about the progress. Most of you have been there for nearly a year, as I understand it.
And is it possible to give us a sense, kind of a calibration of what life was like when you first got there, and what it's like today?
CAPTAIN KENNEDY: Mr. President, Master Sergeant Lombardo will answer this question.
SERGEANT LOMBARDO: Good morning, Mr. President. I'm Master Sergeant Corine Lombardo, with the Headquarters 42nd Infantry Division and Task Force Liberty, from Scotia, New York. First, I'd like to say that this is a pleasure to speak with you again. We had the honor of your visit in New York City on November 11th, in 2001, when you recognized our Rainbow Soldiers for their recovery and rescue efforts at Ground Zero.
THE PRESIDENT: Were you there?
SERGEANT LOMBARDO: We began our fight against terrorism in the wake of 9/11, and we're proud to continue it here in North-Central New York -- North-Central Iraq. THE PRESIDENT: Let me ask you something. Were you there when I came to New York?
SERGEANT LOMBARDO: Yes, I was, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: I thought you looked familiar.
SERGEANT LOMBARDO: Well, thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: I probably look familiar to you, too.
SERGEANT LOMBARDO: Yes, you do, Mr. President. I can tell you over the past 10 months we've seen a tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi security force partners. We've been working side-by-side, training and equipping 18 Iraqi army battalions. Since we began our partnership, they have improved greatly, and they continue to develop and grow into sustainable forces. Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations.
THE PRESIDENT: There's no question that we need to stay on the offense, and we need to stay on the offense with well-trained Iraqi forces, side-by-side the finest military ever -- ever to exist, and that's the United States military.
SERGEANT AKEEL: Good morning, Mr. President. Thank you for everything. Thank very much for everything.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, you're welcome.
SERGEANT AKEEL: I like you. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate that.
LIEUTENANT MURPHY: I'm First Lieutenant Gregg Murphy from the 278th Regimental Combat Team, from the Volunteer State of Tennessee. I want to tell you, sir, that we appreciate you coming with us today for this interview, and hearing us express our confidence in the Iraqi security forces' role in the upcoming referendum. Sir, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make this thing a success. But the important thing here is that the Iraqi army and the Iraqi security forces, they're ready, and they're committed. They're going to make this thing happen.
Back in January, when we were preparing for that election, we had to lead the way. We set up the coordination, we made the plan. We're really happy to see, during the preparation for this one, sir, they're doing everything. They're making the plans, they're calling each other, they've got it laid out. So on Saturday, sir, we're going to be beside them, we're going to be there to support them through anything. But we can't wait to share in their success with them on Sunday.
Sir, from all of us here at Task Force Liberty here in Tikrit, we want to express our gratitude to you for spending a little time with us this morning, and thank you, sir, for hearing our assessment of the current situation here in Tikrit, Iraq.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Lieutenant, thanks. It's been my honor. And, you know, I wish I could be there to see you face-to-face, to thank you personally. It's probably a little early for me to go to Tikrit, but one of these days perhaps the situation will be such that I'll be able to get back to Iraq to not only thank our troops, but to thank those brave Iraqis who are standing strong in the face of these foreign fighters and these radicals that are trying to stop the march of freedom.
Again, I want to thank you all for being so courageous and for stepping up when the United States of America needed you. I repeat what I said earlier: Please give your loved ones my deepest respect. And you've got to know, the American people are standing strong with you. We're proud of you. May God bless you all in your work and when you get back to the states, you know, if I'm hanging around, come by and say hello.
Thank you all.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
President George W. Bush gestures as he speaks with troops, from the U.S. Army's 42nd Infantry Division serving in Iraq, via video teleconference from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005
Thank you snugs:)
2nd
Dose going up please wait to post or repost any photos or graphics until the all clear is given
Early!!!
There oughta be an award for getting here before the ping :)
I loved the conference between the Commander in Chief and his Troops. I think they liked it as well.
always the bridesmaid...LOL...get broadband!
Troops from the 42nd Infantry Division on duty in Tikrit, Iraq, participate in a video teleconference with at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005. 
President Bush speaks to Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo and other troops from the U.S. 42nd Infantry Division on duty in Tikrit, Iraq, via video teleconference from the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005
President Bush waves goodbye as he finishes speaking via video teleconference to American troops from the 42nd Infantry Division on duty in Tikrit, Iraq, at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005 
That's me banging my head on the keyboard :(
:)
Hi, Buddy. Hope you're feeling better.
Happy Birthday Mrs. Thatcher! Thanks for the only thread on FR! :-)
Margaret Thatcher arriving at her 80th Birthday party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London tonight
Lovely lady.
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov (R) walks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Dushanbe October 13, 2005
Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov (R) meets U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Dushanbe October 13, 2005
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (R) meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) as Kazakhstan's ambassador to the United States Kanat Saudabayev (2nd L) and Foreign Minister Kosymzhomart Tokayev look on in Astana October 13, 2005
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures next to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev during their meeting in Astana October 13, 2005. Rice visited Kazakhstan, a fast-growing country where U.S. oil companies have invested billions of dollars, as part of her regional tour.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures at a news conference in Astana October 13, 2005
That lady still looks darn good!
Thanks for the great pictures tonight, snugs! It is good to be on Sanity Island!
Gotta go for now--I'll be back!
I will post some more photos later on of the do
You're gonna break that keyboard with your hard head....
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld (R) speaks as Costa Rica Minister of Public Security, Government and Police Rogelio Vicente Ramos Martinez (L) and Panama Minister of Government and Justice Hector Bolivar Aleman Estevez look on at the U.S. & Central America Ministers Conference on Security and Economic opportunity in Key Biscayne, Florida, October 13, 2005.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld (L) shares a laugh with Nicaragua Minister of Defense Avil Ramirez Valdivia at the U.S. & Central America Ministers Conference on Security and Economic opportunity in Key Biscayne, Florida, October 13, 2005
Defense Secratary Donald H. Rumsfeld (L) gestures as Honduras Minister of Defense Federico Breve Travieso (R) speaks and Nicaragua Minister of Defense Avil Ramirez Valdivia looks on at the U.S. & Central America Ministers Conference on Security and Economic opportunity in Key Biscayne, Florida, October 13, 2005.
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld gestures during a news conference at the U.S. and Central America Ministers Conference on Security and Economic Opportunity Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005 in Key Biscayne, Fla
Guatemalan Minister of Defense Major General Carlos Humberto Aldana Villanueva talks to reporters during a news confeence as U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, looks on at the U.S. and Central America Ministers Conference on Security and Economic Opportunity Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005
See you later
I need a new one anyway :)
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