Posted on 06/14/2006 6:44:03 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
"The POTUS is on board!" yelled a man of nearly 60 wearing a Navy baseball cap, dark pants and no tie, who had just climbed the drop-down backstairs of Air Force One in the dark and slipped into the rearmost cabin, crammed full with reporters and photographers.
It was, in fact, not just the customary announcement made when the president of the United States (POTUS) boards his plane. This was, in fact, the POTUS himself, minutes before Monday night's secret trip to Baghdad, one so elaborately planned that it included the president lying to his closest aides and the White House duping reporters.
At 7:45 p.m. Monday, Mr. Bush, nearing the end of the first of two days of meetings on Iraq at Camp David, sought his leave from his top military and intelligence advisers, including National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte, CIA Director Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden and Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"I'm losing altitude -- I'm going to read," Mr. Bush told the group, ostensibly heading to bed. But he did not. Instead, he slipped out of the fortified presidential retreat and into an unmarked helicopter, not his normal Marine One chopper, for a quick ride to Andrews Air Force Base and an 11-hour flight to Baghdad.
Vice President Dick Cheney was about the only one at the nighttime Camp David gathering who knew that the president was headed to Iraq.
"Our Cabinet is not completely aware," senior Bush aide Dan Bartlett later told reporters on Air Force One en route. "They all expected him to show up at breakfast with the ambassador of Iraq."
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Well, I haven't been home in front of the tube at all today.
Busy taking care of my sick dad. i guess I missed it.
Jerry Springer was having a cow over the secrecy. He thought either we don't trust the Iraqi's or we don't trust their ability to provide security. He thought we insulted the Iraqi's by not giving them advance warning of the visit.
The notion that we don't trust the press didn't occur to Springer.
Bill Sammon's book "Misunderestimated" has a chapter on the planning and preparation for Pres. Bush's trip to Iraq to thank the troops at Thanksgiving, and one of Pres. Bush's biggest concerns was the possible danger to the troops if the trip became public knowledge beforehand. One of my favorite lines in this chapter is where Pres. Bush asked his Air Force One pilot whether it could be done, and the pilot said sure, there was a 99% chance they could get in safely, and Pres. Bush said let's spend a little time on that one percent.
And no one knew
Probably reads in bed. My wife and I do.
Technically, the plane did not become "Air Force One" until the moment the President stepped on board. Until then, it was just a very fancy Air Force plane.
Good on "W" he even got to dress up (or is it down??)! lol
Pinz
Seeing as how the media has sided itself with the terrorists, I'm not surprised the trip was shrouded in secrecy.
The press is telling the public Iraq is a dangereous place...why wouldn't Pres. Bush fly in secret?
When did this happen? I completely missed this; are there pictures?
Jerry Springer is still on the air somewhere? And people actually listen?? sheesh, who knew...
Thanks for the ping Mo1, I love this part:
The trip was the brainchild of the president himself, who told his staff that he wanted to travel to Baghdad as soon as Mr. al-Maliki filled the final positions in his government, which occurred Thursday. The White House set up a strange series of movements for the president: He went to Camp David on Thursday and then returned to the White House on Sunday, only to leave again for his retreat early the next morning. Reporters were lulled.
Lulled, as in anesthetized, LOLOL! Actually, I'd like to see a list of the reporters who were trusted enough to be told the information and invited along.
Good morning Howlin nice to see you.
Check Monday's Dose for pics.
Pinz
Good question .. I'd like to see the list also
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