Rumsfeld Home After Surprise Iraq Trip

Guardian/UK ^ | 12-10-06

[STARWISE]

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld returned to Washington Sunday after his surprise trip to Iraq.

Rumsfeld's press secretary, Eric Ruff, said the defense secretary did not meet with any Iraqi government officials - as has been his usual practice - before leaving the country around noon Sunday.

``It was not a public trip whatsoever,'' Ruff said. The main purpose, he said, was to express thanks to the U.S. troops and their commanders.

Rumsfeld met over dinner Saturday with several top commanders, including Gen. George Casey and Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the two most senior commanders in Iraq. He also met with Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, who is in charge of the training of Iraqi security forces, and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who recently arrived to replace Chiarelli.

Ruff said Rumsfeld began Sunday in the Baghdad area, having breakfast with troops and attending a church service at Camp Victory, the main U.S. military command headquarters on the outskirts of the capital. He later held a town hall-style meeting with several hundred U.S. troops in the northern city of Mosul.

The only member of the media allowed to accompany Rumsfeld was Sean Hannity, a conservative Fox News Channel host. On all of his 14 previous trips to Iraq, as well as all other overseas trips, Rumsfeld has taken reporters who cover him regularly at the Pentagon. Ruff offered no reason why reporters were not invited this time, except to say that Rumsfeld viewed it as a ``private'' visit.

[STARWISE]

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signs the wall outside the Air Force Theatre Hospital at Balad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2006. The message read, "You fellows are superstars." Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq to thank the troops and their families for their sacrifice and service to the country. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie Thurlby

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld meets with troops assigned to 4th Brigade of 1st Cavalry Division and 2nd Battalion of 7th Cavalry Regiment, Iraq, during a surprise visit to Iraq, Dec. 9, 2006. Rumsfeld thanked the troops and their families for their sacrifice. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie Thurlby

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His last day, Dec. 18th, will be a sad day.

[onyx]

Awesome post!

[dfwgator]

Yep, it will be a sad day.

Thank You Donald for your service for your country. And don't let the turkeys get you down.

[STARWISE]

Rummy's home!

[Kay]

What a splendid man. May history cream his enemies.

[onyx]

Now, please post that pic of the hot young Rummy!

:)

[ilovew]

Awww...Rummy....*sighs*

[STARWISE]

DITTO! His leaving makes me so sad.

[SevenofNine]

I going miss Rummy but I wouldn't mind the Rummy memior Hey star I hear somebody already writing a book about him Wash Post reporter yeah that going be fair NOT LOL!

Check out that card DAMNNN that one card you don't scare at CVS RX

[SevenofNine]

I don't think Star has young Rummy photo one of the freeper have him I THINK

MAN you got give props to Rummy he is only Secretary of Defense that ran Running of the bulls in Spain in 1970s at the time he was NATO secretary

[Chgogal]

The country will miss Rumsfeld dearly.

[SevenofNine]

That statement of this thread that cool

I have feeling historians would judge Rummy fairly than the MSN media or anti war movement

I have feeling Rummy going be much more popular later on people would say GEE Rummy has his faults he was good secretary of defense

[onyx]

I "could" search the Dose. :)

[STARWISE]

We were blessed to have had him at DOD .. twice. God bless him and his family richly, with years of good health, contentment and happy days.

[SevenofNine]

You could try that if you want

I think it was on originally back in da day on Daily dose

[SevenofNine]

Wow rack it Star that him Rummy as young man COOL

What is Rummy doing in that photo doing Jack Palance reset LOL!

[STARWISE]

Must be this person:

Ruff said Bradley Graham, a Washington Post correspondent who previously covered the Pentagon for that newspaper and who is now writing a book about Rumsfeld, was invited on the trip but declined to go.

[FlyVet]

Seems the troops have a lot respect for Rummy, and the troops gather round him.

When I was in Riyadh during the reign of Klinton, we got visits from SECAF Sheila Widnall and CJCS Shelton. IMO the attitude was "Why don't you just leave us alone? You are interrupting our work with this dog and pony show, and we don't have time for this." I didn't see anyone gathering around them after the show, nor did they invite it.

[SevenofNine]

WOW that guy I wonder why maybe he p***y out that trip he could be Rummy ghost writer and may be doing little editoring on upcoming book

[ilovew]

Wow! I've never seen that one before. Rummy rules!