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Obama Stops in Iraq on Unannounced Visit
Wall St Journal ^ | 4/7/2009 | JONATHAN WEISMAN

Posted on 04/07/2009 7:02:24 AM PDT by SonOfDarkSkies

President Barack Obama tacked an unannounced trip to Baghdad Tuesday, saying a trip to Iraq was critical because progress in a country rocked by a new round of bombings lies "in political solutions."

The side trip will include a visit with U.S. troops, a meeting with Commanding Gen. Raymond Odierno at Camp Victory outside the city and calls to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Iraq was chosen over Afghanistan in part because of its proximity to Istanbul but also because troops in the war Mr. Obama hopes to end are just as important as troops in Afghanistan, where he hopes to intensify the U.S. campaign against Taliban militants.

"Our men and women who are in harm's way, either in Iraq or Afghanistan, deserve our utmost respect and appreciation," Mr. Gibbs said aboard Air Force One. He will also award 10 medals of valor while in Baghdad.

Mr. Obama had intended to take a helicopter for face-to-face consultations with the Iraqi leadership, but poor weather grounded Marine 1.

Mr. Obama flew into the country hours after a car bomb exploded in a Shiite neighborhood of the capital city, a deadly reminder of the violence that has claimed the lives at least 4,266 members of the U.S. military since March 2003.

The visit came at the conclusion of a long overseas trip that included economic and NATO summits in Europe and two days in Turkey.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhodod; bhoiraq; bhovisit
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1 posted on 04/07/2009 7:02:24 AM PDT by SonOfDarkSkies
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

“The side trip will include a visit with U.S. troops”

WHAT??? You mean, he’s ACTUALLY going to talk to the troops this time??? Who would’ve thought?


2 posted on 04/07/2009 7:03:47 AM PDT by wk4bush2004 (SARAH PALIN, 2012!!!!!!!)
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

Oops! Did a search but missed previous post!


3 posted on 04/07/2009 7:04:06 AM PDT by SonOfDarkSkies
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

Gee, his surrender tour is now complete.


4 posted on 04/07/2009 7:04:21 AM PDT by y6162
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To: SonOfDarkSkies
Oh, goody. At least we'll get a new round of youtube videos of our troops mildly welcoming the 16th Imam, or whatever Obama calls himself when he's in the middle east.
5 posted on 04/07/2009 7:04:27 AM PDT by GreenAccord (Bacon Akbar!)
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

“Obama Stops in Iraq on Unannounced Visit”

To do what? Surrender?


6 posted on 04/07/2009 7:05:06 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Meanwhile, the sheeple graze mindlessly while awaiting slaughter at Hope and Change Ranch)
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To: wk4bush2004

No no no...he’s there to get the girls a camel...decided against the dog.


7 posted on 04/07/2009 7:05:14 AM PDT by lilycicero
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

I thought he promised that we’d be out of Iraq in 90 days ? Only 14 days left. Maybe he meant just himself !


8 posted on 04/07/2009 7:05:24 AM PDT by Red Boots
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I hope he thanks the troops for their role in the “distraction”. *spit*


9 posted on 04/07/2009 7:05:28 AM PDT by eureka! (Elections have consequences, boy howdy. *sigh*)
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To: wk4bush2004

“WHAT??? You mean, he’s ACTUALLY going to talk to the troops this time??? Who would’ve thought?”

He’s going to have them stand in formation as a captive audience to watch him shoot 3-pointers.


10 posted on 04/07/2009 7:06:16 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Meanwhile, the sheeple graze mindlessly while awaiting slaughter at Hope and Change Ranch)
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To: GreenAccord

“whatever Obama calls himself when he’s in the middle east”

Obammed ibn Abu al-Baracki.


11 posted on 04/07/2009 7:07:35 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Meanwhile, the sheeple graze mindlessly while awaiting slaughter at Hope and Change Ranch)
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To: ScottinVA
Going to shoot some hoops and have photos taken with some hand-picked “just smile and look at the camera” troops.
12 posted on 04/07/2009 7:08:13 AM PDT by NavyCanDo (Party like its 1773)
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

He’s there to sign a political solution with Al Qaeda. The surrender signing takes place in 5, 4, 3, 2....

Never ends with this guy.


13 posted on 04/07/2009 7:08:52 AM PDT by romanesq
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To: NavyCanDo

“Going to shoot some hoops and have photos taken with some hand-picked “just smile and look at the camera” troops.”

Of a certain persuasion, of course.


14 posted on 04/07/2009 7:09:05 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Meanwhile, the sheeple graze mindlessly while awaiting slaughter at Hope and Change Ranch)
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To: GreenAccord

Will the media even allow a video of the the troops not greeting Obama with more enthusiasm than with his global muslim following?

I’m really curious how that’ll go.


15 posted on 04/07/2009 7:09:54 AM PDT by romanesq
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

Bush had a bailout, Obama has to have a bigger bailout.

Bush had a troop surge in Iraq, Obama has to have a troop surge in Afghanistan.

Bush made surprise visits to the troops, Obama has to make surprise visits to our troops.

etc.

do I detect a pattern here?


16 posted on 04/07/2009 7:09:55 AM PDT by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

He just wanted to spit in their faces in person!


17 posted on 04/07/2009 7:10:02 AM PDT by Tatze (I reject your reality and substitute my own!)
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To: SonOfDarkSkies

This is a good trip. Kudos to President Obama for acting Presidential.

Perhaps now Obama and the news media can shake up Congress to get our new Ambassador to Iraq confirmed...it’s embarrassing to have gone months now without one...and risks the political progress made there under the Bush Administration to continue with an empty embassy.


18 posted on 04/07/2009 7:12:46 AM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: eureka!
I hope he thanks the troops for their role in the “distraction”. *spit*

No, he is there to thank the "Sunni awakening" for the good that is going on and to make sure the troops know that he is their CiC and they better not forget it.

19 posted on 04/07/2009 7:12:57 AM PDT by submarinerswife ("If I win I can't 't be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead." - George S. Patton)
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To: SonOfDarkSkies
Surprise visit my foot he had this planned from day one,his ratings are down so he needs some publicity..Besides all morning the news media has been saying obama is making a surprise stop it was no surprise to me he was trying to copy President Bush.
20 posted on 04/07/2009 7:14:49 AM PDT by PLD
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