thedrifter
06-13-06, 09:29 AM
Jun 13, 10:22 AM EDT
Bush drops in on new Iraqi PM in Baghdad
By TERENCE HUNT
AP White House Correspondent
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- President Bush met newly named Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a surprise visit to Baghdad on Tuesday to discuss next steps in the troubled three-year-old war. The dramatic move came as Bush sought to bolster support for Iraq's fledgling government and U.S. war policy at home.
Bush traveled to violence-rattled Baghdad less than a week after a U.S. air strike killed terror chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The president was expected to be in Baghdad a little more than five hours.
Bush met with al-Maliki in the heavily fortified green zone at a palace once used by Saddam Hussein but which now serves temporarily as the U.S. Embassy.
"Good to see you," exclaimed al-Maliki, who didn't know Bush was in Baghdad until five minutes before they met.
"Thanks for having me," Bush responded. They smiled broadly and shook hands vigorously in the high-domed marble room.
The trip was known only to a handful of aides and a small number of journalists sworn to secrecy because of obvious security threats for Bush and members of his entourage.
"Obviously, when you're entering a situation where the enemy is so active we have to be extra cautious," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said.
The prime minister had been invited to the embassy on the pretense of taking part in a video conference with Bush, supposedly at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains. The videoconference was going on as scheduled, but with Bush to appear alongside al-Maliki.
Bush's secret trip came six days after the death of al-Zarqawi. The administration hoped the elimination of the al-Qaida leader and the completion of al-Maliki's cabinet would make war-weary Americans look at Iraq in a more positive light.
Aside from al-Maliki and his cabinet, Bush was to see Jalal Talibani, Iraq's largely ceremonial president. Bush also was to meet with the speaker of the parliament, national political leaders and U.S. troops.
Air Force One landed in hazy daylight at Baghdad Airport, where the temperature was above 100 degrees. Bush transferred to a helicopter for the six-minute ride to the green zone.
It was Bush's second trip to Baghdad in less than three years. He met with American troops at Thanksgiving 2003 in a visit confined to the airport and limited to several hours after dark. That trip was kept secret until Bush was safely in the air on the way home.
There are about 132,000 American forces in Iraq, and Bush faces increasing pressure to begin troop withdrawals. Bush says cutbacks depend on Iraq's ability to provide for its own security.
Bartlett said the trip had been in the works for several weeks but was delayed until al-Maliki filled out his cabinet with his national security team last week.
"We are committed to the success of this new government and the Maliki plan that he is outlining," said Bartlett, who briefed reporters aboard Air Force One.
Al-Maliki has won U.S. admiration by promising to crack down on militias and sectarian violence, promote national reconciliation, accelerate reconstruction efforts and restore essential services such as electricity.
Bush's meeting at Camp David was part of a ruse to conceal his Baghdad trip and a cover story to bring al-Maliki and his cabinet to the green zone.
Secrecy aside, the meeting was intended to strengthen ties between the Bush administration and al-Maliki's ministries, Bartlett said.
Most of Bush's aides had expected the president to be at the table with them for the videoconference. Instead, they were seeing him from Baghdad. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Vice President Dick Cheney were in on the secret.
Accompanying Bush on the trip were National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, Deputy Chief of staff Joe Hagin, press secretary Tony Snow, Bartlett and a few others.
First lady Laura Bush announced Bush's trip to a surprised crowd assembled in Villanova, Pa., for a fundraiser for Republican Sen. Rick Santorum. She told the GOP donors she is "very thrilled and very proud" of her husband.
Tuesday's trip came as Bush struggled for solid footing for his presidency, rocked by the Iraq war and other problems. About 2,500 members of the military have died since the war began in March 2003.
Was anxiety has been the driving force behind Bush's plunge in the polls and a cause of Republican distress about holding control of Congress in the November mid-tem elections.
Approval of Bush's handling of Iraq has dipped to 33 percent, a new low, and his overall job approval rating was 35 percent in a new AP-Ipsos Poll.
The poll, taken last week before the announcement of the death of al-Zarqawi, found that 59 percent of adults said the United States made a mistake in going to war in Iraq - the highest level yet in AP-Ipsos polling. It also found that more than half - 54 percent - said it's unlikely that a stable democratic government will be established in Iraq - also a new high.
Ellie
Bush drops in on new Iraqi PM in Baghdad
By TERENCE HUNT
AP White House Correspondent
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- President Bush met newly named Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a surprise visit to Baghdad on Tuesday to discuss next steps in the troubled three-year-old war. The dramatic move came as Bush sought to bolster support for Iraq's fledgling government and U.S. war policy at home.
Bush traveled to violence-rattled Baghdad less than a week after a U.S. air strike killed terror chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The president was expected to be in Baghdad a little more than five hours.
Bush met with al-Maliki in the heavily fortified green zone at a palace once used by Saddam Hussein but which now serves temporarily as the U.S. Embassy.
"Good to see you," exclaimed al-Maliki, who didn't know Bush was in Baghdad until five minutes before they met.
"Thanks for having me," Bush responded. They smiled broadly and shook hands vigorously in the high-domed marble room.
The trip was known only to a handful of aides and a small number of journalists sworn to secrecy because of obvious security threats for Bush and members of his entourage.
"Obviously, when you're entering a situation where the enemy is so active we have to be extra cautious," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said.
The prime minister had been invited to the embassy on the pretense of taking part in a video conference with Bush, supposedly at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains. The videoconference was going on as scheduled, but with Bush to appear alongside al-Maliki.
Bush's secret trip came six days after the death of al-Zarqawi. The administration hoped the elimination of the al-Qaida leader and the completion of al-Maliki's cabinet would make war-weary Americans look at Iraq in a more positive light.
Aside from al-Maliki and his cabinet, Bush was to see Jalal Talibani, Iraq's largely ceremonial president. Bush also was to meet with the speaker of the parliament, national political leaders and U.S. troops.
Air Force One landed in hazy daylight at Baghdad Airport, where the temperature was above 100 degrees. Bush transferred to a helicopter for the six-minute ride to the green zone.
It was Bush's second trip to Baghdad in less than three years. He met with American troops at Thanksgiving 2003 in a visit confined to the airport and limited to several hours after dark. That trip was kept secret until Bush was safely in the air on the way home.
There are about 132,000 American forces in Iraq, and Bush faces increasing pressure to begin troop withdrawals. Bush says cutbacks depend on Iraq's ability to provide for its own security.
Bartlett said the trip had been in the works for several weeks but was delayed until al-Maliki filled out his cabinet with his national security team last week.
"We are committed to the success of this new government and the Maliki plan that he is outlining," said Bartlett, who briefed reporters aboard Air Force One.
Al-Maliki has won U.S. admiration by promising to crack down on militias and sectarian violence, promote national reconciliation, accelerate reconstruction efforts and restore essential services such as electricity.
Bush's meeting at Camp David was part of a ruse to conceal his Baghdad trip and a cover story to bring al-Maliki and his cabinet to the green zone.
Secrecy aside, the meeting was intended to strengthen ties between the Bush administration and al-Maliki's ministries, Bartlett said.
Most of Bush's aides had expected the president to be at the table with them for the videoconference. Instead, they were seeing him from Baghdad. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Vice President Dick Cheney were in on the secret.
Accompanying Bush on the trip were National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, Deputy Chief of staff Joe Hagin, press secretary Tony Snow, Bartlett and a few others.
First lady Laura Bush announced Bush's trip to a surprised crowd assembled in Villanova, Pa., for a fundraiser for Republican Sen. Rick Santorum. She told the GOP donors she is "very thrilled and very proud" of her husband.
Tuesday's trip came as Bush struggled for solid footing for his presidency, rocked by the Iraq war and other problems. About 2,500 members of the military have died since the war began in March 2003.
Was anxiety has been the driving force behind Bush's plunge in the polls and a cause of Republican distress about holding control of Congress in the November mid-tem elections.
Approval of Bush's handling of Iraq has dipped to 33 percent, a new low, and his overall job approval rating was 35 percent in a new AP-Ipsos Poll.
The poll, taken last week before the announcement of the death of al-Zarqawi, found that 59 percent of adults said the United States made a mistake in going to war in Iraq - the highest level yet in AP-Ipsos polling. It also found that more than half - 54 percent - said it's unlikely that a stable democratic government will be established in Iraq - also a new high.
Ellie