[NYTr] Bush Visits Iraq (Or Was It a Stage Set in Hollywood?)

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Bush Drops in on Iraq 

Baghdad, Sep 3 (Prensa Latina) US President George W. Bush arrived
Monday in the Al Assad air force base, in the Iraqi western Al Anbar
province, military sources reported.

The president arrived when his strategic plans regarding military
control of several regions are not rendering the results he promised to
US political circles.

Bush's visit to Iraq happened when his British ally reactivated the
process to withdraw its soldiers, which Washington should interpret as
negative for the multinational force cohesion.

State and Defense Secretaries Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates,
respectively, and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley are
accompanying Bush, according to the sources.

The visitor also met the military authorities of the air force base,
and the sources were not able to learn if he would meet Iraqi Prime
Minister Nuri al Maliki, or any other local authority.

Bush recently backed Maliki's continuance, heading the Iraqi
administration, before some US politicians that accused him of
incompetence in the performance of his duties.

The US president is in Baghdad a week before US army head in Iraq David
Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker present their reports about the
security situation in this Arab country.

hr/iom/mt/mf

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Financial Times - Sep 3, 2007
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a361390c-5a55-11dc-9bcd-0000779fd2ac.html

Visit symbol of Bush’s determination

By Demetri Sevastopulo and Andrew ward

President George W. Bush and his war cabinet sat in a nondescript
building on al-Asad air base in Anbar province yesterday waiting for
Jalal Talabani, Iraqi president, to arrive for a crucial meeting on
Iraq’s future.

When Mr Talabani walked in 15 minutes late, Mr Bush greeted him by
saying, “Mr President, the president of the whole country”, before the
two leaders exchanged the customary three kisses.

The situation was almost a metaphor for the larger relationship where
the Bush administration is hoping the Iraqi government can capitalise
on some of the security gains achieved by the “surge” to bring about
political reconciliation.

Following the meeting – which included Nouri al­Maliki, the Iraqi prime
minister – Mr Bush emerged with Robert Gates, defence secretary, and
Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, both of whom had travelled to
Iraq under intense secrecy for the unprecedented set of meetings.

The trip – Mr Bush’s third to Iraq since the invasion in 2003 – had
been a tightly guarded secret among White House officials for five
weeks.

It came a week before Mr Bush is due to deliver an eagerly awaited
progress report on the war, backed by testimony to Congress from
General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, US
ambassador in Baghdad.

Mr Bush’s decision to visit Iraq days before the report appeared to be
a bold symbol of the White House’s determination to press ahead with
its “surge” strategy and resist pressure from Democrats and some
Republicans to start withdrawing troops.

Stephen Hadley, US national security adviser, said the trip was an
opportunity for Mr Bush to make a personal assessment of the situation
before reporting to Congress. “This gives the president an opportunity
first hand to hear from people directly involved and make his own
assessments at the same time,” he said.

The choice of destination was significant. Mr Bush has repeatedly cited
Anbar province as an example of progress in Iraq since tribal leaders
began turning against al-Qaeda there last year.

Mr Hadley said it was “an opportunity for him to hear what has been
really a remarkable story in Anbar province”.

A year ago, al-Qaeda was in control of Ramadi, the provincial capital,
and many of the other largest cities in Anbar, according to Mr Hadley.
He recalled a military intelligence officer who said Anbar province had
been lost. “The president saw an opportunity to turn that situation
around,” he said.

Mr Hadley said tribal and local leaders had come together to work with
coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and the government “in a
unified front against al-Qaeda and they have had pretty remarkable
success”.

“The president wants to see that for himself. [He] wants to hear from
and talk to the Iraqis that have been at the forefront of that pretty
remarkable event.”

The White House has put the Anbar example at the heart of efforts to
persuade Congress to give the surge more time to work.

The White House had appeared, in the summer, to be buckling under
mounting political pressure to end the war, as growing numbers of
congressional Republicans voiced doubts about the chances of success.
Many commentators said it had become a matter of when, not if, the US
would start pulling out.

But Mr Bush’s resolve has stiffened over the summer. The president has
made a series of bullish speeches warning of the dangers of withdrawal
from Iraq, comparing the likely consequences to the bloodshed that
engulfed south-east Asia after the US retreat from Vietnam.

The White House has also become increasingly assertive in arguing that
the surge is succeeding in increasing security – and that progress
towards political stability will follow in due course.

Congress is likely to be told next week that the surge is showing signs
of success in some areas. But the report is expected to offer a more
grim assessment of progress towards political stability. Analysts
expect there will be enough positives and negatives for both the White
House and anti-war Democrats to claim the report vindicates their
opposite positions. Democrats are expected to use the report as a
catalyst for a fresh push to end the war.

But yesterday’s visit signalled the White House’s growing confidence
that momentum has shifted in its favour – both on the ground in Iraq
and on Capitol Hill. While a large majority of Americans remain opposed
to the war, recent polls have shown increased optimism that the surge
is working.

Republicans hope to shift the focus from their own divisions to
tensions among Democrats. Many grassroots Democrats are disappointed by
the timidity of Congress in challenging Mr Bush.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007


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AP via The Wazhington Post - Sep 3, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090300711.html

Bush Remarks to Troops

Text of President Bush's remarks to U.S. troops at Al-Asad Air Base in
Iraq on Monday, as transcribed by the White House:


Thank you all. General, thank you very much. It's an honor to be with
you.

As you know, today is Labor Day back home so I thought I'd come by to
thank you for all your hard work. Every day _ every day _ you show
bravery under incredibly difficult circumstances. Every day you're
doing work on the sands of Anbar that is making it safer in the streets
of America. And every day the United States of America is grateful for
what you're doing. I want you to tell your families the commander in
chief stopped by to say hello, and he said, I'm incredibly proud to be
the commander in chief of such a great group of men and women.

I'm keeping pretty good company, as you can see. I brought out the
A-Team so they could be with the folks who are making a significant
difference in this war against these radicals and extremists. In Anbar
you're seeing firsthand the dramatic differences that can come when the
Iraqis are more secure. In other words, you're seeing success.

You see Sunnis who once fought side by side with al-Qaida against
coalition troops now fighting side by side with coalition troops
against al-Qaida. Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as
lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq. Because of your hard
work, because of your bravery and sacrifice, you are denying al-Qaida a
safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against
the United States of America. What you're doing here is making this
country safer, and I thank you for your hard work.

The surge of operations that began in June is improving security
throughout Iraq. The military successes are paving the way for the
political reconciliation and economic progress the Iraqis need to
transform their country. When Iraqis feel safe in their own homes and
neighborhoods, they can focus their efforts on building a stable, civil
society with functioning government structures at the local and
provincial and national levels. And that's important, because a free
Iraq, an Iraq that's an ally against these extremists and murderers
will be a major defeat for the terrorists.

Earlier today I met with some of the tribal sheiks here in Anbar. It
was a really interesting meeting. And at the table were the leaders of
the central government, as well. They told me that the kind of
bottom-up progress that your efforts are bringing to Anbar is vital to
the success and stability of a free Iraq. See, Iraqis need this
stability to build a more peaceful future. And America needs this
stability to prevent the chaos that allows the terrorists to set up
bases from which they can plot and plan attacks on our homeland.

The very people that you helped the Iraqis defeat in Anbar swore
allegiance to the man that ordered the attack on the United States of
America. What happens here in Anbar matters to the security of the
United States.

And so I thank you for your sacrifice. I thank you for volunteering in
the face of danger. I thank you for your courage and your bravery.
Every day you are successful here in Iraq draws nearer to the day when
America can begin calling you and your fellow servicemen and women home.

But I want to tell you this about the decision _ about my decision
about troop levels. Those decisions will be based on a calm assessment
by our military commanders on the conditions on the ground _ not a
nervous reaction by Washington politicians to poll results in the
media. In other words, when we begin to draw down troops from Iraq, it
will be from a position of strength and success, not from a position of
fear and failure. To do otherwise would embolden our enemies and make
it more likely that they would attack us at home. If we let our enemies
back us out of Iraq, we will more likely face them in America. If we
don't want to hear their footsteps back home, we have to keep them on
their heels over here. And that's exactly what you're doing, and
America is safer for it.

In Anbar you're doing this hard work every day. We've all come to say
thank you. We've come to tell you the American people are standing with
you. They're grateful for your sacrifice. As commander in chief, I'm
proud to be in your presence on this Labor Day. I ask for God's
blessings on you and your family, and may God continue to bless
America. Thank you. 

© 2007 The Associated Press