Bush on Surprise, Farewell Visit to Baghdad
By Paula Wolfson
White House
14 December 2008
U.S. President George Bush is in Baghdad for a surprise farewell visit to Iraq. He slipped out of Washington unannounced, and headed directly for the Iraqi capital.
The president flew overnight to Iraq, arriving in the middle of a Baghdad afternoon.
Unlike his three previous surprise trips, this one began with a modest arrival ceremony - a sign, perhaps of an improving security situation in the Iraqi capital.
Iraq is likely to be the focal point of the Bush legacy, and the president's trip is, in part, a chance to put the best possible face on the situation there as he prepares to leave office.
Mr. Bush is meeting in Iraq with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani. He is also expected to visit with U.S. troops in Baghdad - his last opportunity to speak directly to them as commander-in-chief before turning over the reins of power to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.
The visit coincides with the signing of a new security agreement governing the future presence of American troops on Iraqi soil, and setting the stage for a pull out of U.S. forces by 2011. During the flight to Baghdad, White House National Security advisor Stephen Hadley told the small group of reporters traveling with the president that this agreement is unique in the Arab world. He called it a remarkable document, noting that it was publicly debated, discussed and adopted by an elected parliament.
About 150,000 U.S. troops and support personnel are now deployed in Iraq. More than 4,200 have died since American forces moved in to oust Saddam Hussein in March, 2003.
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