Monday, September 03, 2007
Bush arrives on surprise visit to Iraq
(Reuters) - President George W. Bush arrived in Iraq on Monday for a surprise visit along with his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the White House said in a call from Air Force One.
Bush landed at al-Asad Air Force base, west of Baghdad in Anbar province, the White House said as the president's plane touched down.
The White House said Bush's national security adviser Steven Hadley was on the plane also. The president had left early Monday for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Sydney, Australia, with the leaders of Australia, China, Japan, Russia and other members of APEC. He was due to arrive in Australia on Tuesday.
Bush was to leave the APEC forum early to return to Washington to prepare for a crucial progress report on Iraq from U.S. commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The report is a focal point of an intensifying debate over whether the United States should withdraw its forces from Iraq.
Bush landed at al-Asad Air Force base, west of Baghdad in Anbar province, the White House said as the president's plane touched down.
The White House said Bush's national security adviser Steven Hadley was on the plane also. The president had left early Monday for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Sydney, Australia, with the leaders of Australia, China, Japan, Russia and other members of APEC. He was due to arrive in Australia on Tuesday.
Bush was to leave the APEC forum early to return to Washington to prepare for a crucial progress report on Iraq from U.S. commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The report is a focal point of an intensifying debate over whether the United States should withdraw its forces from Iraq.
Labels: al-Asad Air Force base, Condoleezza Rice, George Bush, Iraq, Robert Gates, Steven Hadley
