Thursday, November 27, 2003

Turkey with Dubya

Everyone is posting about President Bush’s surprise visit to Baghdad. I had to jump on this bandwagon because I do love our President.

    In an elaborate plan to ensure his security, Bush slipped away from his Texas ranch on Wednesday night, arrived in Iraq yesterday and spent 2-1/2 hours with the troops.

    “I bring a message on behalf of America: We thank you for your service, we are proud of you, and America stands solidly behind you,” Bush told about 600 soldiers, who were stunned to see the president emerge from a side door in a military mess hall at Baghdad International Airport.

    Bush dropped plans to eat the traditional turkey dinner with his wife and family in order to visit US troops in the Iraqi capital, making him the first US president ever to visit Iraq.

    The troops, mostly from the US Army’s 1st Armored Division and the 82nd Airborne, had no idea Bush would be there.

I was watching Fox News coverage this afternoon and one of the reporters in Baghdad talked with a soldier who had Thanksgiving dinner with the President. He is in intelligence, more specifically, risk analysis. So the reporter asked him what he would have told President Bush about his risk assessment.

“I would have told him to reevaluate his travel plans,” the soldier looked very serious. And then he continued on about how dangerous Iraq still is, especially for the American President.

That’s what makes him a great leader, he knew it would be important for the troops to see him there, he wanted to be there with them, he made it happen. I can imagine the stress of the Secret Service over the decision.

Thank you, Mr. President, for doing the hard things when you know they’re the right things.

UPDATE (Fri 7:30am):  Dean has the full text of the President’s remarks to the troops.

Posted by at 10:18 PM
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