rumsfeld Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031206/ap_on_re_mi_ea/rumsfeld_iraq&cid=540&ncid=716

<snip>
It was Rumsfeld's second trip to Iraq (news - web sites) in four months, reflecting the Bush administration's push for faster progress toward improving security and speeding the political transition to Iraqi control, as well as an effort by the Pentagon (news - web sites) to boost U.S. troop morale.

The trip was kept secret in advance to minimize the risk of attack on his entourage, which flew here on an Air Force C-17 cargo plane from Tblisi in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

It was the first time Rumsfeld has visited Kirkuk, the center of Iraq's northern oil fields.

Rumsfeld began his day in Kirkuk by having breakfast with a group of soldiers who participated in recent raids in the area and with Air Force personnel who helped destroy captured Iraqi explosives.

Afterward, he received a detailed briefing on military operations in the area from Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, which is responsible for security operations in much of the area north and west of Baghdad known as the Sunni Triangle, where anti-occupation violence has been the greatest.

:bounce:

It was the first time Rumsfeld has visited Kirkuk, the center of Iraq's northern oil fields.

:shrug:

Baghdad Bomb Attack Kills U.S. Soldier, 4 Iraqis
By Andrew Hammond
Reuters

Friday 05 December 2003

http://truthout.org/docs_03/120603A.shtml

BAGHDAD - A bomb exploded in the middle of a busy Baghdad road on Friday, killing one American soldier and at least four Iraqis as a military convoy and a packed minibus passed in opposite directions, police and witnesses said.

The attack came ahead of a visit to Iraq by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a key architect of the war that toppled president Saddam Hussein but now under fire over the chaos that has ensued. He is expected to arrive on Saturday.

Surprised my ass!

emerge from his undisclosed location to do a super-secret undisclosed visit?

if things are going soooooo well in Iraq - why does this administration find it necessary to SNEAK into the country? just asking....

Or just more hollow posturing...

rummy frisking a donkey.

a lot of visits. Unlike that entire waste of money turkey shoot. The cost of Shrubs turkey shoot should be coming out of his campaign war chest, not on "our dime".

Don't flame me, but at least he's doing something (or at least making it look that way) Think the article was just meant to show progress - Iraqis don't ALL hate us, blah, blah, blah.

I love Al-jazeera's Headline!!!

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7005F631-1E91-43AA-8023-9D6988D27B11.htm

and the caption!



The hawk has landed: Rumsfeld main architect of Iraq war

...of his troops have created a backlash from ordinary Iraqis who resent the aggression.

The opposite has been the case," he said. "The people of the country are indeed cooperating with the coalition."

Yeah. Right.

From the BBC Online
Dated Saturday December 6 16:32 GMT (8:32 am PST)

Rumsfeld cautious on Iraq attacks

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has cautioned against early optimism over an apparent decline in attacks on US-led coalition troops in Iraq.
During a day-long visit to the country, Mr Rumsfeld heard an upbeat assessment of the security situation.
Top Iraq military commander Ricardo Sanchez said the number of daily attacks on US-led troops had halved due to their aggressive operations.
But the secretary said: "I think it's too early to say it's a trend."
Top US administrator Paul Bremer has warned that attacks on US-led coalition troops may escalate.

Excuse me if I'm a little confused. Didn't over a hundred coalition troops die in attacks during the month of November? How does this represent a decline?

They are repeatedly referring to Rummy's trip as a "surprise".

What a dog and pony show.

I heard about it Friday morning on NPR. These assholes lie for the sake of lying....

They are scared, that's all there is to it.