http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/061804Willhelm/061804willhelm.htmlWhy did Bush really go to Baghdad at Thanksgiving?
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Boasting of Saddam's very own firearm as one item among others on display in a private study just off the Oval Office reveals a deeply personal meaning for Bush. The pistol, without question, makes a direct connection for Bush with Saddam. Ownership of another's gun means, at least for Texans, domination; taking a gun is proof of defeat over one's antagonist. The gun, then, is a trophy—not a souvenir—for a commander-in-chief's victory over a very personal and subdued enemy.
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Bush explained to reporters during the flight back to the USA that his visit was an opportunity "to thank them
and to send a message—you know, the message I sent, which is we appreciate their sacrifices." But was it? (President Discusses Trip to Iraq with Reporters)
It is highly unlikely that Bush, who has yet to attend a war-related funeral, would take the high risk of going to Iraq just to give a message of support. He did not make the trip to have a special dinner with the troops, for he did not eat his Thanksgiving meal with them.
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Recognizing the gusto so vivid when showing off Saddam's own firearm to White House guests, it is much more likely that Bush used the traditional Thanksgiving holiday as a clever cover in order to conceal the real intent for the highly secretive flight to Baghdad: a direct confrontation with Saddam. The trip was taken not to express appreciation to the troops but as an ideal moment for Bush himself to gloat in a face-to-face triumph before a submissive and defeated Saddam jailed within the Baghdad airport.
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did smirk torture Saddam?