'I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere'

New York Daily N ews ^ | 11/28/03 | LAURA J. WINTER in Baghdad and TRACY CONNOR in New York

[kattracks]

Talk about shock and awe. President Bush left American G.I.s in Baghdad breathless with his mind-blowing, top-secret Thanksgiving Day visit to the war zone in Iraq.

"Hoo-ah!" stunned soldiers shouted after their commander-in-chief suddenly appeared in the mess tent at Baghdad International Airport.

"Everybody was just so stunned," Spec. Andrew Meissner, 34, from Manhattan, told the Daily News. "It turned a holiday meal into a holiday party."

With tears in his eyes, Bush told 600 cheering troops: "I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere. Thanks for inviting me to dinner." Then he launched into a hang-tough speech, vowing the U.S. will not be driven out of Iraq.

"We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq, pay a bitter cost in casualties, defeat a brutal dictator and liberate 25 million people, only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins," he said.

The trip to the front lines, which lasted 2-1/2 hours, was a classic Bush in-your-face move, sure to rattle enemies in Iraq and critics at home.

With Iraqi insurgents carrying out increasingly brazen attacks on Americans every day, the daring mission was cloaked in unprecedented secrecy.

Virtually the entire White House staff and even Bush's family was kept in the dark, and officials threatened to scuttle the flight if word leaked out.

But to the battle-worn soldiers spending yet another holiday away from family in hostile territory, it was worth the trouble.

"He had a speech - but I was just so thrilled I couldn't remember it," Meissner said. "It made me feel the commander-in-chief really cares about what is happening in Iraq."

Lt. Dan Brosey, 26, of Seattle, said he had a new "spring in his step" after shaking Bush's hand.

"It's one of those great moments I will never forget," he said. "He was great. To get on a plane and come here!"

Bush began his journey around 8 p.m. Wednesday when he slipped away from his Texas ranch in slacks and a warmup jacket, with a baseball cap pulled down low. Joined by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, he headed for Air Force One in an unmarked car.

A small press pool sworn to secrecy in tow, Bush jetted to Andrews Air Force Base, picked up more aides and reporters, and changed planes in a hangar.

With window blinds closed, the radio silenced and its call signal disguised, his Boeing 747 zoomed toward Iraq at 665 mph.

As the plane neared, the Baghdad airport - the most dangerous airfield in the world, where a cargo jet was hit by a missile just five days earlier - was blacked out.

With Bush in the cockpit, the plane - believed to be equipped with defense systems that can foil ground-to-air missiles - landed at 5:32 p.m. Baghdad time.

Under a crescent moon, the President was whisked across the rutted airfield in a white Land Rover with lights out.

Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez were addressing the hungry troops.

With an air of drama, they asked if anyone was senior enough to read the President's message - and Bush stepped out from behind a curtain.

Soldiers mounted tables and chairs to applaud and hoot during Bush's speech, and watched in awe as he plunged into the crowd.

"He thanked us for our hard work, and then he started serving the soldiers," Meissner said. "He was scooping out potatoes. He was up and talking to people. He was making sure people were eating their vegetables. He told one woman she needed to put more vegetables on her tray."

Without stopping to eat, Bush left the tent for meetings with the Iraqi Governing Council, Baghdad's mayor and city council, and top U.S. commanders.

The visit was a distraction from the everyday difficulties of the Iraqi occupation - which took no holiday.

There were several insurgent attacks - the Italian mission was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, and a U.S. convoy west of Baghdad came under fire.

Politically, the U.S. encountered a setback when Shiite Muslim leaders slammed its plan for transferring power to an Iraqi government, and the Kurdish president of the Iraqi Governing Council seconded the concerns.

On the flight back home, expected to land early this morning, Bush told reporters he went to Iraq because he wants his forces to know they're not alone.

He thinks they got the message.

"I could see the first look of amazement and then look of appreciation on the kids' face," he said.

"Working the crowd, a soldier said to me, 'I'm so glad you came. Thanks for coming. It's important for us to know the people of America support us.'"

Originally published on November 28, 2003

[kattracks]

[martin_fierro]

Straight out of a Tom Clancy novel!

[martin_fierro]

'I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere'

Hopefully nobody gave him a MRE. <|:)~

[G.Mason]

Quite simply ....... Awsome!

[Caipirabob]

OK, so he visited the troops, but did he have a listening tour, visit the victims of American agression then nuture and comfort a group of gay pidgeon-toed polar-bear wrestling muslim pygmies? I think not! It just wasn't enought to compete with Hillary...

[martin_fierro]

gay pidgeon-toed polar-bear wrestling muslim pygmies

You're not supposed to smoke that yerba, Bob. <|:)~

[crz]

Some folks have a hard time at life dont they? You better get ready to be on the recieving end of whats comming your way.

[Sacajaweau]

My tears are making my screen blurry.

Bless our President, Bless our Troops. God watch over us and thank you for keeping us strong.

[leadpenny]

Turn to C-SPAN

[MEG33]

5th time to listen!I love this speech!

[MEG33]

There's audio with the troops..good.

[alloysteel]

I wonder if Dubya got scolded by his mother when he got back to Crawford, for standing up his folks at Thanksgiving Dinner back on the farm.

"Sorry, Mom, I really meant to be back, but things were running a little late, I got to talking with some of my friends and all..."

[MEG33]

The SS were having a tough time with the troops mobbing him for awhile.

[Caipirabob]

Receiving end? What are you talking about?

It was obviously sarcasm, friend. Come on...

[MEG33]

Darn screen.Must be a virus..it's happening to mine ,too.The troops are so great.That cornucopia was gorgeous.They made it special for our guys.

[MEG33]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Caipirabob]

LOL! I'm still laughing about how where Hillary visited the "Turkey" was a bigger celebrity than ol' crusty herself. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving...

Also I'm hoping everyone else was realizing I was being sarcastic. Seems if I don't use the tags at some point I need to don a flame suit.

[Dr Warmoose]

I am thankful that 'W' got out of Iraq. If the missles can drop aircraft coming in for a landing, just imagine the fun getting a 747 out of the airport when everyone knows exactly where 'W' is.

Another thought. If George could get to Iraq under secrecy, it makes BC's trips to a Washington DC hotel, under the cover of darknesss, seem like child's play.

[leadpenny]

Brian Lamb talking to Mike Allen now. Allen made the entire trip.

[Feckless]

"when he slipped away from his Texas ranch in slacks and a warmup jacket, with a baseball cap pulled down low"

Hey! No fair, Clinton slipped away a time or two, also....to provide a morale boost to some skank.

[RushLake]

Hillary who?

[MEG33]

He's in trouble with his boss!He gets to be on a really historic trip first hand and is in trouble..sigh.

[leadpenny]

I'm just now realizing that it was the 747 that made the trip. Into Baghdad, no less. That's astounding!

I don't think Allen is in too much trouble. Definitely will be some books written about this.

[MEG33]

Now we getting the "political" reasons for the trip.This is the first time I've listened to Cspan call in a year.It was all hate Bush all the time.Spam!Allen says it was an important moment for the troops...when he appeared.They needed it.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Straight out of a Tom Clancy novel!

That was my first thoughts upon hearing the news. Great minds think alike! :)

[leadpenny]

Know thy enemy. Ya just gotta listen to 'em sometimes.

I like Allen's characterization of the troops standing on chairs and tables as W came out from behind the camouflage netting.

[MEG33]

My daughter watches and endangers her TV!I am so thrilled for the soldiers about this trip I decided it was worth it to watch after your heads up!Oh gee ,a Hillary lover thinks he went to upstage her!

[DugwayDuke]

"Straight out of a Tom Clancy novel!"

Remember the liberal furor over "Executive Orders" where a President (Jack Ryan) acted on real principles?

[Las Vegas Dave]

President Bush, he da man!

[TheRightGuy]

DNC LIKENS BUSH IRAQ TRIP TO CARRIER LANDING!
Vows To Sue If Video Footage Used In Camapign Ads
—New York Times

< /sarcasm>

[I still care]

"Under a crescent moon, the President was whisked across the rutted airfield in a white Land Rover with lights out."

Call the islam pc police! It's an ethnic slur. The president DELIBERATELY visited when it was a crescent moon, as an insult to islamists everywhere!

[secret garden]

Most of us caught on. ;)

[I still care]

"A small press pool sworn to secrecy in tow"

Hey, who was invited. I know Fox was, but the NY Times wasn't, and boy are they sore.

[Salvation]

Criticism coming from the left becuase Bush had not attended funerals of slain soldiers recently.


Sour Grapes?

[Gorzaloon]

Or more like:

Curses, we MISSED HIM!

—New York Times

[MEG33]

A grandfather from Louisiana ,not a Bush supporter, got a call from his grandson,a soldier at 3AM,describing his experience with Bush yesterday and how much he loved it and now supports Bush.

[Gorzaloon]

Hey, who was invited. I know Fox was, but the NY Times wasn't, and boy are they sore.

Really? They really haven't figured it out? You mean if I kick my neighbor in the bXXs every time I see him for three years, and am then puzzled when I am not invited to his barbecue, after much deep thought it might cross my mind eventually that there might be a reason..

Amazing.

[Salvation]

**Oh gee ,a Hillary lover thinks he went to upstage her!**

I was waiting for this line to appear. Was it on DU?

[Salvation]

**Hey, who was invited. I know Fox was,**

I was wondering the same!

[taildragger]

Salvation,

Yes he did and it was beautiful!

It is funny this has been in the planning stages for a while, The upstaging was unplanned, but I think it stole the Thunder from the PIAPS from Chapaqua.

By the way, PIAPS is Pig in a Pants Suit.....

[MEG33]

CSpan caller.I must admit most callers supported the trip,even those who don't support Bush.

[thesummerwind]

I like Allen's characterization of the troops standing on chairs and tables as W came out from behind the camouflage netting.

They were hiding UNDER the chairs and tables in Afghanistan for the other visitor! Go figure!

[TnMomofTwo]

If President Bush WERE to attend even one funeral...the motorcade alone would cause all kinds of traffic messes. Beyond that, liberals and the media (pardon the redundancy!) would be hysterical when the fallen soldier was "upstaged" by a "publicity seeking" President. grrrrr...it is too early to think about hypocrites...

[mewzilla]

LOL. For a moment I thought I was reading the NY Post.

[Salvation]

Good point!

[TSgt]

Words fail me to tell you how proud I am of this President.

I'm going to drive extra proud when I'm out today shopping with my big BUSH/CHENEY 04' sticker on my car!

[wizardoz]

Hopefully nobody gave him a MRE. <|:)~

I think that would constitute an assault.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

When I saw George with the troops on TV yesterday it really made me proud. I underestimated THE MAN.

[ChadGore]

[CarolTX]

What a wonderful front page!!! I've been laughing with glee and crying with pride since yesterday. W. "gets it"!!