Bush ‘celebrates’ with final tour of Iraq

Tim Albone, Foreign Correspondent

• Last Updated: December 15. 2008 12:35PM UAE / December 15. 2008 8:35AM GMT

In this image from an APTN video, a man, centre throws a shoe at US President George W. Bush, background left, during a news conference with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki yesterday. AP Photo

BHAGDAD // Air Force One made one last touchdown in Baghdad airport with George W Bush on board yesterday as he flew into the city for an unannounced farewell tour.

It was Mr Bush’s fourth visit to the country since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which faced massive international opposition and, eventually, led to huge domestic unpopularity.

Arriving as Barack Obama, the president-elect who is a strong critic of US policy in Iraq, prepares to take power, Mr Bush said: “I’m so grateful that I’ve had a chance to come back to Iraq before my presidency ends.”

Mr Bush used this last visit as president to highlight the recent signing of the status of forces agreement (Sofa).

The accord, signed by Iraqi and coalition leaders, sets a Dec 2011 deadline for the pullout of US troops, replaces the UN mandate which expires at the end of this year, and has been hailed by its supporters as a breakthrough.

In the Green Zone Mr Bush met Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president. “The work hasn’t been easy but it’s been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope and world peace,” Mr Bush, who was travelling with a team of journalists, was reported saying during his meeting with Mr Talabani.

Mr Bush also met with Nouri al Maliki, the prime minister, to sign a security accord that calls for American troops to pull out of Iraq by the end of 2011.

The two leaders added their names to the accord, in a symbolic ceremony, which was officially signed on Nov 17 by Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi foreign minister, and Mr Crocker, the ambassador.

The signing was held at Mr al Maliki’s private office, where an Iraqi journalist threw two shoes towards Mr Bush.

The journalist sitting in the third row jumped up, shouting: “It is the farewell kiss, you dog,” and threw his shoes one after the other towards Mr Bush.

Mr al Maliki made a protective gesture towards the US president, who was not hit.

Iraqi security staff frogmarched the journalist from the room, the AFP journalist said. Mr Bush’s visit follows one on Saturday by Robert Gates, the US defence secretary.

The Sofa deal also set the end of June 2009 as the deadline for US troops to be withdrawn from all urban centres in the country. Mr Obama, who takes office on Jan 20, has pledged to withdraw the troops within 16 months of becoming president. Six years after Mr Bush declared the end to major hostilities in Iraq there are still about 140,000 US troops in the country.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 4,200 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed. This year has seen a sharp improvement in the security situation. The US military said last week that violence in the country is at its lowest ebb since 2003. The improved security has been credited to a surge of about 30,000 US troops in 2007.

Gen David Petraeus, the US officer in charge of troops in Iraq at the time of the surge, also helped establish Awakening Councils, local Sunni groups that joined the US payroll and pledged to fight against al Qa’eda.

He also established small military bases, known as combat outposts, in urban areas to try to maintain a permanent US presence in areas of high insurgent activity.

talbone@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Agence France-Press