Rumsfeld Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq

[moroni]

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

KIRKUK, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made an unannounced visit to this northern Iraqi city Saturday to gauge the pace of progress toward stabilizing the country and defeating the insurgency.

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,

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20031206/ap_on_re_mi_ea/rumsfeld_iraq

[SodoffBush]

1. Why unannounced?

One would think the egomaniacal spotlight-craving Rumsfeld would welcome all those oft spoken-off flowers being thrown on him by the welcoming Iraqi people.

[trapper914]

2. Priorities

Gotta check out those oilfield$.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Dupe x2

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=255583

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=256005