Bush Makes Final Trip to Iraq

President Bush made a final, unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday where he signed an agreement to withdraw U.S. troops from the country.
Bush Makes Final Trip to Iraq
Joshua Philipp
12/14/2008
Updated:
12/14/2008

President Bush made a final, unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday where he signed an agreement to withdraw U.S. troops from the country.

During the trip, the president met with Iraqi officials and gave a final farewell to U.S. troops stationed there. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki also signed the long-awaited agreement to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq before 2011. It was also agreed that most U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, by this coming June.

Bush arrived in Baghdad on Air Force One before making his first stop at the Salam Palace where he met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Talabani expressed his gratitude towards Bush for helping to bring democracy to Iraq.

“Today we have the pleasure and honor of seeing our great friend for the Iraqi people, President George W. Bush, who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, [a day in] which we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country,” said Talabani in a White House transcription of the meeting. “Thanks to him and his courageous leadership we are here now in this building.”

Bush replied, stating his beliefs on why he had called for the war. “The work hasn’t been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope, and world peace,” said Bush. “And I am just so grateful that I had a chance to come back to Iraq before my presidency ended.”

Bush launched the “pre-emptive counterstrike” against Iraq in 2003, based on the belief that the country was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. The war has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $576 billion and has taken the lives of over 4,209 U.S. troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis. No weapons of mass destruction were found, but Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured and hanged for war crimes.

Close to 150,000 U.S. troops are still in Iraq, and President-elect Obama has said that he will bring all U.S. troops home in just over a year after he takes office. More troops are still scheduled to be sent into Afghanistan to help fight the war on terror.

Despite the agreement, resentment towards Bush still hasn’t completely ended. During a press conference, an Iraqi reporter stood and shouted an insult to Bush in Arabic. The man then hurled his two shoes at Bush, who narrowly ducked them.

Audience members and security guards tackled the man to the ground, who was later identified as Muntadar Al-Zeidi, a correspondent Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned television station based out of Cairo, Egypt. Bush shrugged off the incident, casually saying, “So what if a guy threw his shoe at me.”
 
“These journalists here were very apologetic, they said this doesn’t represent the Iraqi people,” said Bush.

Bush said that he didn’t feel threatened by the incident, passing the shoe thrower off as a man hungry for attention. Throwing a shoe at someone in Iraqi culture is considered to be a major insult. When the statue of Saddam Hussein was torn down, Iraqis hit it with their shoes to disgrace the former dictator.

Joshua Philipp is an award-winning investigative reporter with The Epoch Times and host of EpochTV's "Crossroads" program. He is a recognized expert on unrestricted warfare, asymmetrical hybrid warfare, subversion, and historical perspectives on today’s issues. His 10-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party, subversion, and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape.
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