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Guarded by four F-18 fighters, Bush flies over Baghdad
Aboard Air Force One, June 05: US President George Bush flew over the Iraqi capital in Air Force One today picking out landmarks as he returned home from his first Mideast summit.
Aboard Air Force One, June 05: US President George Bush flew over the Iraqi capital in Air Force One today picking out landmarks as he returned home from his first Mideast summit.
Four F-18 fighters, two on each wing, escorted the Presidential Boeing 747 over Baghdad at an altitude of 9,500 metres.
Air Force One entered Iraqi airspace at 12:24 pm Baghdad time (1454 IST) and passed over the Iraqi capital at 12:55 (1525 IST).
The weather was clear and Bush, looking through the portholes, would have been able to make out the winding Tigris river, the international airport, streets, bridges and parks.
Flying at a ground speed of 750 km per hour, the pilots tipped the wings to improve the view.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters Air Force One was escorted by F-18s from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz due to "overall precaution".
He did not elaborate.
In Doha, the last leg of the President's Middle East trip, a senior administration official said: "Bush pointed out various landmarks in Baghdad."
Air Force One spent one hour and 16 minutes in Iraqi airspace, he said, adding that Bush flew over the country for two reasons: "To get home" and "to show that Iraq was now free".
Asked if Bush would make an unscheduled stop in the Iraqi capital, Fleischer replied: "We're going home."
Bureau Report
Air Force One entered Iraqi airspace at 12:24 pm Baghdad time (1454 IST) and passed over the Iraqi capital at 12:55 (1525 IST).
The weather was clear and Bush, looking through the portholes, would have been able to make out the winding Tigris river, the international airport, streets, bridges and parks.
Flying at a ground speed of 750 km per hour, the pilots tipped the wings to improve the view.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters Air Force One was escorted by F-18s from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz due to "overall precaution".
He did not elaborate.
In Doha, the last leg of the President's Middle East trip, a senior administration official said: "Bush pointed out various landmarks in Baghdad."
Air Force One spent one hour and 16 minutes in Iraqi airspace, he said, adding that Bush flew over the country for two reasons: "To get home" and "to show that Iraq was now free".
Asked if Bush would make an unscheduled stop in the Iraqi capital, Fleischer replied: "We're going home."
Bureau Report