Washington, Nov 29: President George W Bush's surprise holiday visit to Baghdad was the main course in US newspapers' post-thanksgiving issues, but the dailies diverged in their assessments of the trip's outcome. The Washington Post noted that while troops from the 1st armored division "cheered the moment, it is too soon to know whether the image of Bush in his army jacket will become a symbol of strong leadership or a symbol of unwarranted bravado."
"Iraqis may be reassured that the United States will put down the insurgency and restore order in their country," the post said in an analysis. "Or they may take the image of Bush landing unannounced at night without lights and not venturing from a heavily fortified military installation as confirmation that the security situation in Iraq is dire, indeed."
Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, denied that the secrecy and security surrounding Bush's trip showed that the United States has made no progress in Iraq.
"The Iraqis are taking control of their own future. Most of the country remains quite stable. The Iraqis are planning and looking forward to the transfer of sovereignty. They're taking over ministries, schools are opening, all of those things are happening," she told newspersons just hours after returning with Bush from his surprise thanksgiving holiday visit.
Bureau Report