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Rice defends Bush trip to Iraq
Crawford (Texas), Nov 29: President George W Bush`s national security adviser has defended his lightningtrip to Baghdad, denying it was a political stunt thatinadvertently highlighted the chaos still blighting Iraq.
Crawford (Texas), Nov 29: President George W Bush`s national security adviser has defended his lightning
trip to Baghdad, denying it was a political stunt that
inadvertently highlighted the chaos still blighting Iraq.
"Obviously, Iraq is still a dangerous place, and that`s
no secret to anyone," Condoleezza Rice said yesterday, just hours after returning with Bush from the
surprise Thanksgiving holiday visit.
But charges that the secrecy and security blanketing his two-and-a-half stop at Baghdad airport showed that Iraq has made little progress towards stability since the US-led march invasion are "just not true," she said.
"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 said.
Some critics, including the presidential campaign of retired General Wesley Clark, said the brevity and cloak-and-dagger nature of the visit, which the White House sold as a morale-booster, actually showed how little Washington has accomplished in Iraq since taking control in April.
"The trip highlights how insecure Iraq is and shows how we need to get our allies in to get the American face off the occupation," Clark spokesman Jamal Simmons told reporters.
Bureau Report
But charges that the secrecy and security blanketing his two-and-a-half stop at Baghdad airport showed that Iraq has made little progress towards stability since the US-led march invasion are "just not true," she said.
"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 said.
Some critics, including the presidential campaign of retired General Wesley Clark, said the brevity and cloak-and-dagger nature of the visit, which the White House sold as a morale-booster, actually showed how little Washington has accomplished in Iraq since taking control in April.
"The trip highlights how insecure Iraq is and shows how we need to get our allies in to get the American face off the occupation," Clark spokesman Jamal Simmons told reporters.
Bureau Report