Home
Trump Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq to See American Troops
President Trump and Melania Trump pose for photos as they greet members of the United States military in a dining hall at al-Asad air base, on Wednesday during an unannounced trip to Iraq.CreditAl Drago for The New York Times
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Image[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
President Trump and Melania Trump pose for photos as they greet members of the United States military in a dining hall at al-Asad air base, on Wednesday during an unannounced trip to Iraq.CreditCreditAl Drago for The New York Times
By Annie Karni and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[size]
WASHINGTON — President Trump visited American military forces in Iraq on Wednesday, a surprise trip and the first visit to troops stationed abroad in a combat zone by a commander in chief who has made withdrawing the United States from foreign wars a signature issue.
The trip, shrouded in secrecy, came in the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and less than a week after Mr. Trump disrupted America’s military status quo and infuriated even some of his staunchest political allies by announcing plans to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and about [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. That decision on Syria, made over the objections of American military generals and civilian advisers, led to the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], and fueled tensions within the national security establishment.
The place Mr. Trump chose to visit is the one theater of war where he has not promised a rapid drawdown of forces — and it is where he claims his greatest military victory, the defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul, the Iraqi city where the group’s leader, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] declared the beginning of its self-proclaimed caliphate. The assault on Mosul by Iraqi forces, backed by Americans, began under President Barack Obama but culminated in the summer of 2017 under Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump, who was accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, was expected to make two stops on his post-Christmas trip, delivering a holiday message to the more than 5,000 American forces stationed in the country.
“President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, said in a tweet.
[/size]
Visiting troops abroad is a cherished tradition for presidents. President George W. Bush served Thanksgiving turkey to the soldiers in Baghdad in 2003, in the early days of the Iraq War. Mr. Obama flew to Baghdad in April 2009, four months after his inauguration, winning cheers when he told the troops it was time for the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own country. He visited Afghanistan four times while in office.
[/size]
You have 3 free articles remaining.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[size]
But nearly two years into his presidency, Mr. Trump had yet to visit any troops abroad, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] from various corners.
After he canceled a rainy-day visit to an American cemetery outside of Paris last month during a World War I battlefield commemoration, he told Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor, that he had not visited troops abroad because of “an unbelievably busy schedule.”
Mr. Trump ran for the presidency on a platform of bringing the troops home from Afghanistan and Syria, part of a broader strategy of ending nearly two decades of American military interventions — from Iraq and Libya to Syria and Afghanistan — that he criticized as costly, ineffective and at odds with his “America First” foreign policy.
But the United States still has 14,000 troops in Afghanistan and about 2,000 in Syria. While the number of casualties in these conflicts is a fraction of what it was during the two previous administrations, the fact that American troops are still on the ground — in the case of Afghanistan, 17 years after they were first deployed — attests to the difficulty of extracting the country from these entanglements.
Mr. Trump’s trip came at a sensitive moment, as the president’s clash with Mr. Mattis over the troop withdrawals opened a rift between the commander in chief and the military.
Over the weekend, Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], telling colleagues that he could not in good conscience carry out Mr. Trump’s newly declared policy of withdrawing American troops from Syria. Mr. McGurk, a seasoned diplomat who was considered central to the fight against the terrorist group, had originally planned to retire in February.
Mr. Trump’s announcements on Syria and Afghanistan have left a trail of confusion, with White House officials unable to explain the timetable for the withdrawals or their strategy to prevent a return of radical extremism in either country.
Adding to the sense of uncertainty is the partial shutdown of the government, which does not affect active-duty military but had led Mr. Trump to cancel his holiday visit to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and remain sequestered in the White House.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the first lady, made calls from the West Wing to troops stationed abroad, though he was criticized in the media for being the first president since 2002 not to visit troops or wounded warriors on the holiday.
Mr. Trump says he has “done more for the military” than many of his recent predecessors but had not made visiting active duty military personnel a priority.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.][/size]
President Trump and Melania Trump pose for photos as they greet members of the United States military in a dining hall at al-Asad air base, on Wednesday during an unannounced trip to Iraq.CreditAl Drago for The New York Times
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Image[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
President Trump and Melania Trump pose for photos as they greet members of the United States military in a dining hall at al-Asad air base, on Wednesday during an unannounced trip to Iraq.CreditCreditAl Drago for The New York Times
By Annie Karni and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
- Dec. 26, 2018
[size]
WASHINGTON — President Trump visited American military forces in Iraq on Wednesday, a surprise trip and the first visit to troops stationed abroad in a combat zone by a commander in chief who has made withdrawing the United States from foreign wars a signature issue.
The trip, shrouded in secrecy, came in the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and less than a week after Mr. Trump disrupted America’s military status quo and infuriated even some of his staunchest political allies by announcing plans to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and about [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. That decision on Syria, made over the objections of American military generals and civilian advisers, led to the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], and fueled tensions within the national security establishment.
The place Mr. Trump chose to visit is the one theater of war where he has not promised a rapid drawdown of forces — and it is where he claims his greatest military victory, the defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul, the Iraqi city where the group’s leader, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] declared the beginning of its self-proclaimed caliphate. The assault on Mosul by Iraqi forces, backed by Americans, began under President Barack Obama but culminated in the summer of 2017 under Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump, who was accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, was expected to make two stops on his post-Christmas trip, delivering a holiday message to the more than 5,000 American forces stationed in the country.
“President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, said in a tweet.
[/size]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[size][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Visiting troops abroad is a cherished tradition for presidents. President George W. Bush served Thanksgiving turkey to the soldiers in Baghdad in 2003, in the early days of the Iraq War. Mr. Obama flew to Baghdad in April 2009, four months after his inauguration, winning cheers when he told the troops it was time for the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own country. He visited Afghanistan four times while in office.
[/size]
You have 3 free articles remaining.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
But nearly two years into his presidency, Mr. Trump had yet to visit any troops abroad, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] from various corners.
After he canceled a rainy-day visit to an American cemetery outside of Paris last month during a World War I battlefield commemoration, he told Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor, that he had not visited troops abroad because of “an unbelievably busy schedule.”
Mr. Trump ran for the presidency on a platform of bringing the troops home from Afghanistan and Syria, part of a broader strategy of ending nearly two decades of American military interventions — from Iraq and Libya to Syria and Afghanistan — that he criticized as costly, ineffective and at odds with his “America First” foreign policy.
Editors’ Picks
But the United States still has 14,000 troops in Afghanistan and about 2,000 in Syria. While the number of casualties in these conflicts is a fraction of what it was during the two previous administrations, the fact that American troops are still on the ground — in the case of Afghanistan, 17 years after they were first deployed — attests to the difficulty of extracting the country from these entanglements.
Mr. Trump’s trip came at a sensitive moment, as the president’s clash with Mr. Mattis over the troop withdrawals opened a rift between the commander in chief and the military.
Over the weekend, Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], telling colleagues that he could not in good conscience carry out Mr. Trump’s newly declared policy of withdrawing American troops from Syria. Mr. McGurk, a seasoned diplomat who was considered central to the fight against the terrorist group, had originally planned to retire in February.
Mr. Trump’s announcements on Syria and Afghanistan have left a trail of confusion, with White House officials unable to explain the timetable for the withdrawals or their strategy to prevent a return of radical extremism in either country.
Adding to the sense of uncertainty is the partial shutdown of the government, which does not affect active-duty military but had led Mr. Trump to cancel his holiday visit to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and remain sequestered in the White House.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the first lady, made calls from the West Wing to troops stationed abroad, though he was criticized in the media for being the first president since 2002 not to visit troops or wounded warriors on the holiday.
Mr. Trump says he has “done more for the military” than many of his recent predecessors but had not made visiting active duty military personnel a priority.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.][/size]
» Ports Authority notes the fate of the five berths in the Grand Faw Port
» MP: Why is the regional government fighting the civil banks war and leaving the core of the issue?
» Political researcher: The amendment will include sovereign ministries
» Retirement: End of service bonus paid to more than 7,000 retirees
» Al-Mashhadani stresses the importance of the role of the Audit Bureau in combating administrative an
» Al-Mashhadani and Al-Hakim discuss parliament’s approval of important laws
» Parliamentary consensus to pass controversial laws soon
» Currency Auction.. Increase in the Central Bank of Iraq’s sales of foreign remittances
» Interior Ministry dismantles 600 drug networks, electronic passport to be introduced soon - Press co
» utube 11/2/24 MM&C Report-Iraq 3 Presidents-National-Constitutional Entitlements-Open Market Operati
» utube 11/5/24 MM&C MM&C News Report-ICC-Investors-RIYADA BANK-Port of Faw-3 Presidents Seated-Removi
» Foreign Minister warns of major and dangerous economic repercussions
» Roadmap for Reform
» Government reshuffle looms over Al-Sudani’s cabinet.. The compass of change is heading towards 4 min
» Parliamentary move to legalize foreign labor in Basra
» Parliament intends to amend the retirement law and return the service age to 63 years
» Parliamentary move to question a senior official and complete procedures against the Minister of Com
» Legal expert explains the mechanism for forming the Kurdistan Regional Government
» Silk Road imposes a state of maximum alert suddenly
» Sheikh Raouf: There is an urgent need to find a constructive, corrective opposition in Kurdistan
» Green light from Baghdad to build the first waste recycling plant in eastern Iraq
» MP: Al-Mashhadani discussed 3 important files with parliamentary blocs
» MP: Al-Mashhadani's election will not affect the completion of legislation
» Parliamentary Oil: Investment in associated gas in fields exceeds 60%
» IMF: Foreign investment outperforms sovereign funds in generating growth in Gulf
» Categories exempted from the curfew in the population census.. Get to know them
» Kurdish investment trend in central and southern Iraq.. What are the reasons?
» Iraq exports more than 6 million barrels of oil to America in a month
» The Private Banks Association supports the Prime Minister’s directives to localize private sector em
» Parliamentary confirmation to support financial oversight in combating corruption
» Next Sunday.. Celebrating Baghdad Day
» Sayyid Sistani's commandments
» New services for health insurance subscribers
» Al-Sudani directs ministries to leave (cash)
» Mr. Sistani sets a roadmap for Iraq’s prosperity
» OPEC+ postpones production increase
» Government Advisor to {Sabah}: Turkish companies’ expertise has given them importance in implementin
» The future of smart cities in Iraq is on the table for discussion
» Expectations of achieving agricultural self-sufficiency within 3-5 years
» Ministry of Agriculture: Launches the Electronic Inquiry System Service
» Electricity contract employees demonstrate in Maysan to demand permanent employment
» The Council of Ministers holds its regular session headed by Al-Sudani
» Iraqi oil exports to America amounted to more than 6 million barrels during the past month
» Launching the major national campaign to raise awareness of the Social Security Law
» Private Banks Association: We support the Prime Minister’s directives to localize private sector emp
» Parliamentary Committee: The Social Security Fund has become sovereign and the legislation of the la
» Britain launches programme inside Iraq to combat 'Kurdish human trafficking gangs' in France
» Warnings of delay in forming the regional government: will push regional and international parties t
» Dollar prices rise again in Baghdad Stock Exchange and Exchanges
» Al-Sudani praises the assistance provided by the United Nations mission to Iraq in facing challenges
» The Private Banks Association announces its support for Al-Sudani’s approach to localizing private s
» Interior: We have achieved a very significant decrease in crime rates across the country
» The Private Banks Association announces its support for Al-Sudani’s approach to localizing private s
» Iraq, Saudi Arabia sign MoU for military cooperation, boost bilateral ties
» Transportation: Direct flights to 4 global cities
» Prime Minister stresses importance of Mr. Sistani's diagnosis of Iraq's needs
» “To enhance national security”.. Parliamentary Committee: Intelligence Service Law is ready to be pr
» Optimism for a bountiful agricultural season.. Kurdistan Region records record high rainfall amounts
» Al-Sistani’s “Seven Commandments” occupy Iraqi politics.. A reading of the position of the authority
» As the date approaches, will Article 140 hinder the population census?
» Prime Minister directs unification of efforts in the Iraqi Media Network
» “Framework” coups with Sunni facades on the map of local governments in preparation for the 2025 ele
» Parliament intends to extend the legislative session for a month
» Difficult tests facing Parliament.. What are the scenarios for the remainder of the current session?
» Parliamentary Security: Iran will launch a new strike against “Israel” within a short period.. What
» Barzani to Romanowski: We have started negotiations to form the tenth government and no veto on any
» Al-Sudani directs the localization of private sector salaries and sets a date for the departure of c
» Bakhtiar Haji meets a delegation from the General Directorate of Civil Defense in the Kurdistan Regi
» New Cities Authority sets timeframes for project completion, reveals details of its services
» Oil announces completion of drilling and rehabilitating 15 wells during the past month
» Ministerial Council for Economy: Taking the necessary measures and decisions that contribute to mark
» Parliamentary Legal: There is a trend to extend the legislative term of Parliament
» What is the truth about extending the legislative term of the House of Representatives?
» The "Freedom of Demonstration" Law is Ready for Voting.. How Was It Amended?
» Mr. Al-Sadr on the US elections: It is shameful for an Arab to pin his hopes on a senile or insane p
» Laws stuck hostage to disputes between blocs
» Doubts after the decline in power supply at the beginning of each month.. Is there a deal between ge
» Integrity and the Financial Supervision Bureau agree to activate the cooperation agreement between t
» Al-Mashhadani faces 170 suspended laws.. Will they be approved or deported?
» Parliamentary demands to cancel the security agreement with Washington
» MP: Oil derivatives smuggling has decreased by 80% in Iraq
» After years of controversy, the Minority Protection Act is submitted for the first reading
» Al-Sayhoud: The ministerial reshuffle is useless for several reasons
» Iraqi government makes changes to the General Secretariat: Al-Juhaishi succeeds Al-Halbousi
» Extension of the legislative term of the Iraqi parliament for an additional month to pass laws
» Prime Minister: The necessity of strengthening Iraq's position to be at the forefront of the region'
» Parliamentary Transportation: We are determined to pass the Civil Aviation Authority Law
» Baghdad Council: Study of the reality of companies applying to implement projects
» Water Resources announces its control over the oil slick in the Tigris River
» Reconstruction: A new government vision for distributing serviced lands among those entitled to them
» Parliamentary Immigration Committee demands increasing the amount of the return grant
» Accreditation of specialized graduates to support quality control
» Heritage markets and buildings in Mosul after its reconstruction
» Specialized committee to ensure acceptance of cybersecurity outputs
» The Ministry of Interior issues mechanisms to regulate the work of private security companies
» Baghdad Council: Study of the reality of companies applying to implement projects
» Welcome to the trends of establishing an administrative capital
» Securities trade more than 88 billion shares