Tens of thousand of Iraqi forces deployed: Bush visit kept from Iraq's PM

[ProSense]

Iraqi Troops Hit Streets to Secure Baghdad

Tens of Thousands of Iraqi Forces Begin Operation to Secure Baghdad; Car Bomb Kills 4 Civilians
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi troops were out in force and cars were backed up at checkpoints Wednesday in Baghdad as a deadly car bomb killed four people and clashes broke out in two Sunni Arab strongholds shortly after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched a major security crackdown aimed at ending the violence that has devastated the capital.

Tens of thousands of Iraq police and soldiers deployed throughout the capital of six million people, searching cars and securing roads into and out of Baghdad.

Snip...

Bush's visit, meanwhile, prompted a noisy protest in Baghdad by hundreds of followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The demonstrators raised Iraqi flags and pictures of al-Sadr while chanting "Iraq is for Iraqis" and "No, to the occupation."

Snip...

Abdul-Hadi al-Daraji, one of al-Sadr's closest political advisers, accused Bush of breaching Iraq's sovereignty by arriving in the country without notice.

The U.S. president's trip was made under incredibly tight security and only a handful of close aides knew about it in advance. Al-Maliki himself did not know the president was in Baghdad until five minutes before they met.

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2075469&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Seems the Iraqi troops are ready! Seems Bush is acting like the king of Iraq!

[wtmusic]

1. Why would he bother meeting with the puppet?

To discuss policy? :rofl:

[shain from kane]

2. To disentangle some strings? n/t

[ProSense]

3. Even some Repubs and wingnuts are not buying the spin

Snip...

An AP-Ipsos poll taken last week, before the killing of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq, showed that more Americans than ever thought the war in Iraq was a mistake. The poll showed 59 percent of adults say the United States made a mistake in going to war, and approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq dipped to 33 percent, a new low.

Just 67 percent of Republicans, 63 percent of conservatives, and 57 percent of white evangelicals believed a stable, democratic government is likely.

Only 68 percent of Republicans, 57 percent of white evangelicals and 51 percent of self-described conservatives — key groups in Bush's base of support — approved of his handling of Iraq.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060614/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/rice

[azurnoir]

4. Keep in mind

alot of these groups are the same ones who(m?) believe Jeebus is coming down to make them float up and the rest of us including Iraqis are going to be LEFT BEHIND