Reconstruction November 2003

President Bush carries a platter of turkey and fixings as he visits U.S. troops for Thanksgiving at Baghdad International Airport, November 27, 2003. Bush secretly traveled to Baghdad and paid the surprise Thanksgiving Day visit in a bold mission to boost the morale of forces in Iraq amid mounting casualties. (Pool/Reuters 11/28/03)
The Senate on November 3 by voice vote approved the supplemental apprpriations bill requested by President George W. Bush for $87.5 billion for the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan. It was signed by Bush November 6, the largest emergency spending bill ever approved by a president. Only Senator Robert Byrd, Democrat from West Virginia, voted no. When the Senate took a preliminary vote on the bill two weeks earlier, 12 members had voted no. On November 4, U.S. deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz gave a speech at George Mason University for the Conference on Iraqi Reconstruction, noting that "approximately 100,000 Iraqis now serve in the various branches of the five security forces‹the Iraqi Police Force, the Facilities Protection Service, the new Iraqi army, the Border Guards, and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. These young Iraqis are not trained as well as Americans. They're not equipped as well as Americans," Wolfowitz said. "But they canŠcommunicate with people with a speed that our people obviously can't match without translators. They can read the local situation in ways that we can't." On Nov. 24, Bush signed a $401.3 billion defense authorization bill that raised pay for soldiers an average 4.15 percent, and lifted the ban on testing of low-yield nuclear devices and authorized $15 million for continued research for a nuclear weapon capable of destroying deep underground bunkers. On Nov. 27, Bush made a secret flight to Iraq to share Thanksgiving dinner at the Baghdad International Airport with 600 surprised soldiers from the First Armored Division and the 82nd Airborne.
President Bush waves as he emerges from behind camouflage netting for Thanksgiving Day dinner in Iraq. (Pool Photo Anja Niedringhaus) Nov 27, 2003
President Bush surprises U.S. troops stationed in Iraq with a secret Thanksgiving Day visit to personally honor their service and sacrifice, at the Baghdad International Airport, November 27, 2003. The president arrived in Iraq unannounced and spoke while standing next to U.S. Army Gen. Richard Sanchez (L). Bush was in Iraq for two hours and 32 minutes. (Larry Downing/Reuters) -Fri Nov 28, 2003
President Bush helps serve food to U.S. troops at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad, flying to Baghdad to visit U.S. troops station in Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) -Thu Nov 27, 2003
U.S. President George W. Bush, center, is joined by Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, left, and US Civilian Administrator to Iraq Ambassador Paul Bremer, right, at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad, flying to Baghdad to visit U.S. troops station in Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) -Thu Nov 27, 2003
U.S. President George W. Bush, center, meets with, from left to right, Dr. Mowaffar Al Robaie, Dr. Raja Habib Khuzai, Dr. Talal Talabani and Dr. Ahmad Chalabi at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad, flying to Baghdad to visit U.S. troops station in Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) -Thu Nov 27, 2003
President Bush, center, greets unidentified U.S. troops at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad, flying to to Baghdad to visit U.S. troops station in Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) -Thu Nov 27, 2003
President Bush greets troops after arriving at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad, flying to Baghdad to visit U.S. troops station in Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday. Bush boarded Air Force One unannounced from TSTC Airport in Waco, Texas on Wednesday and made a brief stop in Andrews Air Force Base to switch planes before departing for Baghdad. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) -Thu Nov 27, 2003
President Bush, center, holds up a turkey platter for U.S. troops at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad, flying to Baghdad from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to visit U.S. troops station in Iraq for Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) -Thu Nov 27, 2003
U.S. President George W. Bush surprises U.S. military troops stationed in Iraq with a secret Thanksgiving Day visit to personally honor their service and sacrifice, at the Baghdad International Airport, November 27, 2003. President Bush stunned U.S. troops in Iraq on Thursday by turning up at their Thanksgiving dinner after a risky 27-hour flight saying he was 'just looking for a warm meal.' The highly secretive, morale-boosting visit took place as Washington and its allies come under intense pressure in Iraq. (Larry Downing/Reuters) -Thu Nov 27, 2003


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revised 12/7/03 by Schoenherr | Songs | Films | Maps