WASHINGTON – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday arrived in Iraq on the heels of President Bush and praised his secret scoot to Baghdad – but she charged that the White House isn’t coming clean about the problems facing U.S. troops.
Clinton said her own visit with the troops – although less surprising, dramatic and secretive than Bush’s – convinced her that the president’s remarkable Thanksgiving trip greatly cheered up American soldiers.
“It’s a positive for a president who is commander in chief to visit troops in the field,” said Clinton. “I’m sure that’s how the troops felt.”
Clinton spoke to U.S. reporters in a phone call from Kuwait, where she was spending the night at an undisclosed location. For security reasons, the former first lady was not staying overnight in Iraq after her visit there yesterday. She will return to Iraq today to continue her trip.
Clinton’s Afghanistan-Iraq tour – her first foreign travel as a senator – has been overshadowed by Bush’s 21/2-hour Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad, which has dominated coverage in the United States.
While Clinton, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, patted Bush on the back for eating turkey with troops, she didn’t hesitate to stake out her policy differences with him, arguing the president should “internationalize” post-war Iraq.
“It will take a big change in our administration’s thinking,” Clinton said. “I don’t see that it’s forthcoming.”
Clinton also warned that America’s effort in Iraq may falter unless Bush is willing to commit more troops. “I’m not convinced yet that we have adequate forces,” she said.
After meeting with troops, military chiefs and civilian officials and others, Clinton suggested that the White House isn’t being forthright about the full extent of the difficult situation facing U.S. forces.
“The obstacles and problems over here are much greater than the administration usually admits to,” said Clinton, adding that she learned much from seeing things firsthand. “Everybody has to be honest.”
Clinton, whose four-day trip was planned with less secrecy than Bush’s, is nevertheless under tight security along with her traveling colleague Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).
Clinton said she planned to spotlight some of her findings in coming weeks, but she did not elaborate.
The former first lady began her visit to Iraq with a trip to military headquarters in Baghdad. She had lunch with soldiers from New York and drove north of Baghdad to meet up with troops of the 82nd Airborne Division, where she received a military briefing.
Later, Clinton returned to Baghdad for a meeting at a convention center with prominent Iraqi women. At the end of the day, Clinton met with several nongovernmental organizations.
Late Thursday night, Clinton, after leaving Afghanistan, held a late-night meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, whom the former first lady praised for his role in the war on terror.
Pakistan’s state-run press reported that Clinton had praised the “valuable help” it was getting from Musharraf, who has been a key ally of the United States. With Post Wire Services