After a secret overnight flight from Washington, the President and Melania Trump touched down onto a darkened air strip at Al Asad Air Base west of Baghdad, the dicey security situation still restricting Trump to a clandestine visit more than 15 years after the American invasion.
President Donald Trump and the first lady quietly swept into Iraq Wednesday to pay a holiday visit to US troops, at last making good on the President’s promise to travel to one of the war zones he has derided as costly blunders.
He remained on the ground for about three hours, greeting enthusiastic selfie-taking servicemen and women in their holiday-bedecked dining hall. Dressed in a black overcoat and red tie, Trump posed for pictures and signed autographs for troops in fatigues. Melania Trump stood smiling next to him, wearing a mustard-colored blouse.
Trump’s visit — which is also his first to a combat zone as commander in chief — comes on the heels of his announcement about pulling troops out of Syria, and the rumored removal of thousands of troops in Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump and the first lady quietly flew into Iraq Wednesday to pay a visit to US troops, finally keeping the President’s promise to travel to one of the war zones.
After an overnight flight from Washington, the President and Melania Trump touched down onto a darkened airfield at Al-Asad Air Base, which is located northwest of Ramadi, the dangerous security situation still restricting the President to a covert visit more than 15 years after the American invasion.
If Trump had not visited the troops, he would have been the first president in 15 years who didn’t meet with troops at Christmas time, NBC News reported.
“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,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted.
Asked why he wanted to Visit, Trump told reporters, “It’s a place I have been talking about for many years — many, many years. I was talking about it as a civilian.”
The president also added, “I want to come and pay my respects, most importantly, to the great soldiers, great troopers we have here.”
The President’s visit, which is his first to a military combat zone comes on the heels of his announcement about pulling troops out of Syria, and the rumored removal of thousands of troops in Afghanistan. He remained on the ground for about three hours, greeting enthusiastic servicemen and women in their holiday themed dining hall. Dressed in his usual black overcoat and red tie, Trump signed autographs and posed for pictures with troops in fatigues. Melania Trump stood smiling next to him.
For obvious security reasons Journalists travelling with the president were ordered not to report that he was in Iraq until he had finished delivering his remarks to the troops, roughly three hours into his visit to the base.