President Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House or September the 11th and Camp David and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or War on Terror and Iraq or al Qaeda and terrorists or Osama bin Laden and Prime Minister Maliki or special operation forces

President Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq, Meets with Prime Minister Maliki in Baghdad Via Videoconference with Camp David Participants, 10:36 A.M. EDT In Focus: Renewal in Iraq President George W. Bush walks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Tuesday, June 13, 2006, at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. During his unannounced trip to Iraq, President Bush thanked the Prime Minister, telling him,

"I'm convinced you will succeed, and so will the world." White House photo by Eric Draper.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for this opportunity to visit with your cabinet. I have expressed our country's desire to work with you, but I appreciate you recognizing the fact that the future of this country is in your hands. The decisions you and your cabinet make will be determinate as to whether or not a country succeeds that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. I'm impressed by the cabinet that you've assembled. You've assembled people from all parts of your country, representing the different religions and the different histories and traditions.

And yet the cabinet here represents the entire Iraqi people, and I appreciate your commitment to representing the people of Iraq. I'm impressed by the strength of your character and your desire to succeed. And I'm impressed by your strategy. We've discussed -- I discussed earlier with the Prime Minister and here with his cabinet and with members of my Cabinet the strategy necessary to have a country that is capable of answering to the needs of the people.

We discussed the security strategy. We discussed an economic strategy, a reconstruction strategy. And all of it makes sense to me. And so I've come to not only look you in the eye, I've also come to tell you that when America gives its word, it will keep its word; that it's in our interests that Iraq succeed. It's not only in the interests of the Iraqi people, it's in the interests of the American people and for people who love freedom.

Iraq is a part of the war on terror. Iraq is a central front on that war, and when Iraq succeeds in having a government of and by and for the people of Iraq, you will have dealt a serious blow to those who have a vision of darkness, who don't believe in liberty, who are willing to kill the innocent in order to achieve a political objective.

And so, Mr. Prime minister, I want to thank you for giving me and my Cabinet a chance to hear from you personally and a chance to meet the members of this team you've assembled. It's an impressive group of men and women, and if given the right help, I'm convinced you will succeed, and so will the world.

END 10:39 A.M. EDT, For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, June 13, 2006

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Turd Blossom Comes Up Smelling Like A Rose: No Rove Indictment in Plame Leak

Technorati Tags: Karl Rove or Special Councel Patrick Fitzgerald and Robert D. Luskin or Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr and Vice President Dick Cheney or Bob Luskin and Patrick Fitzgerald or Turd Blossom and Rove or Scooter Libby and Joe Wilson or Valerie Plame and CIA leak

Public Statement by Robert D. Luskin Attorney for Karl Rove: "On June 12, 2006, Special Councel Patrick Fitzgerald formally advised us that he does not anticipate seeking charges against Karl Rove.

In deference to the pending case, we will not make any further public statements about the subject matter of the investigation. We believe the special counsel's decision should put an end to the baseless speculation about Mr. Rove's conduct."

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr., former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney has been indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Sources: cybercast news service and Forbes.com

Robert D. Luskin, Partner Patton Boggs LLP Attorneys at Law, Robert D. Luskin, Education: Harvard Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1979, Harvard College, A.B., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Rhodes Scholarship, 1972. Concentrating in complex criminal and civil litigation at both the trial and appellate level, Bob Luskin advises clients in civil and criminal RICO actions,

prosecutions under the federal money laundering statutes, civil and criminal forfeitures, and congressional investigations.

Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, Mr. Luskin has extensive experience defending cases involving allegations of official corruption. Formerly Special Counsel to the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, Mr. Luskin helped to supervise the ABSCAM investigation, and thereafter represented the Justice Department in hearings before Congress concerning the investigation.

Since entering private practice, he has represented witnesses, targets, and a U.S. executive branch agency in investigations by independent counsel, senior White House officials of both parties in criminal and congressional investigations, and the senior staff of a U.S. Senator in the Keating Five Senate Ethics Committee investigation. Mr. Luskin successfully represented a sitting U.S. District Court Judge in a criminal trial and appeal, culminating in victories before the U.S. Supreme Court and the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

Mr. Luskin also has extensive experience in developing compliance programs and in representing individuals and corporations in matters involving parallel criminal, civil and administrative proceedings. He conceived and implemented a compliance program for the Laborers’ International Union of North America that the Justice Department has described as its model for internal union reform. Bio: Robert D. Luskin

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