The Right Stuffing

Turkey and trimmings alone weren't enough of a draw, and neither, concluded the American brass in Baghdad, was the prospect of listening to a speech by Paul Bremer, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority. But wartime requires extreme measures, and so, to attract soldiers to a Thanksgiving dinner in a makeshift U.S. Army post at Baghdad International Airport, top officials resorted to celebrity disinformation. They fanned rumors that country star Shania Twain would be at the event, accompanied by the actor Nicolas Cage. When even that did not generate buzz in the barracks, Bremer told aides "we may make news," and asked them to urge the press to attend. Word was, some administration higher-up, maybe Vice President Dick Cheney, was the real attraction. Only Bremer and the tightest circle of insiders knew what was up: George W. Bush, flying aboard Air Force One in the heaviest of cloak-and-dagger secrecy, was the guest of honor. "Welcome to Free Iraq, Mr. President," said Bremer, greeting the president backstage before the meal was served. Bush responded with a joyous bearhug.

The feast that followed was another crystallizing photo op in what has become the central saga of our times, the war on terror. Bush's Operation Thanksgiving was at once good politics for him and a good morale booster for the troops. Wearing an Army jacket and a winsome smile, the president was greeted with "Hooahs!" and cheers by the GIs. "I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere," Bush joked as he bore a turkey-laden tray into the dining hall and dished out food--and Bush bonhomie--in the serving line. In his speech, he served up thanks and pledges of resolve. "By helping to build a peaceful, democratic country in the heart of the Middle East," he told the soldiers, "you are defending the American people from danger, and we are grateful." The United States and its allies, he vowed, "will prevail. We will win because our cause is just. We will win because we will stay on the offensive." He met briefly with a carefully selected (and surprised) handful of members of the Iraqi Governing Council, and then raced back to Air Force One for a flight home as stealthy as the one on which he had come. Time in Iraq: two-and-a-half hours.

Eerily, this president and this presidency are defined by airplane flights. The first, of course, were those that the Qaeda terrorists hijacked on 9/11. Next was the U.S. Air Force's response, raining down bunker-busting JDAMs and MOABs on the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan. Last May 1 it was the president himself, fitted out in a flight suit, landing a jet aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Standing in front of the banner that read mission accomplished, Bush declared an end to "major combat operations" in Iraq. Since then nearly 300 Americans have died, and his military aides glumly concede that the Coalition remains mired in a state akin to a war. Now the question is whether the president's Baghdad drop-by will endure in the public mind as a vivid symbol of his solidarity with the troops in a war he wanted to wage--or possibly be seen as a short-term political maneuver to appeal to his conservative base at home.

Bush genuinely enjoys visiting military installations and mingling with troops--(though he's shown no similar eagerness to attend funerals of the fallen). When Bremer was visiting the White House, chief of staff Andrew Card suggested the idea of a Thanksgiving visit. The president, briefing Air Force One reporters as the entourage headed home, described himself as wary of the risky enterprise. "I was the biggest skeptic of them all," Bush said. From GIs to dignitaries, Americans have become targets of choice for a growing network of terrorist spies. "I said, 'I don't want to go if it would put anyone in harm's way'," Bush told reporters.

His wife, Laura, wasn't told until a few days beforehand; his parents weren't told at all. Bush was spirited from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in an unmarked vehicle and without the usual motorcade. (He had to wait in traffic en route to the airport.) The reporters who went along were admonished not to tell their families--or even their editors--where they were going. Air Force One flew "dark," with lights dimmed, shades drawn and with a fake identifier, "Gulfstream 5." The president spent time in the cockpit, aides said later, scanning radar. On the ground in Iraq, forces had extended the "Green Zone" perimeter around the airport and stopped all traffic for miles. AF One descended in a tight "corkscrew" to evade possible rocket fire.

Bush's Democratic rivals had no choice but to praise him for his round trip. "It was the right thing to do for our country," said Sen. John Kerry. Bush even managed to upstage a visit to Afghanistan and Iraq by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "They're good at this kind of thing," a Democratic strategist grumbled.

Still, Democrats--and an increasing number of Republicans--argue that the United States wasn't justified in invading Iraq in the first place, mishandled the early days of the occupation and is fast losing the good will and momentum necessary to establish a peaceful democracy there. Kerry accused Bush of pursuing a "failed policy," and Gen. Wesley Clark argued that the resources being lavished on Iraq would be better focused on Osama bin Laden and his network. Senator Clinton demanded a rapid "internationalization" of the occupation--as if that were a routine diplomatic task. This week a delegation of military families is headed to Iraq. The trip is sponsored by peace groups; it's unlikely the families will praise much of what they see.

As for Bush, he came, he saw--and felt at home. "It was an emotional moment to walk into that room," he said. "The energy level was beyond belief... I could see the look of amazement, and the look of appreciation, on the kids' faces." The president, an aide said later, knows how much he relies on the military. "He's now a national-security and foreign-policy president," he said. Bush, the aide said, would "forever be glad" he had made the trip. Of course, the president had a reason to feel upbeat about it. He had an exit strategy.