ZCZC
BFF-14
US-IRAQ-POLITICS-TRUMP-SECURITY
Trump acknowledges security concerns over Iraq visit
AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Dec 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – US President Donald Trump
on Wednesday acknowledged he had security concerns about visiting Iraq,
saying it was “pretty sad” that he needed such secrecy to see US troops.
On a lightning trip to Iraq that came after mounting criticism that he had
not already visited US forces abroad, Trump said he was concerned about
making the journey “when I heard what you had to go through.”
“I had concerns about the institution of the presidency. Not for myself
personally. I had concerns for the First Lady, I will tell you,” Trump, who
made the trip along with his wife Melania, told reporters.
Trump, who left unannounced from Washington in the dead of night in a
darkened plane, said that a “couple” of trips had been previously set up but
canceled as word got out.
“Pretty sad when you spend $7 trillion in the Middle East, and going in
has to be under this massive cover with planes all over and all of the
greatest equipment in the world, and you do everything to get in safely,” he
said.
For “security reasons,” the White House was only able to invite Iraqi
Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi to a meeting with Trump two hours before the
scheduled time, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
Abdel Mahdi was in another part of Iraq and could not attend, she said.
Trump’s trip came days after his sudden decision to withdraw all 2,000 US
troops from Syria, arguing that the Islamic State jihadist group had been
defeated and that the United States was paying too much on foreign
interventions.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0931 hrs