US President George W. Bush made a farewell visit to Baghdad yesterday, flying in secret out of Washington just weeks before he bequeaths the unpopular Iraq war to President-elect Barack Obama.
He made a show of the improved security in Baghdad after five years of sectarian bloodshed by landing in daylight and venturing out beyond the heavily fortified international Green Zone.
Mr Bush's visit was intended to thank US troops for their efforts and "pat the Iraqis on the back for all they've accomplished this last year", said General Douglas Lute, White House coordinator for Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr Bush arrived first by helicopter at the presidential palace for talks with President Jalal Talabani and his two vice-presidents.
Mr Talabani called Mr Bush a great friend of the Iraqi people "who helped us to liberate our country and to reach this day, when we have democracy, human rights, and prosperity gradually in our country". He said he hoped that friendship would continue when Mr Bush went back to Texas after leaving the presidency.
Mr Bush's trip - his fourth to Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion - follows approval of a security pact between Washington and Baghdad last month that paves the way for US forces to withdraw by the end of 2011.
Mr Bush, beaming with obvious delight during the meeting with Mr Talabani, said he had come to herald the passage of the security pact. "And the work hasn't been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope, and world peace," he said.
The pact has its critics in Iraq, who doubt the US will live up to its promise to leave Iraqi cities by the end of June next year and withdraw completely by end-2011. Later yesterday an Iraqi reporter called visiting Mr Bush a "dog" in Arabic and threw his shoes at him during a news conference in Baghdad.
Iraqi security officers and US secret service agents leapt at the man and dragged him struggling and screaming out of the room where Mr Bush was giving a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The shoes missed their target about 4.5 metres away. One sailed over Mr Bush's head as he stood next to Mr Maliki and smacked into the wall behind him. Mr Bush smiled uncomfortably and Mr Maliki looked strained.
"It doesn't bother me," Mr Bush said, urging everyone to calm down as a ruckus broke out in the conference room.
Other Iraqi journalists apologised on behalf of their colleague, a TV journalist.