Kerry to visit troops in Iraq

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will travel to Iraq next month as the war-torn country prepares for elections.

The Massachusetts senator, who lost his bid for the presidency in November, is expected to visit several Middle East countries, with the focus on the situation in Iraq and the war on terror.

A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Kerry also plans to meet with U.S. troops, including some from Massachusetts, to thank them for their services, spokeswoman April Boyd said Thursday.

During the campaign, Kerry criticized President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Although Kerry voted in October 2002 to give Bush the authority to wage war, he later voted against additional funds for Iraq and Afghanistan reconstruction, arguing that the commander in chief didn't have a solid plan to restore peace.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/09/kerry.iraq.ap/index.html