Secretary of State Clinton visits Baghdad and says Iraq on right track despite recent violence

[Beacool]

MATTHEW LEE | Associated Press Writer
April 25, 2009



BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says this week's deadly suicide bombings in Iraq are a sign that extremists are afraid the Iraqi government is succeeding.

Making her first trip to Iraq as America's top diplomat, Clinton said the country has made great strides despite the recent violence that killed at least 148 people in Baghdad and outside on Thursday and Friday.

"I think that these suicide bombings ... are unfortunately, in a tragic way, a signal that the rejectionists fear that Iraq is going in the right direction," Clinton told reporters traveling aboard her plane ahead of her unannounced Saturday visit to Baghdad.

"I think in Iraq there will always be political conflicts, there will always be, as in any society, sides drawn between different factions, but I really believe Iraq as a whole is on the right track," she said, citing "overwhelming evidence" of "really impressive" progress.

"Are there going to be bad days? Yes, there are," Clinton said. "But I don't know of any difficult international situation anywhere in the world or history where there haven't been bad days."

Clinton arrived a day after back-to-back suicide bombings killed 60 people outside the most important Shiite shrine in Baghdad. Those attacks came after Iraq on Thursday was rocked by its most deadly violence in more than a year when 88 people were killed by suicide bombers in Baghdad and Muqdadiyah, north of the capital.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-ml-clinton-iraq,0,4027961.story

[Maccagirl]

1. Yes, it was really bad day for those 88 who were murdered.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm being snide or dismissive of Madam Secretary-I've been up too late.

[Beacool]

2. I hope that you woke up in a better mood.

:-)