Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Anbar- Meets Patraeus

President George W. Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq today. It was his first visit to the country since US troops killed Al Qaeada leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi back in June 2006.

Marine commanders on the ground told Bush that "morale is high," despite long troop rotations- CNN.

U.S. President George W. Bush poses with Marines during his visit to Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar Province, Iraq, September 3, 2007. Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq on Monday, just a week before his top officials in Baghdad present pivotal testimony to Congress that could influence future policy on the war. REUTERS/Jason Reed (IRAQ)

Bush flew into the formerly restive Anbar Province today to meet with his top generals in Iraq.
AFP reported:

"This is the last big gathering of the president's military advisors and the Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward," said Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman.

The White House is to make a formal report to Congress on September 15 aimed at convincing US lawmakers to continue funding the Iraq war, four and a half bloody years since the US-led invasion of 2003.

Bush, whose itinerary was not immediately known, arrived a the desert air base of Al-Asad in the restive western province of Anbar along with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser Stephen Hadley, and other senior aides.

Waiting for him were US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William Fallon, the commander of US forces in the Middle East, and General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq.

It was Bush's first visit to Iraq since June 2006, which followed the killing by US forces of the then leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

President George W. Bush meets with General David Petraeus (3rd L), the top U.S. Commander in Iraq, upon Bush's arrival at Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar Province, Iraq, September 3, 2007. Also pictured are U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (2nd R) and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (3rd R). (Jason Reed/Reuters)

The Administration is highlighting the formerly restive Anbar Province as a success of the surge of troops to Iraq earlier in the year:

The White House picked the restive Anbar province of western Iraq as the setting for a piece of political theater geared mainly toward rallying support from Americans for an increasingly unpopular war that has also damaged U.S. credibility abroad.

Administration officials hail Anbar as a success story for Bush's 30,000-troop buildup, saying local Sunni militias have turned against al Qaeda militants there, and attacks on U.S. forces have declined significantly.

The White House is increasingly optimistic that progress in Anbar and hopes for replicating it elsewhere will help Bush face down pressure from congressional Democrats and a few of his fellow Republicans for a change of course in Iraq...

His congressional opponents were sure to be caught off guard, with most taking Labor Day off before returning from summer recess.

Jules Crittenden has a roundup.

Victor Davis Hanson adds this, via Instapundit:

In a strange sense, more than ever the ante has been raised, and there is the eerie feeling far more than just Iraq is at stake right now in the next few weeks, but rather the nature of the entire Middle East and the American global role even beyond the region.

In related news... McClatchy reported that American combat deaths in Iraq have dropped by half in the three months since the buildup of 28,000 additional U.S. troops reached full strength.

MORE... The Talismangate reported that there is a marked decrease in operations conducted by Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq... The latest biweekly report from the ISI for the period of August 1 to August 15 about its operations throughout Iraq shows that their capacity for violence has been degraded significantly, leading some ‘concerned’ jihadist voices to ask, “Why?”
Hat Tip American Freedom

Bush met with local Sunni tribal leaders while in Anbar.

President George W. Bush meets with Iraqi tribal leaders during his unannounced visit to Al-Asad airbase in Anbar Province September 3, 2007. (Jason Reed/Reuters)

UPDATE: Bush is holding a press conference from Al Anbar Conference. He is expected to visit the troops shortly.

The White House just posted his speech to the troops in Al Anbar Province.

The troops went wild!

FOX News has the video HERE.
(HotAir has the video posted now.)

Update 2: The Left reacts with their typical negativity.

Update 3: Frederick W. Kagan calls this visit "The Gettysburg of This War."
Via Instapundit.