Honolulu – President Bush circled the globe on his Asian journey but never strayed far from the subject of Iraq. He dined with U.S. troops in Hawaii before heading home Tuesday, telling them their efforts “will determine how your children and grandchildren live.”
Bush, who was due back at the White House late Tuesday night, visited Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia during an eight-day trip aimed at assuring Asia of America’s commitment to the region. He even found time to meet briefly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Still, Iraq and the war on terror kept the president’s attention. In Vietnam, asked about lessons from that war, Bush answered that in Iraq, “we’ll succeed unless we quit.”
And he found himself in front of cameras on Tuesday at Hickam Air Force Base condemning the assassination earlier in the day of an anti-Syrian Lebanese leader.
Bush was briefed in Hawaii at the Oahu headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Command.
Before that, he ate and chatted with the troops at an open- sided mess hall.
The president made his way through the food line, piling his plate with ham, eggs, a biscuit topped with gravy, and potatoes. He shook hands with troops in camouflage uniforms. Then, after eating, he thanked the military personnel for their service “on behalf of a grateful nation.”
“You serve at a time when we witness an ideological struggle between those who love freedom and those who hate freedom,” the president said. “I’m determined, like you are determined, that freedom prevails.”
Though Bush was cheered by troops and others on Oahu – a contrast to the thousands of anti-war demonstrators a day before in Indonesia – his visit wasn’t without incident.
Three police motorcycle officers were injured when they crashed on slick pavement while escorting his motorcade on Tuesday.
Two were taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where one was described as in serious condition and another was described as stable.
