WASHINGTON — President Bush spoke by telephone Monday to 10 U.S. servicemen and -women stationed in Iraq and elsewhere around the world to thank them for serving their country as they spent the holiday season away from their families.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the president told them their country is proud of them.
“He said he couldn’t thank them enough for their contribution to their country, hopes they are in high spirits and that they are serving a cause that is very noble,” Perino said. “He said, ‘I know that you miss your family.’ ”
The service members included three soldiers, two Marines, two sailors, two members of the Air Force and one Coast Guard petty officer. Seven were serving in Iraq, one in Afghanistan and two on the high seas — one in the Persian Gulf and one in the Bering Sea.
One of them was Cpl. Orlando Anaya, a Marine from Roswell, N.M., stationed at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. His father, Ray Anaya, said the phone call was an honor for his son and for the family.
“I wasn’t too surprised because I know he deserves it — everyone over there deserves it. But I was honored,” the father said from his home in Roswell.
Bush also exchanged holiday greetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about recent Turkish attacks on Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq. The U.S. has admitted providing intelligence to Turkey to assist the operations.
“The president and the prime minister discussed their common efforts to fight terrorism, and the importance of the United States, Turkey and Iraq working together to confront the (separatists),” National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Bush is spending the Christmas holiday at his Camp David presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains. In addition to his wife, Laura, he is joined by his daughters, Jenna and Barbara; his mother-in-law, Jenna Welch; his sister Doro Bush Koch; his brother Marvin; and their families.
On Wednesday, the president will travel to his ranch near Crawford, Texas, where he will spend the rest of the holiday break and ring in the new year before returning to Washington on New Year’s Day.
A week later, on Jan. 8, he begins a trip to the Middle East with stops in Israel, the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
