Bush visits injured US troops

2006-01-01 21:39

Crawford - President George W Bush marked the start of 2006 by visiting injured United States troops on Sunday, as he ushered in the New Year with a less ambitious political agenda after a bruising year.

After spending New Year's Eve at his Texas ranch with First Lady Laura Bush, the president arrived on Sunday at Brooke Army Medical Centre in San Antonio, where he was to meet with 51 wounded troops, and to award nine Purple Heart medals.

Trent Duffy of the White House said: "As commander-in-chief, he feels it's one of his most important duties to visit with those who are serving in the armed forces providing great sacrifices in this important mission."

Bush was due to return to Washington later on Sunday, after his weeklong Christmas stay in Texas.

Key congressional elections

The president was ringing in 2006 with a less ambitious political agenda, ahead of key congressional elections in which his Republican Party hoped to retain its grip over congress.

In his final weekly radio address of 2005, Bush underlined his priorities as establishing a free and independent Iraq, and maintaining US economic growth while trimming the country's budget deficits.

According to one analyst, but sobered by a bruising 2005, including ongoing unrest in Iraq, the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, a probe into whether his White House ousted a CIA agent and sliding poll ratings, the president was likely to play it safe in the year ahead.

Unbridled ambition

There were successes, Iraq's December election appeared to have been a relative triumph for the US leader, but the analyst said they were few other successes and that Bush would need to temper his unbridled ambition for grand projects.

Political analyst Larry Sabato said: "The White House is planning a very busy January.

"They have to sustain the momentum gained with the December 15 elections in Iraq. Bush cannot afford to continue to decline."

Iraq continued to cloud Bush's New Year agenda, with many Iraqis wanting US troops to leave their country and the Bush administration hoping the war-torn country would appoint a new government soon.

Wiretapping programme

On the domestic front, Republican lawmakers were expecting a tough fight ahead if they were to maintain their control of both houses of congress.

A fierce congressional debate over the president's "war on terror" was also under way, and had been re-ignited in recent weeks by the leaked revelation that Bush authorised a secret eavesdropping and wiretapping programme in 2002.

Citing concerns over civil liberties, lawmakers in congress earlier this month refused to grant Bush's request for a permanent renewal and instead voted for a one-month extension.

Meanwhile, opposition democrats, invigorated by Bush's woes, were hoping to steal some Republican seats in congress during November elections for the legislature.

- AFP