Obama visits Kuwait day before Baghdad

January 6, 2006 (BAGHDAD) (WLS) -- Following a deadly day in Iraq, Illinois Senator Barack Obama stopped in Kuwait to meet with troops before moving on to Baghdad Saturday. ABC7's Chuck Goudie is in Iraq following the senator's visit with Congress's Intelligence Committee.

The beginning of Senator Barack Obama's trip to Baghdad Saturday morning comes at the end of one of the most violence weeks in Iraq since the war started. The past two days alone, more than 150 people have been killed by sniper fire, explosives planted along roadsides and suicide car bombs.

Among the dead: 11 US soldiers, the most killed on a single day since December 1. Nearly 2,200 US service personnel have now died in Iraq at the hands of so-called insurgents.

"This insurgency did not end because there was such an inspiring vote on December 15th. This Iraqi army is who will ultimately defeat insurgency in Iraq, but it is going to take time," said Donald Alston, US brigadier general.

Brigadier general Donald Alston sounded optimistic despite a bloody week in Iraq. Alston and Iraq's defense minister attended "Army Day" festivities in Baghdad. The popular Iraqi celebration Friday featured flowers being placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Baghdad and newly minted armored vehicles on display by the Iraqi army.

"The terrorists are trying to kill all the human beings everywhere, so we have country determined to fight for our freedom, for our country, and there is no safe place in this for terrorists," said Sadoun al Dulaimi, defense minister.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama was just a country away Friday, meeting with US service personnel in Kuwait where he began a Middle East swing with a small congressional delegation that includes Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Obama played basketball with some GI's and then talked about the importance of his first official trip to the region.

"I am still concerned that we don't seem to have a clear picture of how this whole engagement plays itself out, and that's something that I am going to be looking to hear more about when I get into Iraq," said Obama.

Senator Obama had dinner with some soldiers in Kuwait before turning in Friday night.

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