Pawlenty headed to Iraq

03/24/2006

The governor is en route in a delegation headed by U.S. Sen. John McCain.

Patricia Lopez And Mark Brunswick,
Star Tribune
Last update: March 24, 2006 – 1:47 PM

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has left for Iraq as part of a delegation led by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the governor’s office confirmed today.

Brian McClung, Pawlenty’s spokesman, said the governor left Thursday afternoon, but that McCain’s office had asked them not to release further details of the trip. Also in the delegation, according to the Associated Press, are Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah.

McClung said that Pawlenty expects to speak to the press in a conference midday tomorrow .

In a statement released this morning, Pawlenty said that the trip was in part to scope out the ground situation in the Middle East, where 2,600 Minnesota National Guard members are headed.

“Together with Minnesota Reserves and active duty military, there will be more than 3,000 Minnesota soldiers in Iraq,” Pawlenty said in his statement. “During this trip, I will be getting a forward look at the challenges and conditions our Minnesota soldiers will now be facing.”

Pawlenty said he would be meeting with Minnesota soldiers and military and Iraqi leaders during his stay.

McClung said that McCain approached Pawlenty with the invitation after the two had chatted at the recent National Governors Association meeting in February. National Guard spokeswoman Lt. Shannon Purvis said few of the new Minnesota troops are in Iraq. Most remain in Kuwait conducting training and getting acclimated to desert conditions. The Guard was informed of Pawlenty’s itinerary a few days ago but has not been part of the planning, she said.

This will be Pawlenty’s second surprise visit to Iraq.

He visited Baghdad in Feb. 2004 at the invitation of President Bush, as part of a six-governor fact-finding mission.

While Pawlenty said he never felt endangered on that trip, it was marked by heavy outbreaks of violence in the region, including tracer fire and suicide bombers who killed more than 100 people in two days.

McCain, considered a presidential contender for 2008, is also scheduled to headline fundraisers for Pawlenty in Minneapolis and St. Cloud on April 12.