Bush holds talks with Prime minister during surprise visit to Baghdad

Bush holds talks with Prime minister during surprise visit to Baghdad

It was a dramatic move by Bush, traveling to violence-rattled Baghdad less than a week after the death of terror chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a bombing attack. The president was expected to be in Baghdad a little more than five hours.

Bush met with al-Maliki in heavily fortified green zone at a palace once used by deposed President Saddam Hussein. It now serves temporarily as the U.S. Embassy, the AP reports.

The trip was known only to a handful of aides and a small number of reporters sworn to secrecy because of obvious security threats for Bush and members of his entourage.