Bush arrives in Baghdad within hours

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. President George W. Bush is expected in the Iraqi capital Baghdad within the next few hours, an Iraqi cabinet source said on Sunday. Bush’s visit comes only 17 days ahead of the beginning of the implementation of the long-term security pact with Iraq, known as the status of forces agreement (SOFA), scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2009. The Iraqi Parliament had approved SOFA on November 27 with a majority of 144 votes to 35 lawmakers, 29 of them are members of parliament from the Sadrist bloc of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. AmR (P)/SR 1