Bush in Baghdad, meets Talabani

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. President George W. Bush has arrived in the capital Baghdad, where he was received by his Iraqi counterpart, according to a presidential source. “This afternoon, President Bush arrived in Baghdad and headed to meet with President Jalal al-Talabani at in his residence in al-Jadriya,” the source told IraqiNews.com. 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. On November 27, the Iraqi Parliament approved SOFA 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. SS (P)/SR 1