Trip Notes by Date

January 8

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 9

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 10

Ed Gillespie
Counselor to the President

Full Note

January 11

Ed Gillespie
Counselor to the President

Full Note

January 12

Stephen Hadley
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Full Note

January 13

Bill McGurn
Assistant to the President for Speechwriting

Full Note

January 14

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 15

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 15

Joshua Bolten
White House Chief of Staff

Full Note

January 16

George W. Bush
President of the United States

Ask the White House Transcript

President Travels to Middle East

Biography

Dana Perino

Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Tonight, President Bush will board Air Force One to travel to Israel, the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Senior staff will post entries featuring highlights from the President’s trip. We hope you will check back to read the latest “Notes from the Middle East.”

This trip will reflect the President’s commitment to the Middle East region and his belief that the future of the region has a direct impact on the security of America.

Throughout his Administration, the President has worked hard to put building blocks in place that will help create lasting peace in the Middle East. On June 24^th, 2002, he became the first U.S. President to call for the creation of a Palestinian state. During his Second Inaugural Address, he unveiled the Freedom Agenda to strengthen the United States’ commitment to advancing freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and radicalism.

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In November 2007, he hosted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and other international leaders at the Annapolis Conference which laid the foundation for the establishment of a new Palestinian state that will live side by side with Israel in peace and security.

The President believes that the Israeli and Palestinian people now have a critical opportunity to agree upon a vision that will lead to a safer and more secure Middle East. He will help the two leaders focus on the big picture and encourage them in their efforts.

During his tour of the Region, he will:

• Encourage the Israelis and the Palestinians to develop a vision of a Palestinian state
• Build international support for the peace process
• Reaffirm our commitment to regional security in the Middle East

His trip will include:

January 9^th:
Meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Israel
January 10^th:
Meetings with the President and Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority
January 11^th:
Visit to Yad Vashem
Travel to Kuwait
January 12^th:
Meeting with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker
Visit with U.S. Troops stationed at Camp Arifjan
Roundtable on Democracy and Development with Kuwaiti women Travel to Bahrain for a meeting with King Hamad
January 13^th:
Visit the U.S. Fifth Fleet
Travel to the United Arab Emirates for a meeting with President Khalifa
Remarks in Abu Dhabi
January 14^th:
Travel to Dubai for meetings
Travel to Saudi Arabia for meetings with King Abdullah
January 15^th:
Meetings in Riyadh
January 16^th:
Travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for meetings
Depart Sharm el-Sheikh for Andrews Air Force Base

President Bush Attends Annapolis Conference
Middle East Trip