W visits Baghdad to meet with new Iraqi PM

Story here.

Wonder how long before we hear the cries of “photo op!!!!!!!” from the usual characters …?

In the meantime, things are about to get a lot tougher for the ‘insurgency’ in Baghdad:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraq’s new prime minister promised Tuesday to show “no mercy” to terrorists and said before President Bush arrived for a surprise visit that a long-awaited security plan for Baghdad will include a curfew and a ban on personal weapons.

Bush, who was expected to be in Baghdad for about five hours, met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to discuss Iraq’s next steps.

Security officials said tens of thousands of Iraqi and multinational forces would deploy Wednesday throughout Baghdad, securing roads, launching raids against insurgent hideouts and calling in airstrikes if necessary.

Underscoring the lack of security, a series of explosions struck the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least 16 people.

Iraqi security forces planned to deploy 75,000 Iraqi and multinational forces in Baghdad as part of al-Maliki’s ambitious plan to crack down on security in the capital, a top Iraqi police official said.

[...]

Maj. Gen. Mahdi al-Gharrawi, the commander of public order forces under the Interior Ministry, said al-Maliki’s plan includes securing roads in and out of Baghdad, banning personal weapons and implementing a 9 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew.