Hastert sees bright spots on surprise visit to Iraq

WASHINGTON — On a surprise visit at President Bush's request, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., flew into Baghdad at 4 a.m. Friday and immediately remarked on how many lights he saw burning in the Iraqi capital.

The speaker and his party saw it as a sign of progress, of how much power had been restored in a city known for frequent blackouts, according to Hastert's spokesman, Ron Bonjean, who accompanied the speaker.

"It was one of our first impressions, so many lights shining brightly," Bonjean said.

Despite a raging insurgency, allegations that U.S. troops had murdered Iraqi citizens and a new tape from the country's al-Qaida leader imploring Sunnis to confront Shiites, the speaker came to Iraq armed with a sunny message that Congress would back the new government and support American troops on the ground.

"The president asked the speaker to go to Iraq to send a message that we are dedicated to fighting and winning the war on terror, and we want to ensure the job will be done right at all levels of government," Bonjean said.

Hastert, who met with U.S. officials and the Iraqi president and prime minister, said he was encouraged by the briefings he had received.

"Here, in the birthplace of civilization, the birth of this historic government represents a new day of hope for the Iraqi people," he said at a news conference in which he largely echoed the sentiments of Bush. He said the United States would "remain faithful to the task" of supporting Iraqis.

The Iraq trip was a first for Hastert. The speaker took off Thursday, the day he became the longest-serving Republican House speaker in history. The crew aboard the Air Force plane surprised him with a cake, and he celebrated on the long flight to the Middle East.