Hillary Clinton to meet with top Iraqi officials

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is headed to Iraq this weekend with two other lawmakers, as the rest of Congress engages in a fierce debate over President George W. Bush's plan to send 21,500 additional troops to salvage the US effort there. Clinton, a Democrat who is considering running for president, is traveling with Sen. Evan Bayh, a Democrat who had also eyed the 2008 race but opted out, and Rep. John McHugh, a Republican congressman. The three, who are all members of armed services committees, are to meet with top Iraqi officials, US military commanders, and also travel to Afghanistan. "This was the first opportunity we had to be able to go because of the long weekend, and it turns out that the timing is propitious because of the president's plans," Clinton told The Associated Press.