Bush Seeks to Rally U.S. Troops in Iraq, Before it began, a Pentagon official coached the troops

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush sought to rally U.S. troops in Iraq ahead of Saturday's vote on new constitution and to brace them for an expected surge in violence, saying ``the enemy understands that a free Iraq would be a blow to their vision.''

SNIP

The exchange was carefully choreographed.

Before it began, a Pentagon official coached the troops, telling them the president planned to ask questions on three topics: The overall security in Iraq, how they were preparing for the vote on Saturday and how much progress had been made in the training of Iraqi troops.

Allison Barber, a Pentagon official, said Bush would ask them specifically, ``In the last 10 months, what kind of progress have we seen?''

She asked who was prepared to answer the question. ``Master Sgt. Lombardo,'' one said.

After Bush asked just that question, Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo responded: ``Over the past 10 months, the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces are improving ... They continue to develop and grow into a sustainable force.''