Anzac Day 2004
From The Age - Howard's secret trip
APRIL 15 Prime Minister's office sounds out selected media about a VIP trip to Baghdad. Swears them to secrecy.
APRIL 23 First official Defence briefing of participants. Several panic that the visit has leaked to media. There are warnings that it will be cancelled if anyone makes it public. Editors of Sunday news papers were telephoned and asked to keep it quiet.
APRIL 24
6am Howard departs in executive jet.
2.25pm Stopover in Singapore for refueling. No one, including PM allowed to leave the aircraft. High commissioner arrives to pay courtesy call and is stunned to find Prime Minister on board.10pm Arrives in a Gulf state.
APRIL 25
3am Attends barbecue and hands out service medals to RAAF personnel.
7.30am Leaves Gulf in C130 Hercules for Baghdad.
9.40am Enters Iraqi air space. Dons flak jacket.
11am Dawn service begins. Medal ceremony and "gunfire" breakfast follows.
1pm Holds talks with Paul Bremer, General John Abizaid and Lt-Gen Ricardo Sanchez.
5.30pm Leaves for Kuwait.
7.30pm Arrives Kuwait.
8pm Scheduled meeting with sailors on HMAS Stuart for medal ceremony (cancelled).
11.15pm Leaves Kuwait in executive jet.
APRIL 26
4pm Arrives back in Canberra after Singapore refueling stop.
On the other hand, very few people in the city last week seemed to be wearing Anzac lapel pins - presumably they'd been ignoring the many returned soldiers and other volunteers who were selling them at railway stations and in streets all over the city. This was disappointing.
From The Age - Howard's secret trip
APRIL 15 Prime Minister's office sounds out selected media about a VIP trip to Baghdad. Swears them to secrecy.
APRIL 23 First official Defence briefing of participants. Several panic that the visit has leaked to media. There are warnings that it will be cancelled if anyone makes it public. Editors of Sunday news papers were telephoned and asked to keep it quiet.
APRIL 24
6am Howard departs in executive jet.
2.25pm Stopover in Singapore for refueling. No one, including PM allowed to leave the aircraft. High commissioner arrives to pay courtesy call and is stunned to find Prime Minister on board.10pm Arrives in a Gulf state.
APRIL 25
3am Attends barbecue and hands out service medals to RAAF personnel.
7.30am Leaves Gulf in C130 Hercules for Baghdad.
9.40am Enters Iraqi air space. Dons flak jacket.
11am Dawn service begins. Medal ceremony and "gunfire" breakfast follows.
1pm Holds talks with Paul Bremer, General John Abizaid and Lt-Gen Ricardo Sanchez.
5.30pm Leaves for Kuwait.
7.30pm Arrives Kuwait.
8pm Scheduled meeting with sailors on HMAS Stuart for medal ceremony (cancelled).
11.15pm Leaves Kuwait in executive jet.
APRIL 26
4pm Arrives back in Canberra after Singapore refueling stop.
On the other hand, very few people in the city last week seemed to be wearing Anzac lapel pins - presumably they'd been ignoring the many returned soldiers and other volunteers who were selling them at railway stations and in streets all over the city. This was disappointing.
