WASHINGTON, June 14: President George W. Bush’s surprise visit to Baghdad on Tuesday was so secret that even his host, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, did not know he was going to meet the US leader.

In Washington, only four people — Vice-President Dick Cheney, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush — knew about the visit but were advised not to discuss it even with their close aides.

Rest of the cabinet expected Mr Bush to join them for a teleconference with Iraqi leaders at Camp David on Tuesday.

On Monday night President Bush excused himself from a cabinet dinner at Camp David, saying he was tired and ‘losing altitude’.

Not long after leaving dinner, Mr Bush boarded a top-secret flight to Baghdad to meet Prime Minister Maliki.

According to White House officials, Mr Bush took a helicopter flight to Andrews Air Force base near Washington and shouted, “The POTUS is on board,” to reporters travelling with him on this top-secret mission, using a White House code term for president of the United States.

The White House had said earlier that the Iraqi prime minister will participate in the Camp David talks through teleconference.

Nobody at the White House knew that instead of the teleconference, Mr Bush had decided to meet him personally.