TEHRAN, Nov 28: Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said on Friday that US President George W. Bush’s top secret visit to Baghdad showed that Washington was afraid of the Iraqi people, state television reported.

“The US president’s sudden visit to Iraq was a sign of the US fear of the Iraqi people,” said Mr Kharazi, whose country opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Mr Bush was at the Iraqi capital’s airport for 150 minutes late on Thursday to join 600 troops for an emotional Thanksgiving dinner, on a lightning trip arranged under strict secrecy.

News of the visit was not even released until Air Force One had already left Baghdad, for fear of the sort of missile fire by insurgents that forced an emergency landing by a DHL civilian cargo jet last week.

The only Iraqis he encountered were four members of the US-installed interim Governing Council.—AFP