Alwaght- News of Trump's Son-in-law's so-called secret trip to Iraq circulated while Jared Kushner was still en route.
According to AP Trump's administration failed to keep Kushner's trip secret while such trips are usually kept quiet, with the cooperation of journalists, until the officials arrive in order to ensure maximum security.
A senior administration official told reporters Sunday evening that Kushner was in Iraq, even though he was still en route. For the military and security professionals managing the mission, the public disclosure of the unannounced trip was a security breach. Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, also was on board.
Although the plane landed safely in Baghdad on Monday, the Iraqi capital is hardly a secure location, having suffered countless extremist attacks over the years. The threat is no less acute today as Iraq wages a bitter battle to try to rid the Islamic State from its territory. For trips to the city, the military seeks to avoid public mention of plans ahead of time so extremist groups can't plot attacks.
"It's been longstanding practice to strictly avoid announcing the visits of senior U.S. officials in advance of their travels to warzones," said George Little, a Pentagon and CIA press secretary for Leon Panetta, who managed both departments under President Barack Obama. "The main reason is obvious. You want to avoid giving the enemy any information that could help them to target these delegations, especially in areas where the battle lines aren't clear on the map."
Knowing when and where a senior U.S. military or civilian official might arrive makes attacks easier. Such details could help groups target the plane as it takes off or lands, or use roadside bombs or shoulder-launched rockets to strike dignitaries while they're on the ground.
For the Trump administration, Kushner's voyage marks the second time a secret trip hasn't gone as planned.
In February, the White House arranged for Trump to visit Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to honor the returning remains of a U.S. Navy SEAL killed a week earlier. In keeping with the practice of past White Houses, the trip wasn't announced. News organizations agreed not to report on the trip until after Trump arrived at the base.
But unlike past occurrences, Trump left the White House in broad daylight in Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, taking off in full view of pedestrians.
