Charles Dharapak / AP Photo
President Obama's unannounced visit to Baghdad today was a welcome surprise for troops stationed at Camp Victory, where he addressed a crowd of soldiers who cheered, "We love you, Obama." It turned out to be less of a surprise for the media, who had speculated (at least to each other) that Air Force One might make a detour from neighboring Turkey after Obama wrapped up his eight-day European adventure. "We spent a lot of time trying to get Afghanistan right [but] there's still a lot of work to be done here," Obama told the troops gathered. He also saluted them for helping Iraq to "stand on its own as a democratic country... That is an extraordinary achievement, and for that you have the thanks of the American people." The trip also gave Obama the chance to meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in person.