TURKEYGATE?

Who's the Turkey Now? Headline writers, political cartoonists and letter to the editor writers had fun with this story. "Who's the turkey now?" accompanied a Seattle Times report.

The tasty-looking turkey that US President George W Bush held for the cameras in his recent surprise Thanksgiving Day trip to US troops in Baghdad was reportedly just a decorative setting.

It was not a dish he served to the troops, the Washington Post reports today.

But the White House rejected criticism of pictures of the president, saying that they were not pre-arranged.

Pictures beamed around the world showed Bush smiling in a military jacket, standing in the midst of US soldiers and holding a large tray.

On the tray lay a golden-brown roast turkey garnished with fruit and vegetables -- a traditional feast served in the United States for that country's Thanksgiving celebration.

Although the pictures may have given the impression that the president himself had helped serve the traditional holiday meal, the troops were served buffet-style as in any normal military canteen.

According to Washington Post reporter Mike Allen -- the sole newspaper reporter on the trip -- the White House claims that neither the decoration or the president's action of picking up the setting had been planned beforehand, and that it was typical for such ornaments to decorate canteens on holidays.

While image consultants try to ensure the president is seen in as positive a light as possible, the US press and opposition politicians have often been critical of the strong marketing that surrounds Bush.

It was not reported who, if anyone, got to eat the turkey held out by the President.