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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, September 1, 2007

Bush stopovers bookend Asia Pacific economics summit

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

President George W. Bush

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President Bush's refueling stop in Honolulu on Monday will come during a trip to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Sydney, Australia.

The annual meeting involves leaders of 21 member economies that comprise 56 percent of the world's gross domestic product and half of its trade, according to the White House Web site.

About 66 percent of U.S. products go to the Asia Pacific region.

The president has not missed an APEC meeting since taking office.

Bush will stop in Honolulu again Sept. 8 on his way back from Sydney, with a longer layover. At that time, he will have lunch with U.S. troops.

The site of that luncheon has not been announced, nor is it known whether the president will emerge from Air Force One during its fuel stop Monday.

The plane will land at Hickam Air Force Base at 3:05 p.m. Monday and depart at 4:35 p.m. It will cross the international dateline and arrive in Australia on Tuesday night.

On Sept. 8, Bush is scheduled to land at Hickam at 11:30 a.m. and take off at 3 p.m.

The Secret Service on O'ahu said this week that it was surveying possible motorcade routes for the brief Sept. 8 stop. The motorcade is comprised of a mix of Secret Service agents and Honolulu police officers.

In November, Honolulu police officer Steve Favela, 30, died of injuries suffered during a motorcycle crash while escorting the president on Hickam Air Force Base.