Bush is still clueless about the ports deal.
On Friday, Bush appeared before the National Newspaper Association Conference. He addressed many issues, including the ports deal and its collapse. Part of what he said showed once again that Bush is absolutely clueless.
Why was George not interested in strengthening our relations with moderate Arab countries before now? Every Arab country was against the Iraq war, but Bush didn't care about their opinions then.
Bush's message to the world in general and to Arabs in particular for the last three years has been about as subtle as a brick in the face, and his vision and foresight has been that of someone who just got a brick in the face.
Notice that I said "Arabs" and not "Arab countries." There is no question that the majority of Arabs have a dim view of the U.S., even if they live in "moderate Arab countries." Some of the "moderate" countries are ruled by autocratic regimes, And, thanks to the Burning Bush Doctrine (a/k/a "freedom on the march"), there have been elections in Arab countries that have produced gains for parties openly hostile to American interests and the governments of some of those countries. Good luck making friends with them, George. You cannot turn away from them, nor can you win them over by keeping ruling regimes in place while you are saying that democracy is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I really think that Bush does not grasp any of this.
I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East. In order to win the war on terror, we have got to strengthen our relationships and friendships with moderate Arab countries in the Middle East. UAE is a committed ally in the war on terror. They are a key partner for our military in a critical region.Why was George not worried about the message sent to our friends and allies--and especially to the Middle East--when he basically told the world to f___ off and that we were going to invade Iraq no matter what anybody thought or no matter what the facts were? Why was he not worried about the message he sent to the world when he said in absolute terms that "either you are with us or you are against us"?
Why was George not interested in strengthening our relations with moderate Arab countries before now? Every Arab country was against the Iraq war, but Bush didn't care about their opinions then.
Bush's message to the world in general and to Arabs in particular for the last three years has been about as subtle as a brick in the face, and his vision and foresight has been that of someone who just got a brick in the face.
Notice that I said "Arabs" and not "Arab countries." There is no question that the majority of Arabs have a dim view of the U.S., even if they live in "moderate Arab countries." Some of the "moderate" countries are ruled by autocratic regimes, And, thanks to the Burning Bush Doctrine (a/k/a "freedom on the march"), there have been elections in Arab countries that have produced gains for parties openly hostile to American interests and the governments of some of those countries. Good luck making friends with them, George. You cannot turn away from them, nor can you win them over by keeping ruling regimes in place while you are saying that democracy is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I really think that Bush does not grasp any of this.
posted by WCharles @ 3/12/2006 02:25:00 AM
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