Thursday, October 06, 2005
MEETING RECALLED
Er, reputable sources quoted by the BBC paint an interesting picture of George W. Bush:
In Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, a major three-part series on BBC TWO (at 9.00pm on Monday 10, Monday 17 and Monday 24 October), Abu Mazen, Palestinian Prime Minister, and Nabil Shaath, his Foreign Minister, describe their first meeting with President Bush in June 2003.
Nabil Shaath says: “President Bush said to all of us: ‘I’m driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, “George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.” And I did, and then God would tell me, “George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …” And I did. And now, again, I feel God’s words coming to me, “Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.” And by God I’m gonna do it.’"
Abu Mazen was at the same meeting and recounts how President Bush told him: “I have a moral and religious obligation. So I will get you a Palestinian state."
Those quotes sound a little imaginative.
UPDATE. More on this from Scott Burgess and Pat Curley.
UPDATE II. A denial from Abbas:
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has denied an account by another Palestinian official of a meeting with US President George Bush in which Bush is cited as saying he believed that God told him to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq ...
"This report is not true,” the Abbas statement said today. “I have never heard President Bush talking about religion as a reason behind the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush has never mentioned that in front of me on any occasion and specifically not during my visit in 2003."
UPDATE III. And a denial from White House press secretary Scott McClellan: “He’s never made such comments.”
UPDATE IV. Gullible letter writers in The Australian:
Now that the BBC has reported that President George W. Bush has said that God told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, Australians are entitled to ask if God also instructed John Howard to invade these countries. If not, surely we are entitled to ask if President Bush is channelling God to Mr Howard, and whether or not God is getting ready to also invade Iran.
If instructions are coming to our Government from on high, then we must know about it. Think of the savings to be made in Canberra if operational policies are coming from such a source.
R. Adams
Mosman, NSWAny credibility the US may have had for leading a secular, morally superior campaign against terrorism is shattered with reports that George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan and Iraq on instruction from God.
Sandra K. Eckersley
Marrickville NSW
(Via Bruce Rheinstein and Murph)