WP: Bush Caught Off-Guard by Case of Jailed Jordanian

[truthpusher]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39783-2005Jan26.html?nav=rss_politics

Bush Caught Off-Guard by Case of Jailed Jordanian

By Glenn Kessler and Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, January 27, 2005; Page A04

President Bush was stumped yesterday when he was asked at his news conference about the plight of a Jordanian man who faces a two-year prison term for slander after giving a lecture last month calling for a boycott of American goods and companies. "I'm unaware of the case," he said.

The circumstances are somewhat murky, but in many ways the case signifies the difficult choices and trade-offs inherent in Bush's call in his inaugural address for the right to dissent and protest around the world.

Jordan is a close U.S. ally, ruled by a monarch, whose support has been critical in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the war in Iraq, despite growing resentment among Jordanian citizens over these policies. Ali Hattar, the man charged with slander, is vehemently opposed to Jordan's 1994 establishment of relations with Israel, which he has demanded be reversed. Hattar is not a democracy activist, nor would he be considered an appealing figure by many Americans, but he has been charged under a type of vague law frequently used to suppress dissent across the Middle East.

Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, said there are few activists in the Middle East who could be considered supportive of U.S. policies. Yet Bush said last week that the United States will press of the cause of "free dissent and the participation of the governed" with "every ruler and every nation."

more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39783-2005Jan26.html?nav=rss_politics

[pinniped]

1. Maybe the POS* can plant a freedom tree in Jordan.

.

[struggle4progress]

2. kick

[grasswire]

3. as someone pointed out yesterday...

..it was kind of funny to hear Bush talk about "democracy" under the rule of "His Majesty." What a dork.

[Rican1]

4. Props to ABC News Terry Moran

He was the one who stumped Bush with this question at a news conference yesterday. At least some of the "Liberal" Media are not afraid to ask tough questions

[fob]

5. I heard the audio of that on the Al Franken show today and I would like

to point this out to bush*. Since you were talking about a principle of standing behind those that stand up to tyranny, you didn't HAVE TO HAVE SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE CASE TO COMMENT! It's obvious you only read the words, mr bush* because if you had the actual conviction in mind you would have said this;

"Terry while I am not familiar with the case you have cited, I can assure you if this person has heard my call and stood up against his oppressors, we WILL respond"

But, mr bush* since what you DO is pretty much diametrically OPPOSED to what you SAY, you immediately turned to deflect and defer. We know your game, and your recent attempt at "legacy building" for your second term is doomed to failure. Why, you ask? Because you are only in it for YOU and while you've managed to fool a LOT of people for a LONG time, you can't fool them ALL the time and YOU are headed for a dramatic face plant in the public eye.

[AlCzervik]

6. Stump the monkey, i like it

how sad and expected though. I've forgotten more than he knows. Terry Moran is a good reporter, hard to believe that he and Greg Jarrett worked for Court Tv at the same time.