At Davos, A Conciliatory US Leaves Critics Wary

[UpInArms]

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=51249

DAVOS, JAN 25: The World Economic Forum wound up on Sunday after five days of talks that featured the US efforts at conciliation and continued barbs at Washington’s tough line policies.

Top US officials’ attempts to show a kinder, gentler face, left political leaders, especially those that have faced Washington’s wrath, wondering if US President George W Bush’s administration was seeking sincere reconciliation or if the change of tone was only a tactical posturing.

Iranian president Mohammad Khatami, whose country was famously included in the “axis of evil” threatening the world with mass destruction, said, “I hope the changes we have witnessed in the tone used by the United States will not be a tactical ploy but a real strategic change in policies and attitudes”.

...more...

ahhh, to witness the enormity of the US credibility that has been squandered by the liars and thieves and thugs...

[wroberts189]

1. Hey Khatami..

Trust us ..its a tactical ploy. The Bush admin is nothing but a bunch of criminals.

[54anickel]

2. A few more critics there than Iran and Pakistan

http://www2.dw-world.de/english/current_affairs/1.56183.1.html

snip>
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, while welcoming the invitation to dialogue with Washington on the greater Middle East, cautioned about getting carried away with illusionary grand structures. "To think that from Morocco to Afghanistan we’re going to have something structured is a bit of a chimera," he told Reuters news service.

Solana also pointed out that the EU already had agreements and cooperation with a dozen Mediterranean partners offering trade and aid in return for economic reform and human rights. In a veiled criticism of Washington’s foreign policy goals, Solana said it would be hard to get the Arab world behind a collective democratization initiative "without putting the same energy into the solution of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process."

snip>
"If I am concerned about something it is that the euro alone has to bear the brunt of the fall of the dollar because many areas of the world are de facto linked to the dollar, be it through pegs or intervention," he said.

The ECB’s Trichet also expressed worry over a ballooning U.S. budget deficit, which if unchecked could become a source of international contention when it effects interest and exchange rates across the globe.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans attempted to calm European fears by saying the situation was both "very manageable" and "affordable." He said the deficit would be brought down by some "very, very tough decisions on spending." Neither Cheney nor Evans seemed especially concerned about the weak dollar.
<end_snip

That last paragraph is a bit scary......

[kodi]

3. on cspan, bill clinton gave a phenomenal speech at devos.

watching him speak extemporaneously on how the west needed to build up the delivery systems for aid to poor countries was an education on real necessary actions to help 3Billion people.

and now we have george bush..............sigh

[intheozone]

4. I saw that speech,

I miss Bill!!! Alot!! :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[kskiska]

5. They want to show a kinder, gentler face

and they send Dick Cheney?