'He is just a foolish cowboy' - Democratic Underground

emad

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Wed Nov-19-03 06:33 AM
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'He is just a foolish cowboy'

From: The Guardian

Arab and European papers think it could prove to be counterproductive:

<snip>:
Gulf Times
Editorial, Qatar, November 18

"With a tough re-election battle ahead of him, Mr Bush may recall that film of Ronald Reagan with the Queen worked wonders for that president's re-election prospects. The appearance of a royal endorsement from Queen Elizabeth is just what Mr Bush needs to counter criticism of his Iraq policy, many say. Whether the British will like their heritage being used as a re-election gimmick is doubtful. There will certainly be many thousands on the streets using the event to try to send a very different message across the Atlantic."

Mustapha Karkouti
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates, November 18

"When Mr Bush's state visit was decided two years ago, the two leaders were looking out on a rather different world. Mr Bush does not come to UK as a vindicated war leader, but as an incumbent whose re-election for a second term is increasingly in doubt. Will Mr Bush's state visit be damaging to Mr Blair? Not necessarily, as the damage has already been done since the PM decided to go almost alone with the president. Even if he considers an exit now, Mr Blair cannot break free of the ties that bind him with Mr Bush. Iraq's war and the afterburn made them more dependent on each other."

Jürgen Krönig
Die Zeit, Germany, November 18

"To be welcomed as a guest at the Queen's palace is a dream come true for many Americans. But their president must realise that the US television stations will not just beam publicity shots of the limousine journey and tea with Elizabeth II into American living rooms. They will also have to broadcast the faces of angry demonstrators and a hermetically sealed London and convey to the American people how unloved, even hated, their president is even in the country of their closest European ally. For most Britons, Mr Bush is just as laughable as he is dangerous, Mr Bush is just a foolish, uncultivated cowboy, who is linguistically clumsy, who displays an alarmingly limited intelligence, who is a religious fanatic with dubious oil interests and who shoots from the hip."

Philippe Gelie
Le Figaro, France, November 18

"The three-day trip should offer the opportunity for a triumphant tour to the victors of the war in Iraq. The US president is going to have to content himself with a few souvenir photos, arranged between some street demonstrations, which will prove difficult to ignore, and some political discussions, which will be less friendly than he would hope. The historic Anglo-American alliance does not seem very different from normal, but it has rarely provoked so much bitterness. Confident of the security bubble which will surround him, the president is treating his visit like a trip to a royal version of Disney World will have trouble leaving with a positive balance sheet."

More:http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/comment/0,12956,1088177,00.html