President Bush Receives Cool Reception in South Africa (WP)

[UpInArms]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32833-2003Jul9.html

PRETORIA, South Africa, July 9 -- President Bush received a cool reception today in the capital of Africa's largest economic power, as opinion leaders across the continent complained about his policies on Iraq, AIDS and the International Criminal Court.

Bush has come with many goodies for this long struggling region: the promise of billions of new dollars for development, disease fighting and counter-terrorism efforts, and the prestige conferred by his making only the third sub-Saharan Africa tour by a U.S. president. But Africans have responded with anti-Bush demonstrations, diplomatic snubs and critical media coverage.

Here in South Africa, the country's revered former president Nelson Mandela, who sharply criticized Bush on Iraq and once said he "cannot think properly," arranged to be out of the country for the three nights Bush is here.

...more...

[LisaM]

1. When Cheney was a Senator, he voted to keep Mandela in jail

on the grounds that he was a terrorist and that the ANC was a terrorist organization. Small wonder that Mandela doesn't want to have anything to do with * and his cabal.

I am curious to know why the media is so silent on this fact. They all mention that Mandela and Bush won't meet, but no one brings up Cheney (well, actually, I'm not curious in that I know there is a complicity of silence, but you would think SOMEONE would bring it up.)

[Dudley_DUright]

2. Don't give Cheney more credit than he is due

He was never a senator from Wyoming, only their one and only congressman. Otherwise you are exactly correct.

[Terran]

4. I keep hearing this,

that Cheney "voted" to keep Mandela in jail. How did the US Congress have any say over whether Mandela was kept imprisoned? Can someone enlighten me? Was it just a resolution? Did he fail to vote for the resolution?

[JohnKleeb]

11. he voted against freeing simple as that dirk

[Aidoneus]

3. notice the headline differences

South African paper:--'Texas is missing an idiot'
Washington Post's spin:--"President Bush Receives Cool Reception in South Africa"

[Rose Siding]

5. Some still have pictures of Clinton in their homes.

I remember my grandmother kept Kennedy's picture up for decades.

What a blemish this unelected pres is on our country. Three years ago many of our flaws were minimized by a bit of hope; some convincingly genuine compassion. Now, slathered with pancake and bathed in soft light no one is fooled.

They cut down their trees for him? Some guest.

[ClintonTyree]

6. Do you mean...............

that the people of Africa aren't elated about the chance to have the Bush cartel invade their country and steal what few natural resources they have? The nerve of these people! Dumbya throws a few coins in their fountain, and takes their oil from underneath their land, sounds like a sweet deal to me!

[revcarol]

7. Think Nixon and his South American tour...

the people of the world know who their enemies are.

[0007]

8. Why would the media try to create tension for junior?

-Bush said the reporters were trying to "create tensions which don't exist."

Just like the WMD don't exist

[Rose Siding]

9. They must not have had flag pins on their lapels.

Or no lapels?

[mjb4]

10. they'lll kill him later

Here in South Africa, the country's revered former president Nelson Mandela, who sharply criticized Bush on Iraq and once said he "cannot think properly," arranged to be out of the country for the three nights Bush is here.