Al Gore Withdraws From Environmental Conference Over Colombian President Invite

[NYCGirl]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070420/la-gen-colombia-al-gore


Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore withdrew from an environmental conference in Miami in order to avoid appearing with President Alvaro Uribe, who faces new accusations he and his family promoted far-right death squads, Uribe said late Thursday.

In the same news conference, Uribe disclosed that a prosecutor once questioned him about killings at a farm his family owned, but said the property had been abandoned because of lawlessness in the region.

Gore's office informed conference organizers that he "would not attend the event because he could not share the stage with the president of Colombia after the political debates in Colombia against the Uribe Velez family and against the president," Uribe said in a hastily called news conference at the presidential palace.

-snipped-

Uribe, the closest South American ally of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration, once again denied any involvement with the illegal right-wing militias, which were created by landowners, drug-traffickers and parts of the military in the early 1980s to wrest control of the countryside from marauding leftist rebels.

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Gore is right on. He's running I think. Run Al run!

[gatorboy]

4. Yeah, I had my doubts until I read this. Al just might be making a comeback.

[Mabus]

9. Hey Gatorboy!

We had an exchange the other day about Laurie David. :hi: I just saw commercials the other day and CYE will be back on HBO this summer.

:woohoo:

[gatorboy]

17. Cool beans!

Thanks for the update! I was considering dropping HBO but I guess I'll give it a few more months so I can see Larry's neurosis crack for another season.. :)

[blm]

12. I hope so - he's been revisiting the 80s and 90s with his out of DC eyes.

I heard it in his 2004 speech to the Dem convention when he talked about how Kerry was the one leading against the terrorists and their funding, and often as a lone voice.

I think if Gore had to do it all over again he would have worked closely with Kerry in the senate to expose the terror networks and their global financial networks. (IranContra - BCCI - CIA drugrunning)

Please run, Al. There are books to be opened.

[jean]

2. very glad to see Gore can do the quick step!

[aljones]

3. Good for him....

[Benhurst]

5. Recommended #3 Go, Al!

[malaise]

6. Get ye to the greatest page

Run Al Run!

[ThomWV]

7. Its called "Ethics". Sadly missing since 2000

[NYCGirl]

8. Yes, isn't it wonderful? NT

[Mabus]

10. Way to go Al.

:patriot:

[Robbien]

11. About time.

What does that say about us that Uribe is our closest friend in SA.

[NYCGirl]

13. Nothing that we don't already know about the Bush Administration.

And that's sad.

[RestoreGore]

14. Read This This Morning. This is how you live your conscience instead of bowing to political pressure

Which he would have to do if he were a "candidate" in this toxic system. And since this crisis is not a political issue and this conference was made into one unlike others that were not, he did the right thing by staying out of the political fray.

[NYCGirl]

15. Al Gore has shared the stage with politicians recently in many countries;

he just made the right choice in avoiding one connected with right-wing death squads.

[RestoreGore]

16. No need to tell me something I already know

Please note the bolded words in my first response.