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Bush in Europe to mend relations


Talon

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Bush in Europe to mend relations

US President George W Bush has arrived in Brussels at the start of his key visit aimed at repairing the strains in ties with Europe over the Iraq war.

"Now is the time for us to set aside that difference and to move forward," Mr Bush said before leaving the US.

He will be the first US leader to visit the EU institutions, and will also give a key speech on his vision of the future of transatlantic relations.

A huge security operation is being put in place for Mr Bush's five-day trip.

Some 2,500 Belgian police and 250 US secret agents are being deployed in Brussels.

Parts of the Belgian capital had been turned into a no-go zone before Mr Bush's plane landed in the city airport just after 2100 (2000 GMT).

The president was then whisked off to the heavily guarded residence of the US ambassador in Belgium in downtown Brussels, where he would spend three nights.

Thousands of protesters are expected to stage rallies during Mr Bush's first foreign tour since his second term in office began in January.

Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators rallied in central Brussels, carrying slogans "Bush is not welcome".

Bush's charm offensive

Mr Bush's tour will also take him to Germany - for talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - and Slovakia, where he is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US president is also due to have talks with his closest ally, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as one of the main critics of his Iraqi policy, French President Jacques Chirac.

Arms sales to China, Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the peace process in the Middle East and climate control will be among the other key issues during Mr Bush's tour.

Despite Mr Bush's charm offensive, there are too many issues dividing the US from much of Europe to enable peace to be declared on all fronts, the BBC News website's world affairs editor Paul Reynolds says.

Nevertheless, he adds, there will be efforts towards finding a way forward on some of these problems, though some of this is papering over the differences.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ope/4282051.stm

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Just so Mr Bush knows (cause he probably needs someone to point Europe out on a map to know where it is), Europe is the big Orange continent on this map;

user posted image

And to further helpMr. Bush, here's a detailed map of all its countries. I apologise if its lacks bright colours to catch your attention Mr. Bush, and I understand if you need to take a minute to get over the shock that Europe doesn't consist of 5 countries.

user posted image

Edited by Talon S.
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Bush to cajole wary Europeans

By Paul Reynolds

World Affairs correspondent, BBC News website

On his visit to Europe this week, US President George W Bush will seek to make friends, but will have trouble influencing people.

Despite his charm offensive, there are too many issues dividing the US from much of Europe to enable peace to be declared on all fronts.

Nevertheless, there will be efforts towards finding a way forward on some of these problems, though some of this is papering over the differences.

On Iraq, Mr Bush will seek, and probably get, assurances that the Europeans will do more to train Iraqi security forces who are to bear a major burden in fighting the insurgency.

On China, the European Union will seek to reassure Mr Bush that a general code of conduct on arms sales will restrict transfers, even if the specific embargo on China is lifted.

He might not be convinced.

On Iran, the US will give time for European negotiations about Iran's nuclear programme to conclude this year. But what happens if the talks fail?

On the Middle East, all can rally in support of peace talks and in support of a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon.

Mr Bush also wants the Lebanese group Hezbollah declared a terrorist organisation, but not all Europeans agree.

In other areas, climate control and the International Criminal Court, for example, the differences are stark and demonstrate the policy gap.

Power balance

There is always, of course, a list of transatlantic problems.

But such are the underlying differences these days, that some people think a process of realignment is beginning, in which Europe begins to emerge as an entity and potentially as a rival.

If that is the case, the future of transatlantic diplomacy will be less to seek harmony and more to accept competition.

Europeans would make a mistake if they underestimated Mr Bush's confidence.

He is in a much stronger position than a year ago.

He has been re-elected, voting has taken place in Iraq, there is movement on the Israeli-Palestinian front and he has armed himself with a world view.

He declares that he has, as he put it, "firmly planted the flag of liberty" in Iraq and hopes to do so elsewhere.

In comments on Thursday, he made it clear this would be a theme of the visit.

"Part of my reason I'm going to Europe is to share my sense of optimism and enthusiasm about what's taking place [in Iraq] and remind people that those values of human rights, human dignity, and freedom are the core of our very being as nations," he said.

Reconciliation

It is interesting to note how the elections have enabled Mr Bush, and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, to shift the perception of Iraq.

They now present the elections as their success - and the violence as primarily now an inter-Iraqi conflict.

For their part, many of the European leaders - though not all, for Mr Bush does have some admirers - will want to see evidence that he is willing to listen as well as talk.

Certainly, Mr Bush is covering all the bases. Not only is he going to Nato, but he is meeting all the European Union leaders at a special European Council as well.

This will be a first for a US president and it is a sign that former US presidential adviser Henry Kissinger's complaint about there being no one telephone number for Europe is no longer so valid.

It is recognition of European institutions, though it is also perhaps a way of hinting that it takes all of them to equal one of him.

Mr Bush is also having sessions with his three main opponents over the Iraq war.

There is a private dinner for the French President Jacques Chirac, a visit to Germany for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and a summit, albeit in Slovakia, for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Each meeting will present a problem.

Mr Chirac wants what the French call a "multi-polar" world, not one dominated by the United States.

There is however a common interest in Lebanon and in getting Syrian troops out.

Nato role

Mr Schroeder is showing further signs of dissent from Washington.

He has just floated a proposal to set up a high-level panel to review the future of Nato.

Nato, he complained, had ceased to be "the primary venue where transatlantic partners discuss and co-ordinate".

The speech was seen as a pointer towards a greater role for the EU.

When the idea came out at a conference in Germany, the US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld simply ignored it.

Yet the idea does reflect what sooner or later must be faced - how long will Nato survive and even how long will US troops be in Europe?

As for Mr Putin, he has his problems, but he has been a disappointment for the Americans.

Mr Bush is expected to raise the increasing evidence of Russian authoritarian tendencies. He said he would do so with such leaders in his inaugural speech in January.

The meeting is not expected to be particularly cosy, especially as Russia seems to believe Iran's assurances that it will not build a nuclear bomb.

Call for compromise

An indication as to how seriously divisions between the US and Europe must be taken has come in a document issued by a US think-tank in advance of the visit.

Signed by 50 foreign policy professionals from both sides, the Brookings Institute's document, called "A Compact between The United States and Europe", goes beyond the usual waffle in these kinds of papers.

It offers specific proposals for the various policy issues of the day and calls for compromise all round.

It declares: "American policies spark hostility among Europeans, or vice-versa. That hostility, in turn, convinces leaders on both sides that they have no choice but to go it alone. This vicious cycle benefits no one and must stop."

The "compact" adds: "In recent weeks, optimism has grown that the partnership can find new vitality. But renewal requires more than hope; it requires action".

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...cas/4281311.stm

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Here's a map more at Bush's level. It misses out all the country names he'd have to ask Cheny how to pronounce, but has lots of pretty colours for him to look at.

user posted image

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lol laugh.gif

Well acording to Charlotte church when she told him she was Welsh, he asked which state it was in. So it would seem he doesn't even rate it high enough to be a state, huh.gif probably got it written off as a little village in Alaska.

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To be fair, teh US is a big place, so there may be a town with her accent. And there may well be a town called Wales in the US. What gets me it that she said she was 'Welsh', not 'from Wales'. The fact she mentioned a nationality would indicate a nationality, or town of birth.

Plus, she's a famous singer, I would also think he'd surely have already picked up somewhere that she was a foreigner.

Oh well, he's useless at politics, asking him to be good a geography is a bit to much. grin2.gif

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If Bush can walk away with some thing after the meeting with Chirac he will have a good chance of the rest of Europe giveing him the time of day,

But if what i suspect that Chirac will be all smiles and as soon as bush visits the next country he will have the media gather and stab bush in the back

The only country that will open bush with open arms will and always has been is Britian

This i fear could be a wasted journey for Bush ,but i supose he has to look like he is mending bridges

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The only country that will open bush with open arms will and always has been is Britian"

You forgot Poland grin2.gif

495297[/snapback]

I forgot my wifes Valentines day card and her birthday one year ,so forgetting POLAND is not mutch for me these days thumbsup.gif

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Spot the differences

Yeah, overall looks like; EU leaders = competant; US Leaders = no idea what they're doing

The only country that will open bush with open arms will and always has been is Britian

Why should they?

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Bush seeks backing for 'new Iraq'

US President George W Bush is giving a speech urging European nations to give greater support to the Iraqi government - "the world's newest democracy".

Speaking in Brussels, Mr Bush will dismiss the transatlantic rift over the Iraq war as a "passing disagreement".

The speech to EU and Nato leaders comes at the start of the US president's five-day visit to Europe.

Divisions also remain over Iran's nuclear programme, EU plans to end the China arms embargo, and global warming.

In Brussels, Mr Bush will host a private dinner with French President Jacques Chirac, one of the most outspoken critics of the US-led Iraq war.

He will meet German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - another critic of the Iraq war - in the German city of Mainz on Wednesday.

'New era'

He will call for "a new era of transatlantic unity", adding: "No temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us."

On Iraq, he will say: "Now is the time for the established democracies to give tangible political, economic and security assistance to the world's newest democracy...

"All nations now have an interest in the success of a free and democratic Iraq, which will fight terror, be a beacon of freedom, and be a source of true stability in the region."

He will continue by describing peace in the Middle East as an "immediate goal".

"We seek peace between Israel and Palestine for its own sake. We also know that a free and peaceful Palestine can add to the momentum of reform throughout the broader Middle East."

Despite Mr Bush's charm offensive, there are too many issues dividing the US from much of Europe to enable peace to be declared on all fronts, the BBC News website's World Affairs Correspondent Paul Reynolds says.

Nevertheless, he adds, there will be efforts towards finding a way forward on some of these problems, though some of this is papering over the differences.

In a similar spirit of reconciliation, EU leaders have been advised to avoid contentious issues, such as the US refusal to sign the Kyoto treaty on global warming.

A briefing note from the Luxembourg presidency of the EU, quoted by Reuters news agency, tells the leaders that their public statements "must reflect the three major objectives of the Feb. 22 meeting: improving the transatlantic climate, presenting the EU as a strong player and a credible partner for the United States, moving forward the big issues of the day".

The US president will also hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Slovak capital Bratislava, where he is expected to express concerns about a series of moves seen in the West as setbacks for Russian democracy.

Demonstrations

A huge security operation has been put in place for Mr Bush's five-day trip.

Some 2,500 Belgian police and 250 US secret agents are being deployed in Brussels.

Parts of the Belgian capital had been turned into a no-go zone before Mr Bush's plane landed in the city airport on Sunday evening.

Thousands of protesters are expected to stage rallies during Mr Bush's first foreign tour since his second term in office began in January.

On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators rallied in central Brussels, carrying signs reading: "Bush is not welcome."

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ope/4282051.stm

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Here's a map more at Bush's level. It misses out all the country names he'd have to ask Cheny how to pronounce, but has lots of pretty colours for him to look at.

user posted image

494785[/snapback]

laugh.gifrofl.gifrofl.gifw00t.gif

Hahahaha so funny Talon haha

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Spot the differences

Yeah, overall looks like; EU leaders = competant; US Leaders = no idea what they're doing

The only country that will open bush with open arms will and always has been is Britian

Why should they?

495374[/snapback]

If i was tony blair i might tell you why ,your better of asking him ,saying that he would tell you any old sh-t like he tells us all tongue.gif

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Tony's spin-docters actually have told him to stay away from having his pictures taken with Bush. Apparently they've actually found a link between a drop in his popularity ratings and his appearances on tv alongside Bush.

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Bush seeks to mend fences with EU

US President George W Bush has spent the first day of his European visit making strenuous efforts to heal divisions over the US-led war in Iraq.

In Brussels, he called for "a new era of transatlantic unity" - then dined with French President Jacques Chirac, who led opposition to the war.

Mr Bush urged greater EU support for Iraq, "the world's newest democracy".

During their working dinner, Mr Bush and Mr Chirac issued a united call for Syrian troops to pull out of Lebanon.

In a statement issued as the dinner was held, the two leaders condemned the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, while stopping short of blaming Syria.

However, both men agreed that Damascus, which has 14,000 troops in Lebanon, should pull out of the country.

"We urge full and immediate implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1559 in all its aspects, " they said in a statement released by the White House.

This included, the statement emphasised, "its call for a sovereign, independent and democratic Lebanon as well as for the consolidation of security under the authority of a Lebanese government free from foreign domination,"

'New era'

In his speech earlier at Brussels' Concert Noble hall, Mr Bush urged European nations to give "tangible assistance" to Iraq.

"All nations now have an interest in the success of a free and democratic Iraq, which will fight terror, be a beacon of freedom and be a source of true stability in the region," he said.

He also placed much emphasis on the Middle East, saying both Europe and the US were determined to see two democratic states - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace.

"Our greatest opportunity, and our immediate goal, is peace in the Middle East," he said.

"We seek peace between Israel and Palestine for its own sake. We also know that a free and peaceful Palestine can add to the momentum of reform throughout the broader Middle East."

Mr Bush went beyond his usual formula of calling for calling for a contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank. "A state of scattered territories will not work," he declared.

The remark was a sign to Israel not to squeeze Palestinians into little parcels of land joined by narrow corridors, says the BBC's Paul Reynolds.

Mr Bush said that the friendship between the US and the continent was vital.

"No temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us," he said.

America supported European unity because it needed a strong partner in the hard work of advancing freedom and peace in the world, he added.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels gave a positive response to the US president's speech by approving a plan to train senior Iraqi police officers and judges in the EU and in countries near Iraq.

The EU also issued a communique backing US calls for "an international investigation without delay" into the killing of Hariri.

But it is widely agreed that divisions do remain. There are diverging opinions on Iran's nuclear programme, the EU plans to end the China arms embargo and the Kyoto treaty on global warming.

Security operation

A huge security operation has been put in place for Mr Bush's five-day trip, with some 2,500 Belgian police and 250 US secret agents deployed in Brussels.

Thousands of protesters are expected to stage rallies during Mr Bush's first foreign tour since his second term in office began in January.

Mr Bush will meet German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - another critic of the Iraq war - in the German city of Mainz on Wednesday.

The US president will also hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, where he is expected to express concerns about a series of moves seen in the West as setbacks for Russian democracy.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ope/4285651.stm

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Bush to urge unity at Nato summit

US President George W Bush is expected to call for greater co-operation between the US and Europe at a Nato summit now under way in Belgium.

Mr Bush plans to urge Nato to expand its role in Iraq, amid debate on the future of the military alliance.

He is also likely to discuss relations with Iran and an extension of Nato's mission in Afghanistan.

Opening the meeting, French President Jacques Chirac called for more dialogue between Europe and the US.

"Europe and the United States are true partners," he told the other 25 Nato members. "So we need to talk and listen to each other more."

Bush-Blair talks

Mr Bush began the day with a breakfast meeting with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who stressed the transatlantic alliance's "fundamental importance."

"It's absolutely the right thing for us to have at the centre of our relations and we will do everything we can to make sure that relationship is strong," Mr Blair said.

He also said there was a "renewed sense of optimism and vigour" in the Middle East peace process which meant there was "every possibility" of reaching a deal.

And Mr Blair spoke of progress in Afghanistan and Iraq where, he said, Europe and the US had moved on from past disagreements.

"Whatever the differences in the international community there have been in past couple of years, I think we have a really solid basis now for going forward in a unified way," Mr Blair said.

EU meeting

Later in the day - the second of his European tour - the president is scheduled to meet EU heads in Brussels.

He is also expected to hold talks with Mr Blair and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - both loyal allies who contributed troops to the US-led forces in Iraq.

Officials say Nato leaders are expected to agree to play a bigger role in training Iraqi security forces - though French and German reservations mean this commitment may not go as far as the US would like.

The alliance currently operates a training academy in Baghdad staffed by about 100 personnel.

The president is expected to build on the themes of transatlantic unity which he voiced in the Belgian capital on Monday.

The alliance between Europe and North America "has the ability and the duty to tip the balance of history in favour of freedom," he said, describing it as the "main pillar of our security in a new century".

Discussions are likely to be held on extending Nato's mission in Afghanistan, currently limited to the capital, Kabul, and some northern areas, to other parts of the country.

The president has refused to rule out military force against Iran, locked in a stalemate with negotiators who want it to renounce its nuclear ambitions, but he said EU-led diplomacy with the country was in its early stages.

Pressure for overhaul

Mr Bush's Nato partners will be eager to hear his views on how Nato can move forward, BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.

The real issue, he says, is whether Nato ought to be revamped or be simply allowed to decline in prominence, having outlived its Cold War purpose.

The Germans and the French have argued for a radical overhaul of Nato diplomacy, with greater emphasis being shifted to direct talks between the US and the EU.

Troops visit

In the evening, Mr Bush is expected to meet the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, as well the leader of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.

European diplomats say the mood between the two sides has never been better - and according to BBC Europe correspondent Tim Franks, that indicates just how bad relations have been recently.

President Bush is expected to travel to Germany on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ope/4286133.stm

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Tony's spin-docters actually have told him to stay away from having his pictures taken with Bush. Apparently they've actually found a link between a drop in his popularity ratings and his appearances on tv alongside Bush.

496210[/snapback]

Talon S i seen Tony Blair today on the news and he did seem very uneasy standing next to Bush

Blairs facial expressions told you more than the interview

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If i was tony blair i might tell you why ,your better of asking him ,saying that he would tell you any old sh-t like he tells us all 

That comment surprises me warden, I was under the distinct impression you were a Tory, sorry Tony supporter. wink2.gif

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Chirac defies Bush on China arms

US President George W Bush has voiced "deep concern" about European plans to lift an arms embargo on China - putting him at odds with the French president.

Jacques Chirac said it was "no longer justified" but Europe and the US should agree on conditions for lifting it.

Earlier, Mr Bush warned that arms transfers to Beijing would "change the balance" of China-Taiwan relations.

He was speaking after a Nato summit in Brussels that stressed alliance unity.

'Deep concern'

"There is deep concern in our country that a transfer of weapons would be a transfer of technology to China," Mr Bush said.

He voiced a willingness to consider safeguard clauses, but he hinted that the US Congress could still take action against any move by the Europeans.

The EU imposed a ban on exports of military equipment to China in 1989, following the crackdown on democracy activists in Tiananmen Square.

The BBC's business reporter Mark Gregory says the Pentagon is worried that at some point it might be called upon to defend Taiwan from Chinese attack.

Agreement on Iraq

In a positive signal for the White House, Mr Chirac - a staunch opponent of the US-led invasion of Iraq - said France would join the Nato mission to train Iraqi forces.

"Europe and the United States are true partners," he told the Nato summit, urging more dialogue.

Mr Bush said Nato was the "cornerstone" of the transatlantic relationship.

All 26 Nato member countries are now helping the Iraqi government, Nato officials announced.

Mr Bush also held talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, whose nation holds the rotating EU presidency.

At a joint news conference, Mr Juncker announced plans for the EU and US to co-host an international conference on Iraq - "should the Iraqi government invite us".

The intention, he said, was to encourage and co-ordinate international support for Iraq.

'Russian realities'

Mr Bush is due in the German city of Mainz on Wednesday to meet Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, before travelling to the Slovak capital Bratislava for a one-day summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian media have questioned remarks made by Mr Bush in Brussels, where he said that if Russia was to make progress as a European nation, it must renew its commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

Mr Putin himself told Slovak media that democracy had to be "adapted to the realities of Russian life today, to our traditions and our history".

"And we will do this ourselves," he said in the interview reported on Tuesday.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ope/4288067.stm

'defies'...? Excuse me, 'defies' would be if a subordinate does something Bush told them not to do, lat time I checked Bush WAS NOT president of Europe. Go Home Bush!

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I would like to see Bush succeed in improving relations with Europe. All I see on this thread are childish remarks aimed at Bush, and although I agree they are funny, they are continuous and pointless.

The invasion of Iraq is over, and Europe doesn't want the U.S. to pull out now, so I don't even see that as an issue anymore. Bush has absolutely no control over the U.S. stance on the Kyoto Treaty either, so although I can see Europe bashing the U.S. over that, I can't see bashing Bush personally over that. Bush, like Clinton before him, rejected the treaty because our congress won't allow it.

Personally, I hope relations improve by finding common ground.

...and if Europe doesn't concede to American supremacy...nuke 'em laugh.gif

Just kidding...trying to input my own humor grin2.gif

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