Politics

G-8 Summit Watch: President Bush Blocks World Trade Organization Membership for Russia

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U.S. President George W. Bush, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a joint news conference at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, July 15, 2006.

AP: Bush blocks WTO entry for Russia

In a chilly summit prelude, President Bush blocked Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization on Saturday and President Vladimir Putin mockingly said Moscow doesn’t want the kind of violence-plagued democracy the United States has fostered in Iraq.

Alternately joking and poking at each other, the two also showed differences at a news conference on the explosion of violence in the Mideast.

Bush held Israel blameless for its punishing attacks in Lebanon and said it was up to the militant group Hezbollah to lay down its arms. Putin was critical of Israel’s use of force and said the violence “should stop as soon as possible.”

And why should Russia be admitted to the World Trade Organization? These Reds have been complicit in putting a finger in America’s eye since Putin began his reign of anti-democracy. And why should Russia be a member of the G-8? Russia should be suspended from G8 participation until it begins democratic reforms.

The two leaders met for two hours before the opening of the annual summit of eight major world powers, which was expected to focus on nuclear problems with Iran and North Korea and the escalating fighting between Israel and the Islamic guerrilla group Hezbollah.

There was a quick handshake but little warmth between Bush and Putin during a photo opportunity opening their talks. For the second day, Bush spent part of it mountain biking.

Despite the sparring, there was none of the tension and anger that crackled in Bratislava, Slovakia, 17 months ago when Bush challenged Putin over Russia’s crackdown on dissent and retreat from democracy and the Russian president slapped back. After that jarring meeting, Bush concluded that lecturing Putin in public was unproductive. Still, Bush said he offered Putin some suggestions.

“I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there’s a free press and free religion,” Bush said at the news conference, “and I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia would do the same thing.”

Putin, in a barbed reply, said: “We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, I will tell you quite honestly.” Bush’s face reddened as he tried to laugh off the remark. “Just wait,” Bush replied about Iraq.

Remember Russia is NOT America’s friend or ally. Cold War history is hard to forget.

Putin also said Russia would not take part “in any crusades, in any holy alliances” — a remark seemingly intended to win points with Arab allies. Bush’s national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said he was perplexed by the comment.

If they want to insult the President, America and oppose our foreign policy initiatives/interests at every turn, then to hell with them.

Let them trade with the Mullahs……

Trust But Verify…….

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Stay tuned…..


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5 Comments

  • Tyler

    Hi Flap –

    President Bush is delusional if he thinks he can hold up Iraq as a paragon of democracy. I’m not defending Putin, as he has certainly moved Russia away from democracy, but let’s face it, Iraq is an unmitigated disaster with only the vaguest whiffs of democracy trending towards chaos and civil war. Would YOU want to live in a democracy like the one described below?

    From the AP today:
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/15/ap/world/mainD8ISF9T80.shtml

    Gunmen kidnapped the head of Iraq’s Olympic committee and more than a dozen employees Saturday after storming a sports conference in Baghdad, police said…. Ahmed al-Hijiya, president of the committee, was taken in the assault, which came a day after the coach of Iraq’s national wrestling team was killed by kidnappers, said police Lt. Thaer Mahmoud.

    … In other violence, Iraqi soldiers and gunmen clashed in Baghdad, leaving at least three people dead and 11 wounded, police said. Seven people were injured in a mortar attack near Haifa Street in downtown Baghdad, blocks from the Green Zone, which houses U.S. and British embassies and the Iraqi government. Similar clashes broke out blocks away, injuring four and killing two civilians. U.S. troops sealed off the area after the attacks, said Iraqi Army Maj. Salman Abdul-Wahid.

    … Iraq’s parliament voted Saturday to extend a nearly two-year state of emergency in Baghdad for another 30 days.

  • Flap

    Hi Tyler,

    I think Russia’s society is as bad or worse than the example you cited. Both countries have along way to go.

    While I have you here – what do you have to say about Valerie Plame, Robert Novak and Karl Rove?

    Flap

  • Tyler

    Hi Flap –

    regarding Plame-Novak-Rove: I think there was a concerted effort to out an undercover CIA agent, from Bush and Cheney on down, as political retribution for Wilson not towing the party line as the drumbeats of war increased in intensity back in 2003. Plame at the time was working on Iran’s nuclear program and was subsequently taken off, which clearly had the potential to harm national security, and many people said it did.

    I think, therefore, that it is hypocritical (not necessarily wrong, per se, but definitely hypocritical) for the administration to attack leakers/whistleblowers who have revealed programs that may or may not be compromising Americans’ civil liberties, and it seems that the ONLY criteria for condemning or supporting leaking of national security-level information is: does this help or hurt the administration politically? I really do not think Americans’ best interests are being taken into consideration.

    Regarding Novak, I think he is obfuscating – Plame was in Who’s Who, yes. But that wasn’t the issue – the issue was that she was undercover at the time – it was her status, not her name. Novak is a go-to guy for Rove – in fact, Rove leaked to Novak in 1992 during Bush’s gubernatorial campaign.

    Regarding the civil suit, I think we will see if it has merit or not. It’s a bit of a circus, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have validity in a court of law.

    Cheers,
    Tyler

  • Flap

    Tyler,

    You have been reading Kos and HuffPost again. Seriously, you are assuming alot of facts. Read my latest post about Plame and Wilson jumping the shark. This seems more the case than a Rove-Cheney conspiracy.

    Flap