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Bush curses Hezbollah during G8 luncheon
Puck78
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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - It wasn't meant to be overheard. Private luncheon conversations among world leaders, picked up by a microphone, provided a rare window into both banter and substance — including President Bush cursing Hezbollah's attacks against Israel.
Bush expressed his frustration with the United Nations and his disgust with the militant Islamic group and its backers in Syria as he talked to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the closing lunch at the Group of Eight summit.
"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over," Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll.
He told Blair he felt like telling U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the gathered leaders, to get on the phone with Syrian President Bashar Assad to "make something happen." He suggested Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might visit the region soon.
The unscripted comments came during a photo opportunity at the lunch. The leaders clearly did not realize that a live microphone was picking up their discussion.
Bush also spoke to other leaders, and his unscripted comments ranged from the serious topic of escalating violence in the Mideast to light banter about his preference for Diet Coke and a gift he received from another leader.
Blair, whose remarks were not as clearly heard, appeared to be pressing Bush about the importance of getting international peacekeepers into the region.
As he chats with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bush expresses amazement that it will take Putin and an unidentified leader just as long to fly home to Moscow as it will take him to fly back to Washington. Putin's reply could not be heard.
"You eight hours? Me too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country. Takes him eight hours to fly home. Not Coke, diet Coke. ... Russia's big and so is China. Yo Blair, what're you doing? Are you leaving," Bush said.
Bush thanked Blair for a gift of a sweater and joked that he knew Blair had picked it out personally. "Absolutely," Blair responded, with a laugh.
Bush, a stickler for keeping to his schedule, could also be heard telling Putin, "We've got to keep this thing moving. I have to leave at 2:15. They want me out of town so to free up your security forces."
Bush also remarked that some of the speakers at the meeting had the tendency to talk too long.
AP
Bush expressed his frustration with the United Nations and his disgust with the militant Islamic group and its backers in Syria as he talked to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the closing lunch at the Group of Eight summit.
"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over," Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll.
He told Blair he felt like telling U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the gathered leaders, to get on the phone with Syrian President Bashar Assad to "make something happen." He suggested Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might visit the region soon.
The unscripted comments came during a photo opportunity at the lunch. The leaders clearly did not realize that a live microphone was picking up their discussion.
Bush also spoke to other leaders, and his unscripted comments ranged from the serious topic of escalating violence in the Mideast to light banter about his preference for Diet Coke and a gift he received from another leader.
Blair, whose remarks were not as clearly heard, appeared to be pressing Bush about the importance of getting international peacekeepers into the region.
As he chats with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bush expresses amazement that it will take Putin and an unidentified leader just as long to fly home to Moscow as it will take him to fly back to Washington. Putin's reply could not be heard.
"You eight hours? Me too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country. Takes him eight hours to fly home. Not Coke, diet Coke. ... Russia's big and so is China. Yo Blair, what're you doing? Are you leaving," Bush said.
Bush thanked Blair for a gift of a sweater and joked that he knew Blair had picked it out personally. "Absolutely," Blair responded, with a laugh.
Bush, a stickler for keeping to his schedule, could also be heard telling Putin, "We've got to keep this thing moving. I have to leave at 2:15. They want me out of town so to free up your security forces."
Bush also remarked that some of the speakers at the meeting had the tendency to talk too long.
AP
www.amnesty.org
www.amnesty.org.uk
www.amnesty.org.uk
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big difference there.
www.amnesty.org.uk
A. The thread title is "bush curses Hezbollah... so its misleading.
B. It was a private conversation between 2 guys- regardless of their positions- that seem to be fairly friendly with each other. If it was a speech or an official conversation, you'd be right. Its 2 people sitting at a lunch talking among themselves. Saying the word "shit" is hardly newsworthy.
I actually got a kick out of this article. "Yo Blair, what're you doing?"
but the illusion of knowledge.
~Daniel Boorstin
Only a life lived for others is worth living.
~Albert Einstein
I can see the side that he needs to be more proffesional in his speechs and radio address's etc, but i have no problem with the fact that he is a "normal guy" when talking to his friends and such.
Interesting.
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B. aren't we getting used to bush mistakes of using wrong terms? how can we hope for diplomacy between syria and usa (condolleezza will visit syria soon) if bush is caught in saying those things?
C. a bit of sense of humor, please... that's what this topic was about...
www.amnesty.org.uk
Not that Bush succeeds at that 'professional' thing in his public speaking, but i agree, it's ok for him to be a 'normal' guy in private. I'm sure he's the life of the party.
but the illusion of knowledge.
~Daniel Boorstin
Only a life lived for others is worth living.
~Albert Einstein
You may have intended it as humor... but the AP didnt. The fact this was reported, especially with the misleading headline, indicates they felt this had some sort of relevance as news... which it obviously does not.
and yes bush is not a good speaker and butchers the language, but saying "shit" to a friend of his is hardly an indication either way of his leadership abilities- regardless of how good or bad someone thinks they are.
Also: yes, the article was clearly reported by AP with humor, else they wouldn't have reported all the other strange things that he said...
Just for you to know: i've seen that the article is quoted in the italian online newspapers (i read them, being italian) with humor
www.amnesty.org.uk
Right, so 137 Lebanese - mostly civilians - have been killed in the Israeli bombardment, compared with 12 Israeli's, and you say that "..Syria DOES need to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit." Interesting.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
True. Or send in peacekeepers. Although the U.N has been requesting this for years and the U.S blocks it every time.
Exactly... I'm not a fan of the president, but who cares?
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
In a conflict that Hezbollah started. who said the death tolls are supposed to be equal in such a conflict. Israel laid out clearly what had to be done to ignore this, and Hezbollah did not comply. what's so 'interesting' about my comments there?
Exactly ... For once, Bush has hit the nail on the head. Broken clocks are right twice a day, and all that.
If Hezbollah hadn't captured those soldiers Israel wouldn't be forced to attack them, and 137 innocent people wouldn't be dead. What's really interesting is the lack of blame placed on Hezbollah for starting this conflict, and the unwarranted blame on Israel for defending itself.
I blame Hezbollah for kidnapping the two soldiers and now for launching rockets in Israel. Now i'm waiting for a justification of Israel civillians killing, you're not destroying terrorist org. by giving them more potential recruit... bah we've discuss this already, but that thing about "you condemn Israel but not Hezbollah" won't get you anywhere, specially if you keep saying that everything Israel did in these events were justified and measured, you're just doing exactly what you don't want others to do, but on the opposite side...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Untill their will grows tired
Right. And "Under the pretext of forcing the release of a single soldier "kidnapped by terrorists" (or, if you prefer, "captured by the resistance"), Israel has done the following: seized members of a democratically elected government; bombed its interior ministry, the prime minister's offices, and a school; threatened another sovereign state (Syria) with a menacing overflight; dropped leaflets from the air, warning of harm to the civilian population if it does not "follow all orders of the IDF" (Israel Defense Forces); loosed nocturnal "sound bombs" under orders from the Israeli prime minister to "make sure no one sleeps at night in Gaza"; fired missiles into residential areas, killing children; and demolished a power station that was the sole generator of electricity and running water for hundreds of thousands of Gazans."
Do you honestly think that there was no pretext on the part of Israel before the kidnapping of their soldiers by Hizbollah? The Hixbollah guerillas were reacting to the above in a show of solidarity. This recent conflict did not occur out of a vacuum. There was a pretext.
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=10555
Ronaldus Magnus
I'd love to tar and feather you, although I suspect you already resemble a chicken.
Do I wish my president would learn to chew with his mouth closed, and be aware that the G8 summit is not a frat party? Yes, but there are other more pressing concerns I have about the guy.
Thank you for that lovely article. With a little time, which I don't have while at work, I could find a nice long list of violent and horrible acts against Israelis by Hamas and Hezbollah. This, (this being the key word) conflict was started by Hezbollah when they took those soldiers, you can and I'm sure will continue to insist that it started with all the things that Israel has done in the past and continue to ignore what really started this current fighting.
I think the pretext for the current Lebanon Israeli fighting is Hezbollah, being the rats that they are, saw an opening while Israel was preoccupied with their missing soldier and decide to take a shot, that has cost 137 innocent civilians their lives. Congratulations Hezbollah your "act of solidarity" has cost 137 deaths, praise be to Allah.
It's also interesting to hear how they try to address very serious international matters in a relaxed way.
I don't agree with people who say this is just friends chatting. In my opinion even lunches, breaks and other pleasant off-the-record-situations are very much about politics. You can't have the president of the US talking to the PM of the UK without things to be read between the lines or even power struggles to be fought (apparently slapping someone's back is saying "I'm superior to you!").
I can't say I'm very impressed by the diplomacy in the clip we've seen (or read the transcript), but hey, that just me being disillusioned. Blair sounds very nervous trying to get his point across (Peace keepers! Now!). Bush doesn't seem to be quite as bothered. No rights and wrongs there, it's just not what I'd always imagined. But what is?
I'm discarding all thought
I'll dry up, leaving puddles on the ground
I'm like an opening band for the sun