Sunday, January 13, 2008

Bush's "Abu Dhabi" speech draws cool response

"...But Bush appears unlikely, based on the regional reaction to his address, to find many Arabs to heed his alarms against Iran, a powerful neighbor and trading partner. Nor did many endorse his speech's other theme — a vision of "free and just society" featuring broad political participation and a voice for moderate Muslims in a region where money and family are common keys to leadership. ...Even political analysts here who share Bush's democratic vision said that his speech painted over the daily reality for most inhabitants of the Middle East, an oil-rich region where power is largely inherited and human rights violations abound.....Whether chastising Iran or praising Palestinian elections, analysts said, Bush left out key facts that would have offered a messier — and more true-to-life — portrait of the modern Middle East..." Read more From McClatchy's, here

With umbrella in hand, President George W. Bush waves from aboard Air Force One as he prepares to deplane after arriving Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, at Abu Dhabi International Airport. White House photo by Eric Draper

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