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Former President Bush Defends Son to Arab Critics in Abu Dhabi
Fox news ^ | 21 NOV 2006 | Fox News

Posted on 11/21/2006 12:33:41 PM PST by radar101

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Former President George H.W. Bush took on Arab critics of his son Tuesday during a testy exchange at a leadership conference in the capital of this U.S. ally.

"My son is an honest man," Bush told members of the audience harshly criticized the current U.S. leader's foreign policy.

The oil-rich Persian Gulf used to be safe territory for former President Bush, who brought Arab leaders together in a coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's troops from Kuwait in 1991. But gratitude for the elder Bush, who served as president from 1989-93, was overshadowed at the conference by hostility toward his son, whose invasion of Iraq and support for Israel are deeply unpopular in the region.

"We do not respect your son. We do not respect what he's doing all over the world," a woman in the audience bluntly told Bush after his speech.

Bush, 82, appeared stunned as others in the audience whooped and whistled in approval.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
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To: Just A Nobody

Only Republicans can be insensitive or mean-spirited, apparently by definition. I've never seen that dictionary but it gets used by the left quite a bit.


21 posted on 11/21/2006 1:02:40 PM PST by james500
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To: Dead Dog
“If you are just, do not fear the warrior when he walks among you. If you are not righteous, or inflict pain and suffering and exploit the weak, then fear the law…and the warrior that brings it.”
22 posted on 11/21/2006 1:02:43 PM PST by radar101 (LIBERALS = Hypocrisy and Fantasy)
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To: radar101
"To suggest that everything we do is because we're hungry for money, I think that's crazy.

There is a lot of "projecting" going on out there. We are a relatively wealthy country precisely because we value some things above money. We aren't motivated only by money, in part because we have it, and we have it in part because we are not motivated by money alone.

This lady's comment does show a lot of what we are up against. We are taking the fight to Al Qaeda, but the fact is that many people are sympathetic to Al Qaeda, a good part of the Western press is sympathetic to them, and probably most of the arab press is sympathetic to arab radicalism.

Thats not our fault, its the reality we face. It is our fault if, knowing that, we don't take steps to deal with it. One way to deal with it is obviously to hang tough, which Bush is good at and so are we. But it isn't enough, we have get control of the culture war, the information war, or we will lose the military and political war.

23 posted on 11/21/2006 1:04:28 PM PST by marron
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To: Dark Skies
I am shocked that he was shocked. I think Bush senior is naive about the Arab world.

I was surprised, too. I think he is used to the attitudes of his Saudi friends. And he is generally a nice man so he expects others to be nice, too.
24 posted on 11/21/2006 1:06:26 PM PST by HaveHadEnough
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To: Dark Skies

I suppose when dealing with an Arabic culture, fear is respect.


25 posted on 11/21/2006 1:07:21 PM PST by Dead Dog
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To: Dark Skies

I suppose when dealing with an Arabic culture, fear is respect.


26 posted on 11/21/2006 1:07:25 PM PST by Dead Dog
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To: All
This is analogous to Czech students in 1937 criticizing Winston Churchill as being to belligerent with Hitler.

If the US pulled out of this region, Abu Dhabi would be run by the Iranian mullahs and this smart mouthed student would be wearing a Burkea.
27 posted on 11/21/2006 1:22:56 PM PST by Jonah Johansen ("Coming soon to a neighborhood near you")
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To: All
This is analogous to Czech students in 1937 criticizing Winston Churchill as being to belligerent with Hitler.

If the US pulled out of this region, Abu Dhabi would be run by the Iranian mullahs and this smart mouthed student would be wearing a Burkea.
28 posted on 11/21/2006 1:23:02 PM PST by Jonah Johansen ("Coming soon to a neighborhood near you")
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To: Chi-townChief

Yeah! And take a bath while yer at it! Bawhahahaha!!!


29 posted on 11/21/2006 4:08:47 PM PST by GW and Twins Pawpaw (Sheepdog for Five [My grandkids are way more important than any lefty's feelings!])
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