Bush's Middle East Trip

**CHUQ** · Agitator votes: 3

Our fearless leader has gone to the part of the world he adores. But did he really accomplish anything?

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Bush wraps up a weeklong tour of the Middle East today, leaving many Mideast political observers mystified as to the purpose of the visit and doubtful that the president made inroads on his twin campaigns for Arab-Israeli peace and isolation for Iran.

Bush is heading back to Washington mostly empty-handed, said several analysts and politicians throughout the region. Arab critics deemed Bush's peace efforts unrealistic, his anti-Iran tirades dangerous, his praise of authoritarian governments disappointing and his defense of civil liberties ironic.

LINK

**Tumbleweed** · Black Ops votes: 3

Quote:

his defense of civil liberties ironic

Yea, I find it ironic too. Laughing

Looks like another waste of jet fuel and taxpayers money.

**CHUQ** · Agitator votes: 3

Maybe, poor Bush just felt like getting away for awhile. Wait! He is seldom in Washington, so it cannot be work related stress.

**Tumbleweed** · Black Ops votes: 3

All I can see he accomplised was sucking up to SA with the arms deal, which was pretty much a done deal to start with.

**CHUQ** · Agitator votes: 3

You notice that the countries in the ME that he visited were major oil producers, with the exception of Israel. He went a begging for them to produce more with the idea that that will lower prices.

**CHUQ** · Agitator votes: 3

More question just what Bush accomplished in this trip.

"The problem for the president is that these are long-term issues which need more energetic and skillful management than the administration has shown so far," said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of an upcoming book on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Such difficult issues, he said, "aren't likely to produce quick gains."

Bush's trip was part goodwill tour, something seen as long overdue in the Arab world, and on that level it was partially successful. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Arab officials have protested visa restrictions, and business leaders have expressed concern over U.S. markets they perceived as less than open. Bush sought to assure them all that the USA is open for business, study and tourism.

LINK

**Tumbleweed** · Black Ops votes: 3

It was just a photo-op, which is about all his foreign policy amouts to.

**CHUQ** · Agitator votes: 3

I listen to a couple of his press conferences and to me he sound like he was begging for the ME to help him out of the country's economic woes.

**Tumbleweed** · Black Ops votes: 3

Bush was begging them to pump more oil. Laughing

If he want to make an impact he needs a good conservation program, something he has failed to do since being sworn in.

He might have dropped by India to tell them his nuclear deal is hitting choppy waters while he was on vacation.

**CHUQ** · Agitator votes: 3

That would be for another photo op.