January 14, 2008
Mideast Roundup: Bush's Diplomatic & Cultural Journey
President Bush arrived in Saudi Arabia today as he began to wrap up his first tour of the Middle East as commander in chief. Here's a roundup of the president's recent stops and statements in the region (in reverse chronological order):
Saudi Arabia. Although the Bush family is reportedly very friendly with the Saudi royal family, today marks President Bush's first visit to the desert kingdom, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. King Abdullah greeted the president upon his arrival in Riyadh, and the two began talks over dinner. They were expected to focus on the main themes of Bush's trip: the threat posed by Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort and the spread of democracy in the region.
Bush also came bearing gifts: the opportunity to purchase $123 million worth of "smart bomb" technology and related equipment, AP reports. The White House notified Congress of the arms sale, part of an overall $20 billion package for Persian Gulf states, this morning. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Under U.S. provisions governing such arms sales, Congress has 30 days in which it may disapprove the sale once lawmakers receive the formal notification of the administration's plans."
United Arab Emirates. In a major speech delivered in Abu Dhabi yesterday, Bush issued a warning to U.S. allies in the region who have been hesitant to engage Tehran: "Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror.... So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf -- and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late."
While slamming Iran, Bush praised the United Arab Emirates for "building a prosperous society out of the desert," involving women in the higher echelons of government and showing "the world a model of a Muslim state that is tolerant toward people of other faiths." And in an appeal to moderates, Bush took the opportunity to stress the need for justice and equality in the Muslim world, saying, "The best way to defeat the extremists in your midst is by opening your societies, and trusting in your people, and giving them a voice in their nation." The rhetorical shift from "democracy" to "justice," the Wall Street Journal notes (subscription), "helps align the White House's agenda more closely with the changes that are under way in the oil-rich Gulf states."
Kuwait. At Camp Arifjan in the Kuwaiti desert, Bush was briefed by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker -- the top U.S. military and diplomatic leaders in Iraq -- on the progress being made there. In a speech delivered after their meeting Saturday, Bush praised the gains made by the surge -- "Iraq is now a different place from one year ago" -- but acknowledged that "much hard work remains." He called upon the international community as well as the United States to remain engaged in the struggle against extremists there, and he suggested that current and planned drawdowns of U.S. troops might be slowed if conditions on the ground demanded it.
A cultural experience. In addition to being a major diplomatic effort, Bush's Mideast tour has also been a cultural experience for the president, who is visiting most of the countries on his agenda for the first time. AP reports on Bush's tour through the United Arab Emirates' "cosmopolitan banking and business hub" -- Dubai. On Saturday, the president met with female activists in Kuwait, whom he praised for their "spirit and desire... to be full members of Kuwaiti society." And in the Holy Land last week, Bush visited Christian holy sites in Galilee and commemorated the victims of the Holocaust at Israel's Yad Vashem museum.
How's it playing? The San Francisco Chronicle's World Views blog sums up the region's reaction to "Bush's Middle East junket." Perhaps not surprisingly, it isn't very flattering. Bush's last stop will be Egypt; Reuters notes that the "brevity" of his planned visit, "at the tail end of his Middle East tour, reflects the diminishing importance of the relationship to both Cairo and Washington."
See The Gate's previous coverage of Bush's Mideast tour here and here.
White House photos by Eric Draper.
Posted at 3:52 PM
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Bush Administration, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, President Bush, Saudi Arabia
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