Bush’s magical oriental adventure.

One night in Bangkok…

Getting news straight from the horses mouth, regarding George’s adventures in Thailand, is proving hard. My thai is worse than my swedish. And my swedish is practically non-existant. Luckily, there are a couple of papers in english over there.

There was a somewhat interesting interview with The Nation. No relation of the US newspaper of the same name, I don’t think. Mostly, it gave Bush an opportunity to spout the same old lies and fuzzy logic. Connections are drawn between Iraq and terrorism, and apparently the UN thought it was a great idea all along. Oh, and people wanting to arrest you for war crimes is funny.:

Thepchai: Mr President, I understand that during your visit to Bangkok you’ll be announcing that your administration will designate Thailand as a major non-Nato ally. What does it mean to Thailand and to Thai-American relations?

Bush: First of all, you’re a pretty darn good reporter. Secondly, it’s probably best that I not reveal what the prime minister and I are going to talk about until after we talk about it.

However, having said that, Thailand and the United States are very close friends. The level of cooperation has been really strong, particularly in matters of common interest. We have a common interest to make sure our countries are secure from terrorism. As you know the Thai government very capably – I emphasise “capably” – brought to justice Mr Hambali, the planner of the Bali bombings in Indonesia, the killer of hundreds of innocent lives, and I really – and it was a piece of really good work. My only point is that we value our relationship and friendship on this key matter.

Of course, I’ll be talking economics, as well. Our non-Nato ally status is something I want to speak to privately first with the prime minister – and not on your TV screen, if you don’t mind, but it’s a very good question. [Laughter]

Sometimes, public opinion in Thailand, like in your country, does not always support what the government does. You may admire the prime minister for being supportive of the anti-terror campaign, but there are people in Thailand who are not happy with that. They are against the war in Iraq and against your policy of pre-emption. There are people who plan to stage a demonstration to demand that you be arrested during your visit to Bangkok. How do you respond to these critics?

[Laughter] Well, I’m – first of all, a society that allows for people to express themselves is the kind of society I admire. I don’t expect everybody to agree with my policies. And I appreciate the fact that they are able to express themselves. I’m not so sure I agree with their desire to have me arrested.

Look, some people disagree with my decision to take action against a thug who had been torturing his own people – we’ve discovered mass graves with hundreds of people that had been buried there, but it’s also a man who used chemical weapons.

And the United Nations – I didn’t act alone. The critics must understand that I was acting in concert with the UN, which for years had said disarm. And, finally, I went to the UN and said wait a minute, this is time to – let’s take care of this man one way or the other, and give him a chance to disarm, and he didn’t. So I said there ought to be serious consequences for not disarming and we acted.

I’m going to tell you something. People have got to understand I’m not going to forget the lessons of September 11, 2001. These are cold-blooded killers that received their support from different governments, and this nation will act to protect our people. And just like I hope the people of Thailand would expect the prime minister to act to protect the people in Thailand.

There is an increased recognition among South [-east] Asian countries that Prime Minister Thaksin of Thailand is gradually emerging as a new regional leader. You have met him. You have talked to him. Do you see him being different from the other Asean leaders?

Well, I certainly don’t want to compare him to other leaders, I think that would be unfair. But I do see him as a very strong leader and a very capable leader. He’s got a good grasp of the issues. He understands how economies work. He is not afraid to make tough decisions. He stands his ground in the face of criticism. And so I think he is a very interesting, dynamic leader.

There are people in Thailand who doubt whether we made the right decision to send Thai troops to help in the reconstruction of Iraq. With mounting casualties on the part of the American troops, there are people who doubt if it’s worth the risk or not.

Yes, well, I think of course in a free society, there are doubters. But people ought to understand that a free and peaceful Iraq is necessary for world security. A peaceful society in the midst of a part of the world that’s been troubled is going to, for the long run, help – will help change the world in a positive way. And, therefore, the idea of helping to rebuild a country ought to be something the Thai people accept.

You’ve got to understand the people in Iraq lived under incredible tyranny and torture and rape rooms – the kinds of things the people in Thailand reject. These people were – the tyrant brutalised them and at the same time built up weapons and didn’t spend the money on social services.

And so not only are we making the world more secure and peaceful, we’re actually making life better for people who had been brutalised by this man. And surely the people who respect human rights and decency understand the need to help.

Now, our troops are – we’re in the process of hunting down these killers. And the more progress there is in Iraq, the more the terrorists get angry, because they can’t stand freedom. So I look forward to making the case of the United States about why it was important to Thailand to contribute. It’s important for humanitarian reasons at the very minimum. But for the long-term, it’s important for peace and security.

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