E G O S P E W

Check out this litany of our two-term president’s accomplishments.

Written in honor of Bush’s current tour of the Middle East, it is in the form of a letter from the editor of the Gulf News, a newspaper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Just to remind you, the USA and UAE are important allies in the war against terrorism.

I find it very educational to see what the people living in that part of the world actually think about all our help with Iraq, since it doesn’t appear that Mr. Bush thinks about it much, or if he does, cares. Every day, I think about the altogether hundreds of thousands of people who have died in Iraq. I think about the even more unfortunate thousands upon thousands of human beings who didn’t die, but were maimed in horrible ways, both physically and emotionally. Most of these victims didn’t ask to participate in a war — certainly not the Iraqis — or, if they did, were misled, by our leaders at the UN or the recruiters in high schools. And I think about their families.

I try to remember why this war was started. How we let it happen. I get so furious I think, “what a powerful statement it would be if I could write down all the things that have gotten so incredibly f—ed up because this man became our leader.” But then it seems like too monumental and depressing a task. Besides, it wouldn’t change anything. After all, he got elected. Twice. Have a beer.

Anyway, as far as powerful statements go, this list is a great start. Of course, its frame of reference is the Middle East, so it doesn’t go into our domestic issues. That is quite another list.

Like all the neighbors of the State of Israel, the UAE harbors resentment over the special treatment Israel receives from us, which makes its way into this statement. Even so, the language remains controlled and thoughtful, not the kneejerk “wipe it off the map” rhetoric we have come to expect.

You can read the original page here. I have also pasted a copy below so you need not wait for the Internet to reach half-way around the world to retrieve the packets. In my copy, I took the liberty of reformatting the list into bulleted form, for easier reading. I have also included the first few reader comments at the end.

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Gulf News
Editorials

Published: January 10, 2008, 23:32

Letter to George W. Bush

Dear Mr. President;
Lest you forget.

• Invasion of Iraq.
• Thousands of dead.
• Looting the National Museum.
• Disbanding the Iraqi army.
• Donald Rumsfeld.
• Shock and Awe.
• Jay Garner.
• Paul Bremer.
• Inciting sectarianism.
• Abu Ghraib.
• Thousands of detainees without charges.
• Torture.
• Oil.
• Ghost WMDs.
• The Niger connection.
• Halliburton.
• Blackwater.
• Deadly security contractors.
• Mercenaries.
• Fallujah.
• Haditha massacre.
• Blind support of Israel.
• Instigating the suffering of Gaza.
• Ignoring the expansion of illegal colonies.
• Defying United Nations resolutions.
• Securing “a Jewish State”.
• Allowing Israelis to extend the destruction of Lebanon in the 2oo6 war.
• Providing Israel with new Bunker Buster bombs to attack Lebanese towns.
• The War on Terror.
• “The Crusade”.
• Clash of civilisations.
• Where is Osama Bin Laden?
• Afghanistan.
• Bagram massacre.
• Bombing media offices.
• Guantanamo Bay.
• Kangaroo courts.
• Indefinite detention.
• Presidential orders to ignore Geneva Conventions.
• “Unlawful enemy combatants”.
• Illegal National Security Agency wiretapping.
• Fingerprinting visitors.
• Black prisons.
• Kidnapping foreign citizens on foreign lands.
• Khalid Al Masri.
• Abu Omar.
• Maher Arar.
• Central Intelligence Agency.
• “Aggressive interrogation techniques”.
• Destroying the torture tapes.
• Iran tension.
• Isolating Syria.
• Embracing Syrian opposition Iraq style.
• The Chavez coup.
• Denial of global warming.
• Rejecting Kyoto Protocol.
• Marginalisation of the United Nations.
• John Bolton.
• Paul Wolfowitz and the World Bank.
• Carl Rove.
• Alberto Gonzales.
• Firing attorneys.
• Nepotism.
• False democracy promises.
• Dick Cheney, Dick Cheney and Dick Cheney.

Mr President;

The list goes on. You might not be able to recall some of it. But the people around you, Cheney and Condoleezza Rice especially, would. And they realise that on the subject of human rights, your administration has had the worst record of all, surpassing most Third World countries. The tension and the misery in parts of this region can very well testify to this.

Mr President;

In a famous speech in 2003 you announced an “historic” shift in US foreign policy. You pledged to support democracy and liberty while declaring “victory” in Iraq. More than four years later, Iraq is in chaos. It has virtually disintegrated and “the surge” did little to stop the killing or ease the sectarian tension. At the same time, you gave up on your freedom-for-all prophecy. We are all back to the old ways of doing business - arms and oil. The agenda of your current tour is evident.

Mr President;

This is your first official trip to a land you long claimed has a very special place in your heart. The land of the Prophets. However, you started out wrong. By maintaining your support of an Israeli “Jewish State”, you are flouting your own ideals upon which your great country was founded more than two centuries ago. So much for the promise of democracy. What you advocate in fact is the creation of states on religious and racial lines, thereby justifying the atrocious actions of terrorists who hate and seek to eliminate the followers of other religions: The same terrorists you like to blame for every ill on earth and every failure of yours.

Mr President;

It has been reported that you are here to “lecture” us on democracy and human rights. But with a record like yours, you will not be very convincing. The people you are addressing have greater respect for human rights and dignity.
You also said that your current tour aims to realise the long neglected peace in the Middle East. Regional peace, Mr President, will not be achieved by escalating tension and threatening to change regimes. And most importantly, it will not be achieved by supporting Israel, which continues to defy international law, occupy Arab lands, oppress the Palestinians and rebuff peace initiatives.

Mr President;

We hope you have enjoyed the trip so far. The scenery is great. The food is exotic. As for the more “serious” things, it is unlikely you will make any difference.
________________________________________

Your comments
Mr President, please ask yourself what you are doing to this world (especially to the Arab world). Self-review is always good.
From Sheeja
Abu Dhabi
UAE
Posted: January 13, 2008, 09:47

Mr Bush, America has been supporting Israel since its inception, with approximately $34 billion donated to them yearly. How much has the US given to the Palestinian people? It is not fair to take what you want by force and then ask for peace. It is a bit hypocritical.
A.F.A.
Islamabad,Pakistan
Posted: January 13, 2008, 08:39

Mr Bush, you have made mistakes, as have most of us. You are, however, welcome and I hope you can influence peace in this region. But please do not assume that your way or the American way is the only way to peace. Please understand that different people often have different approaches to peace and this does not mean that they are wrong.
James
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: January 13, 2008, 02:46

It is good that US President George W. Bush is visiting the Middle East. Through this visit, he will be able to understand the culture and requirements of the people belonging to this region. I hope this visit will boost the relations between the United States and the Middle East, and will give the people of America the sense to understand the people of this region.
Altaf
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: January 13, 2008, 01:28

Please keep the president away from the UAE. We need peace here, let us live!
Sadia
Dubai,United Arab Emirates
Posted: January 12, 2008, 15:44

Mr. President, thank you for coming to the Middle East. I hope you can do something about Iraq’s situation. Good luck to you.
Venu
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 12, 2008, 12:37

Outstanding! Maybe this has too many long words for him to fully appreciate - but hopefully he will get the message!
Wendy
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: January 12, 2008, 12:15

Sorry, Mr. Bush you destroyed our freedom, increased terror and snatched peace. We don’t need you here.
Shafeeq
Bangalore,India
Posted: January 12, 2008, 10:16