posted July 17, 2006 12:26 PM              

SAINT PETERSBURG (AFX) - US President George Bush, caught on an open microphone at the G8 summit, suggested that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to the Middle East 'pretty soon'.

Talking to British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a working lunch, Bush also said that a key to defusing the violence in the region was for 'Hezbollah to stop doing this **** , and it's over.''She's going. I think Condi's going to go pretty soon,' said the president. He did not specify a destination but Rice is widely expected to travel to the Middle East when a UN fact-finding mission returns later this week.

Blair offered to go himself if 'she needs the ground prepared as it were,' explaining that the stakes for him would be lower.

'If she goes out she's got to succeed, as it were, whereas I can just go out and talk,' he said.

'The irony is, what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this **** , and it's over,' Bush replied without specifying who 'they' are.

The president's remarks were caught on the G8 summit's official television network, which filmed the leaders having lunch.

The recording picked up as Bush, apparently expected to make remarks, declares: 'I'm just going to make it up. I'm not going to talk too damn long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long.'

The president and Blair also seemed to express frustration about UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, with Bush suggesting that Annan thinks that a ceasefire by itself will resolve the conflict.

'What about Kofi Annan? I don't like the sequence of it. His attitude is basically ceasefire and everything else happens,' said Bush.

'What does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if he gets a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way, he's done it. That's what this whole thing's about. It's the same with Iran,' added Blair.

But Blair also cautioned that 'the thing that is really difficult is you can't stop this unless you get this international presence agreed,' an apparent reference to the G8 leaders' call for UN consideration of an international security force in Lebanon.

Bush said he wanted to tell 'Kofi to get on the phone with (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad and make something happen. We're not blaming Israel and we're not blaming the Lebanese government.'

After Blair told him that he's working 'on this trade thing' -- presumably stalled global trade talks -- Bush expressed his concern: 'I just want some movement. Yesterday I didn't see much movement. The desire to move.'

Bush also made small talk with other leaders about how long it takes to get home after a summit like this.

'I gotta leave by 2:15. They want me out of town so they can free up your security forces,' he said, apparently to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was not seen.

'This is your neighbourhood, doesn't take you long to get home,' he tells another leader, who was off camera.

'Russia's a big country, you're a big country,' he told another. 'Gotta go home. Got something to do tonight.' steve.whitehouse@afxnews.com ok/sw/jlw/jsa

__._,_.___
Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic
Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar

You are receiving Individual Emails Change Delivery Settings
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe New Message Search
Find the message you want faster. Visit your group to try out the improved message search.

Share feedback on the new changes to Groups

posted July 17, 2006 12:28 PM              

Rescuers carry the body of a woman away from a civilian car that was struck Monday by an Israeli missile in the southern village of Rmeileh, Lebanon.

Roni Schutzer, AFP/Getty Images
Israeli police work on the blood-stained platform of the Haifa train station following Sunday's attack on the city, Hezbollah's deadliest strike ever on Israel.

posted July 17, 2006 03:11 PM              

And it's not about Buish saying **** .

It's about 2 friends conversating, Peacefully....meanwhile people are being blown up....all because of a war they started.

Think about it idiot.

I could care less if he uses the word **** .

But as a president hmmm. Not a very good example for the country.

Tsk Tsk.

posted July 17, 2006 03:15 PM              

Freakin idiots who actually vote for a coke head.

Really shows where your head is at people.

Tsk Tsk.

posted July 17, 2006 04:24 PM              

You however......have mental issues. Especially since you vote for crack addicts