President Bush made a flying visit to Iraq the other day, to "show his support" for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But while doing so, he also showed them something else: their place. For security reasons, the Iraqi Prime Minister was not informed of Bush's visit until five minutes before his arrival - a stunning vote of confidence in Iraq's security, and one which removed any question of permission. Instead, it was "the President will be here in five minutes; get ready to be the smiling backdrop in his photo-op". So much for Iraqi sovereignty...
You can take offense at anything if you really want - including surprise visits.
ReplyDeleteI'd tell Dubya to piss off if he turned up on my doorstep uninvited. Of course it's offensive. It makes a mockery of sovereignty. Why did they return it to the Iraqis at all?
ReplyDeleteI'd doubt that Walter Ulbricht or Erich Honecker got asked if Brezhnev, Khruschev or Stalin fancied dropping by.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised, but I think its worth pointing out.
ReplyDeleteIf helen clarke wanted to visit the US would she have to ask permission from bush? what if she decided to turn up at a conference?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't think so.
Bush's visit is probably a little different in as far as he might be accompanied by an army of security and I think that bush does treat iraq like a bit of a "vassal state" but I would say if people take offense at an individual poping up unanounced then the major problem is their offence not the act itself.