Conghaileach
14th July 2002, 15:51
Ottawa says Bush 'Texans' tried to bully G8 host
'In your face with a boxing glove'
Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief
National Post
OTTAWA - Canadian officials say George W. Bush's
entourage at last month's G8 summit in Alberta behaved
like bully-boy Texas cowboys as they tried to take
control of the agenda set by Jean Chrétien.
Officials said the Americans got into shouting and
swearing matches with their Canadian counterparts over
everything from photo-ops to the topics to be
discussed by the leaders of Canada, the U.S., Britain,
France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Russia.
One official said he began to take it as a "compliment
to be called a 'f------ Canadian' by the Americans"
after resisting countless U.S. demands, including
special access to Kananaskis for the White House press
corps.
The Prime Minister wanted African development to be
the centrepiece of the summit, but Mr. Bush's advisors
tilted the agenda to the President's
Israeli-Palestinian peace plan and a U.S. scheme to
safeguard Russia's nuclear weapon stockpiles,
officials say.
"They wanted control of the sessions. They wanted to
change the agenda. They just wanted to orchestrate
everything," said an official, speaking on background.
The Canadians were frustrated at the "very nasty"
attitude of the Americans because all the countries
had agreed in advance about the Africa agenda and the
organization of the two-day meeting in Kananaskis.
But a week before the leaders arrived, U.S. officials
arrived at Kananaskis and began to insist on changes
to the agenda and special arrangements for White
Houses journalists covering the President, officials
say.
Officials described the Bush team as "mostly Texans"
who displayed an "in your face with a boxing glove
approach" in demanding special privileges for the U.S.
delegation.
Under the rules agreed to by all countries, only a
limited pool of reporters from each of the G8
countries was allowed at the summit site, while the
rest were kept in Calgary. The Americans wanted the
entire White House press contingent to stay in
Canmore, a nearby community, and be bused in daily to
the Kananaskis lodge, where the leaders stayed.
Canadian officials rejected the U.S. demands and
fought other requests dealing with photo opportunities
and use of the press conference facilities, but not
without bitter resentment on both sides.
Yesterday, the U.S. embassy in Ottawa had no comment
on the Canadian complaints. The official responsible
for the G8 summit at the White House could not be
reached for comment.
The G8 dispute highlights tensions between the
Republican President and the Liberal Prime Minister,
who had a warm relationship with Bill Clinton, Mr.
Bush's predecessor.
Just before the summit began, Mr. Chrétien dismissed
the President's trade subsidy policies as "stupid" and
said he would never let him push Africa from the top
spot on the G8 agenda.
It has been reported Mr. Bush refers to Mr. Chrétien
as "dino" -- as in dinosaur -- and that he has not
forgiven him for derogatory remarks he made about his
father, George Bush Sr., the former president, when
Brian Mulroney was in power.
Canada is one of the few major U.S. allies whose
leader has never been invited to stay at either Blair
House, the U.S. government's official residence
reserved for world leaders visiting Washington, or at
the President's ranch in Texas.
Tony Blair of Britain, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Crown
Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Mexico's Vicente
Fox have stayed at the President's Texas ranch.
At the G8 summit, Mr. Chrétien tried to keep the focus
on promoting democratic and economic reforms in Africa
in exchange for large infusions of aid from the West.
Mr. Bush decided to focus instead on the Middle East
crisis and the policy he had put forward immediately
before the summit.
Mr. Bush had his way on the first day with the Middle
East dominating the talks. Part of the second day was
spent on a U.S. plan to keep Russian nuclear weapons
out of the hands of terrorists.
Mr. Chrétien managed to focus part of the final day's
talks on African development, when the leaders
announced an action plan calling for corruption-free
governments in Africa. But the African Action Plan
fell far short of a commitment sought by Mr. Chrétien,
who could not convince the U.S. President to earmark
50% of new development aid to the continent.
© Copyright 2002 National Post
'In your face with a boxing glove'
Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief
National Post
OTTAWA - Canadian officials say George W. Bush's
entourage at last month's G8 summit in Alberta behaved
like bully-boy Texas cowboys as they tried to take
control of the agenda set by Jean Chrétien.
Officials said the Americans got into shouting and
swearing matches with their Canadian counterparts over
everything from photo-ops to the topics to be
discussed by the leaders of Canada, the U.S., Britain,
France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Russia.
One official said he began to take it as a "compliment
to be called a 'f------ Canadian' by the Americans"
after resisting countless U.S. demands, including
special access to Kananaskis for the White House press
corps.
The Prime Minister wanted African development to be
the centrepiece of the summit, but Mr. Bush's advisors
tilted the agenda to the President's
Israeli-Palestinian peace plan and a U.S. scheme to
safeguard Russia's nuclear weapon stockpiles,
officials say.
"They wanted control of the sessions. They wanted to
change the agenda. They just wanted to orchestrate
everything," said an official, speaking on background.
The Canadians were frustrated at the "very nasty"
attitude of the Americans because all the countries
had agreed in advance about the Africa agenda and the
organization of the two-day meeting in Kananaskis.
But a week before the leaders arrived, U.S. officials
arrived at Kananaskis and began to insist on changes
to the agenda and special arrangements for White
Houses journalists covering the President, officials
say.
Officials described the Bush team as "mostly Texans"
who displayed an "in your face with a boxing glove
approach" in demanding special privileges for the U.S.
delegation.
Under the rules agreed to by all countries, only a
limited pool of reporters from each of the G8
countries was allowed at the summit site, while the
rest were kept in Calgary. The Americans wanted the
entire White House press contingent to stay in
Canmore, a nearby community, and be bused in daily to
the Kananaskis lodge, where the leaders stayed.
Canadian officials rejected the U.S. demands and
fought other requests dealing with photo opportunities
and use of the press conference facilities, but not
without bitter resentment on both sides.
Yesterday, the U.S. embassy in Ottawa had no comment
on the Canadian complaints. The official responsible
for the G8 summit at the White House could not be
reached for comment.
The G8 dispute highlights tensions between the
Republican President and the Liberal Prime Minister,
who had a warm relationship with Bill Clinton, Mr.
Bush's predecessor.
Just before the summit began, Mr. Chrétien dismissed
the President's trade subsidy policies as "stupid" and
said he would never let him push Africa from the top
spot on the G8 agenda.
It has been reported Mr. Bush refers to Mr. Chrétien
as "dino" -- as in dinosaur -- and that he has not
forgiven him for derogatory remarks he made about his
father, George Bush Sr., the former president, when
Brian Mulroney was in power.
Canada is one of the few major U.S. allies whose
leader has never been invited to stay at either Blair
House, the U.S. government's official residence
reserved for world leaders visiting Washington, or at
the President's ranch in Texas.
Tony Blair of Britain, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Crown
Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Mexico's Vicente
Fox have stayed at the President's Texas ranch.
At the G8 summit, Mr. Chrétien tried to keep the focus
on promoting democratic and economic reforms in Africa
in exchange for large infusions of aid from the West.
Mr. Bush decided to focus instead on the Middle East
crisis and the policy he had put forward immediately
before the summit.
Mr. Bush had his way on the first day with the Middle
East dominating the talks. Part of the second day was
spent on a U.S. plan to keep Russian nuclear weapons
out of the hands of terrorists.
Mr. Chrétien managed to focus part of the final day's
talks on African development, when the leaders
announced an action plan calling for corruption-free
governments in Africa. But the African Action Plan
fell far short of a commitment sought by Mr. Chrétien,
who could not convince the U.S. President to earmark
50% of new development aid to the continent.
© Copyright 2002 National Post