| Global update |
Bush seeks to fix turbulent
relationship with Europe
BY TERENCE HUNT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRUSSELS, Belgium — President
Bush sought to repair rocky rela
tions with Europe on Sunday, say
ing “no power on earth will ever di
vide us.” He urged allies to move
beyond differences over Iraq in the
interest of peace in the Mideast.
Hoping to set a more conciliatory
tone for his second term, Bush will
meet over five days with some of his
toughest critics: French President
Jacques Chirac and German Chan
cellor Gerhard Schroeder, both of
whom fiercely opposed the U.S.-led
invasion. Bush also will see Russian
President Vladimir Putin
Today’s speech, the main reason
for his trip, is a conciliatory mes
sage aimed at citizens across Eu
rope, where Bush is widely disliked.
“Today, America and Europe face
a moment of consequence and op
portunity,” the president will say.
“Together we can once again set his
tory on a hopeful course — away
from poverty and despair and toward
development and the dignity of self
rule ... away from resentment and vi
olence and toward justice and the
peaceful settlement of differences.”
Bush’s visit was intended to
soothe allies frustrated that the
White House often ignored their
views on issues from Iraq to global
warming. Bush said that the Euro
pean-American alliance is essential
for security and global trade and of
fers a model of freedom for the rest
of the world.
“In all these ways, our strong
friendship is essential to peace and
prosperity across the globe — and
no temporary debate, no passing
disagreement of governments, no
power on earth will ever divide us,”
Bush will say.
“Our greatest opportunity and our
immediate goal is peace in the Mid
dle East. ” An alliance of 88 environ
mental, human rights, peace and oth
er groups planned two days of
protests in Brussels, beginning today,
to demand “no European complicity”
in a U.S.-designed world order.
Brussels police readied 2,500
officers — 1,000 more than the usu
al number for the three or four sum
mit meetings that bring European
Union leaders to the Belgian capital
every year.
While seeking to move past old
divisions, Bush and European lead
ers still face major differences.
Washington opposes Europe’s
plans to lift a 15-year-old arms em
bargo against China. Bush has been
cool toward Europe’s negotiations
to persuade Iran to abandon its sus
pected nuclear weapons program.
The White House prefers asking the
U.N. Nations Security Council to
punish Tehran.
Hard feelings linger from Bush’s
opposition to the Kyoto climate
change treaty and the International
Criminal Court.
Bush expresses support for Eu
rope’s democratic unity in his
speech and says Washington sup
ports a strong Europe. He also says
Washington shares Europe’s con
cern about global poverty.
An issue where the allies may
find common ground is a demand
that Syria withdraw its forces from
Lebanon — a declaration prompted
by the assassination of a former
prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in
a massive bombing in Beirut.
The president has a private din
ner with Chirac, who was a friend
of Hariri.
On Tliesday, Bush will attend
NATO and EU meetings. Wednesday
finds the president in Mainz,
Germany, for a meeting with
Schroeder. The trip ends Thursday
with talks with Putin in Slovakia.
IN BRIEF
Former presidents Bush, Clinton promise
tsunami survivors more aid is coming
LAMPUUK, Indonesia — Former presidents Bush and
Clinton traveled Sunday to ground zero of tsunami dev
astation where they described the destruction as unimag
inable and promised survivors who begged for shelter
that more help would come.
On the second day of their relief mission to the region,
the two former leaders flew in U.S. military helicopters
from the provincial capital Banda Aceh over a barren
landscape that was once a patchwork of rice paddies, to
the village of Lampuuk, where the sole structure left
standing is a large white mosque.
The village had 6,500 inhabitants before the Dec. 26
disaster. Only 700 remain.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life.
Ever,” Bush said.
As he looked out of the helicopter, Bush said he was
counting his blessings. “In my own heart, I was saying
we’re very lucky; we’re very lucky people not to have to
go through something like this.”
Clinton shook hands with Rahmayadi, one of thou
sands of survivors left homeless by the disaster. He said
his house in Lampuuk had stood in the neighborhood
where the Americans visited but was flattened by the
tsunami.
“My children and wife died and I didn’t get their bod
ies, so now it’s only me and two sons,” said the 53-year
old Rahmayadi, who goes by one name. “All we ask for
now is shelter because we can’t live in tents forever. I will
keep being patient until someone helps me.”
Bush reassured villagers who greeted them, “You’re go
ing to be OK. A lot of people around the world want to
help.”
Clinton asked one villager, Akhi Sukri, what the sur
vivors needed most.
“They need everything,” Sukri replied.
Standing amid the debris of Lampuuk, Clinton said see
ing the destruction firsthand helped him understand how
so many people died.
The official tsunami death toll ranges from 169,070 to
178,118. The number of missing is believed to be as high
as 128,426, with most presumed dead.
— The Associated Press
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PEACE and WAR
UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
UO professors of history, literature, religion, and philosophy will lead
discussions on topics related to “Peace and War” on Saturday mornings over
coffee in the elegant Autzen Stadium Club Room. These affordable college
level classes for the community are available at $75 each. A “season ticket”
for all six seminars saves $75. Books are available through the UO Bookstore.
Register at 346-3475 or or visit uoinsight.uoregon.edu.
LIFE OF THE MIND
February 26,10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
A one-day seminar designed to resuscitate the reading and thinking habits of
adults. Based on David Denby’s book, Groat Books, about going back to college
as an adult. A great introduction to the other seminars. $35
THE RAGE OF ACHILLES
March 5,12,19, 26,9:30 a.m.-noon
The first and still the greatest book about war
is Homer’s Iliad, the epic of warrior culture.
You will love it as an adult, even if you didn’t
as a student. As hair-raising and relevant as
the daily news, this is the foundation of the
West’s thinking about war. $75
CULTURE OF TOLERANCE
April 2, 9,16, 23, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jaws
and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance
in Medieval Spain was a surprise bestseller in
2002. What is more timely to learn about than
Islam, and tolerance? A highly enjoyable book
about the history and literature of Jews and
Muslims in medieval Spain. $75
VIKINGS
April 30, May 7,14, 21,9:30 a.m.-noon
Njal’s Saga is the epic story of Iceland's great
est lawyer, a man of peace in a culture of vio
lence—an authentic and absorbing portrait of
Viking life written in the 13th century. How
do you break the vicious cycle of revenge,
when it is the law? $75
BAND OF BROTHERS
June 4,11,18, 25,9:30 a.m.-noon
Shakespeare’s Henry V presents the Hundred
Years War. Olivier’s stirring 1945 film ver
sion rallied wartime England, but Branagh’s
1989 film is anti-war. Shakespeare: pro- and
anti-war at the same time? Read the play and
watch the films. $75
WAR AND PEACE
July 9,16, 23, 30, 9:30 a.m.-noon
It is time—at last—to read Tolstoy’s great
novel War and Peace, or read it again. A
novel so good you need to talk about it with
other readers. Tolstoy has great characters
and stories, but is also exploring the nature
and meaning of history and war. $75
MAHATMA GANDHI
August 6,13, 20, 27, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Martin Luther King Jr. learned about non
violence from Gandhi. Read Gandhi’s auto
biography and the Bhagavad-Gita. What is
nonviolence? What did King learn from Gan
dhi? How to confront a violent world with a
vision of peace. $75
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