From The Times
June 11, 2008
President Bush regrets his legacy as man who wanted war
âI think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoricâ
Tom Baldwin and Gerard Baker in Ljubljana
President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a âguy really anxious for warâ in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.
In an exclusive interview, he expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood. âI think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.â
Phrases such as âbring them onâ or âdead or aliveâ, he said, âindicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peaceâ. He said that he found it very painful âto put youngsters in harmâs wayâ. He added: âI try to meet with as many of the families as I can. And I have an obligation to comfort and console as best as I possibly can. I also have an obligation to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.â
The unilateralism that marked his first White House term has been replaced by an enthusiasm for tough multilateralism. He said that his focus for his final six months in office was to secure agreement on issues such as establishing a Palestinian state and to âleave behind a series of structures that makes it easier for the next presidentâ.
Mr Bush is concerned that the Democratic nominee Barack Obama might open cracks in the Westâs united front towards Tehranâs nuclear ambitions. At the EU-US summit in Slovenia, he pressed for tougher sanctions against Iran unless it agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment programme verifiably: âThey can either face isolation, or they can have better relations with all of us.â
Mr Bush told The Times that when his successor arrived and assessed âwhat will work or what wonât work in dealing with Iranâ, he would stick with the current policy.
Shaul Mofaz, a hardline Israeli minister, has suggested that a military strike on Iran is âunavoidableâ. But Mr Bush said: âWe ought to work together, keep focused. His comments really should be viewed as the need to continue to keep pressuring Iran.â
The President was keen to bind his successor into a continued military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, but offered only cautious optimism about a recent decline in violence. Asked about corruption allegations dogging Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, Mr Bush insisted: âI have found him to be an honest man.â
He also offered words of encouragement for another ally, Gordon Brown, whom he will meet on Sunday. He said that he needed no advice on coping with political adversity. He is âplenty confident and plenty smart, plenty capable â he can sort it outâ.
But he delivered a thinly veiled warning to Mr Obama that his promises to renegotiate or block international trade deals were already causing alarm in Europe and beyond.
âThere is concern about protectionism and economic nationalism,â he said. âLeaders recognise now is the time to get ahead of this issue before it becomes engrained in the political systems of our respective countries.â
Acknowledging that his refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol once created consternation in Europe, he said that there was now a recognition that that richer countries needed to âtransfer out of the hydrocarbon economyâ. He insisted, however, that any binding emission targets would have to include China and India to be workable.
The President knows that Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain will have to distance himself from the current Administration. "He's an independent person who will make his decisions on what he thinks is best."
Asked if the US is ready for a black president, Mr Bush says: "I think the fact that the Democratic Party nominated Barack Obama is a statement about how far America has come.
"Having that all that, it's going to be important for the American people to figure out who can handle the task of the 21st Century. It's a challenging job."
President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a âguy really anxious for warâ in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.
In an exclusive interview, he expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood. âI think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.â
Phrases such as âbring them onâ or âdead or aliveâ, he said, âindicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peaceâ. He said that he found it very painful âto put youngsters in harmâs wayâ. He added: âI try to meet with as many of the families as I can. And I have an obligation to comfort and console as best as I possibly can. I also have an obligation to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.â
The unilateralism that marked his first White House term has been replaced by an enthusiasm for tough multilateralism. He said that his focus for his final six months in office was to secure agreement on issues such as establishing a Palestinian state and to âleave behind a series of structures that makes it easier for the next presidentâ.
Mr Bush is concerned that the Democratic nominee Barack Obama might open cracks in the Westâs united front towards Tehranâs nuclear ambitions. At the EU-US summit in Slovenia, he pressed for tougher sanctions against Iran unless it agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment programme verifiably: âThey can either face isolation, or they can have better relations with all of us.â
Mr Bush told The Times that when his successor arrived and assessed âwhat will work or what wonât work in dealing with Iranâ, he would stick with the current policy.
Shaul Mofaz, a hardline Israeli minister, has suggested that a military strike on Iran is âunavoidableâ. But Mr Bush said: âWe ought to work together, keep focused. His comments really should be viewed as the need to continue to keep pressuring Iran.â
The President is keen to bind his successor into a continued military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, but offered only cautious optimism about a recent decline in violence. Asked about corruption allegations dogging Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, Mr Bush insisted: âI have found him to be an honest man.â
He also offered words of encouragement for another ally, Gordon Brown, whom he will meet on Sunday. He said that the Prime Minister needed no advice on coping with political adversity. He is âplenty confident and plenty smart, plenty capable â he can sort it outâ.
But he delivered a thinly veiled warning to Mr Obama that his promises to renegotiate or block international trade deals were already causing alarm in Europe and beyond.
âThere is concern about protectionism and economic nationalism,â he said. âLeaders recognise now is the time to get ahead of this issue before it becomes engrained in the political systems of our respective countries.â
Acknowledging that his refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol once created consternation in Europe, he said that there was now a recognition that that richer countries needed to âtransfer out of the hydrocarbon economyâ. He insisted, however, that any binding emission targets would have to include China and India to be workable.
The President knows that Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain will have to distance himself from the current Administration. "He's an independent person who will make his decisions on what he thinks is best."
Asked if the US is ready for a black president, Mr Bush says: "I think the fact that the Democratic Party nominated Barack Obama is a statement about how far America has come.
"Having said all that, it's going to be important for the American people to figure out who can handle the task of the 21st Century. It's a challenging job."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4107327.ece
June 11, 2008
President Bush regrets his legacy as man who wanted war
âI think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoricâ
Tom Baldwin and Gerard Baker in Ljubljana
President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a âguy really anxious for warâ in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.
In an exclusive interview, he expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood. âI think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.â
Phrases such as âbring them onâ or âdead or aliveâ, he said, âindicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peaceâ. He said that he found it very painful âto put youngsters in harmâs wayâ. He added: âI try to meet with as many of the families as I can. And I have an obligation to comfort and console as best as I possibly can. I also have an obligation to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.â
The unilateralism that marked his first White House term has been replaced by an enthusiasm for tough multilateralism. He said that his focus for his final six months in office was to secure agreement on issues such as establishing a Palestinian state and to âleave behind a series of structures that makes it easier for the next presidentâ.
Mr Bush is concerned that the Democratic nominee Barack Obama might open cracks in the Westâs united front towards Tehranâs nuclear ambitions. At the EU-US summit in Slovenia, he pressed for tougher sanctions against Iran unless it agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment programme verifiably: âThey can either face isolation, or they can have better relations with all of us.â
Mr Bush told The Times that when his successor arrived and assessed âwhat will work or what wonât work in dealing with Iranâ, he would stick with the current policy.
Shaul Mofaz, a hardline Israeli minister, has suggested that a military strike on Iran is âunavoidableâ. But Mr Bush said: âWe ought to work together, keep focused. His comments really should be viewed as the need to continue to keep pressuring Iran.â
The President was keen to bind his successor into a continued military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, but offered only cautious optimism about a recent decline in violence. Asked about corruption allegations dogging Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, Mr Bush insisted: âI have found him to be an honest man.â
He also offered words of encouragement for another ally, Gordon Brown, whom he will meet on Sunday. He said that he needed no advice on coping with political adversity. He is âplenty confident and plenty smart, plenty capable â he can sort it outâ.
But he delivered a thinly veiled warning to Mr Obama that his promises to renegotiate or block international trade deals were already causing alarm in Europe and beyond.
âThere is concern about protectionism and economic nationalism,â he said. âLeaders recognise now is the time to get ahead of this issue before it becomes engrained in the political systems of our respective countries.â
Acknowledging that his refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol once created consternation in Europe, he said that there was now a recognition that that richer countries needed to âtransfer out of the hydrocarbon economyâ. He insisted, however, that any binding emission targets would have to include China and India to be workable.
The President knows that Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain will have to distance himself from the current Administration. "He's an independent person who will make his decisions on what he thinks is best."
Asked if the US is ready for a black president, Mr Bush says: "I think the fact that the Democratic Party nominated Barack Obama is a statement about how far America has come.
"Having that all that, it's going to be important for the American people to figure out who can handle the task of the 21st Century. It's a challenging job."
President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a âguy really anxious for warâ in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.
In an exclusive interview, he expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood. âI think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.â
Phrases such as âbring them onâ or âdead or aliveâ, he said, âindicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peaceâ. He said that he found it very painful âto put youngsters in harmâs wayâ. He added: âI try to meet with as many of the families as I can. And I have an obligation to comfort and console as best as I possibly can. I also have an obligation to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.â
The unilateralism that marked his first White House term has been replaced by an enthusiasm for tough multilateralism. He said that his focus for his final six months in office was to secure agreement on issues such as establishing a Palestinian state and to âleave behind a series of structures that makes it easier for the next presidentâ.
Mr Bush is concerned that the Democratic nominee Barack Obama might open cracks in the Westâs united front towards Tehranâs nuclear ambitions. At the EU-US summit in Slovenia, he pressed for tougher sanctions against Iran unless it agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment programme verifiably: âThey can either face isolation, or they can have better relations with all of us.â
Mr Bush told The Times that when his successor arrived and assessed âwhat will work or what wonât work in dealing with Iranâ, he would stick with the current policy.
Shaul Mofaz, a hardline Israeli minister, has suggested that a military strike on Iran is âunavoidableâ. But Mr Bush said: âWe ought to work together, keep focused. His comments really should be viewed as the need to continue to keep pressuring Iran.â
The President is keen to bind his successor into a continued military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, but offered only cautious optimism about a recent decline in violence. Asked about corruption allegations dogging Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, Mr Bush insisted: âI have found him to be an honest man.â
He also offered words of encouragement for another ally, Gordon Brown, whom he will meet on Sunday. He said that the Prime Minister needed no advice on coping with political adversity. He is âplenty confident and plenty smart, plenty capable â he can sort it outâ.
But he delivered a thinly veiled warning to Mr Obama that his promises to renegotiate or block international trade deals were already causing alarm in Europe and beyond.
âThere is concern about protectionism and economic nationalism,â he said. âLeaders recognise now is the time to get ahead of this issue before it becomes engrained in the political systems of our respective countries.â
Acknowledging that his refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol once created consternation in Europe, he said that there was now a recognition that that richer countries needed to âtransfer out of the hydrocarbon economyâ. He insisted, however, that any binding emission targets would have to include China and India to be workable.
The President knows that Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain will have to distance himself from the current Administration. "He's an independent person who will make his decisions on what he thinks is best."
Asked if the US is ready for a black president, Mr Bush says: "I think the fact that the Democratic Party nominated Barack Obama is a statement about how far America has come.
"Having said all that, it's going to be important for the American people to figure out who can handle the task of the 21st Century. It's a challenging job."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4107327.ece