28 Feb. - 6 March 2002
Issue No.575
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 28 Feb. - 6 March 2002 Issue No.575 |
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'No Bush! No war!'
Protests appear to have forced George Bush to tone down his rhetoric during his whirlwind tour of Asia, reports Anayat DurraniPresident George W Bush's six-day, three- nation Asia tour went off smoothly despite some concern that his tough rhetoric last month might adversely affect his visit. During his trip, Bush took a softer approach when meeting leaders of Japan, South Korea and China, tiptoeing around his now famous "axis of evil" remarks that linked Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as sponsors of terrorism. However, his efforts did little to quell the concerns of demonstrators who took to the streets to protest against his presence.
Bush's visit to Tokyo was met with a few protesters calling for the US to withdraw its nearly 50,000 troops from Japan. Others voiced opposition to Bush's "axis of evil" comments in his state of the union speech and demonstrated against the war in Afghanistan and US foreign policy. During his visit to Japan, Bush defended his widely criticised "axis of evil" remarks, saying, "History has given us a unique opportunity to defend freedom and we're going to seize the moment and do it." Though Bush has not backed down from his tough stance on the war on terrorism, his approach during his three-nation tour was much milder than expected. While in Japan, Bush warned that weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to the stability of Asia, a direct, but subtler reference to North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi commended Bush for his "calm and cautious" stance on Iraq, Iran and North Korea. He also praised his determination to use all options to combat terrorism, saying, "I believe this resolve was behind the phrase 'axis of evil'."
Bush's trip to South Korea drew the largest crowd of protesters of his entire tour. Thousands of people demonstrated against Bush's presence, incensed at his branding of North Korea as part of an "axis of evil." They said Bush's remarks had only served to undermine South Korea's "sunshine policy" of engaging the North. South Korean President Kim Dae Jung won a Nobel peace prize in 2000 for the sunshine policy, an effort to reach out to North Korea and unify the Korean peninsula.
Protests against the US president were held across Seoul and several other cities where demonstrators clashed with riot police. Protesters called Bush a "warmonger" and chanted "No Bush! No War!" Students took over the American Chamber of Commerce office in Seoul and ransacked the building. Media attacks on Bush by North Korea have also been unrelenting since his "axis of evil" comments. The official Korean Central News Agency called Bush's visit "a war junket to finally examine the preparations for a war on the spot." In a Foreign Ministry statement released by North Korea, Bush was referred to as a "politically backward child."
During his visit to South Korea, Bush sought to ease worries caused by his inclusion of North Korea as part of the "axis of evil" saying that the remark was not directed at the people, but at the leadership in Pyongyang. His State of the Union speech raised fears among South Koreans that the US would extend its war on terrorism campaign to North Korea. Bush also clarified that his administration had no plans to take military action against North Korea and offered to reopen talks with the communist government. North Korea's official news service responded by calling America an "empire of evil."
"We have no intention of invading North Korea. We would be happy to have a dialogue with the North Koreans," Bush said at a news conference in Seoul with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung. "I wonder out loud why the North Korean president won't accept the offer." The US has some 37,000 troops deployed in South Korea. The divided Korean peninsula is technically still at war since a peace treaty was never signed to end the 1950-53 war.
From South Korea, Bush stopped in China where he met Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other senior leaders. The visit came 30 years after former President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China. During Bush's visit, he had hoped to win China's agreement to end the sale of missile and nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Pakistan, but settled for additional pledges by China for cooperation in the American war on terrorism. Jiang also promised to assist the US in improving relations with North Korea. However, China's strong opposition to extending the campaign into the "axis of evil" countries of Iraq, Iran and North Korea remained unchanged. Preferring to avoid direct discussion of the issue at a press conference Jiang would only say that when dealing with Iraq, "peace is best."
The president embarked on his tour of East Asia at a time when his approval ratings were still soaring at home. Bush's trip to Japan, South Korea and China was originally scheduled for October but was postponed because of the events of 11 September. Though some critics say his trip amounted to no more than what appeared to be a vacation, White House officials have called the trip a success. During his visit Bush applauded the US-Japan alliance and discussed the economy; supported engaging North Korea in dialogue and a united Korean peninsula; and promised to be a "steady partner" with China.
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