Bush in Senegal

international | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday July 16, 2003 22:13 by John Cunningham - Galway Alliance Against War

AS ARROGANT AS EVER

It will probably not surprise many people, but George Bush treated Senegal and its people with utter contempt during his recent to that country —700 US security personnel protected the paranoid president; all trees along his route had to be cut down; state exams were postponed; roads, businesses and hospitals were shut for the duration.

Bush visited the island of Goree, a former staging-post of the slave trade. There he condemned slavery, but he did not convince many Senegalese of his sincerity. According to a local account:

"Bush did not want to be with
Senegalese or use our things.
He brought his own armchairs,
and of course his own cars,
and meals and drinks. He came
with his own journalists and
our were forbidden inside the
airport and in place he was
visiting.Our president was not
allowed to make a speech. Only
Bush spoke when he was in Goree.
He spoke about slavery. It seems
that he needs the vote of the
African American to be elected
in the next elections, and wanted
to please them."


For the full account, see
http://www.sunmt.org/bushsenegal.html