Yo Blair

[Skweeky]

So what do you think about this broadcasted private conversation?

Genuine? Set-up?

The story, for anyone who missed out:

Bush and Blair unplugged

Monday 17 July 2006, 23:11 Makka Time, 20:11 GMT

Bush: 'Gotta go home. Got something to do tonight'

Related:
Syria watches and waits Israel bombs Lebanese factoriesIsrael spurns UN call for monitorsG8 sets terms to end Mideast crisisWorld divided over Mideast conflict
Tools:
Email Article Print Article Send Your Feedback

A microphone picked up an unaware George Bush saying that Syria should press Hezbollah to "stop doing this shit" and that his secretary of state may go to the Middle East soon.

The US president was talking privately on Monday to Tony Blair, the British prime minister, during a lunch at the Group of Eight summit in St Petersburg about an upsurge of violence in the Middle East.

Neither immediately realised a microphone was transmitting their candid thoughts on that and other issues on the summit's official television network.

Bush, chomping on a piece of bread and calling for a diet Coke, said: "I think Condi (Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state) is going to go (to the Middle East) pretty soon."

Blair replied: "Right, that's all that matters, it will take some time to get that together."

"I'm just going to make it up. I'm not going to talk too damn long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long"

George Bush

Rice said on Sunday she was thinking of going to the region if it would help.

Blair added: "See, if she goes out she's got to succeed as it were, where as I can just go out and talk."


"See, the irony is what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over." Bush replied, without specifying who "they" are.


Annan nailed

Bush also seemed to complain about Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, wanting an immediate ceasefire to stop the violence between Israel and Hezbollah.

"What about Kofi Annan? I don't like the sequence of it. His attitude is basically ceasefire and everything else happens," said Bush.

"What does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if he gets a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way, he's done it. That's what this whole things about. It's the same with Iran," added Blair.

But Blair also cautioned that "the thing that is really difficult is you can't stop this unless you get this international presence agreed."

A G8 statement on Sunday suggested the UN Security Council should consider an international security and monitoring presence on the Lebanon-Israel border, an idea Blair is pushing.

Later, Bush said he felt like telling Annan to telephone Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, "and make something happen".

"We're not blaming Israel and we're not blaming the Lebanese government," he said.

'Nice sweater'

The two leaders also appeared to chat about the stalled Doha Round of world trade talks.

"I just want some movement," Bush said, to which Blair replied: "It may be that it's impossible."

"What does he [Kofi Annan] think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if he gets a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way, he's done it. That's what this whole things about. It's the same with Iran"


Tony Blair

Later, plans were announced for ministers from six key trade powers to meet in Geneva from Monday to try to unblock the talks.

Ultimately Blair noticed the microphone and hastily switched it off, but not before the recording had reached news media.

In the chummy conversation between long-time allies, Bush teased the British leader about a sweater Blair had apparently given him.

"Thanks for the sweater, it was awfully thoughtful of you. I know you picked it out yourself," Bush said.

"Oh, absolutely," said Blair.

'Made-up remarks'

Bush also said that when he next spoke to G8 leaders, he would keep it brief.

"I'm just going to make it up. I'm not going to talk too damn long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long. Gotta go home. Got something to do tonight," he said.

Bush also made quite a bit of small talk with other leaders about how long it takes to get home after a summit like this.

"I gotta leave by 2.15. They want me out of town so they can free up your security forces," he said, apparently to the Russian president Vladimir Putin, who was not seen.

"This is your neighbourhood – doesn't take you long to get home," he told another leader, who was off camera.

"Russia's a big country, you're a big country," he told another.

[Skillian]

http://adamboulton.typepad.com/my_we...lair_unpl.html

You see, the ... thing is what they need to do is to get Syria, to get Hizbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over.

A soundman picked up on what was thought to be a private conversation between Bush and Blair.

Apart from showing that Blair still won't do what Bush doesn't want him to do, the conversation doesn't reveal much politically. Still, it's an interesting snapshot of two leaders chatting without all the usual spin (and made for a great front page of the Independent this morning).

[Barbarossa]

https://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=123276

[Skillian]

Oops, that thread wasn't there when I started writing it.

Soz Skweeky, though I feel my exclamation mark adds real feeling to the topic title.

Mods, feel free to delete or lock as you wish.

[Barbarossa]

nvm

[Skiz]

So what do you think about this broadcasted private conversation?

I think it was mostly small talk.

[MagicNakor]

Sounds like two random guys talking about politics. It's really nothing different than what they've already been saying, it's just not a press release.

And who hasn't thought that some politicians talk for too long?

[Skweeky]

I think the funniest thing about it was Bush saying 'Yo, Blair, thanks for the sweater. I know you picked it yourself'

Do you think it had puppydogs with little weapons of mass destruction on it?

[ilw]

Bush: Yo Blair How are you doing?
Blair: I'm just...
Bush: You're leaving?
Blair: No, no, no not yet. On this trade thingy...[inaudible]
Bush: yeah I told that to the man
Blair: Are you planning to say that here or not?
Bush: If you want me to
Blair: Well, it's just that if the discussion arises...
Bush: I just want some movement.
Blair: Yeah
Bush: Yesterday we didn't see much movement
Blair: No, no, it may be that it's not, it maybe that it's impossible
Bush: I am prepared to say it
Blair: But it's just I think what we need to be an opposition
Bush: Who is introducing the trade
Blair: Angela
Bush: Tell her to call 'em
Blair: Yes
Bush: Tell her to put him on them on the spot.Thanks for the sweaters it's awfully thoughtful of you
Blair: It's a pleasure
Bush: I know you picked it out yourself
Blair: Oh, absoultely, in fact I knitted it myself
BUSH: "Right . . . What about Kofi? That seems odd. I don't like the sequence of it. His attitude is basically ceasefire and everything else happens."

BLAIR: "I think the thing that is really difficult is you can't stop this unless you get this international presence agreed." . . .
Bush: Yeah
Blair: I don't know what you guys have talked about but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiral
Bush: I think Condi is going to go pretty soon
Blair: But that's that's that's all that matters. But if you, you see it will take some time to get that together
Bush: Yeah, yeah
Blair: But at least it gives people...
Bush: It's a process, I agree. I told her your offer to...
Blair: Well...it's only if I mean... you know. If she's got a..., or if she needs the ground prepared as it were... Because obviously if she goes out, she's got to succeed, if it were, whereas I can go out and just talk
Bush: You see, the ... thing is what they need to do is to get Syria, to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over
Blair: [inaudible]
Bush: [inaudible]
Blair: Syria
Bush: Why?
Blair: Because I think this is all part of the same thing
Bush: Yeah.
Blair: What does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if we get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way...
Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is sweet
Blair: He is honey. And that's what the whole thing is about. It's the same with Iraq
Bush: I felt like telling Kofi to call, to get on the phone to Bashad [Bashir Assad] and make something happen
Blair: Yeah
Bush: [inaudible]
Blair:
Bush: We are not blaming the Lebanese government
Blair: Is this...? (at this point Blair taps the microphone in front of him and the sound is cut.)

audio as well at
http://www.sky.com/skynews/video/vid...6_1200,00.html
(blair bush bit is about 1.50 in)

its quite interesting to hear how they actually chat, bush just butts in halfway through blair's sentences and blair just prattles at about a mile a minute. That comment to Blair to get Angela to do something sounds pretty blunt as well, dunno if its a suggestion or what, but it comes out almost like an order.
The whole thing reinforces the comments about blair being bush's bitch, blair just seems like a flunky.

[Rat Faced]

Blair: I don't know what you guys have talked about but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiral
Bush: I think Condi is going to go pretty soon
Blair: But that's that's that's all that matters. But if you, you see it will take some time to get that together
Bush: Yeah, yeah
Blair: But at least it gives people...
Bush: It's a process, I agree. I told her your offer to...
Blair: Well...it's only if I mean... you know. If she's got a..., or if she needs the ground prepared as it were... Because obviously if she goes out, she's got to succeed, if it were, whereas I can go out and just talk

Translation...

woof woof, wag tail, beg

OR

Please Sir! Can I? Can I?


BTW.. Threads Merged