Bush to Putin: I gotta leave by 2.15. They want me out of town so they can free up your security forces.

Someone asks Bush whether he wants someone to prepare his closing remarks for the end of the G8 summit.

Bush: No. Just gonna make it up. I’m not going to talk too damn long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long.

With the camera focused elsewhere, it is not clear to whom Bush is talking, but it is thought to have been President Hu Jintao of China.

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

Go to the airport, get on the airplane and go home. How about you? Where are you going? Home? This is your neighbourhood. It doesn’t take you long to get home. How long does it take you to get home?

Reply is inaudible

Bush: Eight hours? Me too. Russia’s a big country and you’re a big country.

At this point, the President seems to bring someone else into the conversation.

Bush: It takes him eight hours to fly home.

He turns his attention to a server.

Bush: No, Diet Coke, Diet Coke.

He turns back to whomever he was talking to.

Bush: It takes him eight hours to fly home. Eight hours. Russia’s big and so is China.

Tony Blair approaches.



Bush: Yo, Blair. How are you doing?

Blair: I’m just . . .

Bush: You’re leaving? Blair: No, no, no not yet.

Blair, standing over Bush as the President eats, tries to engage on the stalled global trade negotiations.

Blair: On this trade thingy . . .

Indistinct

Some of the ensuing conversation is inaudible but Blair evidently wants Bush to make a statement on the talks.

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 may be that it’s impossible.

Bush: I am prepared to say it.

Blair: But it’s just I think that we need to be an opposition . . .

Bush: Who is introducing the trade?

Blair: Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor


Bush: Tell her to call me.

Blair: Yes.

Bush: Tell her to put me on the spot.

Bush changes the subject, to a gift Blair must have given him.

Bush: Thanks for the sweater — it’s awfully thoughtful of you.

Blair: It’s a pleasure.

Bush: I know you picked it out yourself.

Blair: Oh absolutely — in fact I knitted it!!!

Both of them laugh. Then Bush turns serious, asking Blair about comments apparently made about the Middle East crisis by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, another guest at the summit

Bush: What about Kofi? He seems all right. I don’t like his ceasefire plan. His attitude is basically ceasefire and everything sorts out . . . But I think . . .

Blair: Yeah, no I think the . . .

Indistinct

is really difficult. We can’t stop this unless you get this international business 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 irony is what they need to do is get Syria, to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it’s all over . . .

Blair: Indistinct

Bush: Indistinct

Blair: Dunno . . . Syria . . .

Bush: Why?

Blair: Because I think this is all part of the same thing . . .

Bush: With mouth full of bread Yeah.

Blair: Look — what does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine. If you get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way

Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is struggling.

Previously, Bush was quoted as saying: “He’s sweet.”

Blair: He’s had it.

Previously Blair was quoted as saying: “He’s 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 Assad and make something happen.

Blair: Yeah

Bush: Indistinct

Blair: Indistinct

Bush: We are not blaming the Lebanese Government.

Blair: Is this . . . ?

Blair taps the microphone in front of him and the sound is cut.

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