Philippe Naughton
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There's an old journalistic adage: if a story sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn't.
Now, thanks to the the US television network NBC and its "crack team at the White House", one of this week's greatest mysteries - did President Bush really have his watch stolen during a walkabout in Albania? - appears to have been solved.
He did not. As the White House insisted all along, he took it off his wrist and put it safely in his pocket.
Hundreds of thousands of people yesterday watched a YouTube video from an Albanian TV station in which it appears that the presidential watch, a $50 Timex inscribed "George W Bush President January 20,2001", is lifted from the presidential wrist during a chaotic walkabout in the town of Fushë Krujë.
The moral of the story was clear: even the world's most powerful man needs to keep an eye on his belongings.
White House aides denied that any theft had happened. "Was the President's watch lifted? No it was not," said Tony Snow, the White House press spokesman. "The President put it in his pocket and it returned safely home."
An NBC news report, also reposted on YouTube, backs them up, showing that Mr Bush is no mug traveller after all. From a different angle, he can clearly be seen bringing his left arm down and appears deftly to remove his own watch.
Perhaps he was frightened that it might get stolen.
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WHY is the Youtube clip removed?
What is worse - that an albanian stole Bush's watch or that the president thinks they are thieves?
*snicker*
Caroline, Stockholm, Sweden
Jeff Dunham - heee heee haaaa haaaaa haaa haaaaa hee heeee heeee, yeah good one.
eckythump, Salisbury, UK
International media should apologize for their lies.
Aaron, Miamir FL,
Either the Albanians are politically smarter than 50% of the Americans, or they don't buy into the 95% of American Media bias. Probably both!! Albanians, you are welcome to come to America!!!
Eduardo Pierce, Atlanta, USA
Great man, Bush. He has worked to free two countries from terrorism, dictators, potential future Hitlers. All the time, he has received nothing but criticism, typical for anyone attempting something huge and hard to do. The small and insignificant are usually the critics. History will remember his efforts when these middle east countries are finally free and sovereign, but will never remember the words of even one critic.
Jeff Dunham, Yacolt, USA/ WA
A $50 Timex?????
Malcolm, Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada
Dear Albania: It would have been nice if one of you would have grapped Bush, himself, and carried him off. He worries more about his watch than his own people, that is for sure. Oh wait, on second thought, the replacement (Cheney) would be worse! Never Mind!
Stanislaus, Philadelphia, PA/ USA
Another non-event, then?
Chris Brockbank, Preston, UK
Stop the presses ... Man takes off own Watch ... what a scoop ...
Please can we have more info on this complete non story . How about some details of the watch itself (make, cost , strap type etc) . At what time did this happen ? ... how about the contents of the pocket where the "stolen" item was stashed ... surely this is all relevant and would help build a picture of the events as they unfolded ...
Or , instead , you could report some news !!!!!!!!!!
Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,
And there I thought that somebody was finally keeping a watch on Bush.
Quijote, Marbella, Spain
Thx for the proof..u are are this story was to good to be true.
Roni, Vienna, Austria