Hurtling at more than 500 miles per hour across the Atlantic, President Bush
is in a hurry to demonstrate that he still matters. The clock is ticking
down on a turbulent presidency whose passing will be unmourned, even
celebrated, in most of Europe and — if polls are correct — much of America.
Both at home and around the world, attention has already turned towards the
young black man who could succeed him. The excitement surrounding Barack
Obama almost matches in intensity the loathing felt by many for the man who
will soon be gone.
But President Bush is so eager to show enthusiasm for his final six months
that he leaps on a question about whether the Democratic Party has had
enough of the War on Terror to tell us all about himself. “You don't have to
worry about me. I've got all the energy I need to sprint to the finish,” he
says. “The great thing about the American scene is the president gets to set
the tone for foreign policy.”
His scheduled 20-minute interview rolls on for 45 minutes, covering almost
every corner of the globe.
On what is likely to be his last trip to Europe, he takes his time to ponder
successes — and admit some failings - in his presidency. He betrays signs of
regret at his own low standing in the world, a sense that not enough people
understand the challenges that face any president in the Oval Office.
Most of all on the big issues — Iran, climate change, trade - he says that
there has been convergence between the US and European governments in the
past four years. He seems frustrated that America is not given more credit
for its good works, dismissing polls that show he in particular — and the US
in general — are viewed in Europe as “a force for evil”.
He says: “I don't buy into that theory. America is a force for good. America
is a force for liberty. America is a force to fight disease. We've got the
largest HIV/Aids initiative in the history of the world. We've got a malaria
initiative that's saving babies.”
And there's still a hint of defiance. The demonstrations that usually gather
everywhere to protest at his presence do not bother him, but make him think
that “I must be doing something. I must be using my position to embrace
change.”
Seven years after his first trip to Europe, also to Slovenia, as it happens, a
period that has encompassed some of the worst moments in modern
transatlantic relations, he reflects on the ructions over Iraq and
disagreement about climate change that “created consternation”. Now, he
says, they have “realised that we have commonalities on climate and we need
to work together”.
In Slovenia yesterday, compared to his earlier visit, even the protests had
dissipated. Much of the anger is a spent force, like his presidency. At the
summit with the EU, one of the main items on the agenda was how the US uses
chlorine to clean poultry. The hawk who took the world to war has been
reduced to talking chickens.
These days Mr Bush's language is much less jarring, more conciliatory than it
once was. His humour is self-deprecating. Speaking about the dangers of
protectionism and isolationism, he says he addressed the issues in his 2006
State of the Union speech “which I'm sure you have memorised”.
But the most striking change of tone is in his approach to dealing with the
pressing international issues. On the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, he no
longer sounds like a wild-eyed unilateralist, bent on military action.
Instead, he attacks his critics for being insufficiently multilateralist. Mr
Obama's proposal to speak directly to the Iranian President, he suggests,
will undermine the careful diplomacy Mr Bush has pioneered in the past few
years. “I believe when people get in and take an assessment of what will
work or what won't work in dealing with Iran, they'll understand the wisdom
of having not only our friends and allies in Europe at the table but also
China and Russia.”
He still has warm words for Vladimir Putin, the President-turned-Prime
Minister of Russia, singling him out for praise for his efforts to get the
Iranians to develop civil nuclear power rather than a military programme.
And he insists that his plan is to have a diplomatic legacy, not only for
Iran, but for all the pressing global crises: “My focus in the remaining
time of my presidency is to leave behind a series of structures that makes
it easier for the next president to be able to deal with the problems that
he is going to have to face. The six-party talks, for example, in the Far
East, in dealing with North Korea, the Iranian multilateral framework,
hopefully a Palestinian state defined by Israel and the Palestinians.”
Of course, he defends his decision to invade Iraq five years ago. But the
swagger, the rejection of criticism as invalid is gone, and he acknowledges
that the diplomacy should have been handled better. “Look, I think that in
retrospect, you know, I could have used a different tone.”
But, said Mr Bush, what most people “don't know is that it's very painful — at
least it has been for me — to put youngsters in harm's way”.
He adds: “I try to meet with as many of the families as I can. And I have an
obligation to comfort and console as best as I possibly can. I also have an
obligation to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.”
He added: “One of the untold stories of Iraq is that we explored the diplomacy
a lot — we all wanted to solve this ‘disclose, disarm, or face serious
consequences' in a diplomatic fashion. After all, I went to the United
Nations Security Council.”
While recent months have shown a sharp decline in violence — particularly in
Iraq, where there were fewer American casualties in May than in any month in
the past four years — Mr Bush expresses only cautious and understated
optimism.
And he is quick to avoid claiming vindication. “I don't look at this thing in
personal terms. I view it as confirmation of certain fundamental truths that
are necessary, and will be necessary, to bring peace.”
Mr Bush seems slightly niggled that so much attention is already focused on
his successor, bridling at repeated questions about what he thinks about the
challenges likely to face Mr Obama or John McCain, the Republican
nominee-in-waiting.
“You guys are just like, unbelievably focused on this,” he chuckles. “You just
can't help yourself.”
But he suggests the yearning for change that Mr Obama has tapped is always a
powerful one, saying: “I've campaigned for change ever since I ran for
office, except for 2004 — then I wasn't for change!”
As a President who appointed two black Secretaries of State, he also
recognises the historic significance of Mr Obama's victory in the Democratic
nomination race. It is “a statement about how far America has come”, he
says. “Having said all that, it's going to be important for the American
people to figure out who can handle the task of the 21st century. It's a
challenging job. It requires tough decision-making, clear thought, and an
experience level.”
Such comments run as a theme throughout the interview. “It's not easy,” he
says, helping people to move from tyranny to freedom. Asked about
allegations surrounding Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, he
defends his ally as “a realist” who is “working hard to help his country
develop”.
As a politician known for a no-holds-barred approach to opponents, he points
out that Mr Karzai is fighting for re-election. “Some of the rhetoric coming
out of Afghanistan is very interesting to watch. It's reminiscent of other
campaigns. But it's a sign that democracy is beginning to move.” He says the
criticism of Mr Karzai is “what happens when you're president - sometimes it
happens to the best of us”.
Mr Bush says the arrows aimed in his direction over the past seven years are
the consequence of taking “tough decisions” and are “what comes with the
position I'm in”.
“There are going to be moments when the world becomes fatigued, or those of us
who are responsible for trying to protect our citizens from international
terrorism get tired,” he says. “It's easy for negativism to creep in, and
there's kind of an exhaustion that comes with staying on offence.”
But not this President, not yet. While critics are impatient for the Bush era
to end, and most of his initiatives appear to be running into the sand, Mr
Bush sneers at the hundred would-be “secretaries of state in the United
States Senate that think they can do a better job”. His own, Condoleezza
Rice, he says, is heading to the Middle East this week and he has work to do
in Europe ahead of next month's G8.
“There's plenty of energy on the democracy agenda, the Freedom Agenda, right
now.”
Bellicose Bush:
“There are some who feel like that the conditions are such that they can
attack us there. My answer is bring them on.” At the White House in
2003
“I don't care, dead or alive - either way. It doesn't matter to me.” Vowing
to bring Osama bin Laden to justice in 2001
“Rid the world of the evil-doers.” Pledge in aftermath of 9/11
“This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while.” September
16, 2001
“One of our objectives is to smoke them out and get them running and bring
them to justice. We are smoking them out. They are running.” 2001
White House ceremony
“You are either with us or against us.” Press conference with
Jacques Chirac, French President, 2001
Bush now:
“I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric ... It's very
painful ... to put youngsters in harm's way.” On his attitude to
war
“Whoever the American president is will realise that co-operating and working
with others on a common agenda is more likely to yield the results that we
want.” On Iran
“I found him to be a very charming person.We didn't spend a lot of time
talking political philosophy.” On David Cameron
"That the Democratic Party nominated Barack Obama is a statement about
how far America has come.” On Obama
