Tighter media control

Don't think those Australian journalists are going to get access to the Boy Blunder..

The US President has declined a customary joint press conference after his address to the Federal Parliament tomorrow.

The media event, which normally allows two or three questions from Australian media and an equal number from the visiting press, would have been the only official opportunity for Australian journalists to quiz Mr Bush on the Iraq war and its aftermath.

It would also be the only opportunity to ask the US President about the two Australian citizens being detained without charge at Guantanamo Bay.

Australian journalists have also been denied any place in a so-called "close-up media pool" that will follow Mr Bush on all his official stops on the day. All positions in the four-member pool have been allocated to members of the White House press corps.

The US Secret Service rejected an application from the Canberra press gallery for equal access, on the basis that the journalists did not have the required US security clearances. The Secret Service then declined to allow the journalists to apply for those clearances; no reason was given.

A marquee has been set up in the grounds of The Lodge to allow the American journalists to file their stories. No Australian media will be allowed on the grounds.

A member of the team put together by Mr Howard's department to make press arrangements for the visit conceded yesterday that Australian media will learn of events at Government House and The Lodge from news reports filed in the US.

Asked why there would be no joint press conference with Mr Bush and Mr Howard, the spokesman said: "Because it isn't on the itinerary."

Hahaha

I guess they thought he could handle some African journalists before he took his whirlwind tour on that continent. Remember that?

In response to a question asking what more could be done "to get Mugabe and Tsvangirai to sit down together - which has not been very successful", he yammered on and on about food and getting Africans to accept genetically altered crops.

When another reporter asked about the question of U.S. troops being sent to Liberia and the violence in the Congo, he blabbered on about his AIDS/HIV proposal, pulling emoti-blurbs out of his ass: You know, the idea of a 14 year old little girl raising three brothers and sisters without parents is something that's just -- it's sad, it is tragic, it needs to be dealt with.

Okay, he did try to talk about Liberia:

As to whether or not -- look, once the strategy is in place, I will let people know whether or not I'm airborne or not. In other words, I'm not trying to make any -- I don't need to dramatize the decision. It's getting plenty of attention here at home. But we've got -- and look, I'm just gathering enough information to be rational in what we do.

You know, you read all kinds of things, of course, in American newspapers -- it's sport here. I'm sure it is elsewhere, as well. The gathering of the speculator, the leaker, the whatever -- what do you call them? The source -- (laughter) -- people speaking out loud, the President has done this, the President is thinking this. And what I am thinking about is how to bring some stability to the country in a way that will be effective.

And there's no question, step one of any effective policy, whether we are involved or not, is for Charles Taylor to leave.

Yes, sir. Around the horn, again. We call it going around the horn.

Finally, rounding out the questioning, came the inevitable reference to Iraq and the war on terror:


Q: I'm curious, how big a factor are you concerned about international terrorism on this trip? We've seen the numbers drop very sharply in terms of sympathy towards the United States. In the aftermath of the Iraq war there were the strains between the United States and South Africa over this issue. And a Pew report, in fact, that said that 44 percent of Nigerians believe that they serve a -- believe that Osama bin Laden would do the right thing in world affairs.

The President: Well, I would have to say obviously there needs to be an education program, because Osama bin Laden is nothing but a killer who has hijacked a great religion. And he doesn't care about innocent life. And so I would be glad to have that debate with anybody, anywhere. And I would be glad to take those who believe that he has of some kind of remedial value to his point of view to the World Trade Center and introduce them to families who lost life for no reason other than the fact that he is a killer.

Secondly, parts of Africa are -- they've got ongoing terrorist threats. And the good news is we are working closely with those governments to deal with those threats. We've got very good intelligence sharing. We are -- the law enforcement officials of these countries where there is a direct threat are moving rapidly upon the -- when we enrich the intelligence, when we calibrate the intelligence.

Kenya is a great country, and it has been a place where there's been threats. Everybody knows that. Not only threats, there's been an attack in the past. And the government of Kenya has been very responsive. And we are -- we are helping them. We're helping other countries in Africa. Djibouti comes to mind. There is country after country after country where we're working with their governments. When we -- or they -- they ask for help, and/or we provide information that we have been able to pick up.

Did you ask whether or not the threats are going down?

Q: No, I was saying that the admiration of the United States in surveys has dropped in the aftermath of the Iraq war. Particularly, in Nigeria --

The President: No, I got what you're saying. Yes, yes, I beg your pardon.

...And the other thing is that no one likes war, and what you heard -- there was kind of attachment to the word "America" with war. What they're going to find out, the word "freedom" and "America" are synonymous. That's what we believe. We believe in freedom. And we believe everybody desires freedom. And that when it's all said and done in Iraq, the world will wake up and say, now we understand what a free Iraq means to peace and stability.

Maybe they think the Australian reporters might not be willing to take totally irrelevant ramblings as answers to sensitive questions.

Going around the horn again. Yes, sir, going around the horn.

....but hey, you go where you want to....you will anyway....