Posted on 10/23/2006 6:29:01 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - President Bush will visit Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, the city once known as Saigon that was the capital of U.S.-backed South Vietnam, during a trip to the communist nation next month, the White House said Monday.
Bush will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' forum in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on Nov. 18 and 19. He will also stop in Singapore and Indonesia during his trip, the White House said.
Bush will meet with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and President Nguyen Minh Triet, an economic reformer who has pushed for his country's membership in the World Trade Organization. The communist nation had hoped to join the trade body before the APEC forum, but it is unlikely that Vietnam will be able to join before December.
Relations between Vietnam and the United States have steadily improved since the normalization of ties between the former foes in 1995, with two-way trade reaching nearly $8 billion last year.
Former Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai visited the White House in June 2005. He is the highest-ranking official from Vietnam to visit the United States since the end of the Vietnam War.
Interesting times we live in...
As a VN combat vet, I have mixed feelings on this but what the hell.
US President George W. Bush speaks after being introduced by Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller during the Heller for Congress reception in Reno, Nevada, 02 October 2006. The campaign ahead of critical November 7 US legislative elections sometimes seems to boil down to one question: Who's scarier, terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, Bush?(AFP/File/Jim Watson)
Yup.
This image taken from the Republican National Committe website, gop.com, 20 October, 2006, shows the latest 2007 campaign ad by the Republican Party. Facing possible devastation in Congressional polls in three weeks, US President George W. Bush's Republican Party has turned to utter fear to bolster its election prospects.(AFP/RNC-HO/File)
I have nothing against the average Vietnamese, and am happy to see the President visiting that country. Remember that the Vietnamese are no fans of the Chinese.
I guess I just lost too many friends there to let go of it....I still see it as too many lives and too soft a Democrat Party, that would NOT allow the U.S. to win the war, caving to the hippies and peaceniks.
Not unlike what is very close to what's happening today in Iraq....but then, maybe I'm just old and set in my ways.
Viet Nam showed the world that America couldn't stomach a war....and the MSM and the looney left today, coupling their efforts in parallel with the terrorists, STILL have the "blame America first" mentality and lives are lost but never honored when "cut and run" gets implemented.
You're right-that's why I said "what the hell". 35 years has been a long time.
That's why we have a new TET Offensive in Iraq right now.
..well, thank you very much, it's nice to be here in SAI-GON!
Please tell me those aren't the actual wire captions.
I added the comments in parens..
It will not be enough to bring home the troops to be spat upon, again, but also it will energize every terrorist organization worldwide to the tune of "America has been defeated", and Isarael will have NO chance of survival.
There's a reason why terrorists want the Democrats to win and that is that they know Democrats have no clue as to what the threat is, nor do they think there is a real war in progress right now.
The second item on the agenda is to swell the ranks of their voterbase by about 10 million when they grant blanket amnesty to the Mexican invaders.
If those thoughts don't get out the Republican voters, I don't know what will.
"President Bush will visit Vietnam'sHo Chi Minh CitySaigon, the cityoncealways known as Saigon..."Now, it's better.
And I am in UTTER FEAR that these ba$ta*d$ will get control of the Congress and the end of the Republic is in sight. I pray that these whining people who "want to teach them a lesson" realize the damage they are about to do it they do not get off their butts AND VOTE DOWN DEMOCRATS on election day.
Maybe they will visit the graves of civilians murdered by the VC and NVA.
So I wonder how long it will take Vietnam to get the bomb?
WTF, he just compared Iraq to the Veitnam debacle.
He can visit Visit Vietnam after he kills every sninking
islamist in Iraq and Iran.
This seem idiotic the US is being led by a capitalist tool
not a leader.
I agree with everything you say. I think the stuff is going to hit the fan.
Saigon will always be Saigon.
Thanks Toidylop. I agree with your sentiment!!!!
I guess time moves on. Is this any different than our relations with Japan, Germany and the rest of Europe after WWII or Eastern European countries after the Cold War? I bet the emotions are there. Notice he is not going to Hanoi at this time, the memory is too fresh. Saigon is more like "our terriroty". Sometimes we have to be nice to people we do not like or did not like for our benifits, get favors from the country, perhaps to operate air bases, spy on China or what ever. Don't have to love it just tolerate, never forget the ghosts that remain there.
You've earned that right, Sir!
Maybe Colonel George Day, USAF(ret)? Or Congressman Sam Johnson, Colonel USAF(ret).
Where the heck did that quote come from???It ain't in the article I read.
Why is Bush willingly drawing comparisons between VietNam and Iraq??
Why is Bush willingly drawing comparisons between VietNam and Iraq??
...especially getting this word out before the elections?
There's gonna be a lot of cracks on Leno and Letterman about Bush finally going to Vietnam.
POTUS visits Saigon....ping.
In the latter '90's, I lived part time in Nguyen Ai Quoc, AKA HCM. My friend Gene had an apartment sort of near the Omni Hotel on Nguyen Van Troi boulevard, the main drag from the airport into downtown.
When the Klintoon was preparing to come to town, I was telling Gene that I wanted to make a big sign that we could string up btwn his house and across the street pronouncing to Bubba and CNN that "You've been FREEPED." My girlfriend (a lissome VN) didn't really understand all that was meant but just said "I don't think that would be a good idea."
That spoke volumes; after all it's a Commie state, they don't like to be embarassed.
Gary/Green Lantern
No Deals with Charlie!
"Whatever we may have thought back then, think now of a forward deployed Naval Station at Cam Ranh Bay."
It's supposed to be a beautiful harbor, Jack, perhaps one of the best naturally protected in the world, but it'll never happen. Communism in VN has opened it's arms a trifle to capitalism but it will NEVER open it's arms to a U.S. military presence. I was amazed that they let a USN vessel into Saigon a couple of years ago. I sent e-mails to folks telling them what the hot streets were. It's not 'Po, but it's not bad either; it sure as hell beats the heck out of the Crossroads.
Gary
I cut it from the post I replied from, post #5.
The Vietnamese government has been attempting to entice The US into just such a situation for several years now.
As a VN vet you should surely go back for a visit. It is the one place in the world where Americans are truly admired. The ego boost you will get is something you will not believe until you experience it, and it is NOT just a loosening of your wallet. If you get away from Sai Gon and the package tours, which is generic Big City, it is wonderful.
Viet Nam now hopes mightily that the US has the stomach to protect itself and also to protect Asian from China. I advise you, too, to go back and see what it is now. It is one corner of the world where the people, even the ones who fought against us, admire, appreciate, and idolize Americans. When I saw a motorbike with 3 aboard slide down I, of course, checked to see if anyone was hurt and picked up the bike. The little crowd that gathered to see was full of voices saying that I must be an American because no one else would stop to help. That is one example of how they see Americans.
I will be back again in May. The schoolgirl I support in her education graduates then.
It's about time to bury the hatchet. Wish he could have done it about two weeks ago.
Those Vietnamese who have anyknowledge of Jane Fonda would not think well of her coming back.
I actually would love to travel to Vietnam. I have in-laws who work there (in import/exports) and maybe they'll invite me some day.
Saying thanh pho Ho Chi Minh in Viet Nam instead of saying Sai Gon identifies you as a bureaucrat and not even all of the Bureaucrats say it.
Go for a visit. You will be sorry to leave.
Saigon will always be Sai Gon.
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