The Mayor of Rome snubs Tarek Aziz

Le Figaro ^ | 2/16/2002 | The Associated Press

[winner3000]

Article posted in a discussion forum at Le Figaro. I translated an exerpt. Hurray for the mayor!

[winner3000]

The mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, cancelled his scheduled meeting on Sunday with the Iraqi Vice Prime Minister, juding as "unacceptable" the refusal of Tarek Aziz to respond to the Israeli media during a press conference.

In a letter to Tarek Aziz, who left Italy on Sunday at the end of a four day visit, the mayor from the center-left recalled his city's tradition of tolerence, peace and freedom. "I cannot accept that a public servant, the representative of a country, refuses to someone, no matter the position they represent, the right to speak", wrote Walter Veltroni...

[noutopia]

Good for you mayor.

[ppaul]

salute'!

[chnsmok]

Someone in Rome should...

[tessalu]

The Pope should have cast the demons of hatred out of Teriq Aziz.

[Roy Tucker]

"I cannot accept that a public servant, the representative of a country, refuses to someone, no matter the position they represent, the right to speak", wrote Walter Veltroni...

I guess the Mayor ain't been to Iraq lately.

[chnsmok]

That free will thing sucks.

[tenthirteen]

I am a big fan of John Paul II, but I must say that I am dismayed that he would meet with this AZIZ person. The atrocities perpetrated by IRAQ, to include rape teams, torture, murder and mayhem, would have, were I to be in the Pope's position, driven me to accept him in an audience, lecture him on human rights, and then summarily dismiss him.

I am afraid that John Paul II dropped the ball on this one.

[chnsmok]

I hate the politization of the church. Can't think of anything else to say.

[snowtigger]

The world needs more REAL MEN like this.