Pope Denounces Events in Iraq to Bush

The Las Vegas Sun ^ | June 04, 2004 at 15:11:46 PDT | TOM RAUM

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROME (AP) -

President Bush got a sharp dose of Europe's opposition to his Iraq policy Friday, quietly in the halls of the Vatican from Pope John Paul II and loudly in the streets of Rome from thousands of demonstrators.

The ailing pontiff complained about recent "deplorable events," an apparent reference to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops. In the absence of a commitment to shared human values, "neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome," he said, struggling to speak.

However, the pope welcomed the recent establishment of an interim government and called for a speedy transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis.

Not far from the Vatican walls, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets to demonstrate through central Rome, many with signs demanding Italy withdraw its troops from Iraq. A score of demonstrators hurling stones clashed with police during the march. Others threw firecrackers and set a trash can on fire.

Bush had dinner with a top ally on Iraq, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. On Saturday, the president heads to Paris to meet with one of his sharpest war critics, French President Jacques Chirac.

Despite Berlusconi's backing, and his decision to send 3,000 Italian troops to Iraq, polls show that a majority of Italians oppose the U.S.-led war and occupation of Iraq, a sentiment common throughout western Europe.

Bush is on a three-day trip to Italy and France to help commemorate the June 1944 liberation of Rome and the allied D-Day invasion of Normandy. He was also using the trip - and an international economic summit next week in Sea Island, Ga. - to try to build more support among leading nations for a new U.N. resolution to deal with post-occupation Iraq.

But the announcement in Baghdad that five U.S. soldiers were killed and five wounded on Friday when their vehicles were attacked in east Baghdad served as a reminder that Iraq remained an extremely dangerous place.

Seated next to the pope, Bush promised his nation would work for "human liberty and human dignity," without making any reference to Iraq. He presented the pontiff with the presidential medal of freedom, America's highest civilian award, calling him "a devoted servant of God."

The president and his wife Laura laid a green wreath at the Ardeatine Cave Memorial, where Nazi occupiers massacred 335 Italian citizens in 1944. Bush, alone, approached the wreath, straightened its blue ribbon and bowed his head as a bugler played.

At the Vatican, Bush sat impassively as the 84-year-old pope, seated in front of a microphone, read his statement in English in a voice that was audible, but not easily understood. His hands trembled from Parkinson's disease.

"Mr. President, your visit to Rome takes place at a moment of great concern for the continuing situation of grave unrest in the Middle East, both in Iraq and in the Holy Land," the pope said.

"In the past few weeks, other deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all."

Although the remarks appeared directed at abuses of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, they could also be taken to include other atrocities such as the kidnapping of foreign civilians in Iraq by Islamic militants and the beheading of an American contractor.

The pope did not elaborate. Neither would papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, although he did not dispute characterizations that the comments referred primarily to abuse at Abu Ghraib prison.

The spokesman said that while the pope had reiterated the Vatican's long-standing opposition to the war, he made plain he was ready to move forward.

Later, Navarro-Valls issued a brief statement summing up Bush's visit to the Vatican. "There were some points of agreement, especially regarding the process of normalization of Iraq," he said.

Navarro-Valls also spoke about the U.S. humanitarian role around the world, particularly in Africa, and, as the pope himself had stated, the promotion of moral values in American society.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, "We appreciate the Holy Father's words of support for the interim government and for the transfer of sovereignty."

Regarding the pope's apparent reference to Abu Ghraib, McClellan said, "I'm sure the Holy Father is concerned about the abuses. The president is as well. That's why we are acting, taking a systemic look at the prison system and holding those responsible who committed those atrocities."

Friday's was Bush's third meeting with the pope since he became president.

Bush has aggressively courted Roman Catholic voters - a bloc making up about a quarter of the electorate that split evenly between Bush and Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

Thanking Bush for the medal of freedom award, the pontiff said: "God bless America."

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[Jorge]

they were in the middle of one of the Axis powers - surrounded by the Nazis.

Good answer.

[whd23]

The President doesn't condemn the Church for the actions of pederastic priests, nor Bishops who covered their tracks.

Likewise, the Church should not condemn the US for the ill-advised actions of a few prison guards.

Testify!

I couldn't agree more.

[whd23]

And afterwards the Church helped some Nazis escape to South America. No excuse for that.

[CasearianDaoist]

The press would kill him for that. At best he can only do one interview with each before the election and he cannot do any with Rush - substitute Hume for Rush. The last thing he need to do is interview with Rush. It is not Rush's audience that needs it. Hannity's either/ Hume would work because he could get it on prime time. It is not cable that is the issue but mainstream broadcast media.

I imagine we will see him on Letterman but personally I find that diguting.

But you are still not talking to my point. Laura Bush was on a late night show last week. What good did it do? Again and with all due respect, there is a crisis here that you are not addressing and your strategies will fall woefully short.

And I do not understand your animus toward Rove. He is not calling all the shots. It may be that you are too mired in the older media consciousness. That is just this issue. Can we collectively see through this in this time of great change and even greater peril. Are we in the middle of some sort of national menopause (or perhaps senility?)

You think it is merely PR strategy and I am suggesting that it may be a wider issue. That is not to say that Bush could not communicate better. But in any event he will never get a fait shake. I do not see how they will ever win by playing the media's game.

You say get out there but we have seen coordinated efforst where in the space of days Powell, Cheney, Rice and the like hit the circuit and talk the same point. We had this week about DDay. What play foes it get? You seem not to get my point. How does one win here when the media is so hostile?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I don't doubt that.

See the link above , post #80 regarding the NY Times .

[luvbach1]

The pope was actually attacking liberal "values" held by a minority of Americans but for some reason (his speech writers?) he couched his criticism as an attack on the larger American culture.

[OldFriend]

Conveniently ignoring the Pope's chastising Americans for same sex marriage and abortion. He also commented about the beheading of Mr. Berg. The media chose to leave those parts out.

HOW I HATE THE MEDIA, LET ME COUNT THE WAYS.

[Freee-dame]

I also continue to follow with great appreciation your commitment to the promotion of moral values in American society, particularly with regard to respect for life and the family.

Sadly, the partisan press wouldn't think of highlighting this comment.

[oceanview]

well, I listed a few ideas that certainly are not being done now. OK, send Cheney to Rush and Bush to Hume, I can live with that.

Yes, the sheeple are senile - but to be honest, after 9-11, there wasn't much of a cohesive message given by the white house, the so-called "national sacrifice" issue. People were told - "go about you regular lives", "buy something to help the economy". And the sheeple did, its only a small fraction of people that are connected to the security challenges the nation faces. So we can't very well come back now and ask "why aren't more people concerned" and voting accordingly. Part of that is the white house's fault - they don't realize that a significant part of the populace has to be spoon fed this stuff? Why do we know that here, but Karl Rove doesn't?

And to make another point - at some point, the white house should flag this media bias directly - right to their face at a press conference. The news media is held in very low regard in this country, even amongst people who patronize them. Take them on, make the point that there is no coverage of the positive aspects of the Iraq re-construction.

[marajade]

" ... another bonehead move from the WH political team - what did they expect would come from this meeting with the Pope today? every radio and TV station I tuned into had the story of the Pope trash talking Bush over Iraq."

Do you think the Pope has any real credibility? What's worse? A few military men/women and abuse of adult prisoners or a few hundred priests sexually molesting little boys?

[oceanview]

I am not arguing those facts. I am just talking about the spin - it gives the media a chance to lead with the "Pope scolds Bush" story.

[marajade]

Its not going to matter what the media says... The Catholic Church has lost credibility at being a moral leader due to the priest sexual molestation scandal...

[MeekOneGOP]

Mega Bump here !!! :^D

[marajade]

Haven't you seen the polls that say people think the media only points out the negative coming out of Iraq? I believe its something like 70 percent or other... Bush is gonna be just fine...

[CasearianDaoist]

Well I agree about making the media a campaign issue and it need to be driven home, but again how? Rudy tried at the 911 commission hearing, did it work? I disagree, however about you other point, the "go about your business" point. I do not think he could have done otherwise, and at that point was the responsible thing to do. What else could he do in he face of the hostility of the liberal establishment? Again, Rove seems to be a hobby horse with you and I do not understand you problem with him. I think you are giving him too much credit.

But you are still side stepping my point to a degree: How do you face a media this hostile and do so on anything other than the media's terms?

I live in NYC too. You may be too mired in "media consciousness" (forgive me the phrase) to be objective. I know it gets to me sometimes.

As I said, do we have the ability as a nation to see the elites' assaults for what they are?

[eeriegeno]

The ailing pontiff complained about recent "deplorable events," an apparent reference to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops. In the absence of a commitment to shared human values, "neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome," he said, struggling to speak. However, the pope welcomed the recent establishment of an interim government and called for a speedy transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis.

Seems to me that the pope forgot about 'deplorable events' that occurred in recent years at the hands of Sadaam Hussein and his lovable sons. It also seems to me that the pope should not concern himself with the 'speedy transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi's.' That would be a war spoils issue not a humanitarian or religious issue. Finally, he says that terrorism will never be defeated almost as if he is wishing that it is never defeated. IMHO, the pope should concentrate on issues related to the catholic church like religion, morality and pedophilia.................

[Iscool]

The problem is that the pope did not attck Bush or America. It is contrived by those in the press who have an agenda.

The pope attacked Bush, America and me when he locked his lips on the cover of the muzlim terrorist bible, the Koran...

[rmmcdaniell]

They cannot break this cycle. The media is aligned against him in a way that has never been seen before in American history. Perhaps the only direct PR counter is to make the media coverage itself a campaign issue. But how is that effectively done?

Signing CFR has proven that Bush is as dumb as the liberals say he is.

[CasearianDaoist]

Well expect a great many lawsuits to come out of CFR once we enter the 60 day period.

[oceanview]

Rudy is a good example of what one answer is to dealing with them. Did you see him in that Matt Lauer interview after his 9-11 testimony commission - he went right at Lauer, and when Lauer persisted with ridiculous questions, Rudy actually started laughing at him. Contrast that with Bush at the press conference - when he was asked perhaps 10 times "what mistakes are you willing to admit to", each time he tried to provide an answer. At some point, he should have gone into the same mode and ridiculed them. Discrediting the media is part of the strategy of dealing with them.