I am appalled at the news that George Bush will visit Belfast next month. It is disgraceful that his visit is as a result of an invitation issued by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
This part of the world more than most places has an understanding of the deep damage and pain that war and conflict produces. George Bush is internationally regarded as a warmonger. The so-called 'war on terror' now re-branded as the 'war for democracy' that he has championed has inflicted that damage and pain on countless millions.
The world has seen the particular typ of Bush democracy that was brought to Iraq in the form of the torture photos of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib Prison and the pictures of twisted bodies lying in the streets of Baghdad's marketplaces. There are now over two million internally displaced Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes. There are also over three million refugees who have been forced to flee the country completely. According to CNN almost a third of all Iraqi children are suffering from chronic malnutrition and almost three quarters of Iraqi civilians no longer have access to clean water.
Bush's phoney war has done nothing except create global misery and despair. His justification of the war has been to condemn Muslims as backward fundamentalists prone to violence. This has led to a massive increase in Islamophobia and racist attacks committed against those perceived to be Muslim has risen massively in recent years.
Apart from the war, Bush's international crimes include a refusal to sign up to Kyoto and a refusal to do anything meaningful about global warming. This has placed the lives of millions of people in immediate danger, due to the freak weather conditions that are already taking place. Longer term, the very planet itself is at risk.
Bush has also been responsible for misery much closer to home. Americans rightly accused Bush of leaving the residents of New Orleans to perish following Hurricane Katrina, simply because they were black and poor and therefore considered expendable. Whilst, he has spent countless billions on the war he has left millions of Americans without a proper healthcare system and a proper social security infrastructure. Bush has presided over a country where ordinary working people have seen their conditions deteriorate massively. While the poor have gotten poorer, the rich have gotten richer.
George Bush is the most unpopular President in US history. According to the Washington Post his current approval rating is less than thirty percent.
George Bush is not liked in the US and he is not liked here. It is not surprising that media blogs following the announcement were filled with messages condemning the visit.
When George Bush visits here in June we will make sure that he is followed by protests wherever he goes. We call on all of those who oppose this visit to ensure that they are on those protests and that they make their voices heard.
Our message is clear, George Bush is not wanted here.
Barbara Muldoon
