Middle East tour diary,George W Bush has concluded a Middle East tour which included his first visit as US president to Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as stops in the Gulf and Egypt. BBC correspondent Matthew Price, who travelled with him, wrote a diary on his progress.


16 JANUARY - 2230 GMT


I suppose the strangest thing about travelling on Air Force One is the knowledge that just a few metres in front of you on the same plane are some of the worlds most powerful people: Bush, Rice, Hadley. Sitting just up in front. Or in the case of Bush possibly lying in his bed, which is right up in the nose of the plane.

After our mad dash to the airport we rushed to the back of the plane where secret service men checked our passes off on a list and we went on board. Not where you walk on a commercial flight but much lower, similar to where the luggage goes. Up the stairs, probably 20 in all and then there's a landing with the media area, the staff area and the secret service too.

Inside - well, it's grey. Pretty nasty actually. And the media cabin is a bit like being in business seats with economy service. First timers like me get a goody bag. It used to have a box of cigarettes inside with the presidential seal on them, but Nancy Reagan, I'm told, objected, so now you get White House seal M&Ms.

There's no safety announcement. I guess if you're looking after the big man everyone else can fend for themselves. And we didn't have to turn off mobiles - although there's no signal at 33,000 feet! There are 14 seats in the journo area and a couple of TVs.

Bill Clinton used to come back and chat. The photographer next to me said it was bad. You'd be trying to sleep after a gruelling trip and he'd be trying to banter. No such problem with GW. He stays well away from us.

The most interesting thing was how this is the REAL bubble. The motorcade raced us to the tarmac then the plane then we taxied and flew and never once met a real person properly. I know that's modern politics, but I can't help thinking that George W Bush had hardly been abroad when he was elected president and then for the last seven years he has been in a presidential bubble - he's been subjected to this! And he lives in Washington, divorced as that place can be from real life too!


I just realised while writing that I woke up this morning in Riyadh, dropped in on Sharm el-Sheikh, and am now in Washington DC. And all day I think I've had only one chat with a person from any of the three countries.

We landed a little early, around half-seven, and trotted out into a cold Andrew's Air Force Base. To the right Marine One, the presidential helicopter. And there, the man himself walking towards it.

He cuts a lonely figure, slightly hunched. The chopper taxied then lifted off, at 7.48. Back to the White House, the end of a visit that has seemed to be more about keeping up good relations, than real achievements.

Me? I shared a taxi into town, to a funky little hotel. It's been an amazing trip. I think I'll sleep well tonight.


16 JANUARY - 1230 GMT

Now in the motorcade, but the old hands are nervous. We're too far back from the front of the motorcade.

Finally into Air Force One! And back to the US with the president. More to follow the other end.

16 JANUARY - 1145 GMT

Not sure if I've ever seen so many secret service people. Men in black glasses are everywhere here at the hotel where President Bush and President Mubarak hold their news conference in a few minutes.


The Egyptians are big on security. There have been several bomb attacks in Sinai in recent years so along our route here were dozens of plain clothes agents sitting out in the desert by the road side.
So now a moment of quiet while we wait for the two leaders.

I'm flying home on Air Force One, and the White House people are saying we have to run for the motorcade when it finishes. There's a frantic American woman who keeps telling us the president won't wait for us!

The photographers are telling us all to stay sitting so as not to obscure their view. Everyone's a little on edge. When they get here I'll be a couple of metres away from arguably the world's most powerful leader. Whatever your opinion of the man that's pretty exciting.

Or have I been in the bubble too long?

16 JANUARY - MORNING

One hour and twenty minutes of sleep. In a week of hardly any rest. The radio producer Yolande got no sleep. She was packing the equipment.


It's 0630. The sun is just about to come up. The sky is clear.

It is going to be one of those beautiful days you get so often in the Middle East when the light makes everything appear so sharp, so well defined.

The cars are swerving across the lane in front of our bus. But the traffic on the way to the airport is moving fast and we'll be there soon.

Off to Egypt for a few hours. Then back to the USA.

I always feel the same when leaving the Middle East. Slightly sad.

This is a special place, a place that has suffered so much, a place that is so misunderstood by so many people.

I wonder if George Bush now feels he understands it a little better?

15 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

I got out of "the bubble" today - for a whole 45 minutes.

I jumped in a taxi, and asked the driver to take me to a shopping street. The driver, from Bangladesh, laughed when I asked if he likes it here.


"It's not a good place," he said.

He's here, like all of the foreign workers, to earn money - in his case for family back home.

We pulled up and I got out. In a stationary shop a man in the red and white chequered headscarf favoured by Saudis said: "George Bush? Don't like."

In a cafe round the corner, BBC World TV was showing on the flat screen television, and at one table sat a man with a laptop watching YouTube on wireless internet.

I asked about Mr Bush's "Freedom Speech" in Abu Dhabi the other day.

"He always says this, this is his usual speech about freedom and democracy and things. Even in America they don't have this," he smiled.

"George Bush is not a peaceful man. He just, you know, starts a lot of wars."

We drove back to the hotel. I asked the Bangladeshi taxi driver about the cost of fuel here.

"No, not expensive," he said. Not sure that will make US consumers, nor George Bush, feel any better about the cost of a barrel of oil!


14 JANUARY - EVENING

What a day. Everyone covering this visit says today they hit a brick wall.

I think the White House press people did too. Everyone looks exhausted. The schedule is gruelling.


The story nose dived a bit so there was no adrenalin fuelling us all.
Journalists like a bit of meat on the bones of the story, but today all we really found out about the president was that he was shown what he said were "beautiful birds" of prey.


Then we got his dinner menu - artichoke soup, and apple pie with ice cream.

And you'll be glad to know no doubt that the Saudis held that dinner "relatively early for our early-to-bed president" according to his press secretary. Like I said, no news.

So the American journalists had to satisfy their networks with stories about how tomorrow we might witness the first snowfall in Riyadh in decades.

"At least they won't have to go far to find sand for the roads" one correspondent reported.

14 JANUARY - MIDDAY

"Welcome to the Middle Ages, baby!"

That's what someone in the travelling White House press corps said as we hit the ground in Saudi Arabia. Women on board discussed whether they have to wear headscarves. The gulf of understanding (or misunderstanding) is obvious.

On the bus to the hotel women were told that since we're on a high-level visit they can choose whether or not to wear a headscarf.


Since we're in a very conservative Muslim society where women are obliged to cover up, that seems strange official advice.
The Bush family is friendly with the Saudi royal family, so the president will know the limits of his so-called "freedom agenda" here.

A day after he called for countries across the Middle East to be more democratic and liberal, to introduce economic and social reforms, this is as good a place as you get to see that's not going to happen in any meaningful way during George W Bush's presidency.

He says each country must manage changes in its own way, but here to many it feels like he's trying to impose Western cultural values on the Arab world.

There's also a question over whether Mr Bush's strategy to isolate Iran because of its nuclear ambitions will work here. The short answer is "no it won't".

The Saudis have always played a very clever balancing act to maintain regional stability. They've been worried recently about Iran, but seem to have adopted an approach of trying to reach out to Tehran to diffuse tension.


President Bush will spend much of his two days in Saudi Arabia sightseeing rather than talking politics
There's an understanding among states in the region that Tehran doesn't react positively to aggression of either a political or military type.
In Saudi Arabia, and also the other states in this region, there's a sense that Iran's nuclear ambitions have changed the rules of the game.

When once the Saudis, like the Egyptians, called for a nuclear-free Middle East (remember Israel is believed to have dozens of nuclear warheads - although it never admits this) now they have shifted their position.

They say they want to develop their nuclear capability to diversify their energy resources, but the stated ambition is a clear response to Iran.

As usual the Saudis have to work hard to balance what's good for their close ally the United States, and what their regional neighbours, including Iran, need.

Perhaps that's why President Bush will spend much of his time here in the next two days sightseeing rather than talking politics.

14 JANUARY - MORNING

An early start today. Another early start!

We piled onto minibuses, with all our gear and drove the half hour or so to the airport.

Air Force One is a stunning sight on the tarmac to my left. The sun rising behind it and lots of reporters getting their photos taken in front.

On board, we get offered a mimosa - one last drink before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

We've just been reminded there's no alcohol in Saudi. And the women travelling on the trip have been told to dress appropriately.

Prepare for take off. Better go!

13 JANUARY - EVENING

It's not just the Bush White House I'm learning about on this trip. It's also the American media machine.

The people who work alongside me in the radio reporting operation are all seasoned correspondents. One is a household name in the US after years of service and renowned journalism.


And yet they all spend most of the day filing the shortest of radio pieces. So short indeed that they call them "spots"!
Sometimes they get to do longer analysis, and their work is professional and of a high standard. But it seems their stations no longer want more than a few seconds of coverage.

One of them, I'll not say for which network, the other day lamented the stories being covered on the station's website. Entertainment and wacky tales dominated.

Then today, I was doing a recording to camera with an American TV crew. I spoke for about a minute and a half to try to explain some of the background to the president's speech. That's almost a book, the cameraman said when I finished. He said in the US it's just a lot shorter.


There is good journalism in the States, of course. Newspapers have quality stories and TV and radio deal with some weighty issues. And I'm travelling in the main with some excellent journalists who take their jobs seriously.
This isn't a criticism of them, but overall the coverage most of their companies provide is dominated by quick, catchy stories. And it seems even their own president doesn't get much of a look in.

Some would argue the British media have already started down that path. If that's the case, the future doesn't look to be a terribly well informed one.

Enough! To sleep, briefly. Tomorrow we're off early to Saudi Arabia on the next leg of the trip. Day six. Country five.

13 JANUARY - MORNING

They call it the bubble, and when we touched down in Bahrain it felt like we were stuck right inside it.


The bus drove us out of the airport, it had parked next to the aeroplane and we simply walked onto it. For some reason our convoy had a police escort, and we passed junctions where the local traffic had to wait for us as we drove through red lights. We drove along the causeway towards the skyscrapers of Manama.
Other journalists took their cameras out, asking questions about what we were seeing. Excited tourists. Then we got to the hotel and were whisked in.

The reason they call it the bubble, is because this whole process means that from touchdown to media centre you literally look out of the bubble at the real world around you. In Kuwait I don't think I met a single Kuwaiti. Though to be fair most hotel staff there are from Asia or elsewhere.

It's basically like being embedded with the president - with all the issues that raises for journalists. Not that the White House in any way tries to affect our reporting.


They have never approached me about a story I've been filing. I've got total freedom, but because of the tight schedules don't get to meet the people of the country we're passing through. That's okay. The job is to report on the president's visit, but it does mean you need other sources of information about where you are.
One other quick thing. Mr Bush while here in Bahrain welcomed a new Iraqi law that allows thousands of former junior supporters of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to take up government jobs. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Journal intime d'excursion de Moyen-Orient.
Automatically translated into French thanks to WorldLingo
Le journal intime d'excursion de Moyen-Orient, George W Bush a conclu une excursion de Moyen-Orient qui a inclus sa première visite comme président des USA en Israel et les territoires palestiniens, aussi bien que des arrêts le Golfe et en Egypte. Le prix correspondant de BBC Matthew, qui a voyagé avec lui, a écrit un journal intime sur son progrès.


16 janvier - GMT 2230 que


je suppose que la chose la plus étrange au sujet du déplacement sur l'Armée de l'Air une est la connaissance que juste quelques mètres devant toi sur le même avion sont certains des mondes la plupart des personnes puissantes : Bush, riz, Hadley. Se reposer juste vers le haut dans l'avant. Ou dans le cas de Bush se situant probablement dans son lit, qui est exact vers le haut dans le nez de l'avion.

Après notre tiret fou à l'aéroport nous nous sommes précipités au dos de l'avion où les hommes secrets de service ont vérifié nos passages au loin sur une liste et nous sommes allés à bord. Pas où vous marchez sur un vol commercial mais beaucoup inférieur, semblable à où le bagage disparaît. Vers le haut des escaliers, probablement 20 en tout et il y a alors un atterrissage avec le secteur de médias, le secteur de personnel et le service secret aussi.

À l'intérieur de - bien, il est gris. Joli méchant réellement. Et la carlingue de médias est un peu comme être dans des sièges d'affaires avec le service d'économie. Les premiers chronométreurs comme moi obtiennent un sac de sucrerie. Il avait une boîte de cigarettes à l'intérieur avec le joint présidentiel sur elles, mais Nancy Reagan, je suis dit, objecté, tellement maintenant vous obtiens le joint M&Ms de la Maison Blanche.

Il n'y a aucune annonce de sûreté. Je devine si vous vous occupez du grand homme que chacun autrement peut défendre pour eux-mêmes. Et nous n'avons pas dû arrêter des mobiles - bien qu'il n'y a aucun signal à 33.000 pieds ! Il y a 14 sièges dans le secteur de journo et des couples des TV.

Bill Clinton pour revenir et causer. Le photographe à côté de moi a dit que c'était mauvais. Vous essayeriez de dormir après un voyage d'exténuant et il essayerait de plaisanter. Aucun un tel problème avec le gw. Il reste bon loin de nous.

La chose la plus intéressante était comment c'est la VRAIE bulle. Le cortège de voitures nous a emballés au macadam puis l'avion alors que nous avons roulé au sol et a volé et jamais par le passé a rencontré une vraie personne correctement. Je sais qui est la politique moderne, mais je ne peux m'empêcher de penser que George W Bush à l'étranger quand il a été élu président et puis avait à peine été pendant les sept dernières années qu'il a étées dans une bulle présidentielle - il a été soumis à ceci ! Et il habite à Washington, divorcé comme cet endroit peut être de réel aussi !


J'ai juste réalisé tout en écrivant que j'ai réveillé ce matin dans Riyadh, me suis laissé tomber dedans sur le Sharm el-Sheikh, et l'AM maintenant dans DC de Washington. Et toute la journée je pense que j'ai eu seulement une causerie avec une personne des trois pays l'uns des.

Nous avons débarqué peu un tôt, autour de la moitié-sept, et avons trotté dehors dans la base aérienne d'un Andrew froid. À la marine droite une, l'hélicoptère présidentiel. Et là, l'homme lui-même marchant vers lui.

Il coupe une figure isolée, légèrement voûtée. Le découpeur a roulé au sol alors enlevé, à 7.48. De nouveau à la Maison Blanche, la fin d'une visite qui a semblé être plus au sujet de maintenir de bonnes relations, que de vrais accomplissements.

Je ? J'ai partagé un taxi dans la ville, à un petit hôtel génial. C'a été un voyage étonnant. Je pense que je dormirai bien ce soir.


16 janvier - GMT 1230

maintenant dans le cortège de voitures, mais les experts sont nerveux. Nous sommes loin trop de l'avant du cortège de voitures.

Enfin dans l'Armée de l'Air une ! Et de nouveau aux USA avec le président. Plus pour suivre l'autre extrémité.

16 janvier - GMT 1145

non sûr si j'ai jamais vu tant de personnes secrètes de service. Les hommes en verres noirs sont partout ici à l'hôtel où le Président Bush et le Président Mubarak tiennent leur conférence de nouvelles en quelques minutes.


Les Egyptiens sont grands sur la sécurité. Il y a eu plusieurs des attaques de bombe dans Sinai ces dernières années ainsi le long de notre itinéraire ici étaient les douzaines d'agents plats de vêtements se reposant dehors dans le désert par le côté de route.
Tellement maintenant un moment de tranquillité tandis que nous attendons les deux chefs.

Je suis vol à la maison sur l'Armée de l'Air une, et les personnes de la Maison Blanche sont disant nous doivent courir pour le cortège de voitures quand elle finit. Il y a une femme américaine effrénée qui continue à nous dire que le président ne nous attendra pas !

Les photographes nous disent tous de rester se reposants pour pour ne pas obscurcir leur vue. Chacun. A. peu sur le bord. Quand ils obtiennent ici je serai un couple des mètres partis discutablement du chef le plus puissant du monde. Quoi que votre avis de l'homme qui est assez passionnant.

Ou est-ce que j'ai été dans la bulle trop longue ?

16 janvier - MATIN

une heure et vingt minutes de sommeil. En semaine de à peine tout repos. Le producteur par radio Yolande n'a obtenu aucun sommeil. Elle emballait l'équipement.


Il est 0630. Le soleil est sur le point juste de monter. Le ciel est clair.

Il va être l'un de ces beaux jours où vous obtenez tellement souvent dans le Moyen-Orient quand les marques légères tout apparaissent ainsi dièse, si bien défini.

Les voitures font un écart à travers la ruelle devant notre autobus. Mais le trafic sur le chemin à l'aéroport se déplace rapidement et nous serons là bientôt.

Outre de à l'Egypte pendant quelques heures. Alors de nouveau aux Etats-Unis.

Je sens toujours la même chose en quittant le Moyen-Orient. Légèrement triste.

C'est un endroit spécial, un endroit qui a souffert tellement, un endroit qui est ainsi mal compris par tant de personnes.

Je me demande si George Bush juge maintenant qu'il le comprend peu un meilleur ?

15 janvier - APRÈS-MIDI

je suis sorti « de la bulle » aujourd'hui - pour une totalité 45 minutes.

J'ai sauté dans un taxi, et ai demandé au conducteur de me porter à une rue d'achats. Le conducteur, du Bangladesh, a ri quand j'ai demandé s'il l'aime ici.


« Ce n'est pas un bon endroit, » il a dit.

Il est ici, comme tous les ouvriers étrangers, pour gagner l'argent - dans sa caisse pour la maison de dos de famille.

Nous avons tiré vers le haut et je suis sorti. Dans un magasin stationnaire un homme dans le headscarf quadrillé rouge et blanc favorisé par Saoudien a dit : « George Bush ? N'aimez pas. « 

Dans un café autour du coin, le monde TV de BBC montrait à la télévision d'écran plat, et à une table a reposé un homme avec un ordinateur portable observant YouTube sur l'Internet sans fil.

Je me suis enquis du « discours de liberté » de M. Bush en Abu Dhabi l'autre jour.

« Il dit toujours ceci, c'est son discours habituel concernant la liberté et la démocratie et les choses. Même en Amérique qu'ils n'ont pas ceci, « il a souri.

« George Bush n'est pas un homme paisible. Il juste, vous savent, beaucoup de débuts de guerres. « 

Nous avons conduit de nouveau à l'hôtel. J'ai demandé le conducteur bangladais de taxi sur le coût de carburant ici.

« Non, non cher, » il a dit. Non sûr que fera des consommateurs des USA, ni George Bush, sentez mieux au sujet du coût d'un baril d'huile !


14 janvier - MÊME

quel jour. Chacun qui couvre cette visite indique qu'aujourd'hui ils frappent un mur de brique.

Je pense que les personnes de pression de la Maison Blanche aussi. Chacun semble épuisé. Le programme est exténuant.


Le nez d'histoire a plongé un peu tellement là n'était aucune adrénaline nous remplissant de combustible tous.
Les journalistes aiment un peu de viande sur les os de l'histoire, mais aujourd'hui tout que nous avons vraiment trouvé dehors au sujet du président était qu'il a été montré que ce qu'il a dit étaient les « beaux oiseaux » de la proie.


Alors nous avons obtenu son menu de dîner - potage d'artichaut, et pâté en croûte de pomme avec la crême glacée.

Et vous serez heureux de ne savoir aucun doute que les Saoudiens ont jugé ce dîner « relativement tôt pour notre président de tôt-à-lit » selon son secrétaire de pression. Comme je disais, aucunes nouvelles.

Ainsi les journalistes américains ont dû satisfaire leurs réseaux avec des histoires au sujet de la façon dont demain nous pourrions être témoin des premières chutes de neige dans Riyadh en quelques décennies.

« Au moins ils ne devront pas aller loin trouver le sable pour les routes » un correspondant rapporté.

14 janvier - bienvenue

de MIDI « aux âges moyens, bébé !  »

Est qui ce que quelqu'un dans les corps de pression de déplacement de la Maison Blanche a indiqué pendant que nous frappions la terre en Arabie Saoudite. Les femmes ont discuté à bord si elles doivent porter des headscarves. Le golfe de l'arrangement (ou du malentendu) est évident.

Sur l'autobus à l'hôtel les femmes ont été dites que puisque nous sommes sur une visite à niveau élevé elles peuvent choisir si de porter un headscarf.


Puisque nous sommes dans une société musulmane très conservatrice où des femmes sont obligées de dissimuler, cela semble conseil officiel étrange.
La famille de Bush est amicale avec la famille royale saoudienne, ainsi le président saura les limites de son prétendu « ordre du jour de liberté » ici.

Un jour après qu'il ait réclamé des pays à travers le Moyen-Orient pour être plus démocratique et libéral, pour présenter des réformes économiques et sociales, ceci est aussi bon un endroit que vous obtenez de voir qui ne va pas ne se produire d'aucune manière signicative pendant la présidence de George W Bush.

Il dit que chaque pays doit contrôler des changements de sa propre manière, mais ici à beaucoup il se sent comme il essaye d'imposer des valeurs culturelles occidentales au monde arabe.

Il y a également un excédent de question si la stratégie de M. Bush isoler l'Iran en raison de ses ambitions nucléaires fonctionnera ici. La réponse courte est « aucune il pas ».

Les Saoudiens ont toujours joué un acte de équilibrage très intelligent pour maintenir la stabilité régionale. Ils ont été inquiétés récemment de l'Iran, mais semblent avoir adopté une approche de l'essai d'atteindre dehors à Téhéran à la tension diffuse.


Le Président Bush passera beaucoup de ses deux jours en Arabie Saoudite visitant le pays plutôt que de la politique parler
il y a un arrangement parmi des états dans la région que Téhéran ne réagit pas franchement à l'agression d'un type politique ou militaire.
En Arabie Saoudite, et également les autres états dans cette région, il y a un sens que les ambitions nucléaires de l'Iran ont changé les règles du jeu.

Quand une fois que les Saoudiens, comme les Egyptiens, réclamés un Moyen-Orient libre nucléaire (rappelez-vous que l'Israel est censé avoir des douzaines d'ogives nucléaires - bien qu'il n'admet jamais ceci) maintenant elles ont décalé leur position.

Ils disent qu'ils veulent développer leurs possibilités nucléaires pour diversifier leurs ressources énergétiques, mais l'ambition indiquée est une réponse claire vers l'Iran.

Comme d'habitude les Saoudiens doivent travailler dur pour équilibrer de ce qui est bon pour leur allié étroit les Etats-Unis, et de ce qui leurs voisins régionaux, y compris l'Iran, ont besoin.

Peut-être qui est pourquoi le Président Bush passera beaucoup de son temps ici en deux jours suivants visitant le pays plutôt que de la politique parler.

14 janvier - MATIN

un début tôt aujourd'hui. Des autres tôt commencent !

Nous avons empilé sur des minibus, avec toute notre vitesse et avons conduit la demi-heure ou ainsi à l'aéroport.

L'Armée de l'Air une est une vue renversante sur le macadam vers ma gauche. Le soleil se levant derrière lui et un bon nombre de journalistes obtenant leurs photos prises dans l'avant.

À bord de, nous obtenons avons offert une mimosa - une dernière boisson avant l'arrivée en Arabie Saoudite.

Nous juste avons été rappelés là n'est aucun alcool dans le Saoudien. Et les femmes voyageant en voyage ont été dites pour s'habiller convenablement.

Préparez-vous à décollent. Meilleur allez !

13 janvier - SOIRÉE

il n'est pas simplement la Maison Blanche de Bush que j'apprends environ en ce voyage. C'est également la machine américaine de médias.

Le peuple qui travaillent à côté de moi dans l'opération de reportage par radio est toute les correspondantes assaisonnées. On est un nom de ménage aux USA après des années de service et de journalisme renommé.


Mais ils tous dépensent la majeure partie du jour classant le plus court des morceaux par radio. Court-circuitez ainsi en effet qu'ils les appellent des « taches » !
Parfois ils obtiennent de faire une plus longue analyse, et leur travail est professionnel et d'un niveau élevé. Mais il semble que leurs stations ne veulent plus plus que quelques secondes d'assurance.

L'un d'entre eux, je ne dirai pas pour quel réseau, l'autre jour a déploré les histoires étant couvertes sur le site Web de la station. Les contes de divertissement et de farfelu ont dominé.

Puis aujourd'hui, je faisais un enregistrement à l'appareil-photo avec une TV américaine sers d'équipier. J'ai parlé pour qu'environ une minute et une moitié essaye d'expliquer une partie du fond au discours du président. C'est presque un livre, le cameraman dit quand j'ai fini. Il a dit aux USA qu'il est beaucoup plus court simplement.


Il y a de bon journalisme dans les états, naturellement. Les journaux ont des histoires de qualité et l'affaire de TV et de radio avec quelques questions importantes. Et je voyage principalement avec quelques excellents journalistes qui prennent leurs travaux sérieusement.
Ce n'est pas une critique de eux, mais global l'assurance la plupart de leurs compagnies fournissent est près dominées des histoires rapides et entraînantes. Et il semble que même leur propre président n'obtient pas beaucoup d'un regard po.

Certains discuteraient les médias britanniques ont déjà commencé en bas de ce chemin. Si c'est le cas, le futur ne regarde pas pour être terriblement bien informé.

Assez ! Pour dormir, brièvement. Demain nous ne sommes pas en ligne en avance en Arabie Saoudite sur la prochaine jambe du voyage. Jour six. Pays cinq.

Le 13 janvier - MATIN où

ils l'appellent la bulle, et quand nous avons atterri au Bahrain il s'est senti comme nous étions coincés bien à l'intérieur de lui.


L'autobus nous a conduits hors de l'aéroport, il s'était garé à côté de l'avion et nous avons simplement marché sur lui. Pour quelque raison notre convoi a eu une escorte de police, et nous avons passé des jonctions où le trafic local a dû nous attendre pendant que nous conduisions par les lumières rouges. Nous avons conduit le long de la chaussée vers les gratte-ciel de Manama.
D'autres journalistes ont enlevé leurs appareils-photo, posant des questions sur ce que nous voyions. Touristes passionnants. Alors nous sommes arrivés à l'hôtel et avons été battus po.

La raison ils l'appellent la bulle, est parce que ce processus entier signifie que de l'atterrissage aux médias centrez-toi regardent littéralement hors de la bulle le réel autour de toi. Au Kowéit je ne pense pas que j'ai rencontré un Koweitien simple. Pour être cependant juste la plupart de personnel d'hôtel il y a l'Asie ou ailleurs.

Il est fondamentalement comme être enfoncé avec le président - avec toutes questions qui augmente pour des journalistes. Pas que la Maison Blanche essaye de quelque façon d'affecter notre reportage.


Ils ne m'ont jamais approché au sujet d'une histoire que j'avais classée. J'ai la liberté totale, mais en raison des programmes serrés n'obtenez pas de rencontrer les personnes du pays que nous traversons. C'est correct. Le travail est de rendre compte de la visite du président, mais il vous signifie le besoin d'autres sources d'informations sur où vous êtes.
Une autre chose rapide. M. Bush tandis qu'ici au Bahrain a fait bon accueil à une nouvelle loi irakienne qui permet à des milliers d'anciens défenseurs juniors de partie de Baath de Saddam Hussein de prendre les travaux de gouvernement. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Diario del viaje de Medio Oriente.
Automatically translated into Spanish thanks to WorldLingo
El diario del viaje de Medio Oriente, George W Bush ha concluido un viaje de Medio Oriente que incluyó su primera visita como presidente de los E.E.U.U. a Israel y a los territorios palestinos, así como paradas en el golfo y el Egipto. El precio correspondiente de BBC Matthew, que viajó con él, escribió un diario en su progreso.


16 de enero - GMT 2230 que


supongo que la cosa más extraña sobre viajar en la fuerza aérea una es el conocimiento que apenas algunos metros delante de usted en el mismo plano son algunos de los mundos la mayoría de la gente de gran alcance: Bush, arroz, Hadley. El sentarse apenas para arriba en frente. O en el caso de Bush que miente posiblemente en su cama, que correcta para arriba en la nariz del plano.

Después de nuestra rociada enojada al aeropuerto acometimos a la parte posteriora del plano donde los hombres secretos del servicio comprobaron nuestros pasos apagado en una lista y fuimos a bordo. No donde usted camina en un vuelo comercial pero mucho más bajo, similar a donde va el equipaje. Encima de las escaleras, probablemente 20 en todos y entonces allí es un aterrizaje con el área de los medios, el área del personal y el servicio secreto también.

Dentro de - bien, es gris. Repugnante bonito realmente. Y la cabina de los medios es un pedacito como estar en asientos del negocio con servicio de la economía. Los primeros contadores de tiempo como mí consiguen un bolso del goody. Tenía una caja de cigarrillos adentro con el sello presidencial en ellos, pero Nancy Reagan, me dicen, opuesto, tan ahora usted consigo el sello blanco M&Ms de la casa.

No hay aviso de seguridad. Conjeturo si usted se está ocupando del hombre grande que cada uno puede apartar para sí mismos. ¡Y no tuvimos que dar vuelta apagado a móviles - aunque no hay señal en 33.000 pies! Hay 14 asientos en el área del journo y pares de las TV.

Bill Clinton volverse y charlaba. El fotógrafo al lado de mí dijo que era malo. Usted estaría intentando dormir después de un viaje gruelling y él estaría intentando bromear. Ningún tal problema con el GW. Él permanece bien lejos de nosotros.

La cosa más interesante era cómo ésta es la burbuja VERDADERA. El motorcade nos compitió con a la pista de despeque entonces el plano entonces que carreteamos y voló y satisfizo nunca una vez a persona verdadera correctamente. ¡Sé que es políticas modernas, pero no puedo dejar de pensar que George W Bush al exterior cuando lo eligieron presidente y después había sido apenas por los siete años pasados que él ha estado en una burbuja presidencial - lo han sujetado a esto! ¡Y él vive en Washington, divorciado como ese lugar puede ser de de la vida real también!


Acabo de realizar mientras que escribía que desperté esta mañana en Riyadh, caí adentro en el EL-Jeque de Sharm, y la est ahora en la C.C. de Washington. Y pienso todo el dia que he tenido solamente una charla con una persona de tres países uces de los.

Aterrizamos un poco temprano, alrededor de mitad-siete, y trotamos hacia fuera en la base de fuerza aérea de un Andrew frío. Al infante de marina adecuado uno, el helicóptero presidencial. Y allí, el hombre mismo que camina hacia él.

Él corta una figura sola, hunched levemente. El interruptor carreteó entonces quitado, en 7.48. De nuevo a la casa blanca, el final de una visita que se ha parecido ser más sobre continuar buenas relaciones, que logros verdaderos.

¿Yo? Compartí un taxi en ciudad, a un pequeño hotel cobarde. Ha sido un viaje asombroso. Pienso que dormiré bien esta noche.


16 de enero - el GMT 1230

ahora en el motorcade, pero las viejas manos es nerviosos. Somos parte posteriora demasiado lejana del frente del motorcade.

¡Finalmente en la fuerza aérea una! Y de nuevo a los E.E.U.U. con el presidente. Más para seguir el otro extremo.

16 de enero - GMT 1145

no seguro si he visto siempre a tan mucha gente secreta del servicio. Los hombres en cristales negros son por todas partes aquí en el hotel en donde presidente Bush y presidente Mubarak llevan a cabo su conferencia de las noticias en algunos minutos.


Los egipcios son grandes en seguridad. Ha habido varios los ataques de la bomba en Sinaí estos últimos años así que a lo largo de nuestra ruta aquí estaban las docenas de agentes llanos de las ropas que se sentaban hacia fuera en el desierto por el lado del camino.
Tan ahora un momento de la tranquilidad mientras que esperamos a dos líderes.

Soy vuelo casero en la fuerza aérea una, y la gente blanca de la casa es diciendo nosotros tiene que funcionar para el motorcade cuando acaba. ¡Hay una mujer americana frenética que guarda el decir nos que el presidente no nos espere!

Los fotógrafos nos están diciendo todos permanecer que se sientan para no obscurecer su opinión. Cada uno. A. poco en el borde. Cuando consiguen aquí seré un par de metros lejos discutible del líder más de gran alcance del mundo. Lo que su opinión del hombre que es bastante emocionante.

¿O he estado en la burbuja demasiado larga?

16 de enero - MAÑANA

una hora y veinte minutos de sueño. En una semana de apenas cualquier resto. El productor de radio Yolande no consiguió ningún sueño. Ella embalaba el equipo.


Es 0630. El sol es justo alrededor subir. El cielo está claro.

Va a ser uno de esos días hermosos que usted consigue tan a menudo en el Oriente Medio cuando aparecen las marcas ligeras todo tan sostenido, tan bien definido.

Los coches están desviando a través del carril delante de nuestro autobús. Pero el tráfico en la manera al aeropuerto se está moviendo rápidamente y estaremos allí pronto.

A Egipto por algunas horas. Entonces de nuevo a los E.E.U.U.

Siento siempre igual al salir de el Oriente Medio. Levemente triste.

Esto es un lugar especial, un lugar que ha sufrido tanto, un lugar que sea así que entendido mal por tan mucha gente.

¿Me pregunto si George Bush ahora se siente que él lo entiende un poco mejor?

15 de enero - TARDE

salí “de la burbuja” hoy - para un conjunto 45 minutos.

Salté en un taxi, y pedí que el conductor me llevara a una calle de las compras. El conductor, de Bangladesh, rió cuando pregunté si él tiene gusto de él aquí.


“No es un buen lugar,” él dijo.

Él es aquí, como todos los trabajadores extranjeros, ganar el dinero - en su caja para el hogar de la parte posteriora de la familia.

Nos levantamos y salí. En una tienda inmóvil un hombre en el rojo y el blanco chequered el headscarf favorecido por Saudis dicho: ¿“George Bush? No tenga gusto. “

En un café alrededor de la esquina, mundo TV de BBC demostraba en la televisión de la pantalla plana, y en una tabla sentó a hombre con una computadora portátil que miraba YouTube en Internet sin hilos.

Pregunté por “discurso de la libertad” de Sr. Bush en Abu Dhabi el otro día.

“Él dice siempre esto, éste es su discurso generalmente acerca de la libertad y democracia y las cosas. Incluso en América que no tienen esto, “él sonrió.

“George Bush no es un hombre pacífico. Él apenas, usted sabe, los muchos del comienzo de guerras. “

Condujimos de nuevo al hotel. Pedí el conductor del taxi de Bangladeshi acerca del coste de combustible aquí.

“No, no costoso,” él dijo. ¡No seguro que hará consumidores de los E.E.U.U., ni George Bush, siéntase mejor sobre el coste de un barril de aceite!


14 de enero - IGUALAR

un qué día. Cada uno que cubre esta visita dice que golpean hoy una pared del ladrillo.

Pienso que lo hizo la gente blanca de la prensa de la casa también. Cada uno parece agotado. El horario gruelling.


La nariz de la historia se zambulló un pedacito tan allí no era ninguna adrenalina que nos aprovisionaba de combustible todos.
Los periodistas tienen gusto de un poco carne en los huesos de la historia, pero hoy todos lo que realmente encontramos hacia fuera sobre el presidente eran que le demostraron que lo que él dijo eran los “pájaros hermosos” de la presa.


Entonces conseguimos su menú de la cena - sopa de la alcachofa, y empanada de manzana con helado.

Y usted estará alegre no saber ninguna duda que los Saudis llevaron a cabo esa cena “relativamente temprano para nuestro presidente de la temprano-a-cama” según su secretaria de prensa. Como dije, ningunas noticias.

Los periodistas americanos tuvieron que satisfacer tan sus redes con historias sobre cómo puede ser que atestigüemos mañana las primeras nevadas en Riyadh en décadas.

“Por lo menos no tendrán que ir lejos a encontrar la arena para los caminos” un correspondiente divulgada.

¡14 de enero - recepción

a las edades medias, bebé del MEDIODÍA “! ”

Que es lo que dijo alguien en el cuerpo de prensa blanco de la casa que viajaba mientras que golpeamos la tierra en la Arabia Saudita. Las mujeres a bordo discutieron si tienen que usar headscarves. El golfo de entender (o de entender mal) es obvio.

En el autobús al hotel dijeron las mujeres que puesto que estamos en una visita de alto nivel pueden elegir si o no usar un headscarf.


Puesto que somos en una sociedad musulmana muy conservadora donde obligan a las mujeres a cubrir para arriba, ése se parece consejo oficial extraño.
La familia de Bush es amistosa con la familia real Saudi, así que el presidente sabrá los límites de su “agenda supuesta de la libertad” aquí.

Un día después de que él llamara para los países a través de el Oriente Medio para ser más democrático y liberal, introducir las reformas económicas y sociales, ésta es tan bueno un lugar como usted consigue ver que no va a suceder de ninguna manera significativa durante la presidencia de George W Bush.

Él dice que cada país debe manejar cambios en su propia manera, pero aquí a muchos se siente como él está intentando imponer valores culturales occidentales ante el mundo árabe.

Hay también un excedente de la pregunta si la estrategia de Sr. Bush aislar Irán debido a sus ambiciones nucleares trabajará aquí. La respuesta corta es “ninguna él no”.

Los Saudis han jugado siempre un acto que balanceaba muy listo para mantener estabilidad regional. Se han preocupado recientemente de Irán, pero se parecen haber adoptado un acercamiento de intentar alcanzar hacia fuera a Tehran a la tensión difusa.


Presidente Bush pasará mucho de sus dos días en la Arabia Saudita que visita puntos de interés más bien que la política que habla
allí es una comprensión entre estados en la región que Tehran no reacciona positivamente a la agresión de un tipo político o militar.
En la Arabia Saudita, y también los otros estados en esta región, hay un sentido que las ambiciones nucleares de Irán han cambiado las reglas del juego.

Cuando una vez que los Saudis, como los egipcios, ahora llamados para un Medio Oriente libre nuclear (recuerde que Israel está creído tener docenas de cabezas nucleares nucleares - aunque nunca admite esto) han cambiado de puesto su posición.

Dicen que desean desarrollar su capacidad nuclear para diversificar sus recursos energéticos, pero la ambición indicada es una respuesta clara a Irán.

Como de costumbre los Saudis tienen que trabajar difícilmente para balancear cuál es bueno para su aliado cercano los Estados Unidos, y qué necesitan sus vecinos regionales, incluyendo Irán.

Quizás que es porqué presidente Bush pasará mucho de su tiempo aquí en los dos días próximos que visita puntos de interés más bien que política que habla.

14 de enero - MAÑANA

un comienzo temprano hoy. ¡Otros temprano comienzan!

Llenamos sobre los microbús, con todo nuestro engranaje y condujimos la media-hora o tan al aeropuerto.

La fuerza aérea una es una vista imponente en la pista de despeque a mi izquierda. El sol que se levanta detrás de él y de porciones de reporteros que consiguen sus fotos tomadas en frente.

A bordo de, conseguimos ofrecimos un mimosa - una bebida pasada antes de llegar en la Arabia Saudita.

Acabamos de recordarse allí no somos ningún alcohol en Saudi. Y han dicho las mujeres que viajaban en el viaje para vestir apropiadamente.

Prepárese para sacan. ¡Mejor vaya!

13 de enero - TARDE

no es justo la casa blanca de Bush que estoy aprendiendo alrededor en este viaje. Es también la máquina americana de los medios.

La gente que trabaja junto a mí en la operación de divulgación de radio es toda correspondientes sazonados. Uno es un nombre de la casa en los E.E.U.U. después de años del servicio y del periodismo renombrado.


Pero todos pasan la mayor parte de el día que archiva el más corto de los pedazos de radio. ¡Ponga en cortocircuito tan de hecho que los llaman los “puntos”!
Consiguen a veces hacer un análisis más largo, y su trabajo es profesional y de una mayor nivel. Pero se parece que sus estaciones desean no más más que algunos segundos de la cobertura.

Uno de ellos, no diré para qué red, el otro día lamentó de las historias que eran cubiertas en el Web site de la estación. La hospitalidad y los cuentos wacky dominaron.

Entonces hoy, hacía una grabación a la cámara fotográfica con un equipo americano de la TV. Hablé para que alrededor de un minuto y una mitad intenten explicar algo del fondo al discurso del presidente. Eso casi es un libro, el cameraman dicho cuando acabé. Él dijo en los E.E.U.U. que es mucho más corto justo.


Hay buen periodismo en los estados, por supuesto. Los periódicos tienen historias de la calidad y reparto de la TV y de la radio con algunas ediciones pesadas. Y estoy viajando en la cañería con algunos periodistas excelentes que tomen sus trabajos seriamente.
Ésta no es una crítica de ellos, pero total la cobertura la mayor parte de que sus compañías proporcionan es cerca dominadas historias rápidas, pegadizas. Y se parece que incluso su propio presidente no consigue mucha de una mirada pulg.

Algunos discutirían los medios británicos han comenzado ya abajo de esa trayectoria. Si ése es el caso, el futuro no mira para ser terrible bien informado.

¡Bastantes! Para dormir, brevemente. Somos mañana apagado tempranos a la Arabia Saudita en la pierna siguiente del viaje. Día seises. País cinco.

El 13 de enero - MAÑANA que

lo llaman la burbuja, y cuando aterrizamos en Bahrein él se sentía como a la derecha nos pegaron dentro de él.


El autobús nos condujo del aeropuerto, había parqueado al lado del avión y caminamos simplemente sobre él. Por alguna razón nuestro convoy tenía un acompañamiento del policía, y pasamos las ensambladuras donde el tráfico local tuvo que esperarnos mientras que condujimos a través de luces rojas. Condujimos a lo largo de la calzada hacia los rascacielos de Manama.
Otros periodistas tomaron sus cámaras fotográficas hacia fuera, haciendo preguntas acerca de lo que veíamos. Turistas excitados. Después conseguimos al hotel y fuimos batidos pulg.

La razón la llaman la burbuja, son porque este proceso entero significa que de momento del aterrizaje a los medios céntrele miran literalmente fuera de la burbuja el del mundo real alrededor de usted. En Kuwait no pienso que satisfice a solo Kuwaiti. Sin embargo para ser justo la mayoría del personal del hotel hay de Asia o a otra parte.

Es básicamente como ser encajado con el presidente - con todas las ediciones que levanta para los periodistas. No que la casa blanca de cualquier manera intenta afectar nuestra divulgación.


Nunca me han acercado sobre una historia que he estado archivando. Tengo la libertad total, pero debido a los horario apretados no consiga satisfacer a la gente del país que estamos pasando a través. Eso es aceptable. El trabajo es divulgar sobre la visita del presidente, pero le significa necesidad otras fuentes de la información sobre donde usted está.
Una otra cosa rápida. Sr. Bush mientras que aquí en Bahrein dio la bienvenida a una nueva ley iraquí que permite que los millares de partidarios menores anteriores del partido de Baath de Saddam Hussein tomen trabajos del gobierno. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Diario di giro di Medio Oriente.
Automatically translated into Italian thanks to WorldLingo
Il diario di giro di Medio Oriente, George il W Bush ha concluso un giro di Medio Oriente che ha incluso la sua prima chiamata come presidente degli Stati Uniti nell'Israele ed i territori palestinesi, così come gli arresti il golfo e nell'Egitto. Il prezzo corrispondente di BBC Matthew, che ha viaggiato con lui, ha scritto un diario sul suo progresso.


16 gennaio - GMT 2230


suppongo che la cosa più sconosciuta circa viaggiare sull'aeronautica una è la conoscenza che appena alcuni tester davanti voi sullo stesso aereo sono alcuni dei mondi la maggior parte della gente potente: Bush, riso, Hadley. Sedendosi appena in su nella parte anteriore. O nel caso di Bush possibilmente che si trova nella sua base, che è di destra in su nel naso dell'aereo.

Dopo il nostro precipitare pazzo all'aeroporto abbiamo scorso veloce alla parte posteriore dell'aereo in cui gli uomini segreti di servizio hanno controllato i nostri passaggi fuori su una lista e siamo andato a bordo. Non dove camminate su un volo commerciale ma molto più basso, simile a dove il bagaglio va. Sulle scale, probabilmente 20 in tutto ed allora là sono un atterraggio con la zona di mezzi, la zona del personale ed il servizio segreto anche.

All'interno di - bene, è grigio. Nasty grazioso realmente. E la baracca di mezzi è una punta come essere nelle sedi di affari con servizio di economia. I primi temporizzatori come me ottengono un sacchetto del goody. Ha usato avere una scatola di sigarette all'interno con la guarnizione presidenziale su loro, ma Nancy Reagan, mi dico a, obiettato, così ora voi ottengo la guarnizione M&Ms della Casa Bianca.

Non ci è annuncio di sicurezza. Indovino sesiete occupando iete occupando dell'uomo che grande tutto altrimenti può arrangiarsi se stesso. E non abbiamo dovuto spegnere i mobiles - anche se non ci è segnale a 33.000 piedi! Ci sono 14 sedi nella zona di journo e lle coppie delle TV.

Bill Clinton ha usato ritornare e chiacchierare. Il photographer vicino me ha detto che era difettoso. Stavate provando a dormire dopo un viaggio gruelling e stava provando a banter. Nessun tale problema con il GW. Rimane buono via da noi.

La cosa più interessante era come questa è la bolla REALE. Il motorcade li ha corsi al tarmac allora l'aereo allora che abbiamo rullato ed ha volato e mai una volta ha venuto a contatto di una persona reale correttamente. So che è politiche moderne, ma non posso contribuire a pensare che George il W Bush appena all'estero quando è stato scelto presidente ed allora sia stato per i sette anni che ultimi è stato in una bolla presidenziale - è stato sottoposto a questo! E vive a Washington, divorziata come quel posto può provenire da in vivo anche!


Ho realizzato appena mentre scrivevo che ho svegliato questa mattina in Riyadh, sono caduto dentro sullo EL-Sceicco di Sharm e sull'ora in DC di Washington. E penso tutto il giorno che abbia avuto soltanto una chiacchierata con una persona da c'è ne dei tre paesi.

Abbiamo atterrato poco un in anticipo, intorno alla metà-sett'ed abbiamo trottato fuori nella base di aeronautica del Andrew freddo. Al fante di marina di destra uno, l'elicottero presidenziale. E là, l'uomo egli stesso che cammina verso esso.

Taglia una figura sola, hunched un po'. Il selettore rotante rullato allora tolto, a 7.48. Di nuovo alla Casa Bianca, la conclusione di una chiamata che ha sembrato essere più circa continuare i buoni rapporti, che i successi reali.

Me? Ho ripartito un tassì nella città, ad un hotel piccolo funky. È stato un viaggio stupefacente. Penso che dorma bene stasera.


16 gennaio - il GMT 1230

ora nel motorcade, ma gli esperti è nervosi. Siamo parte posteriore troppo lontana dalla parte anteriore del motorcade.

Infine nell'aeronautica una! E di nuovo agli Stati Uniti con il presidente. Più per seguire l'altra estremità.

16 gennaio - GMT 1145

non sicuro se ho visto mai tanta gente segreta di servizio. Gli uomini in vetri neri sono dappertutto qui all'hotel in cui il presidente Bush ed il presidente Mubarak tengono il loro congresso di notizie in alcuni minuti.


Gli Egiziani sono grandi su sicurezza. Ci sono stati vari attacchi della bomba nel Sinai negli ultimi anni in modo da lungo il nostro itinerario qui erano le dozzine degli agenti normali dei vestiti che si siedono fuori nel deserto dal lato della strada.
Così ora un momento del quiet mentre aspettiamo i due capi.

Sono volo domestico sull'aeronautica una e la gente della Casa Bianca è dicendo noi deve funzionare per il motorcade quando rifinisce. Ci è una donna americana frantic che continua a dirci che il presidente non li aspetti!

I photographers stanno dicendoci tutti di rimanere sedentesi per non oscurare il loro punto di vista. Tutto. A. piccolo sul bordo. Quando ottengono qui sarò discutibilmente una coppia dei tester assenti dal capo più potente del mondo. Qualunque il vostro parere dell'uomo che è abbastanza emozionante.

O sono stato nella bolla troppo lunga?

16 gennaio - MATTINA

un'ora e venti minuti di sonno. In una settimana di appena qualsiasi riposo. Il produttore radiofonico Yolande non ha ottenuto sonno. Stava imballando l'apparecchiatura.


È 0630. Il sole è giusto circa venire in su. Il cielo è chiaro.

Sta andando essere uno di quei giorni che bei ottenete così spesso nel Medio Oriente quando le marche chiare tutto compaiono così sharp, così ben definito.

Gli automobili swerving attraverso il vicolo davanti il nostro bus. Ma il traffico sul senso all'aeroporto sta muovendosi velocemente e saremo là presto.

Fuori all'Egitto per alcune ore. Allora di nuovo agli S.U.A.

Ritengo sempre lo stesso quando lascia il Medio Oriente. Un po'triste.

Ciò è un posto speciale, un posto che ha sofferto così tanto, un posto che è in modo da compreso male da tanta gente.

Mi domando se George Bush ora ritiene che lo capisce poco un migliore?

15 gennaio - POMERIGGIO

ho uscito oggi “della bolla„ - per un tutto 45 minuti.

Ho saltato in un tassì ed ho chiesto al driver di prenderlo ad una via di shopping. Il driver, dalla Bangladesh, ha riso quando ho chiesto se la gradisce qui.


“Non è un buon posto,„ ha detto.

È qui, come tutti gli operai stranieri, guadagnare i soldi - nella sua cassa per la sede della parte posteriore della famiglia.

Abbiamo tirato su ed ho uscito. In un negozio stazionario un uomo nel rosso e nel bianco chequered il headscarf favorito da Saudis detto: “George Bush? Non gradisca. “

In un caffè intorno al angolo, il mondo TV di BBC stava mostrando sulla televisione dello schermo piano e ad una tabella ha seduto un uomo con un laptop che guarda YouTube sul Internet senza fili.

Ho chiesto notizie “su discorso di libertà„ del sig. Bush nell'Abu Dhabi l'altro giorno.

“Dice sempre questo, questo è il suo discorso usuale sulla libertà e democrazia e cose. Anche in America che non hanno questo, “lui ha sorriso.

“George Bush non è un uomo pacifico. Appena, voi sa, guerre molto di inizio. “

Abbiamo guidato di nuovo all'hotel. Ho interrogato il driver del tassì di Bangladeshi riguardo al costo di combustibile qui.

“No, non costoso,„ ha detto. Non sicuro che farà i consumatori degli Stati Uniti, né George Bush, ritenga affatto più meglio circa il costo di un barilotto di olio!


14 gennaio - ANCHE

ché giorno. Tutto che riguarda questa chiamata dice che oggi colpiscono una parete del mattone.

Penso che la gente della pressa della Casa Bianca anche. Tutto sembra esaurito. Il programma gruelling.


Il naso di storia si è tuffato una punta così là era adrenalina che li rifornisce di combustibile tutti.
I giornalisti gradiscono un po'di carne sulle ossa della storia, ma oggi tutto realmente trovassimo fuori circa il presidente era che è stato indicato che che cosa ha detto erano “gli uccelli bei„ della preda.


Allora abbiamo ottenuto il suo menu del pranzo - minestra del carciofo e torta di mela con il gelato.

E sarete felici di non conoscere dubbio che i Saudis giudichino quel pranzo “relativamente presto per il nostro presidente della presto--base„ secondo la sua segretaria di pressa. Come ho detto, nessun notizie.

Così i giornalisti americani hanno dovuto soddisfare le loro reti con le storia circa quanto domani potremmo testimoniare i primi snowfall in Riyadh nelle decadi.

“Almeno non dovranno andare lontano trovare la sabbia per le strade„ un corrispondente segnalata.

14 gennaio - benvenuto

a Medio Evo, bambino di MEZZOGIORNO “! „

Che è che cosa qualcuno nel corpo mobile della pressa della Casa Bianca ha detto mentre abbiamo colpito la terra in Arabia Saudita. A bordo delle donne discusso se devono portare i headscarves. Il golfo di capire (o di equivoco) è evidente.

Sul bus all'hotel le donne si sono dette a che poiché siamo su una chiamata ad alto livello potessero scegliere se o non portare un headscarf.


Poiché siamo in una società musulmana molto conservatrice in cui le donne sono obbligate a dissimulare, quello sembra consiglio ufficiale sconosciuto.
La famiglia di Bush è amichevole con la famiglia reale saudita, in modo da il presidente conoscerà i limiti del suo cosiddetto “ordine del giorno di libertà„ qui.

Un giorno dopo che abbia richiesto i paesi attraverso il Medio Oriente per essere più democratico e liberale, introdurre le riforme economiche e sociali, questa è buono un posto come ottenete vedere che non stanno andando accadere in alcun senso espressivo durante la presidenza del George il W Bush.

Dice che ogni paese deve controllare i cambiamenti nel relativo proprio senso, ma qui a molti ritiene come sta provando ad imporre i valori culturali occidentali al mondo arabo.

Ci è inoltre un'eccedenza di domanda se la strategia del sig. Bush isolare l'Iran a causa delle relative ambizioni nucleari funzionerà qui. La risposta corta è “nessuna esso non„.

I Saudis hanno giocato sempre un atto d'equilibratura molto intelligente per effettuare la stabilità regionale. Sono stati preoccupati recentemente per l'Iran, ma sembrano adottare un metodo di provare a raggiungere fuori a Tehran a tensionamento diffuso.


Il presidente Bush spenderà molto dei suoi due giorni in Arabia Saudita che sightseeing piuttosto che la politica di comunicazione
là è una comprensione fra dichiara nella regione che Tehran non reagisce positivamente ad aggressione di un tipo politico o militare.
In Arabia Saudita ed inoltre l'altro dichiara in questa regione, ci è un senso che le ambizioni nucleari dell'Iran hanno cambiato le regole del gioco.

Quando una volta che i Saudis, come gli Egiziani, richiedessero Medio Oriente libero nucleare (ricordi di l'Israele si crede avere dozzine dei warheads nucleari - anche se non ammette mai che questo) ora hanno spostato la loro posizione.

Dicono che desiderano sviluppare la loro possibilità nucleare per differenziare le loro risorse energetiche, ma l'ambizione dichiarata è una risposta libera nell'Iran.

Come di consueto i Saudis devono lavorare duro per equilibrare di che cosa è buono per il loro alleato vicino gli Stati Uniti e di che cosa i loro vicini regionali, compreso l'Iran, hanno bisogno.

Forse ecco perché il presidente Bush spenderà molto del suo tempo qui nei due giorni prossimi che sightseeing piuttosto che la politica di comunicazione.

14 gennaio - MATTINA

un inizio iniziale oggi. Un altro presto cominciano!

Abbiamo accatastato sui minibuses, con tutto l'nostro ingranaggio ed abbiamo guidato la mezza ora o così all'aeroporto.

L'aeronautica una è una vista sbalorditiva sul tarmac a mia parte di sinistra. Il sole che aumenta dietro esso ed i lotti dei reporter che ottengono le loro foto prese nella parte anteriore.

A bordo, otteniamo abbiamo offerto un mimosa - una ultima bevanda prima di arrivare in Arabia Saudita.

Siamo stati ricordati a appena là siamo alcool in saudito. E le donne che viaggiano sul viaggio si sono dette a per vestirsi giustamente.

Prepari per tolgono. Migliore vada!

13 gennaio - SERA

non è giusto la Casa Bianca che di Bush sto imparando circa su questo viaggio. È inoltre la macchina americana di mezzi.

La gente che lavora accanto me nel funzionamento di segnalazione radiofonico è tutto corrispondenti conditi. Uno è un nome della famiglia negli Stati Uniti dopo gli anni di servizio e di giornalismo renowned.


Ma tutti spendono la maggior parte del giorno che archivia il più corto delle parti radiofoniche. Così metta effettivamente che li denominano “punti„!
A volte ottengono fare l'analisi più lunga ed il loro lavoro è professionale e di alto livello. Ma sembra che le loro stazioni più non desiderano più di alcuni secondi di riempimento.

Uno di loro, non dirò per quale rete, l'altro giorno ha deplorato le storia che sono coperte sul Web site della stazione. Intrattenimento e racconti wacky dominati.

Allora oggi, stavo facendo una registrazione alla macchina fotografica con una squadra americana della TV. Ho parlato affinchè circa un minuto e una metà provi a spiegare alcuni dei precedenti al discorso del presidente. Quello è quasi un libro, il cineoperatore detto quando ho rifinito. Ha detto negli Stati Uniti che è mólto più corto solo.


Ci è buon giornalismo in dichiara, naturalmente. I giornali hanno le storia di qualità ed affare della radio e della TV con alcune edizioni pesanti. E sto viaggiando principalmente con alcuni giornalisti eccellenti che prendono seriamente i loro lavori.
Ciò non è una critica di loro, ma generale il riempimento più delle loro aziende fornisce è storia rapide e catchy vicino dominate. E sembra che neppure il loro proprio presidente non ottiene molto di uno sguardo poll.

Alcuni discuterebbero i mezzi britannici già hanno cominciato giù quel percorso. Se quello è il caso, il futuro non osserva per essere terribile bene informato.

Abbastanza! Per dormire, brevemente. Domani siamo fuori presto in Arabia Saudita sul piedino seguente del viaggio. Giorno sei. Paese cinque.

Il 13 gennaio - MATTINA che

lo denominano la bolla e quando abbiamo atterrato in Bahrain esso ha ritenuto come siamo stati attaccati a destra all'interno di esso.


Il bus li ha guidati dall'aeroporto, aveva parcheggiato vicino all'aeroplano ed abbiamo camminato semplicemente su esso. Per qualche motivo il nostro convoglio ha avuto un escort della polizia ed abbiamo passato le giunzioni in cui il traffico locale ha dovuto aspettarlo mentre abbiamo guidato attraverso le luci rosse. Abbiamo guidato lungo il causeway verso i grattacieli di Manama.
Altri giornalisti hanno eliminato le loro macchine fotografiche, facendo le domande riguardo a che cosa stavamo vedendo. Turisti eccitati. Allora abbiamo ottenuto all'hotel e siamo stati sbattuti poll.

Il motivo lo denominano la bolla, sono perché questo processo intero significa che dal touchdown ai mezzi seli concentri letteralmente osservano dalla bolla il nell'ambiente intorno voi. Nel Kuwait non penso che abbia venuto a contatto di singolo kuwaitiano. Comunque per essere giusto la maggior parte del personale dell'hotel ci proviene dall'Asia o altrove.

È basicamente come l'incastonatura con il presidente - con tutte le edizioni che si alza per i giornalisti. Non che la Casa Bianca in tutto il senso prova ad interessare la nostra segnalazione.


Non si sono avvicinato mai circa una storia che sto archiviando. Ho ottenuto la libertà totale, ma a causa dei programmi stretti non ottenga venire a contatto della gente del paese che stiamo attraversando. Quello è giusto. Il lavoro è di segnalare sulla chiamata del presidente, ma li significa bisogno altre fonti delle informazioni su dove siete.
Altra una cosa rapida. Il sig. Bush mentre qui in Bahrain ha accolto favorevolmente una nuova legge irachena che permette che le migliaia dei sostenitori minori precedenti del partito di Baath del Saddam Hussein prendano i lavori di governo. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Mittlere Ostentourtagebuch.
Automatically translated into German thanks to WorldLingo
Mittlere Ostentourtagebuch, George W Bush hat eine Mittlere Ostentour gefolgert, die seinen ersten Besuch als US Präsident zu Israel und zu den palästinensischen Gegenden, sowie Anschläge im Golf und im Ägypten einschloß. BBC entsprechender Matthew Preis, der mit ihm reiste, schrieb ein Tagebuch auf seinen Fortschritt.


16. Januar - GMT 2230, das


ich annehme, daß die merkwürdigste Sache über das Reisen auf Luftwaffe man das Wissen ist, daß gerade einige Meßinstrumente vor Ihnen auf der gleichen Fläche einige der Welten die meisten leistungsfähigen Leute sind: Bush, Reis, Hadley. Sitzen gerade oben in der Frontseite. Oder im Falle Bushs, der vielleicht in seinem Bett liegt, das oben in der Nase der Fläche recht ist.

Nach unserem wütenden Schlag zum Flughafen hetzten wir zur Rückseite der Fläche, in der geheime Service-Männer unsere Durchläufe weg auf einer Liste überprüften und wir an Bord gingen. Nicht wo Sie auf einen kommerziellen Flug aber viel niedriger gehen, ähnlich zu, wo das Gepäck geht. Herauf die Treppe vermutlich ist 20 in allen und dann dort eine Landung mit dem Mittelbereich, dem Personalbereich und dem geheimen Service auch.

Innerhalb - gut ist es grau. Hübsches böses wirklich. Und die Mittelkabine ist eine Spitze wie Sein in den Geschäft Sitzen mit Wirtschaftservice. Erste Timer wie ich erhalten einen Sachebeutel. Es verwendete, einen Kasten Zigaretten nach innen mit der Präsidentendichtung auf ihnen zu haben, aber Nancy Reagan, werde ich erklärt, eingewendet, so jetzt Sie erhalte Hausdichtung M&Ms.

Es gibt keine Sicherheit Ansage. Ich schätze, wenn Sie um den grossen Mann sich kümmern, den jeder für selbst sonst abwehren kann. Und wir mußten nicht Mobiles abstellen - obgleich es kein Signal bei 33.000 Fuß gibt! Es gibt 14 Sitze im Journobereich und Paare von Fernsehapparaten.

Bill Clinton verwendete zurückzukommen und zu plaudern. Der Photograph nahe bei mir sagte, daß es schlecht war. Sie würden versuchen, nach einer gruelling Reise zu schlafen und er würde versuchen zu necken. Kein solches Problem mit GW. Er bleibt weg von uns wohl.

Die interessanteste Sache war, wie dieses die REALE Luftblase ist. Das motorcade lief uns zum Tarmac dann die Fläche dann, das wir mit einem Taxi fuhren und flog und traf nie einmal eine wirkliche Person richtig. Ich weiß, der moderne Politiken ist, aber ich kann nicht zu denken, helfen, daß George W Bush kaum im Ausland, als er Präsidenten gewählt wurde und dann für die letzten sieben Jahre gewesen war, die er in einer Präsidentenluftblase gewesen ist - er ist diesem unterworfen worden! Und er wohnt in Washington, geschieden, wie dieser Platz vom realen Leben auch sein kann!


Ich verwirklichte gerade beim Schreiben, daß ich heute morgen in Riyadh aufwachte, fiel innen auf Sharm ELScheich und morgens jetzt in Washington DC. Und aller Tag denke ich, daß ich nur ein Schwätzchen mit einer Person aus irgendwelchen der drei Länder gehabt habe.

Wir landeten ein wenig frühes, um Hälfte-sieben und trotteten heraus in Luftwaffenstützpunkt eines kalten Andrews. Zur rechten Marine eine, der Präsidentenhubschrauber. Und dort, der Mann selbst, der in Richtung zu es geht.

Er schneidet eine einsame Abbildung, etwas gebuckelt. Der Zerhacker fuhr dann weggehoben, bei 7.48 mit einem Taxi. Zurück zu dem Weißen Haus das Ende eines Besuchs, der geschienen hat, mehr über das Aufrechterhalten der guten Relationen zu sein, als reale Ausführungen.

Ich? Ich teilte ein Taxi in Stadt, zu einem funky kleinen Hotel. Es ist eine erstaunliche Reise gewesen. Ich denke, daß ich gut heute abend schlafe.


16. Januar - GMT 1230

jetzt im motorcade, aber die alten Hände sind nervös. Wir sind zu weite Rückseite von der Frontseite des motorcade.

Schließlich in Luftwaffe eine! Und zurück zu den US mit dem Präsidenten. Mehr, zum des anderen Endes zu folgen.

16. Januar - GMT 1145

nicht sicher, wenn ich überhaupt so viele geheime Service-Leute gesehen habe. Männer in den schwarzen Gläsern sind überall hier im Hotel, in dem Präsident Bush und Präsident Mubarak ihre Nachrichten Konferenz in einigen Minuten halten.


Die ägypter sind auf Sicherheit groß. Es hat mehrere Bombe Angriffe in Sinai in den letzten Jahren gegeben, also entlang unserem Weg hier waren Dutzende der normalen Kleidungmittel, die heraus in der Wüste durch die Straße Seite sitzen.
So jetzt ein Moment der Ruhe, während wir die zwei Führer warten.

Ich bin das Fliegen, das auf Luftwaffe eine Haupt ist, und die Hausleute sind sagend wir müssen für das motorcade laufen, wenn sie beendet. Es gibt eine wild amerikanische Frau, die hält, zu erklären uns, daß der Präsident uns nicht wartet!

Die Photographen bitten uns alle, sitzend zu bleiben damit, ihre Ansicht nicht undeutlich zu machen. Jeder. A. wenig auf Rand. Wenn sie hier erhalten, bin ich ein Paar der Meßinstrumente, die diskutierbar vom leistungsfähigsten Führer der Welt weg sind. Was auch immer Ihre Meinung des Mannes, der recht aufregend ist.

Oder bin ich in der langen Luftblase zu gewesen?

16. Januar - MORGEN

eine Stunde und Zwanzig Minuten Schlaf. In einer Woche kaum irgendeines Restes. Der Radioproduzent Yolande erhielt keinen Schlaf. Sie verpackte die Ausrüstung.


Es ist 0630. Die Sonne ist im Begriff oben kommen gerecht. Der Himmel ist frei.

Es wird einer jener schönen Tage sein, die erhalten Sie so häufig im Mittlere Osten, wenn die hellen Marken alles so Scharfes erscheinen, so gut definiert.

Die Autos swerving über dem Weg vor unserem Bus. Aber der Verkehr auf der Weise zum Flughafen bewegt schnell und wir sind dort bald.

Weg von nach Ägypten einige Stunden lang. Dann zurück zu den USA.

Ich glaube immer dem selben, wenn ich den Mittlere Osten lasse. Etwas traurig.

Dieses ist ein spezieller Platz, ein Platz, der soviel gelitten hat, ein Platz, der ist, also mißverstanden durch so viele Leute.

Ich wundere mich, wenn George Bush jetzt glaubt, daß er ihn ein wenig besseres versteht?

15. Januar - NACHMITTAG

verließ ich „eine Luftblase“ heute - für ein Ganzes 45 Minuten.

Ich sprang in ein Taxi und bat den Treiber, mich zu einer Einkaufenstraße zu nehmen. Der Treiber, von Bangladesh, lachte, als ich fragte, ob er es hier mag.


„Es ist nicht ein guter Platz,“ sagte er.

Er ist hier, wie alle fremden Arbeiter, Geld - in seinem Kasten für Familie Rückseite Haus zu erwerben.

Wir zogen hoch und ich ging hinaus. In einem stationären Geschäft chequered ein Mann im Roten und im Weiß das headscarf, das von gesagtem Saudi bevorzugt wurde: „George Bush? Mögen Sie nicht. „

In einem Kaffee ringsum die Ecke, BBC Welt-Fernsehapparat stellte auf dem Fernsehen des flachen Schirmes dar, und bei einem Tisch saß einen Mann mit einem Laptop YouTube aufpassend auf drahtlosem Internet.

Ich fragte nach „Freiheit Rede“ Herr-Bushs in Abu Dhabi der andere Tag.

„Er sagt immer dieses, ist dieses seine übliche Rede über Freiheit und Demokratie und Sachen. Sogar in Amerika, das sie nicht dieses, „er haben, lächelte.

„George Bush ist nicht ein ruhiger Mann. Er gerade, Sie weiß, eine Anfangsmenge Kriege. „

Wir fuhren zurück zu dem Hotel. Ich bat um um den Bangladeshi Taxitreiber nach den Kosten des Kraftstoffs hier.

„Das Nr., nicht kostspielig,“ sagte er. Nicht sicher, daß US Verbraucher noch George Bush bildet, glauben Sie irgendwie besser über die Kosten eines Fasses öls!


14. Januar - GLÄTTEN

eines welches Tages. Jeder, das diesen Besuch umfaßt, sagt, daß heute sie eine Ziegelsteinwand schlagen.

Ich denke, daß die Hauspresseleute auch. Jeder schaut erschöpft. Der Zeitplan gruelling.


Die Geschichtenase tauchte eine Spitze so dort war kein Adrenalin, das uns alle tankt.
Journalisten mögen ein wenig Fleisch auf den Knochen der Geschichte, aber heute war aller, den wir wirklich heraus über den Präsidenten fanden, daß er gezeigt wurde, daß was sagte er, waren „schöne Vögel“ des Opfers.


Dann erhielten wir sein Abendessenmenü - Artischocke Suppe und Apfelkuchen mit Eiscreme.

Und Sie sind froh, keinen Zweifel zu kennen, dem die Saudis dieses Abendessen „verhältnismäßig früh für unseren Früh-zubett Präsidenten“ nach Ansicht seines Pressesekretärs hielten. Wie ich sagte, keine Nachrichten.

So mußten die amerikanischen Journalisten erfüllen ihre Netze mit Geschichten über, wie morgen wir die ersten Schneefälle in Riyadh in den Dekaden zeugen konnten.

„Mindestens sie müssen nicht weit gehen, Sand für die Straßen zu finden“ ein Korrespondent berichtet.

14. Januar - MITTAGS

„Willkommen zum mittleren Alter, Baby! “

Das ist, was jemand im reisenden HausPressecorpse sagte, während wir den Boden in Saudi-Arabien schlugen. Frauen an Bord besprochen, ob sie headscarves tragen müssen. Der Golf des Verstehens (oder des Mißverständnisses) liegt auf der Hand.

Auf dem Bus zum Hotel wurden die Frauen erklärt, daß, da wir auf einem hochqualifizierten Besuch sind, sie wählen ob oder ein headscarf nicht tragen können.


Da wir in einer sehr konservativen moslemischen Gesellschaft sind, in der Frauen verbunden werden, oben zu bedecken, scheint der merkwürdiger amtlicher Rat.
Die Bush Familie ist mit der saudischen königlichen Familie freundlich, also kennt der Präsident die Begrenzungen auf seine sogenannte „Freiheit Tagesordnung“ hier.

Ein Tag, nachdem er Länder über dem Mittlere Osten verlangte, um demokratischer und liberal zu sein, die ökonomischen und Sozialverbesserungen, diese vorzustellen ist ein Platz so gut, wie Sie erhalten zu sehen, das nicht in irgendeiner sinnvollen Weise während George W Bush des Vorsitzes geschehen wird.

Er sagt, daß jedes Land änderungen in seiner eigenen Weise handhaben muß, aber hier zu vielen es glaubt, wie er versucht, westliche kulturelle Werte der arabischen Welt aufzuerlegen.

Es gibt auch einen Frage überschuß, ob man die Strategie Herrn Bushs den Iran wegen seines Kernehrgeizes arbeitet hier lokalisiert. Die kurze Antwort ist „keine es wird nicht“.

Die Saudis haben immer eine sehr gescheite ausgleichende Tat gespielt, um regionale Stabilität beizubehalten. Sie sind vor kurzem um den Iran gesorgt worden, aber scheinen, eine Annäherung des Versuchens angenommen zu haben, zu Tehran zur verbreiteten Spannung heraus zu erreichen.


Präsident Bush verbringt viel seiner zwei Tage in der Saudi-Arabien Besichtigung, anstatt ist sprechen
politik dort ein Verständnis unter Zuständen in der Region, daß Tehran positiv nicht zum Angriff entweder einer politischen oder militärischen Art reagiert.
In Saudi-Arabien und auch in den anderen Zuständen in dieser Region, gibt es eine Richtung, daß des Irans Kernehrgeiz die Richtlinien des Spiels geändert hat.

Wenn sich erinnern Sie, sobald die Saudis, wie die ägypter, einen freien KernMittlere Osten verlangten (Israel geglaubt wird, Dutzende der Kernwarheads zu haben - obgleich es nie zuläßt, daß diesem) jetzt sie ihre Position verschoben haben.

Sie sagen, daß sie ihre Kernfähigkeit entwickeln möchten, um ihre Energiebetriebsmittel zu variieren, aber der angegebene Ehrgeiz eine freie Antwort nach den Iran ist.

Wie üblich, müssen die Saudis stark arbeiten, um auszugleichen, was für ihren nahen Verbündeten die Vereinigten Staaten gut ist und was ihre regionalen Nachbarn, einschließlich den Iran, benötigen.

Möglicherweise, das ist, warum Präsident Bush viel seiner Zeit hier in der folgenden zwei TagesBesichtigung anstatt sprechenpolitik verbringt.

14. Januar - MORGEN

ein früher Anfang heute. Andere früh beginnen!

Wir häuften auf Kleinbusse, mit unserem ganzem Zahnrad an und fuhren die halbe Stunde oder so zum Flughafen.

Luftwaffe man ist ein erstaunlicher Anblick auf dem Tarmac mein links. Die Sonne, die hinter sie und Lose Reporter erhalten ihre Fotos genommen in der Frontseite steigt.

An Bord, erhalten wir anboten eine Mimose - ein letztes Getränk, bevor wir in Saudi-Arabien ankommen.

Wir sind gerade dort sind kein Spiritus auf Saudi erinnert worden. Und die Frauen, die auf die Reise reisen, sind erklärt worden, um passend anzukleiden.

Bereiten Sie sich für sich entfernen vor. Besser gehen Sie!

13. Januar - ABEND

ist es nicht das Bush Weiße Haus gerecht, das ich ungefähr auf dieser Reise erlerne. Es ist auch die amerikanische Mittelmaschine.

Die Leute, die neben mir im Radioberichtenbetrieb arbeiten, sind aller gewürzte Korrespondenten. Eins ist ein Haushalt Name in den US nach Jahren des Services und des berühmten Journalismus.


Und doch alle wenden sie die meisten des Tages das kürzeste der Radiostücke einordnend auf. Schließen Sie so in der Tat kurz, daß sie sie „Punkte“ nennen!
Manchmal erhalten sie, längere Analyse zu tun, und ihre Arbeit ist und von einem hohen Standard professionell. Aber es scheint, daß ihre Stationen nicht mehr mehr als einige Sekunden der Deckung wünschen.

Eins von ihnen, sage ich nicht für, welches Netz, der andere Tag die Geschichten bejammerte, die auf der Web site der Station bedeckt wurden. Unterhaltung und wacky Geschichten beherrscht.

Dann heute, tat ich eine Aufnahme zur Kamera mit einer amerikanischen Fernsehapparat Mannschaft. Ich sprach, damit eine ungefähr Minute und eine Hälfte versucht, etwas von dem Hintergrund der Rede des Präsidenten zu erklären. Das ist fast ein Buch, der gesagte Kameramann, als ich beendete. Er sagte in den US, die es gerechtes viel kürzeres ist.


Es gibt guten Journalismus in den Zuständen, selbstverständlich. Zeitungen haben Qualitätsgeschichten und Fernsehapparat und Radioabkommen mit einigen gewichtigen Ausgaben. Und ich reise in die Hauptleitung mit einigen ausgezeichneten Journalisten, die ihre Jobs ernst nehmen.
Dieses ist nicht eine Kritik von ihnen, aber gesamt stellen die Deckung die meisten ihren Firmen ist vorherrsch vorbei schnelle, catchy Geschichten zur Verfügung. Und es scheint, daß sogar ihr eigener Präsident nicht viel eines Blickes inch erhält.

Einige würden die britischen Mittel haben begonnen bereits hinunter diesen Weg argumentieren. Wenn der der Fall ist, schaut die Zukunft nicht, um ein schrecklich gut informiertes zu sein.

Genug! Schlafen, kurz. Morgen sind wir aus nach Saudi-Arabien auf dem folgenden Bein der Reise früh. Tag sechs. Land fünf.

13. Januar - MORGEN, den

sie es die Luftblase und nennen als wir in Bahrain aufsetzten, es, glaubte, wie wir nach rechts innerhalb es gehaftet wurden.


Der Bus fuhr uns aus dem Flughafen heraus, hatte er nahe bei dem Flugzeug geparkt und wir gingen einfach auf es. Aus irgendeinem Grund hatte unser Konvoi eine Polizeieskorte, und wir führten Verzweigungen, in denen der Ortsverkehr uns warten mußte, während wir durch rote Lichter fuhren. Wir fuhren entlang den Causeway in Richtung zu den Wolkenkratzern von Manama.
Andere Journalisten nahmen ihre Kameras heraus und stellten Fragen über, was wir sahen. Aufgeregte Touristen. Dann kamen wir zum Hotel und wurden inch gewischt.

Der Grund nennen sie ihn die Luftblase, sind, weil dieser vollständige Prozeß bedeutet, daß von Touchdown zu Mittel Sie schauen buchstäblich aus der Luftblase heraus auf das realistische um Sie zentrieren Sie. In Kuwait denke ich nicht, daß ich einen einzelnen Kuwaiter traf. , angemessen zwar zu sein der meiste Hotelstab gibt es aus Asien oder anderwohin.

Es ist im Allgemeinen wie mit dem Präsidenten - mit allen Ausgaben eingebettet werden, der für Journalisten anhebt. Nicht daß das Weiße Haus in jeder Hinsicht versucht, unseren Bericht zu beeinflussen.


Sie haben mir sich nie über eine Geschichte genähert, die ich eingeordnet habe. Ich habe Gesamtfreiheit, aber wegen der festen Zeitpläne erhalten Sie nicht, die Leute des Landes zu treffen, das wir durch führen. Das ist okay. Der Job ist, über den Besuch des Präsidenten zu berichten, aber er bedeutet Sie Notwendigkeit andere Quellen der Informationen über, denen Sie sind.
Eine andere schnelle Sache. Herr Bush während hier in Bahrain begrüßte ein neues irakisches Gesetz, das Tausenden der ehemaligen Juniorverfechter Partei Baath Saddam Husseins erlaubt, Regierung Jobs aufzunehmen. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Diário da excursão do leste médio.
Automatically translated into Portuguese thanks to WorldLingo
O diário da excursão do leste médio, George W Bush concliu uma excursão do leste médio que incluísse sua primeira visita como o presidente dos E.U. a Israel e aos territórios Palestinian, as well as batentes no golfo e no Egipto. O preço correspondente de BBC Matthew, que viajou com ele, escreveu um diário em seu progresso.


16 JANEIRO - GMT que 2230


eu suponho que a coisa a mais estranha sobre viajar na força aérea uma é o conhecimento que apenas alguns medidores na frente de você no mesmo plano são alguns dos mundos a maioria de povos poderosos: Bush, arroz, Hadley. Sentar-se apenas acima na parte dianteira. Ou no exemplo de Bush que encontra-se possivelmente em sua cama, que é direita acima no nariz do plano.

Após nosso traço louco ao aeroporto nós apressamo-nos à parte traseira do plano onde os homens secretos do serviço verificaram nossas passagens fora em uma lista e nós fomos na placa. Não onde você anda em um vôo comercial mas muito mais baixo, similar a onde a bagagem vai. Acima das escadas, provavelmente 20 em tudo e então lá são uma aterragem com a área dos meios, a área da equipe de funcionários e o serviço secreto demasiado.

Dentro de - bem, é cinzento. Nasty bonito realmente. E a cabine dos meios é um bocado como estar em assentos do negócio com serviço da economia. Os primeiros temporizadores como mim começam um saco do goody. Usou-se ter uma caixa dos cigarros para dentro com o selo presidencial neles, mas Nancy Reagan, eu sou dito, objetado, assim agora você começo o selo branco M&Ms da casa.

Não há nenhum anúncio de segurança. Eu suponho se você estiver olhando depois que o homem grande todos mais pode afastar para se. E nós não tivemos que desligar móbeis - embora não há nenhum sinal em 33.000 pés! Há 14 assentos na área do journo e uns pares das tevês.

Bill Clinton usou-se voltar e chat. O fotógrafo ao lado de mim disse que era mau. Você estaria tentando dormir após um desengate gruelling e estaria tentando banter. Nenhum tal problema com GW. Permanece bem longe de nós.

A coisa a mais interessante era como esta é a bolha REAL. O motorcade competiu-nos ao tarmac então o plano então que nós taxied e voou-o e encontrou-se com nunca uma vez uma pessoa real corretamente. Eu sei que é política moderna, mas eu não posso ajudar pensar de que George W Bush tinha sido mal no exterior quando foi elegido presidente e então por os últimos sete anos onde estêve em uma bolha presidencial - foi sujeitado a este! E vive em Washington, divorciado como esse lugar pode ser da vida real demasiado!


Eu realizei apenas ao escrever que eu acordei esta manhã em Riyadh, deixei cair dentro no EL-Sheikh de Sharm, e no am agora na C.C. de Washington. E o dia inteiro eu penso que eu tive somente um bate-papo com uma pessoa de alguns dos três países.

Nós aterramos um pouco adiantado, em torno da metade-sete, e trotamos para fora na base de força aérea de um Andrew frio. Ao fuzileiro naval direito um, o helicóptero presidencial. E lá, o homem ele mesmo que anda para ele.

Corta uma figura só, hunched ligeiramente. O interruptor inversor taxied levantado então fora, em 7.48. Para trás à casa branca, o fim de uma visita que parecesse ser mais sobre proseguir relações boas, do que realizações reais.

Mim? Eu compartilhei de um táxi na cidade, a um hotel pequeno funky. Foi um desengate surpreendente. Eu penso que eu dormirei bem hoje à noite.


16 JANEIRO - o GMT 1230

agora no motorcade, mas as mãos velhas é nervosos. Nós somos parte traseira demasiado distante da parte dianteira do motorcade.

Finalmente na força aérea uma! E traseiro aos E.U. com o presidente. Mais para seguir a outra extremidade.

16 JANEIRO - GMT 1145

nao certo se eu vir sempre assim muitos povos secretos do serviço. Os homens em vidros pretos são em toda parte aqui no hotel onde o presidente Bush e o presidente Mubarak prendem sua conferência da notícia em alguns minutos.


Os Egyptians são grandes na segurança. Houve diversos ataques da bomba em Sinai em anos recentes assim que ao longo de nossa rota aqui eram as dúzias dos agentes lisos da roupa que sentam-se para fora no deserto pelo lado da estrada.
Assim agora um momento do quiet quando nós esperarmos os dois líderes.

Eu sou vôo home na força aérea uma, e os povos brancos da casa são dizendo nós têm que funcionar para o motorcade quando termina. Há uma mulher americana frantic que se mantenha nos dizer que o presidente não nos esperará!

Os fotógrafos estão dizendo-nos todos para permanecer sentando-se de modo a para não obscurecer sua vista. Todos. A. pouco na borda. Quando começam aqui eu serei um par dos medidores longe arguably do líder o mais poderoso do mundo. O que quer que sua opinião do homem que é consideravelmente emocionante.

Ou eu estive na bolha demasiado longa?

16 JANEIRO - MANHÃ

uma hora e vinte minutos do sono. Em uma semana de mal algum descanso. O produtor de rádio Yolande não começou nenhum sono. Embalava o equipamento.


É 0630. O sol é justo aproximadamente vir acima. O céu está desobstruído.

_ est v para um aquele bonito dia você começ assim frequentemente o Oriente Médio quando claro makes tudo apareç assim afiado, assim bom defin.

Os carros swerving através da pista na frente de nossa barra-ônibus. Mas o tráfego na maneira ao aeroporto está movendo-se rapidamente e nós estaremos lá logo.

Fora a Egipto por algumas horas. Suporte então aos EUA.

Eu sinto sempre o mesmo ao sair de o Oriente Médio. Ligeiramente sad.

Este é um lugar especial, um lugar que sofra tanto, um lugar que seja assim que entendido mal por assim muitos povos.

Eu quero saber se George Bush sentir agora que o compreende um pouco melhor?

15 JANEIRO - TARDE

eu saí “da bolha” hoje - para um todo 45 minutos.

Eu saltei em um táxi, e pedi que o excitador fizesse exame de me a uma rua do shopping. O excitador, de Bangladesh, riu quando eu perguntei se gostasse d aqui.


“Não é um lugar bom,” disse.

É aqui, como todos os trabalhadores extrangeiros, para ganhar o dinheiro - em sua caixa para o repouso da parte traseira da família.

Nós puxamos para cima e eu saí. Em uma loja estacionária um homem no vermelho e no branco chequered o headscarf favorecido por Saudis dito: “George Bush? Não goste. “

Em um café em volta do canto, tevê do mundo de BBC estava mostrando na televisão da tela lisa, e em uma tabela sentou um homem com um laptop que presta atenção a YouTube no Internet wireless.

Eu inquiri sobre da “o discurso liberdade” do Sr. Bush em Abu Dhabi o outro dia.

“Diz sempre este, este é seu discurso usual sobre a liberdade e a democracia e as coisas. Mesmo em América que não têm este, “ele sorriu.

“George Bush não é um homem calmo. Apenas, você sabe, muitos dos começos das guerras. “

Nós dirigimos para trás ao hotel. Eu pedi o excitador do táxi de Bangladeshi sobre o custo do combustível aqui.

“No., nao caro,” disse. Nao certo que fará consumidores dos E.U., nem George Bush, sinta mais melhor sobre o custo de um tambor do óleo!


14 JANEIRO - NIVELANDO

que dia. Todos que cobre esta visita diz que hoje batem uma parede do tijolo.

Eu penso que os povos brancos da imprensa da casa demasiado. Todos olha esgotado. A programação gruelling.


O nariz da história não mergulhou um bocado assim lá era nenhuma adrenalina que abastece nos todos.
Os Journalists gostam de um pouco de carne nos ossos da história, mas hoje tudo que nós encontramos realmente para fora sobre o presidente era que estêve mostrado que o que disse eram “os pássaros bonitos” da rapina.


Então nós começamos seu menu do jantar - sopa da alcachofra, e torta de maçã com creme de gelo.

E você estará contente de não saber nenhuma dúvida que os Saudis mantiveram esse jantar “relativamente cedo para nosso presidente da cedo-à-cama” de acordo com sua secretária de imprensa. Como eu disse, nenhuma notícia.

Assim os journalists americanos tiveram que satisfer a suas redes com as histórias sobre como amanhã nós pudemos testemunhar os primeiros snowfall em Riyadh nas décadas.

“Pelo menos não terão que ir distante encontrar a areia para as estradas” um correspondente relatada.

14 JANEIRO - boa vinda

às idades médias, bebê do MEIO-DIA “! ”

Que é o que alguém no corpo de imprensa branco viajando da casa disse enquanto nós batemos a terra em Arábia.Saudita. As mulheres na placa discutiram se têm que desgastar headscarves. O golfo da compreensão (ou de entender mal) é óbvio.

Na barra-ônibus ao hotel as mulheres foram ditas que desde que nós estamos em uma visita high-level podem escolher se ou não desgastar um headscarf.


Desde que nós somos em uma sociedade muçulmana muito conservadora onde as mulheres sejam obrigadas cobrir acima, aquele parece conselho oficial estranho.
A família de Bush é amigável com a família real Saudi, assim que o presidente saberá os limites de sua da “agenda so-called liberdade” aqui.

Um dia depois que se chamou para países através de o Oriente Médio para ser mais democrático e liberal, para introduzir reformas econômicas e sociais, esta é tão bom um lugar como você começa ver que não está indo acontecer em nenhuma maneira significativa durante o presidency de George W Bush.

Diz que cada país deve controlar mudanças em sua própria maneira, mas aqui a muitos sente como está tentando impo valores cultural ocidentais no mundo árabe.

Há também um excesso da pergunta se a estratégia do Sr. Bush isolar Irã por causa de suas ambições nucleares trabalhará aqui. A resposta curta é “nenhuma ele não”.

Os Saudis jogaram sempre um ato balançando muito inteligente para manter a estabilidade regional. Têm sido preocupados recentemente sobre Irã, mas parecem ter adotado uma aproximação de tentar alcançar para fora a Tehran à tensão difusa.


O presidente Bush gastará muito de seus dois dias em Arábia.Saudita que sightseeing melhor que a política falando
lá é uma compreensão entre estados na região que Tehran não reage positivamente ao aggression de um tipo político ou militar.
Em Arábia.Saudita, e também nos outros estados nesta região, há um sentido que as ambições nucleares de Irã mudaram as réguas do jogo.

Quando uma vez que os Saudis, como os Egyptians, chamados para um leste médio livre nuclear (recorde que Israel está acreditada ter dúzias de warheads nucleares - embora nunca admite esta) agora deslocaram sua posição.

Dizem que querem desenvolver sua potencialidade nuclear para diversificar seus recursos de energia, mas a ambição indicada é uma resposta desobstruída a Irã.

Como usual os Saudis têm que trabalhar duramente para balançar o que são bom para seu aliado próximo os Estados Unidos, e o que seus vizinhos regionais, including Irã, necessitam.

Talvez que é porque o presidente Bush gastará muito de seu tempo aqui nos dois dias seguintes que sightseeing melhor que a política falando.

14 JANEIRO - MANHÃ

um começo adiantado hoje. Outros cedo começam!

Nós empilhamos em minibuses, com toda nossa engrenagem e dirigimos a metade - hora ou assim ao aeroporto.

A força aérea uma é uma vista stunning no tarmac a minha esquerda. O sol que levanta-se atrás dele e dos lotes dos repórteres que começam suas fotos feitas exame na parte dianteira.

Na placa, nós começamos oferecemos um mimosa - uma última bebida antes de chegar em Arábia.Saudita.

Nós não fomos lembrados apenas lá somos nenhum álcool no Saudi. E as mulheres que viajam no desengate foram ditas para vestir-se apropriadamente.

Prepare para retiram. Melhor vá!

13 JANEIRO - NOITE

não é justo a casa que branca de Bush eu estou aprendendo aproximadamente neste desengate. É também a máquina americana dos meios.

Os povos que trabalham ao lado de mim na operação de relatório de rádio são tudo correspondentes seasoned. Um é um nome da casa nos E.U. após anos do serviço e de journalism renowned.


No entanto todos gastam a maioria do dia que arquiva o mais curto das partes de rádio. Short assim certamente que os chamam “pontos”!
Às vezes começam fazer uma análise mais longa, e seu trabalho é profissional e de um padrão elevado. Mas parece que suas estações já não querem mais do que alguns segundos da cobertura.

Um deles, eu não direi para que rede, o outro dia lamented as histórias que estão sendo cobertas no Web site da estação. Entertainment e tales wacky dominados.

Então hoje, eu fazia uma gravação à câmera com um grupo americano da tevê. Eu falei para que aproximadamente um minuto e uma metade tente explicar algum do fundo ao discurso do presidente. Aquele é quase um livro, operador de câmara dito quando eu terminei. Disse nos E.U. que é muito mais curto justo.


Há um journalism bom nos estados, naturalmente. Os jornais têm histórias da qualidade e negócio da tevê e do rádio com algumas edições weighty. E eu estou viajando no cano principal com alguns journalists excelentes que fazem exame de seus trabalhos seriamente.
Este não é um criticism deles, mas total a cobertura mais de suas companhias fornece é histórias rápidas, catchy perto dominadas. E parece que mesmo seu próprio presidente não começa muito de um olhar dentro.

Alguns discutiriam os meios britânicos têm começado já abaixo esse trajeto. Se aquele for o caso, o futuro não olha para ser informed terrìvel bom.

Bastantes! Para dormir, momentaneamente. Amanhã nós estamos fora adiantados a Arábia.Saudita no pé seguinte do desengate. Dia seis. País cinco.

13 JANEIRO - MANHÃ onde

o chamam a bolha, e quando nós tocamos para baixo em Barém ele sentiu como nós fomos furados para a direita dentro dele.


A barra-ônibus dirigiu-nos fora do aeroporto, tinha estacionado ao lado do avião e nós andamos simplesmente nele. Para alguma razão nosso combóio teve uma escolta das polícias, e nós passamos as junções onde o tráfego local teve que nos esperar enquanto nós dirigimos através das luzes vermelhas. Nós dirigimos ao longo do causeway para os skyscrapers de Manama.
Outros journalists removeram suas câmeras, fazendo perguntas sobre o que nós víamos. Turistas excitados. Então nós começamos ao hotel e whisked dentro.

A razão chamam-na a bolha, são porque este processo inteiro significa que do touchdown aos meios o centre olham literalmente fora da bolha no mundo real em torno de você. Em Kuwait eu não penso que eu me encontrei com um único Kuwaiti. Though para estar justo a maioria de equipe de funcionários do hotel há de Ásia ou em outra parte.

É bàsicamente como ser encaixado com o presidente - com todas as edições que levanta para journalists. Não que a casa branca em toda a maneira tenta afetar nosso relatório.


Nunca aproximaram-me sobre uma história que eu tenho arquivado. Eu comecei a liberdade total, mas por causa das programações apertadas não comece encontrar-se com os povos do país que nós estamos passando completamente. Isso é aprovado. O trabalho é relatar na visita do presidente, mas significa-o necessidade outras fontes da informação sobre onde você está.
Outra uma coisa rápida. O Sr. Bush quando aqui em Barém deu boas-vindas a uma lei Iraqi nova a que permitisse milhares de supporters júniors anteriores do partido de Baath de Saddam Hussein fizessem exame acima de trabalhos do governo. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Mellanösten turnerar dagboken.
Automatically translated into Swedish thanks to WorldLingo
Mellanösten turnerar dagboken, har George W Bush avslutat en Mellanösten turnerar som inklusive hans första besök som US-president till Israel och de palestinska territorierna, as well as stopp i golfen och Egypten. BBC motsvarande Matthew prissätter, som reste med honom, skrev en dagbok på hans framsteg.


16 JANUARI - GMT 2230 som


jag antar att det konstigaste tinget om att resa på flygvapen ett är kunskapen att rättvist några räkneverk som är främre av dig på det samma plant är några av kraftigaste folket för världar det: Bush Rice, Hadley. Sammanträde precis upp framme. Eller i fallet av Bush som ligger eventuellt i hans säng, som är höger upp i näsan av det plant.

Efter vårt tokigt har rusat till flygplatsen, rusade vi till baksidaen av det plant var presidentens säkerhetstjänst som manar kontrollerade vårt passerar av på en lista och vi gick ombord. Inte var du går på ett reklamfilmflyg men mycket lägre, liknande till var bagaget går. Upp trappan är antagligen 20 sammanlagt och därefter där en landning med massmediaområdet, bemannaområdet och presidentens säkerhetstjänst för.

Väl insida -, är det grå färg. Nätt otäckt faktiskt. Och massmedia som kabinen är a, bet likt vara i affär placerar med tjänste- ekonomi. Första tidmätare gillar mig får en godbit hänger lös. Det som är van vid, har en boxas av cigaretter som är inre med det presidents- att försegla på dem, men Nancy Reagan, den berättade som I-förmiddagen anmärkas, så nu får du, Vita huset förseglar M&Ms.

Det finns inte något säkerhetsmeddelande. Jag gissar, om du ser, efter den stora manen alla annars har kunnat klara sig själv för dem. Och vi måste inte att vända av mobiler - även om det finns inget signalerar på 33.000 fot! Det finns 14 placerar i journoområdet och en koppla ihop av tv:er.

Bill Clinton van vid kommen baksida och pratstund. Fotografen bredvid mig sade att det var dåligan. Du skulle är pröva att sova, efter en gruelling har snubblat, och han skulle är pröva att skämta. Inget sådan problem med GW. Han stag väller fram i väg från oss.

Det mest intressant tinget var hur detta är det VERKLIGT bubblar. Motorcaden raced oss till tarmacen därefter som det plant vi taxade därefter, och flög och mötte aldrig en gång en verklig person riktigt. Jag vet som är modern politik, men jag kan inte hjälpa tänkande som George W Bush hade varit knappt utomlands när han valdes presidenten och därefter för de sist sju åren som han har varit i ett presidents- bubbla - han har betvingats till denna! Och han bor i Washington som skilja sig från, som det förlägger kan äga rum från verkliga livet för!


Rättvis realiserad handstil för stunder I som jag vaknade upp i morse i Riyadh som tappades in på den Sharm el-Sheikhen och förmiddag nu i Washington DC. Och all funderare för dag I har jag haft endast en pratstund med en person från några av de tre länderna.

Vi landade lite en tidig sort, runt om halva-sju, och travt ut in i en förkylningAndrews flygvapen basera. Till den högra flottan en, den presidents- helikoptern. Och där, självt gå för man in mot den.

Han klipper ett ensamt figurerar, litet krökat. Avbrytaren taxade därefter lyft av, på 7.48. Baksida till Vita huset, avsluta av ett besök, som har verkat för att vara mer om att hålla upp bra förbindelse, än verkliga prestationer.

Mig? Jag delade en taxa in i town, till ett skraj lite hotell. Det har varit förbluffa snubblar. Funderare I ska jag väl sömn ikväll.


16 JANUARI - GMT 1230

nu i motorcaden, men det gammalt räcker är nervösa. Vi är för avlägsen baksida framifrån av motorcaden.

Slutligen in i flygvapen ett! Och tillbaka till USEN med presidenten. Mer som följer annat, avslutar.

16 JANUARI - inte säker

GMT 1145, om jag har någonsin sett så många presidentens säkerhetstjänstfolk. Manar i svart exponeringsglas är överallt här på hotellet var presidenten Bush och presidenten Mubarak rymmer deras nyheternakonferens i några noterar.


Egyptierna är stora på säkerhet. Det har finnas flera bombarderar attacker i Sinai under senare år, så längs vår rutt här var dussintals sammanträde för slättklädermedel ut i öknen vid vägsidan.
Så nu ett ögonblick av tyst stunder oss väntan för de två ledarna.

Förmiddag som I hem flyger på flygvapen ett och Vita husfolket är ordstävet som vi måste att köra för motorcaden, när det avslutar sig. Det finns en utom sig amerikankvinna som träffande uppehällen oss presidenten ska inte väntan för oss!

Fotograferna är träffande alla att oss till stagsammanträde för inte till oklart deras beskåda. Alla. A. på kantar lite. När de får här, ska jag är en koppla ihop av räkneverk i väg från arguably världens kraftigaste ledare. Allt vad din åsikt av manen som är nätt spännande.

Eller har jag varit i den för långa bubbla?

16 JANUARI - MORGONEN

noterar en timme och tjugo av sömn. I en vecka av några vila knappt. Radiosände producenten som Yolande fick ingen sömn. Hon packade utrustningen.


Det är 0630. Sunen är rättvis omkring att komma upp. Skyen är frikänden.

Det går att vara en av de härliga dagar som du får så ofta i Mellanösten, när de ljusa makesna allt visas så kor, så definierat väl.

Bilarna swerving över lanen av vårt bussar framme. Men trafikera på till flygplatsen är långt röra fastar, och vi ska är där snart.

Av till Egypten för några timmar. Dra tillbaka därefter till USA.

Alltid känselförnimmelse I samma, när lämna Mellanösten. Litet ledset.

Denna är en sakkunnig förlägger, en förlägga, som har lidit så mycket, en förlägga, som är, så missförstått av så många folk.

Jag undrar, om George Bush känselförnimmelser honom förstår nu det ett lite bättre?

15 JANUARI - EFTERMIDDAG

jag fick ut ur ”bubbla” i dag - för en helhet 45 noterar.

Jag hoppade i en taxa och frågade chauffören att ta mig till en shoppinggata. Chauffören, från Bangladesh, skrattade, då jag frågade, om han gillar det här.


”Är det inte en goda förlägger,” sade han.

Han är här, gillar alla av utländska arbetare, för att tjäna pengar - i hans fall för familjbaksidahem.

Vi drog upp, och jag fick ut. I ett stationärt shoppa en man i den röd och för vit rutiga sjaletten som gynnas av sagda Saudier: ”George Bush? Gilla inte. ”

I en caferunda var tränga någon, BBC-världsTV visningen på lägenheten avskärmer televisionen och på en bordlägger satt en man med en bärbar dator som håller ögonen på YouTube på trådlösa internet.

Jag frågade om Herr Bush ”frihetsanförande” i Abu Dhabi häromdagen.

”Är han alltid något att säga detta, detta hans vanliga anförande om frihet och demokrati och saker. Även i Amerika som de inte har detta, ”honom, log.

”Är George Bush inte en fridsam man. Han precis, dig vet, starter som en radda kriger. ”

Oss drösbaksida till hotellet. Jag frågade bangladesharen taxar chauffören om kosta av tankar här.

”Nr.en som inte var dyr,” sade han. Inte säkert, att ska gör US-konsumenter nor George Bush, känselförnimmelse någon som är bättre om kosta av en trumma av olja!


14 JANUARI - AFTON

en vilken dag. Alla som täcker något att säga för detta besök i dag slogg de, en tegelstenvägg.

Funderare I Vita huspressfolket för. Alla ser utmattad. Schemat gruelling.


Berättelsenäsan dök a bet så där var ingen adrenalin som tankar alla oss.
Journalister gillar lite meat på benen av berättelsen, men i dag var som allt vi egentligen grundar ut om presidenten, att han visades att vad sade han, ”var härliga fåglar” av rovet.


Därefter fick vi hans matställemeny - kronärtskockasoup och äpplepie med glass.

Och du ska är glad att veta att inget tvivel, som saudierna rymde den tidig sort för matställen ”förhållandevis för vårt tidig sort-till-bädda ned presidenten” enligt hans pressekreterare. Något liknande sagd I, ingen nyheterna.

Så måste amerikanjournalisterna att tillfredsställa deras knyter kontakt med berättelser om hur i morgon vi kan vittne de första snowfallna i Riyadh i årtionden.

”Ska åtminstone de inte måste att gå långt att finna sanden för redden” en anmäld korrespondent.

14 JANUARI - den MIDDAG

”välkomnandet till medeltiden, behandla som ett barn! ”

Som är vad någon i den resande Vita huspresskåren sade, som vi slogg det slipat i Saudiarabien. Kvinnor diskuterade ombord huruvida dem måste att ha på sig sjaletter. Golfen av överenskommelse (eller missförståndet) är tydlig.

På bussa till hotellet berättades kvinnorna att, sedan vi är på ett high-level besök de kan välja huruvida eller inte ha på sig en sjalett.


Sedan vi är i ett mycket konservativt Muslim samhälle var kvinnor är skyldiga att täcka upp, verkar det konstig officiell rådgivning.
Den Bush familjen är vänlig med den kungliga familjen för saudier, så den ska presidenten vet att begränsar av hans so-called ”frihetsdagordning” här.

En dag, efter han kallade för länder över Mellanösten för att vara mer demokratisk och frisinnad, att introducera ekonomiska och sociala reformer, denna är så bra en förlägga, som du får se som inte går att hända i any meningsfullt långt under den George W Bush presidentsämbetet.

Han något att säga varje land måste klara av ändringar i dess eget långt, men här till många som det gillar känselförnimmelser honom är pröva att lägga på västra kulturvärden på den arabiska världen.

Det finns också en ifrågasätta över huruvida Herr Bush strategi till isolaten Iran på grund av dess ska kärn- ambitioner fungerar här. Det kort svaret är ”inget det ska inte”.

Saudierna har alltid lekt mycket klyftigt balansera agerar för att underhålla regional stabilitet. De har oroats för en tid sedan om Iran, men verkar för att ha adopterat en att närma sig av pröva till räckvidden ut till Tehran för att sprida ut spänning.


Den ska presidentbusken spenderar mycket av hans två dagar i den Saudiarabien sighten, i stället för samtal av politik
där är en överenskommelse bland påstår i regionen att Tehran inte reagerar positivt till agression av endera en politisk eller militär typ.
I Saudiarabien, och också påstår annat i denna region, finns det en avkänning att Iran kärn- ambitioner har ändrat härskar av leken.

(Minns när, när saudierna, gillar egyptierna, kallat för en kärn- fria Mellanösten att Israel tros för att ha dussintals kärn- warheads - även om den medger aldrig denna), nu de har skiftat deras, placera.

Dem något att säga som de önskar att framkalla deras kärn- kapacitet för att diversifiera deras energiresurser, men den påstod ambitionen är ett klart svar till Iran.

Som vanligt, måste saudierna att fungera hårt för att balansera vad är bra för deras nära bundsförvant Förenta staterna, och vad deras regionala grann, inklusive Iran, behov.

Kanske är det varför presidenten ska Bush spenderar mycket av hans tid här i den nästa två dagar sighten i stället för talande politik.

14 JANUARI - MORGON

en tidig sortstart i dag. En annan tidig sortstart!

Vi travde på minibuses, med allt vårt utrusta och drösen halvtimmen eller så till flygplatsen.

Flygvapen ett är en bedöva sikt på tarmacen till lämnat mitt. Sunresningen bak den och raddareporter som får deras foto tagna framme.

Ombord får vi erbjöd en mimosa - en sist drink, innan vi ankommer i Saudiarabien.

Vi precis har påmints där är ingen alkohol i saudier. Och kvinnorna som reser på snubbla, har berättats för att klä lämpligt.

Förbered sig för tar av. Bättre gå!

13 JANUARI - AFTONEN

är det inte rättvist förmiddagen för Bush Vita hus som I lärer omkring på denna, snubblar. Det är amerikanmassmedia bearbetar med maskin också.

Folket, som fungerar tillsammans med mig i, radiosände anmäla funktionen är all kryddade korrespondent. En är ett hushåll som är känt i USEN efter år av tjänste- och berömd journalistik.


Och yet dem som alla spenderar mest av dagen som sparar det kortast av, radiosände lappar. Kortsluta så sannerligen att dem appellen dem ”fläckar”!
Ibland får de göra längre analys, och deras arbete är yrkesmässigt och av en en hög klass. Men det verkar deras posterar önskar ej längre mer, än några understöder av täckning.

Ett av dem, jag ska inte något att säga för som knyter kontakt, häromdagen beklagat berättelserna som täckas på stationens website. Underhållning och knäpp sagor dominerade.

Därefter i dag, gjorde jag en inspelning till kameran med en amerikanTVbesättning. Jag talade för omkring ett minimalt och en halva till försök att förklara någon av bakgrunden till president anförande. Det är nästan en boka, den sagda cameramanen, då jag avslutade mig. Han sade i USEN som det är rättvist ett kortare lott.


Det finns bra journalistik i påstår, naturligtvis. Tidningar har kvalitets- berättelser och TV:N och radiosände avtal med något weighty utfärdar. Och I-förmiddag som reser i det huvudsakligt med några utmärkta journalister som tar deras jobb allvarligt.
Denna är inte en kritik av dem, men total- ger täckningen mest av deras företag domineras av snabba catchy berättelser. Och det verkar även deras egna president får inte mycket av en look in.

Några skulle argumenterar det brittiska massmedia har redan startat att besegra den bana. Om det är fallet, ser framtiden inte för att vara hemskt väl informed.

Nog! Att sova kort. I morgon är vi av tidig sort till Saudiarabien på det nästa lägger benen på ryggen av snubbla. Dag sex. Land fem.

13 JANUARI - MORGON

klädde med filt de appellen det bubbla, och, när vi som är berörda, besegrar i Bahrain, det något liknande som vi var klibbad höger insida det.


Bussadrösen oss ut ur flygplatsen, hade det parkerat bredvid flygplanet, och vi gick enkelt på det. För något resonera vår eskortfartyg hade en poliseskort, och vi passerade föreningspunkter var lokalen trafikerar måste väntan för oss som oss drösen till och med rött ljus. Oss drös längs causewayen in mot skyskraporna av Manama.
Andra journalister tog deras kameror ut och att fråga ifrågasätter om vad vi såg. Upphetsada turister. Därefter fick viftades vi till hotellet och in.

Resonera är de appellen det bubbla, därför att detta helt processaa hjälpmedel som från landningsögonblick till massmedia centrerar dig formligen looken ut ur bubbla på verklig värld runt om dig. I Kuwait jag inte funderare som jag mötte en singelkuwaitier. Though att vara mässa som mest hotell bemannar där är från Asien eller någon annanstans.

Det är i stort något liknande som bäddas in med presidenten - med alla utfärdar att lönelyfter för journalister. Inte att Vita huset i any långt försök att påverka vårt anmäla.


De har aldrig att närma sig mig om en berättelse som jag har sparat. Jag har fått sammanlagd frihet, men på grund av de åtsittande schemana få inte möta folket av landet som vi passerar igenom. Det är godkännandet. Jobbet är att anmäla på president besök, men det betyder dig behov andra källor av information om var du är.
Ett annat snabbt ting. Herr Bush stunder här i Bahrain välkomnade en ny irakisk lag som låter tusentals tidigare yngre supportrar av Saddam Hussein det Baath partit till tar upp regerings- jobb. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

Дневник путешествия Ближнего Востока.
Automatically translated into Russian thanks to WorldLingo
Дневник путешествия Ближнего Востока, George W. Bush заключал путешествие Ближнего Востока которое включило его первое посещение как президент США к Израилю и палестинским территориям, также, как стопы в залив и Египт. Цена BBC корреспондентское Matthew, которое переместило с им, написало дневник на его прогрессе.


16-ое января - GMT, котор 2230


я полагаю самой странной вещью о перемещать на Военно-воздушные силы одно будет знание что как раз немного метров перед вами на такой же плоскости некоторые из миров большинств мощные люди: Кустик, рис, Hadley. Сидеть как раз вверх в фронте. Или в случае кустика по возможности лежа в его кровати, которая права вверх в носе плоскости.

После нашей сумашедшей черточки к авиапорту мы поспешили к задней части плоскости где люди секретной службы проверили наши пропуски на список и мы пошли на борту. Не куда вы гуляете на коммерчески полет но очень низко, подобно к куда багаж идет. Вверх по лестницам, вероятно 20 в всех и после этого там будут посадкой с зоной средств, зоной штата и секретной службой слишком.

Внутри - наилучшим образом, оно серо. Милое гадкое фактическ. И кабина средств будет битом как находиться в местах дела с обслуживанием экономии. Первые отметчики времени как я получают goody мешок. Оно использовало иметь коробку сигарет внутрь с президентским уплотнением на их, но Нэнси Рейган, я сказан, после того как я возражен, настолько теперь вы получаю уплотнение M&Ms Белого дома.

Не будет объявления безопасности. Я угадываю если вы look after большой человек, котор каждое еще может fend для себя. И мы не должны повернуть черни - хотя не будет сигнала на 33.000 футах! Будут 14 места в зоне journo и пары TVs.

Билл Клинтон использовало come back и побеседовать. Photographer рядом с мной сказал было плох. Вы пытались бы спать после gruelling отключения и он пытался бы подшутить. Отсутствие такой проблемы с GW. Он остается наилучшим образом далеко от нас.

Самая интересная вещь была как это будет РЕАЛЬНЫМ пузырем. Motorcade участвовало в гонке мы к tarmac после этого плоскость после этого, котор мы ездили на такси и летало и никогда раз встречало реальную персону правильн. Я знаю будет самомоднейшими политиками, но я не могу помочь думать что George W. Bush трудно был зарубежом когда он был избран президентом и после этого на последние 7 лет, котор он находился в президентском пузыре - он подвергался к этому! И он живет в вашингтоне, divorced как то место может быть от реальной жизни слишком!


Я как раз осуществил пока пишущ что я wake up это утро в Riyadh, упал внутри на el-Sheikh Sharm, и am теперь в DC вашингтона. И весь день я думаю я имело только одну бормотушк с персоной от любых 3 стран.

Мы приземлились немного предыдущее, вокруг половины-7, и пошлись рысью вне в военно-воздушную базу холодного Андрюа. К правому морскому пехотинцу одно, президентский вертолет. И там, человек себя гуляя к ему.

Он режет сиротливый рисунок, небольш hunched. Тяпка ездила на такси после этого после того как она поднята, на 7.48. Back to Белый дом, конец посещения которое казалось, что будет больше о keep up хорошие отношения, чем реальные достижения.

Я? Я делил таксомотор в городок, к funky маленькой гостинице. Было amazing отключением. Я думаю я будет спать наилучшим образом tonight.


16-ое января - GMT 1230

теперь в motorcade, но старые руки слабонервны. Мы будем слишком далекой задней частью от фронта motorcade.

Окончательно в Военно-воздушные силы одно! И back to США с президентом. Больше для того чтобы последовать за другим концом.

16-ое января - GMT 1145

уверенный если я всегда видел настолько много людей секретной службы. Люди в черных стеклах везде здесь на гостинице где президент Кустик и президент Mubarak держат их конференцию новостей в немного минут.


Египтянин большие на обеспеченности. Несколько нападения бомбы в Sinai in recent years поэтому вдоль нашей трассы здесь находились дюжины обыкновенных толком веществ одежд сидя вне в пустыне стороной дороги.
Настолько теперь момент тиши пока мы ждем 2 руководителей.

Я буду летанием домашним на Военно-воздушных силах одно, и люди Белого дома будут говорящ нами должны побежать для motorcade когда они заканчивают. Будет оголтелая американская женщина держит сказать нам президент не ждет нас!

Photographers говорят нам всем остаться сидящ для того НОП не затемнить их взгляд. Каждое. A. маленькое на крае. Когда они получит здесь я буду парой метров далеко от arguably руководителя мира самого мощного. Ваше мнение человека довольно exciting.

Или я находился в пузыре слишком длиной?

16-ое января - УТРО

один час и 20 MINUT сна. В неделе трудно любых остальных. Radio производитель Yolande не получил никакой сон. Она паковала оборудование.


Оно 0630. Солнце справедливо около для того чтобы come up. Небо ясно.

Оно идет быть одним из тех красивейших дней, котор вы получаете настолько часто в The Middle East когда светлые модели все кажутся настолько острыми, настолько определенным хорошим.

Автомобили swerving через майну перед нашей шиной. Но движение на дороге к авиапорту двигает быстро и мы будем там скоро.

С к Египта на немного часов. После этого back to США.

Я всегда чувствую эти же выходя The Middle East. Небольш уныло.

Это будет специальное место, место которое терпело so much, место которое поэтому после того как оно misunderstood настолько много людей.

Я интересую если Джордж Буш теперь чувствует, то он понимает его немного лучшее?

15-ое января - ПОСЛЕ ПОЛУДНЯ

я get out «пузыря» сегодня - на целый 45 MINUT.

Я поскакал в таксомотор, и спросил, что водитель принял меня к улице покупкы. Водитель, от Бангладеша, смеялся над когда я спросил если он любит он здесь.


«Не будет хорошим местом,» он сказал.

Он здесь, как все иностранные рабочие, заработать деньг - в его доме задней части семьи аргументы за.

Мы pull up и я get out. В неподвижном магазине человек в красной и белизне chequered headscarf ое сказанным жителем Саудовской Аравии: «Джордж Буш? Не полюбите. «

В кафе вокруг угла, мира TV BBC показал на телевидении плоского экрана, и на одной таблице сидел человек с laptop наблюдая YouTube на беспроволочном интернете.

Я спросил о «речи свободы» га-н Кустика в Abu Dhabi другой день.

«Он всегда говорит это, это будет его обычная речь о свободе и народовластии и вещах. Даже в америке, котор они не имеют это, «он усмехнул.

«Джордж Буш не будет мирным человеком. Он как раз, вы знает, множество стартов войн. «

Мы управляли back to гостиница. Я спросил водителя таксомотора Bangladeshi о цене топлива здесь.

«Нет, дорогее,» он сказал. Уверенн что сделает едоков США, ни Джордж Буш, чувствуйте нисколько более лучше о цене бочонка масла!


14-ое января - ВЫРАВНИВАТЬ

что день. Каждое покрывая это посещение говорит сегодня они ударяют стену кирпича.

Я думаю люди давления Белого дома сделали слишком. Каждое смотрит вымотанным. План-график gruelling.


Нос рассказа нырнул бит настолько там был никаким adrenalin заправляя топливом нас все.
Журналисты любят немного мясо на косточках рассказа, но сегодня все, котор мы реально нашли вне о президенте было что он был показан он сказал были «красивейшие птицы» prey.


После этого мы получили его меню обеда - суп артишока, и расстегай яблока с мороженым.

И вы будете радостны не знать никакое сомнение жителя Саудовской Аравии держали тот обед «относительно раньше для нашего президента раньше-к-кровати» согласно его пресс-секретаря. Как я сказал, отсутствие новостей.

Так американские журналисты должны удовлетворять их сети с рассказами о как завтра мы могли witness первые снежности в Riyadh в декадах.

«По крайней мере они пойти далеко считать песок для дорог» один корреспондент после того как они сообщены.

14-ое января - гостеприимсво

к средние века, младенец MIDDAY «! »

Кто-то в перемещая корпусе давления Белого дома сказало по мере того как мы ударили землю в Саудовской Аравии. Обсуженные женщины на борту должны ли они нести headscarves. Залив понимать (или misunderstanding) очевиден.

На шине к гостинице женщины были сказаны что в виду того что мы находимся на визите на высоком уровне они могут выбрать ли или не нести headscarf.


В виду того что мы в очень консервативном мусульманском обществе где женщины обязаны покрыть вверх, то кажется странной официальной консультацией.
Семья кустика содружественна с Saudi королевской семьей, поэтому президент знает пределы его so-called «повестки дня свободы» здесь.

День после того как он вызвал для стран через The Middle East для того чтобы быть более демократическ и либеральн, ввести хозяйственные и социальные реформы, это как хорош место по мере того как вы получают, что видите которые не идут случиться в любой содержательной дороге во время президентства George W. Bush.

Он говорит каждая страна должна управлять изменениями в своей собственной дороге, но здесь к много она чувствует как он пытается навести западные культурные ценности на арабском мире.

Будет также вопрос над будет работать ли стратегия га-н Кустика изолировать Иран из-за своих ядерных гоноров здесь. Скоро ответ «никак оно не будет».

Жителя Саудовской Аравии всегда играли очень ухищренный балансируя поступок для поддержания регионарной стабилности. Они были потревожены недавн о Иране, но кажется, что принимают подход пытаться достигнуть вне к Tehran к диффузному напряжению.


Президент Кустик проводит много из его 2 дней в Саудовской Аравии sightseeing rather than говоря политикой
там будет вникание среди положений в зоне что Tehran не реагирует положительн к агрессии или политического или воинского типа.
В Саудовской Аравии, и также других положениях в этой зоне, будет чувство что гоноры Ирана ядерные изменяли правила игры.

Когда как только жителя Саудовской Аравии, как египтянин, вызванные для ядерного свободно Ближнего Востока (вспомните поверены, что имеет Израиль дюжины ядерная боеголовка - хотя он никогда не впускает это) теперь они переносили их положение.

Они говорят они хочет начать их ядерный потенциал для того чтобы разнообразить их энергетические ресурсы, но заявленным гонором будет ясная реакция к Ирану.

По мере того как обычно жителя Саудовской Аравии должны работать крепко для того чтобы сбалансировать хороши для их близкого союзника Соединенные Штаты, и их регионарным соседям, включая Иран, нужны.

Возможно почему президент Кустик потратит много из его времени здесь в следующих 2 днях sightseeing rather than говоря политику.

14-ое января - УТРО

наиболееа ранний срок начала сегодня. Другой наиболееа ранний срок начала!

Мы сложили на минибусы, с полностью нашей шестерней и управили получасом или так к авиапорту.

Военно-воздушные силы одно будут оглушать визированием на tarmac к моей левой стороне. Солнце поднимая за им и сериями репортеров получая их фотоих принято в фронт.

На, мы получаем предложили mimosa - одно последнее питье перед приезжать в Саудовскую Аравию.

Мы как раз были reminded там будем никаким спиртом в жителе Саудовской Аравии. И женщины перемещая на отключение были сказаны для того чтобы одетьть соотвествующе.

Подготовьте для take off. Лучше пойдите!

13-ое января - ВЕЧЕР

оно не справедливо дом кустика, котор Белый я учу около на этом отключении. Это будет также американской машиной средств.

Люди работают наряду с мной в radio сообщая деятельности будут всем приправленными корреспондентами. Одно будет именем домочадца в США после лет обслуживания и renowned публицистики.


And yet они все тратят большой часть из дня скоро radio частей. Так замкните накоротко деиствительно что они вызывают их «пятнами»!
Иногда они получают, что делают более длинний анализ, и их работа профессиональна и высокого стандарта. Но оно кажется их станции no longer не хотят больше чем немного секунд охвата.

Одно из их, я не скажу для которая сеть, другой день посетовала рассказы будучи покрыванной на web site станции. Зрелищность и wacky сказы преобладали.

После этого сегодня, я делал запись к камере с американским экипажем TV. Я поговорил для около минуты с половиной для того чтобы попытаться объяснить некоторую из предпосылки к речи президента. То будет почти книгой, сказанным cameraman когда я закончил. Он сказал в США, котор он справедливые много скоро.


Будет хорошая публицистика в положениях, of course. Газеты имеют рассказы качества и дело TV и радиоего с некоторыми вескими вопросами. И я перемещаю в основу с некоторыми превосходными журналистами принимают их работы серьезно.
Это не будет критицизм их, но обще охватом больше всего их компаний обеспечивает будет преобладанные мимо быстро, catchy рассказы. И оно кажется даже их собственный президент не получает много из взгляда cIn.

Некоторые поспорили бы великобританские средства уже начинали вниз с того курса. Если то будет случаем, то не смотрят, что будет будущее ужасно хорошее informed одним.

Достаточно! Спать, кратко. Завтра мы предыдущие к Саудовской Аравии на следующей ноге отключения. День 6. Страна 5.

13-ое января - УТРО, котор

они вызывают его пузырем, и когда мы touch down в Бахрейне оно чувствовало как мы были вставлены справедливо внутри его.


Шина управляла нами из авиапорта, она припарковала рядом с aeroplane и мы просто погуляли на его. For some reason наш обоз имел сопроводителя полиций, и мы прошли соединения где местное сообщение должно ждать нас по мере того как мы управляли через красные света. Мы управляли вдоль causeway к небоскребам Manama.
Другие журналисты приняли их камеры вне, спрашивающ вопросы о мы видели. Возбуженные туристы. После этого мы получили к гостинице и были юркнуты cIn.

Причина они вызывают ее пузырем, потому что этот весь процесс намеревается что от touchdown к средствам центризуйте вас буквальн посмотрите из пузыря на реальном мире вокруг вас. В Кувейте я не думаю я встречало одиночный Kuwaiti. Однако быть справедливо большинств штат гостиницы от Азии или в другом месте.

Оно основно как быть врезанным с президентом - с всеми вопросами поднимает для журналистов. Не что Белый дом в любом случае пытается повлиять на наш сообщать.


Они никогда не причаливали мне о рассказе, котор я хранил. Я получаю полную свободу, но из-за уплотненный график не получите, что встретить людей страны, котор мы проходим до конца. То одобренн. Работой будет к отчет о посещение президента, но она намеревается вы потребность другие источники информации о где вы.
Одна другая быстро вещь. Г-н Кустик пока здесь в Бахрейне приветствовал новый иракский закон позволяет тысячи бывших младших сторонниц партии Baath Saddam Hussein take up работы правительства. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

De reisagenda van het Midden-Oosten.
Automatically translated into Dutch thanks to WorldLingo
De de reisagenda van het Midden-Oosten, George W Bush heeft een reis besloten van het Midden-Oosten die zijn eerste bezoek als voorzitter van de V.S. aan Israël en de Palestijnse gebieden, evenals einden in de Golf en Egypte omvatte. BBC overeenkomstige Matthew Price, die met hem reiste, schreef een agenda op zijn vooruitgang.


16 JANUARI - 2230 GMT


veronderstel ik het vreemdste ding over het reizen op Luchtmacht één de kennis is dat enkel een paar meter voor u op het zelfde vliegtuig enkele werelden de meeste krachtige mensen is: Bush, Rijst, Hadley. Het zitten enkel omhoog vooraan. Of in het geval van Bush dat misschien in zijn bed ligt, dat omhoog in de neus van het vliegtuig juist is.

Na ons gek streepje aan de luchthaven die wij aan de rug van het vliegtuig hebben meegesleept waar de geheime de dienstmensen controleerden onze passen op een lijst en wij gingen aan boord. Niet waar u loopt op een commerciële vlucht maar veel vermindert, gelijkaardig aan waar de bagage gaat. Op stairs, waarschijnlijk 20 alles bij elkaar en dan zijn er ook het landen met het media gebied, het personeelsgebied en de geheime dienst.

Binnen - goed, is het grijs. Vrij smerig eigenlijk. En de media cabine is een beetje als het zijn in bedrijfszetels met de economiedienst. De eerste tijdopnemers als me krijgen een goody zak. Het gebruikte om een doos van sigaretten met de presidentiële verbinding op hen binnen te hebben, maar Nancy Reagan, word ik verteld, had bezwaar, zo wordt u nu de verbinding M&Ms. van het Witte Huis.

Er is geen veiligheidsaankondiging. Ik veronderstel als u voor de grote man zorgt iedereen anders voor zich kan afweren. En wij moesten geen mobiles uitzetten - hoewel er geen signaal 33.000 voet bedraagt! Er zijn 14 zetels in het journogebied en een paar TVs.

Bill Clinton dat wordt gebruikt om terug te komen en te babbelen. De fotograaf naast me zei het slecht was. U zou aan slaap na een gruelling reis proberen en hij zou aan banter proberen. Geen dergelijk probleem met GW. Hij blijft goed vanaf ons.

Het interessantste ding was hoe dit de ECHTE bel is. Motorcade rende ons aan tarmac toen het vliegtuig wij taxi�den en behoorlijk vlogen en nooit eens een echte persoon toen ontmoetten. Ik weet het die moderne politiek ben, maar ik kan niet helpen denkend dat George W Bush nauwelijks was geweest in het buitenland toen hij voorzitter werd verkozen en dan voor de laatste zeven jaar hij in een presidentiële bel is geweest - hij is onderworpen aan dit! En hij leeft in Washington, gescheiden zoals die plaats van echt kan ook zijn!


Ik realiseerde enkel terwijl schrijvend dat ik vanochtend in Riyadh, daalde binnen op Gr-sjeik Sharm wekte, en ben nu in Washington gelijkstroom. En de hele dag denk ik ik slechts één praatje met een persoon van om het even welke drie landen heb gehad.

Wij landden een weinig vroeg, rond helft-zeven, en trotted uit in de Basis van de Luchtmacht van koude Andrew. Aan juiste Marine Één, de presidentiële helikopter. En daar, de man zelf die naar het loopt.

Hij snijdt een eenzaam lichtjes hunched figuur. De dan getaxi�de bijl lanceerde, bij 7.48. Terug naar het Witte Huis, het eind van een bezoek dat heeft geschenen te zijn meer over omhoog het houden van goede relaties, dan echte verwezenlijkingen.

Me? Ik deelde een taxi in stad, aan een funky klein hotel. Het is een verbazende reis geweest. Ik denk ik goed vanavond zal slapen.


16 JANUARI - 1230 GMT

nu in motorcade, maar de oude handen zijn zenuwachtig. Wij zijn te veel terug van de voorzijde van motorcade.

Tot slot in Luchtmacht! En terug naar de V.S. met de voorzitter. Meer om het andere eind te volgen.

16 JANUARI - niet zekere

1145 GMT als ik ooit zo vele geheime de dienstmensen heb gezien. De mensen in zwarte glazen zijn overal hier bij het hotel waar President Bush en President Mubarak hun nieuwsconferentie in een paar notulen houden.


De Egyptenaren zijn groot op veiligheid. Er zijn verscheidene bomaanslagen in Sinai de laatste jaren zo langs onze route hier was dozens agenten die in burger geweest uit in de woestijn door de wegkant zitten.
Zo nu een ogenblik van stil terwijl wij op de twee leiders wachten.

Ik vlieg huis op Luchtmacht Één, en de mensen van het Witte Huis zeggen wij voor motorcade moeten lopen wanneer het eindigt. Er is een gekke Amerikaanse vrouw die houdt vertellend ons de voorzitter niet zal wachten op ons!

De fotografen vertellen ons allen om te blijven zo zo zittend om hun mening niet te verduisteren. a. van iedereen. weinig op rand. Wanneer zij hier worden zal ik een paar meter vanaf betwistbaar de krachtigste leider van de wereld zijn. Wat ook uw advies is van de man die vrij opwekkend is.

Of is I in de te lange bel geweest?

16 JANUARI - OCHTEND

Één uur en twintig minuten slaap. In een week van nauwelijks om het even welke rust. De radioproducent Yolande kreeg geen slaap. Zij pakte het materiaal in.


Het is 0630. De zon staat enkel omhoog te komen op het punt. De hemel is duidelijk.

Het gaat één van die mooie dagen zijn u zo vaak in het Midden-Oosten wordt wanneer het licht alles zo scherp maakt lijken, zo goed bepaald.

De auto's wijken over de steeg voor onze bus af. Maar het verkeer op de manier aan de luchthaven beweegt zich snel en wij zullen daar spoedig zijn.

Van aan Egypte voor een paar uren. Dan terug naar de V.S.

Ik voel altijd het zelfde wanneer het verlaten van het Midden-Oosten. Lichtjes droevig.

Dit is een speciale plaats, een plaats die zo veel heeft geleden, een plaats die zo door zo vele mensen verkeerd wordt begrepen.

Ik ben benieuwd of vindt George Bush nu hij het een weinig beter begrijpt?

15 JANUARI - MIDDAG

die ik uit de „bel“ ben geworden vandaag - voor gehele 45 minuten.

Ik sprong in een taxi, en vroeg de bestuurder om me aan een het winkelen straat te nemen. De bestuurder, van Bangladesh, lachte toen ik vroeg of houdt hij hier van het.


„Het is geen goede plaats,“ hij zei.

Hij moet hier, als alle buitenlandse arbeiders, geld - in zijn geval voor familierug naar huis verdienen.

Wij trokken uit en ik ging weg. In een stationaire winkel ruitte een mens in rood en het wit headscarf goedgekeurd door bovengenoemde Saoedigers: „George Bush? Houd niet van. „

In een koffie om de hoek, BBC toonde TV van de Wereld op de vlakke het schermtelevisie, en bij één lijst zat een mens die met laptop op YouTube op draadloos Internet let.

Ik vroeg over de „Toespraak van de Vrijheid“ van M. Bush's in Abu Dhabi de andere dag.

„Hij zegt altijd dit, is dit zijn gebruikelijke toespraak over vrijheid en democratie en dingen. Zelfs in Amerika hebben zij dit niet, „hij glimlachte.

„George Bush is geen vreedzame mens. Hij enkel, weet u het, begint heel wat oorlogen. „

Wij dreven terug naar het hotel. Ik vroeg de Inwoner van Bangladesh taxibestuurder hier over de kosten van brandstof.

„Niet duur nr,“ hij zei. Niet zeker dat de consumenten zal maken van de V.S., noch voelt George Bush zich, beter over de kosten van een vat olie!


14 JANUARI - AVOND

wat een dag. Iedereen dat dit bezoek behandelt zegt zij vandaag een bakstenen muur raken.

Ik denk de de persmensen van het Witte Huis ook. Iedereen kijkt uitgeput. Het programma is gruelling.


De verhaalneus dook een beetje zodat was er geen adrenaline die ons van brandstof voorziet allen.
De journalisten houden van een weinig vlees op de beenderen van het verhaal, maar vandaag allen kwamen te weten wij werkelijk over de voorzitter was dat hij werd getoond wat zei hij waren „mooie vogels“ van prooi.


Dan kregen wij zijn dinermenu - artisjoksoep, en appelpastei met roomijs.

En u zult blij zijn om te weten zonder twijfel dat de Saoedigers vroeg dat diner „vrij voor onze vroeg-aan-bedvoorzitter“ volgens zijn perssecretaresse hielden. Als zei ik, geen nieuws.

Zo moesten de Amerikaanse journalisten hun netwerken met verhalen over tevredenstellen hoe morgen wij de eerste sneeuwval in Riyadh in decennia zouden kunnen getuigen.

„Minstens zullen zij niet moeten ver gaan zand voor de wegen“ vinden één gemelde correspondent.

14 JANUARI - Onthaal

van de MIDDAG het „aan de MiddenLeeftijden, baby! “

Dat is wat iemand in de reizende de perskorpsen van het Witte Huis zei aangezien wij de grond in Saudi-Arabië raakten. Vrouwen aan boord van besproken of zij moeten dragen headscarves. De golf van begrip (of misverstand) is duidelijk.

Op de bus aan het hotel werden de vrouwen verteld dat aangezien wij op een bezoek zijn op hoog niveau zij kunnen verkiezen om al dan niet om een headscarf te dragen.


Aangezien wij in de zeer conservatieve Moslimmaatschappij zijn waar de vrouwen verplicht om zijn omhoog te behandelen, schijnt dat vreemde officiële raad.
De familie van Bush is vriendschappelijk met de Saoedi-arabische koninklijke familie, zodat zal de voorzitter de grenzen van zijn zogenaamde „vrijheidsagenda“ hier kennen.

Een dag nadat hij landen over het Midden-Oosten om democratischer en liberaal verzocht te zijn, om economische en sociale hervormingen, dit te introduceren is een zo goede plaats aangezien u krijgt te zien die niet op om het even welke zinvolle manier tijdens George W Bush voorzitterschap gaan gebeuren.

Hij zegt elk land veranderingen in zijn eigen manier moet beheren, maar hier aan velen vindt het als hij probeert om Westelijke culturele waarden aan de Arabische wereld op te leggen.

Er is ook een vraag over of de strategie van M. Bush's om Iran wegens zijn kernambities te isoleren hier zal werken. Het korte antwoord is geen „het zal niet“.

De Saoedigers hebben altijd een zeer knappe in evenwicht brengende handeling gespeeld om regionale stabiliteit te handhaven. Zij zijn ongerust gemaakt onlangs over Iran, maar geschenen om een aanpak gevolgd te hebben van het proberen om Teheran diffuse spanning te bereiken.


President Bush zal veel van zijn twee dagen in Saudi-Arabië doorbrengen dat eerder dan politiek bezienswaardigheden bezoekt spreekt
daar is een begrip onder staten in het gebied dat Teheran niet positief aan agressie van of een politiek of militair type reageert.
In Saudi-Arabië, en ook de andere staten in dit gebied, is er een betekenis dat de kernambities van Iran de regels van het spel hebben veranderd.

Wanneer zodra de Saoedigers, zoals de Egyptenaren, het kern vrij Midden-Oosten (herinner me Israël wordt verondersteld om dozens kernkernkoppen te hebben - hoewel het nooit dit) toelaat nu verzochten hebben zij hun positie verplaatst.

Zij zeggen zij hun kernvermogen willen ontwikkelen om hun energiebronnen te diversifiëren, maar de verklaarde ambitie is een duidelijke reactie op Iran.

Aangezien gebruikelijk moeten de Saoedigers hard aan saldo werken wat voor hun dichte bondgenoot de Verenigde Staten goed is, en wat hun regionale buren, met inbegrip van Iran, nodig hebben.

Misschien is dat waarom President Bush veel van zijn tijd hier in de volgende twee dagen doorbrengen zal die eerder dan politiek bezienswaardigheden bezoeken spreken.

14 JANUARI - OCHTEND

een vroeg begin vandaag. Een ander vroeg begin!

Wij stapelden ons op minibussen, met al ons toestel op en dreven het half uur of zo aan de luchthaven.

De Luchtmacht één is een overweldigend gezicht op tarmac aan mijn linkerzijde. De zon die achter het en veel verslaggevers toeneemt die hun foto's krijgen die vooraan worden genomen.

Aan boord van, worden wij aangeboden een mimosa - één laatste drank alvorens in Saudi-Arabië aan te komen.

Wij zijn net eraan herinnerd er geen alcohol in Saoediger is. En de vrouwen die op de reis reizen zijn verteld om zich geschikt te kleden.

Tref voor start voorbereidingen. Beter ga!

13 JANUARI - AVOND

is het niet alleen het Witte Huis van Bush ik ongeveer op deze reis leer. Het is ook de Amerikaanse media machine.

De mensen die naast me in de radio rapporteringsverrichting werken zijn allen gekruide correspondenten. Men is een huishoudennaam in de V.S. na jaren van de dienst en renowned journalistiek.


En toch brengen zij allen het grootste deel van de dag door die kortst van radiostukken indient. Zo plotseling inderdaad dat zij hen „vlekken“ roepen!
Soms worden zij om langere analyse te maken, en hun werk is professioneel en van een hoge norm. Maar het schijnt hun posten meer dan een paar seconden van dekking niet meer willen.

Één van hen, zal ik niet zeggen voor welk netwerk, de andere dag de verhalen betreurde die op de website van de post worden behandeld. Overheerst vermaak en wacky verhalen.

Dan vandaag, deed ik een opname aan camera met een Amerikaanse bemanning van TV. Ik sprak voor een ongeveer minuut en de helft proberen om enkele achtergrond aan de toespraak van de voorzitter te verklaren. Dat is bijna een boek, de bovengenoemde cameraman toen ik eindigde. Hij zei in de V.S. het een enkel korter is.


Er is goede journalistiek in de Staten, natuurlijk. De kranten hebben kwaliteitsverhalen en TV en radio sommige belangrijke kwesties behandelen. En ik reis in de leiding met sommige uitstekende journalisten die hun banen ernstig nemen.
Dit is niet een kritiek van hen, maar globaal de dekking het grootste deel van hun bedrijven worden overheerst door snelle, boeiende verhalen verstrekken. En het schijnt zelfs hun eigen voorzitter veel van een blik niet binnenbrengt.

Sommigen zouden debatteren de Britse media reeds neer die weg zijn begonnen. Als dat het geval is, ziet de toekomst niet om te zijn eruit vreselijk goed geïnformeerde.

Genoeg! Aan slaap, kort. Morgen zijn wij weg vroeg aan Saudi-Arabië op de volgende etappe van de reis. Dag zes. Land vijf.

13 JANUARI - OCHTEND

roepen zij het de bel, en toen wij neer in Bahrein raakten het als wij voelde werden geplakt net binnen het.


De bus dreef ons uit de luchthaven, had het naast het vliegtuig geparkeerd en wij liepen eenvoudig op het. Met een bepaalde bedoeling had ons konvooi een politieescorte, en wij gingen verbindingen over waar het lokale verkeer op ons moest wachten aangezien wij door rode lichten dreven. Wij dreven langs de verhoogde weg naar de wolkenkrabbers van Manama.
Andere journalisten namen hun camera's, stellend vragen over wat wij zagen. Opgewekte toeristen. Dan kregen wij aan het hotel en werden binnen gezwaaid.

De reden zij het de bel roepen, is omdat dit gehele proces betekent dat van touchdown aan media centrum u letterlijk uit de bel naar de echte wereld rond u kijkt. In Koeweit dat ik niet ik ontmoette één enkele Kuwaiti denk. Niettemin om eerlijk te zijn is het meeste hotelpersoneel daar van Azië of elders.

Het is fundamenteel als wordt ingebed met de voorzitter - met alle kwesties die voor journalisten opheft. Niet dat het Witte Huis in elk geval probeert om onze rapportering te beïnvloeden.


Zij hebben nooit me over een verhaal benaderd ik heb ingediend. Ik heb totale vrijheid, maar wegens de strakke programma's krijg niet om de mensen van het land te ontmoeten wij door overgaan. Dat is o.k. De baan moet over het bezoek van de voorzitter rapporteren, maar het betekent u andere bronnen van informatie nodig hebt over waar u bent.
Één ander snel ding. M. Bush terwijl hier in Bahrein stemde in met een nieuwe Iraakse wet die duizenden vroegere ondergeschikte verdedigers van de partij van Baath van Saddam Hussein toestaat om overheidsbanen op te nemen. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.

[ميدّل ست] رحلة يومية.
Automatically translated into Arabic thanks to WorldLingo
[ميدّل ست] رحلة قد استنتج يومية, جورج ث بوش [ميدّل ست] رحلة أيّ تضمّن زيارته أولى ك [أوس] رئيس إلى إسرائيل والأراضي فلسطينيّة, [أس ولّ س] مواقف في الخليج ومصر. [بّك] ملائمة ماتيو كتب سعر, الذي سافر مع ه, يومية على تقدمه.


16 يناير - كانون الثّاني - 2230 حسب توقيت غرينتش


أنا أفترض الشيء غريبة حول يسافر على [أير فورس] واحدة المعرفة أنّ فقط [ا فو] أمتار أمام أنت على ال نفسه طائرة بعض من العوالم كثير الناس قوّيّة: بوش, أرز, [هدلي]. يجلس فقط فوق في جبهة. أو [إين ث كس وف] بوش من المحتمل يكذب في سريره, أيّ يكون يصحّ فوق في الأنف من الطائرة.

بعد إندفاعنا مجنونة إلى المطار استعجل نحن إلى الظهر من الطائرة حيث سرّيّة خدمة رجال فحصوا ممراتنا باتّجاه آخر على قائمة ميلان إلى جانب ونحن ذهبنا [أن بوأرد]. لا حيث أنت تمشي على رحلة تجاريّة غير أنّ كثير [لوور], مماثلة إلى حيث الحقيبة يذهب. فوق الدرجات, على الأرجح 20 في كلّ وبعد ذلك هناك عمليّة هبوط مع الأوساط منطقة, الملاكة منطقة والخدمة سرّيّة أيضا.

في - جيّدا, هو رماديّة. جميلة مقرفة واقعيّا. والأوساط مقصورة لقمة مثل يكون في عمل مقاعد مع اقتصاد خدمة. يحصل مؤقتات أولى مثل ي جذاب حقيبة. هو استعمل أن يتلقّى صندوق السجائر داخلا مع الختم صوف رئاسيّة على هم, غير أنّ [ننسي] ريغان, قلت أنا, يعترض, هكذا الآن أنت يحصل البيت الأبيض ختم صوف [م&مس].

هناك ما من أمان إعلان. أنا أخمّن إن أنت يكون رعى الرجل كبيرة كلّ شخص وإلّا يستطيع وقيت ل بنفسي. ونحن لم يضطرّ التفتت باتّجاه آخر هاتف جوّال - رغم أنّ هناك يكون ما من إشارة في 33,000 أقدام! هناك 14 مقاعد في ال [جوورنو] منطقة وزوج ال [تفس].

[بيلّ كلينتون] استعمل أن يعاود وتحدّثت. قال المصورة [نإكست تو] ي هو كان سيّئة. أنت كنت حاولت أن ينام بعد [غرولّينغ] رحلة وحاول هو كنت أن يمازح. ما من هذا مشكلة مع [غو]. هو يبقى جيّدة بعيدا من نا.

كان الشيء ممتعة أكثر كيف هذا يكون الفقاعات حقيقيّة. تسابقنا ال [موتوركد] إلى الحصباء مقيّرة بعد ذلك الطائرة بعد ذلك نحن تدحرجنا وطار وأبدا مرّة التقى شخص حقيقيّة بشكل صحيح. أنا أعرف أنّ يكون سياسة حديثة, غير أنّ أنا يستطيع لا يساعد يفكّر أنّ كان جورج ث بوش تلقّى بصعوبة في الخارج عندما هو كان انتخبت رئيس وبعد ذلك للمتأخّرة سبعة سنون هو قد كان في فقاعات رئاسيّة - هو يتلقّى يكون عرضت إلى هذا! ويعيش هو في واشنطن, يطلّ بما أنّ أنّ مكان يستطيع كنت من [رل ليف] أيضا!


أنا فقط حقّقت بينما يكتب أنّ أفاق أنا هذا صباح في رياض, سقط داخل على [شرم] [إل-شيكه], وقبل الظّهر الآن في واشنطن [دك]. و [ألّ دي] يفكّر أنا أنا قد تلقّيت فقط واحدة ثرثرة مع شخص من [أني وف ث] ثلاثة بلد.

نحن هبطنا قليلا مبكّرة, حول [هلف-سفن], وخبّ خارجا داخل أندرو باردة [أير فورس بس]. إلى ال يصحّ جندي مشاة البحريّة واحدة, الهليكوبتر رئاسيّة. وهناك, الرجل بنفسي يمشي نحو هو.

هو يقطع رقم وحيدة, قليلا ينحنى. القاطع متناوب يتدحرج بعد ذلك [ليفت وفّ], في 7.48. [بك تو] البيت الأبيض, النهاية من زيارة أنّ قد بدا أن يكون أكثر حول يتمادى علاقات جيّدة, من إنجازات حقيقيّة.

ي? أنا شاركت تاكسي داخل مدينة, إلى فندق فانكي صغيرة. هو قد كان رحلة مدهشة. أنا أفكّر سينام أنا جيّدا هذا المساء.


16 يناير - كانون الثّاني - 1230 حسب توقيت غرينتش

الآن في ال [موتوركد], غير أنّ ال [ألد هند] عصبيّة. نحن ظهر بعيدة أيضا من الجبهة من ال [موتوركد].

أخيرا داخل [أير فورس] واحدة! و [بك تو] ال [أوس] مع الرئيس. أكثر أن يتبع الأخرى نهاية.

16 يناير - كانون الثّاني - 1145 حسب توقيت غرينتش

لا يوقن إن أنا يتلقّى في أيّ وقت أرى هكذا كثير سرّيّة خدمة الناس. رجال في زجاج سوداء في كلّ مكان هنا في الفندق حيث رئيس بوش ورئيس مبارك يمسك هم أخبار مؤتمر في [ا فو] دقائق.


المصريات كبيرة على أمن. قد كان هناك عدّة قنبلة هجوم في سيناء [إين رسنت رس] لذلك على طول طريقنا هنا كانوا دزينات من جلّيّة ملابس عاملات يجلس خارجا في الصحراء بالطريق جانب.
هكذا الآن عزم ال [قويت] بينما نحن نّتظر لالاثنان زعيمات.

أنا طيران بيتيّة على [أير فورس] واحدة, البيت الأبيض الناس يقول نحن يضطرّ ركضت ل ال [موتوركد] عندما ينهي هو. هناك إمرأة مسعورة أمريكيّة الذي يحافظ يقولنا لن ينتظر الرئيس ل نا!

يقولنا المصورات كلّ أن يبقى يجلس [س س] لا أن يعتّم منظرتهم. [إفرون'س]. [أ.] بعض على حافة. عندما يحصل هم هنا أنا سأكون زوج الأمتار بعيدة من بالمناقشة العالم زعيمة قوّيّة أكثر. ماذا رأيك من الرجل أنّ يكون إلى حدّ ما مثيرة.

أو يتلقّى أنا أكون في الفقاعات أيضا طويلة?

16 يناير - كانون الثّاني - صباح

واحدة ساعة وعشرون دقائق النوم. في أسبوع من بصعوبة أيّ إستراحة. حصل المنتج لاسلكيّة [يولند] ما من نوم. هو كان حزم التجهيز.


هو 0630. الشمس صحيحة حوالي أن يتيح. السماء واضحة.

هو يذهب أن يكون واحدة من أنّ أيام جميلة أنت تحصل هكذا غالبا في [ث ميدّل ست] عندما يظهر الصنع خفيفة كلّ شيء هكذا طرف حادّ, هكذا [ولّ دفيند].

يحيد السيارات عبر الدرب أمام حافلتنا. غير أنّ يتحرّك الحركة مرور على الطريق إلى المطار سريعا ونحن سنكون هناك قريبا.

من إلى مصر ل [ا فو] ساعات. بعد ذلك [بك تو] ال [أوسا].

أنا دائما أشعر ال نفس عندما يترك [ث ميدّل ست]. قليلا حزينة.

هذا مكان خاصّة, مكان أنّ قد عانى كثيرا, مكان أنّ يكون لذلك يسيء ب هكذا كثير الناس.

أنا أتساءل إن جورج بوش الآن يشعر يفهم هو هو قليلا جيّدة?

15 يناير - كانون الثّاني - العصر

طلع أنا من "الفقاعات" اليوم - لكلّ 45 دقائق.

أنا قفزت في تاكسي, وسأل السائقة أن يأخذني إلى تسوق شارع. ضحك السائقة, من بنغلادش, عندما أنا سألت إن هو يحبّ هو هنا.


"ليس هو مكان جيّدة," هو قال.

هو هنا, مثل [ألّ وف ث] عاملات أجنبيّة, أن يكسب مال - في حالته لأسرة ظهر منزل.

نحن اقتلعنا وطلع أنا. في متجر ثابتة [شقور] رجل في الحمراء وأبيض [هدسكرف] يؤيّد ب [سوديس] يقال: "جورج بوش? لا يحبّ. أبدى "

في مقهى حول الركن, [بّك] عالم تلفزيون كان على ال [فلت سكرين] تلفزيون, وفي واحدة طاولة جلس رجل مع الحاسوب المحمول يراقب [يووتثب] على إنترنت لاسلكيّة.

أنا سألت حول سيد بوش "حرية خطبة" في [أبو دهبي] الأخرى يوم.

"يقول هو دائما هذا, هذا خطبته معتادة حول حرية وديموقراطيّة وأشياء. ابتسم حتّى في أمريكا هم لا يتلقّون هذا, "هو.

"ليس جورج بوش رجل سلميّة. يعرف هو فقط, أنت, بدايات [ا لوت] الحروب. "

قاد نحن [بك تو] الفندق. أنا سألت [بنغلدشي] تاكسي سائقة حول التكلفة الوقود هنا.

"رفض, لا غالية," قال هو. سيجعل لا يوقن أنّ [أوس] مستهلكات, ولا جورج بوش, شعرت أيّ على نحو أفضل حول التكلفة من برميل الزيت!


14 يناير - كانون الثّاني - مسائيّ

ما يوم. يقول كلّ شخص يغطّي هذا زيارة اليوم هم يضربون قرميد جدار.

أنا أفكّر البيت الأبيض صحافة أتمّ الناس أيضا. كلّ شخص ينظر يستنزف. [غرولّينغ] الجدول.


القصة غطس أنف لقمة هكذا هناك كان ما من أدرينالين يزوّدنا كلّ.
صحفيات يحبّون [ا بيت وف] لحظ على ال [بونس] من القصة, غير أنّ اليوم كان كلّ نحن حقّا أسّسنا خارجا حول الرئيس أنّ هو كان أبديت ماذا هو قال كانوا "عصافير جميلة" من فريسة.


بعد ذلك حصل نحن ه عشاء قائمة الطعام - خرشف حساء, و [أبّل بي] مع [إيس كرم].

وسيكون أنت سعيدة أن يعرف ما من شك أنّ [سوديس] أمسكوا أنّ عشاء "نسبيّا باكرا ل نا [إرل-تو-بد] رئيس" وفقا ل أمين شؤون الصحافته. مثل أنا قلت, ما من أخبار.

هكذا الصحفيات أمريكيّة اضطرّ أرضيت شبكهم مع قصص حول كيف غدا نحن أمكن شهدت ال [سنووفلّ] أولى في رياض في عقود.

"على الأقلّ لن يضطرّ هم ذهبت بعيدا أن يجد رمل للطرق" واحدة مراسلة يفاد.

14 يناير - كانون الثّاني - ظهر

"ترحيب إلى الأعمار متوسّطة, طفلة! "

أنّ يكون ماذا أحد ما في ال يسافر البيت الأبيض [برسّ كربس] قال بما أنّ نحن ضربنا الأرض في [سودي ربيا]. تناقش نساء [أن بوأرد] ما إذا هم يضطرّ ارتديت [هدسكرف]. الخليج من يفهم (أو يسيء) واضحة.

على الحافلة إلى الفندق قلت نساء كان أنّ بما أنّ نحن نكون على زيارة رفيع المستوى هم يستطيع اخترت ما إذا أو لا أن يرتدي [هدسكرف].


بما أنّ نحن نكون في مجتمعة محافظة مسلمة جدّا حيث نساء يكون أجبرت أن يغطّي فوق, يبدو أنّ إشعار غريبة رسميّة.
بوش أسرة ودّيّة مع الأسرة سعوديّة ملكيّة, لذلك سيعرف الرئيس الحدود من ه ما يسمّى "حرية جدول" هنا.

يوم عقب دعا هو لبلد عبر [ث ميدّل ست] أن يكون أكثر ديموقراطيّة وليبراليّ, أن يقدّم اقتصاديّة وإصلاحات اجتماعيّة, هذا جيّدة مكان مثل بما أنّ أنت تحصل أن يرى أنّ يكون لا يذهب أن يحدث في أيّ طريق ذو معنى أثناء جورج ث بوش رئاسة.

هو يقول كلّ بلد ينبغي أدرت تغيرات في ه خاصّة طريق, غير أنّ هنا إلى كثير يشعر هو مثل هو يكون يحاول أن يفرض قيم غربيّة ثقافيّة على العالم عربيّة.

هناك أيضا سؤال على ما إذا سيد بوش سيعمل إستراتيجية أن يعزل إيران بسبب طموحه نوويّة هنا. الجوابة قصيرة "ما من هو يريد لا".

يلعب [سوديس] يتلقّى دائما جدّا ذكيّة يوازن عمل أن يبقي استقرار إقليميّة. أقلقت هم يتلقّى يكون مؤخّرا حول إيران, غير أنّ يبدو أن يتلقّى تبنّيت مقاربة من يحاول أن يبلغ خارجا إلى [تهرن] إلى توتر منتشرة.


سينفق رئيس بوش كثير من ه اثنان أيام في [سودي ربيا] زار معلما سياحيّا [رثر ثن] يتحدّث سياسة
هناك تفهم بين دول في المنطقة أنّ [تهرن] لا يتجاوب إيجابيّا إلى إعتداء من إمّا سياسيّة أو نوع عسكريّة.
في [سودي ربيا], وأيضا الأخرى دول في هذا منطقة, هناك إحساس أنّ إيران قد غيّر طموح نوويّة ال [رول وف ث] لعبة.

تذكّرت عندما ما إن [سوديس], مثل المصريات, دعاوا ل [ميدّل ست] نوويّة حرّة (إسرائيل صدقت أن يتلقّى دزينات من رأس قذيفة نوويّة - رغم أنّ هو أبدا يعترف هذا) الآن هم قد غيّروا موقعتهم.

هم يقولون يريد هم أن يطوّر إمكانيتهم نوويّة أن ينوّع [إنرج رسورس] هم, غير أنّ ال يفاد طموح إستجابة واضحة إلى إيران.

بما أنّ معتادة [سوديس] يضطرّ عملت بشدّة أن يوازن ماذا يكون جيّدة لحليفهم قريبة الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكيّة, وماذا جارهم إقليميّة, بما في ذلك إيران, يحتاجون.

ربّما أنّ يكون لما رئيس بوش سينفق كثير من وقته هنا في التالية اثنان أيام زار معلما سياحيّا [رثر ثن] يتحدّث سياسة.

14 يناير - كانون الثّاني - صباح

بداية مبكّرة اليوم. يبدأ آخر باكرا!

نحن كدّسنا على [مينيبوس], مع كلّنا ترس وقاد النصف ساعة أو هكذا إلى المطار.

[أير فورس] واحدة جهاز تسديد مذهلة على الحصباء مقيّرة إلى يساري. الشمس يرتفع خلف هو وحصص المراسلات يحصل صورهم يؤخذ في جبهة.

[أن بوأرد], يحصل نحن قدّم [ميموسا] - واحدة شراب متأخّرة قبل يصل في [سودي ربيا].

ذكّرت نحن يتلقّى فقط يكون هناك ما من كحول في [سودي]. وقلت النساء يسافر على الرحلة يتلقّى يكون أن يرتدي بشكل مناسب.

أعدّت ل [تك وفّ]. جيّدة ذهبت!

13 يناير - كانون الثّاني - مساء

ليس هو صحيحة بوش البيت الأبيض أنا أكون أعلم حوالي على هذا رحلة. هو أيضا الأمريكيّة أوساط آلة.

الالناس الذي يعمل إلى جانب ي في اللاسلكيّة يفيد عملية كلّ يتبّل مراسلات. واحدة منزل اسم في ال [أوس] بعد سنون من خدمة وصحافة مشهورة.


[أند ت] ينفق هم كلّ أكثر من اليوم يصنّف القصيرة من قطعات لاسلكيّة. هكذا قصّرت حقّا أنّ يدعوهم هم "بقع"!
أحيانا يحصل هم أن يتمّ تحليل طويلة, وعملهم محترفة ومن معيار عال. غير أنّ يبدو هو محطاتهم [نو لونجر] يريدون أكثر من [ا فو] ثانية تغطية.

واحدة من هم, لن يقول أنا ل الذي شبكة, الأخرى يوم ناح القصص يكون يغطّى على المحطة موقعة. ترفيه وحكايات [وكي] يسيطر.

بعد ذلك اليوم, أتمّ أنا كان تسجيل إلى آلة تصوير مع أمريكيّة تلفزيون طاقم بحّارة. أنا تكلّمت لدقيقة حوالي ونصف أن يحاول أن يفسّر بعض من الخلفيّة إلى الرئيس خطبة. أنّ تقريبا كتاب, المصوّر سينمائيّ يقال عندما أنهى أنا. هو قال في ال [أوس] هو يكون صحيحة كثيرا قصيرة.


هناك صحافة جيّدة في الدول, [أف كورس]. جرائد يتلقّون نوعية قصص وتلفزيون وراديو صفقة مع بعض إصدارات مهمّة. ويسافر أنا في الخطّ رئيسيّ مع بعض صحفيات ممتازة الذي يأخذ أشغالهم بجدّيّة.
هذا ليس نقد من هم, غير أنّ إجماليّة يزوّد التغطية أكثر من شركاتهم يسيطر جانبا سريعة, قصص جذّابة. ويبدو هو حتّى هم خاصّة رئيس لا يحصل كثير من نظرة [إين.].

بعض جادل الأوساط بريطانيّة يتلقّى سابقا يبدأ نزولا إلى أنّ ممر. إن أنّ يكون الحالة, لا ينظر المستقبل أن يكون بفظاعة [ولّ ينفورمد] واحدة.

كافي! أن ينام, بإيجاز. غدا [ب] نحن باتّجاه آخر مبكّرة إلى [سودي ربيا] على الساق تالية من الرحلة. يوم ستّة. بلد خمسة.

13 يناير - كانون الثّاني - صباح

هم يدعوون هو الفقاعات, وعندما [تووش دوون] نحن في بحرين هو [فلت] مثل نحن كان ب التصق بشكل صحيح في هو.


قادنا الحافلة من المطار, هو كان قد ركن [نإكست تو] الطائرة ونحن ببساطة مشينا على هو. [فور سم رسن] تلقّى قافلتنا شرطة مرافقة, ونحن مررنا ملتقيات حيث ال [لوكل ترفّيك] اضطرّ انتظرت ل نا بما أنّ نحن قدنا من خلال [رد ليغت]. نحن قدنا على طول المعبرة نحو الناطحة سحاب [منما].
أخرى أخذ صحفيات آلت تصويرهم خارجا, يسأل أسئلة حول ماذا نحن كان رأينا. يثار سائحات. بعد ذلك حصل نحن إلى الفندق وكان خفقت [إين.].

السبب يدعو هم هو الفقاعات, لأنّ هذا عملية كاملة يعني أنّ من لمس أرض إلى أوساط ركّزت أنت حرفيّا ينظر من الفقاعات في ال [رل وورلد] حول أنت. في كويت لا يفكّر أنا أنا التقيت [كوويتي] وحيدة. مع ذلك أن يكون عادلة كثير فندق ملاكة هناك من آسيا أو في مكان آخر.

هو أساسيّا مثل يكون يطمر مع الرئيس - مع [ألّ ث] إصدارات أنّ يرفع لصحفيات. لا أنّ يحاول البيت الأبيض في أيّ طريق أن يأثر نا يفيد.


يقاربني هم يتلقّى أبدا حول قصة أنا يتلقّى يكون أصنّف. لا يحصل أنا [هف جت] حرية إجماليّة, غير أنّ بسبب الجداول مشدودة أن يلتقي الالناس من البلد نحن يكون نمرّ كلّيّا. أنّ حسنة. الشغل أن يفيد على الرئيس زيارة, غير أنّ يعني هو أنت حاجة أخرى مصادر المعلومة حول حيث أنت تكون.
واحدة أخرى شيء سريعة. رحّب سيد بوش بينما هنا في بحرين قانون جديدة عراقيّة أنّ يسمح آلاف من مؤيدات سابقة صغرى من صدّام حسين [بث] حزب أن يقصّر حكومة أشغال. It's worth remembering that it was Mr Bush's administration that supported the removal of Baath party officials from office in the first place, soon after the occupation of Iraq in 2003.

The feeling in the region? Among many I suspect "Why didn't he follow the new line on former Baath party officials in the first place?"

Right, got to pack. We're now off to Abu Dhabi.

12 JANUARY - 1200 GMT

You can't miss George Bush in a crowd. That hand held high waving. That swagger and grin. I was quite surprised though when he walked through the Arifjan military camp in Kuwait at the reaction from the US soldiers and other personnel there.

They cheered of course, but I'd thought they would have cheered for longer. Perhaps his unpopularity back home is rubbing off here?

As he told the troops that the US would be victorious in Iraq, Condoleezza Rice stood at the back, nodding in agreement behind her large black designer sunglasses.

Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past. He also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them, and there's a confidence about him.

It doesn't mean he's going to be successful of course.

Many here argue his presidency has done too much damage in the Middle East even to contemplate a bright future any time soon. But as one American official told me, maybe, with US domestic attention focused on Mr Bush's successor, perhaps he feels less constrained by US politics.

Perhaps, as this official speculated, he's enjoying simply the most powerful man in the world.

So. Now to Bahrain. We just boarded, after a mad rush of filing our stories. The plane's taxiing past Air Force One now. Another day, another country.


12 JANUARY - 0430 GMT

Early morning wake-up call again!

We're all in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait with a load of our kit laid out on the floor and us security agents going through it. We're off to Camp Arifjan, the biggest US military base here.

The president's going to speak to the troops and to his top general in Iraq. He'll meet the US ambassador to Iraq too. Today the agenda's certainly less about Israel and the Palestinians.

11 JANUARY - EVENING

Amazing. I just did something I never thought I would. I got on a plane and flew from Tel Aviv to Kuwait. It took about two hours. Easy.

When I lived in Jerusalem and travelled to Iraq I would go through Kuwait. But the journey would take over seven hours - because there are no direct flights between the two countries. Until you're travelling with the US president.


The reason there are no direct flights is because Kuwait like many Arab countries doesn't have normal relations with Israel.

That's something Mr Bush wants to address here. He's hoping to encourage allies of his, like Kuwait, to have some contact at least with Israel. Even before we'd stepped off the plane Condoleezza Rice had said we shouldn't expect any developments on that, but she says there is progress.

And most Arab states like Kuwait will always find it an unreasonable demand to form any sort of tie with Israel, as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land.

You can see how it's all interlinked. That's why George Bush's strategy is - while not new - probably the only sensible way to proceed. He's worked out the issues that he thinks need addressing, and he's trying to address all of them at the same time hoping progress on one will aid progress in others. A virtuous circle if you like.

If it works maybe one day everyone will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Kuwait in two hours.

11 JANUARY - AFTERNOON

The travelling press pack is now off to Kuwait, following hot on the heels of the president.

We are going to have to play catch-up on this leg as he will have done his official duties by the time we arrive.


The ride out from Jerusalem was beautiful. It is a bright sunny day and now, travelling out of Ben Gurion airport is proving so easy.

I spent four years getting all sorts of lengthy personal security questions coming in and out of this airport.

This time, after a very brief delay our bus simply drove into the airport and right up to the plane. We will be airborne within half an hour so.

The logistics that go into a trip like this are phenomenal.

It cost a huge amount of money - the White House is reluctant to say how much, but it is in the millions of dollars.

George Bush clearly thinks it is worth it. He left this troubled land still talking of his confidence.

Now he has to get some of his Arab allies on side to enlist their help in persuading the Palestinians and the Israelis to move forward.

10 JANUARY - EVENING

The great thing about being involved in a trip like this is that you get a special press pass that so far seems to open all sorts of doors.

When the rest of the city is shut down, I just whip out my "White House Middle East" card and sail through.


"The trip of the president to the Middle East" it says on it. Note, not any old president, just THE president!

And there is a confidence about the president and his people to be honest.

George Bush admitted today in an aside that he can sometimes be criticised for not speaking English so well. But on this trip so far he's appeared literate, on top of the issues and actually rather believable about the whole prospect of Middle East peace.

If I hadn't worked here for almost four years before covering the US, I might even be a little less sceptical about his chances of success.

His National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley came and spoke to us today. He said that the meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, had gone well, and that both sides had exchanged "reminiscences" during a working lunch.

He made it all sound very cordial.

And I spoke to another US official, who said he'd been in a private meeting of the president and US staff working here in Jerusalem.

The president - as he spoke about the chances of peace - had "welled up" he said. Visiting the Holy Land - as a religious man - has clearly affected George Bush deeply.

9 JANUARY - EVENING

Poor old George Bush. He certainly picked a good day to be travelling to the Middle East. All eyes in America were on who might be the next US president, rather than him.

Clinton and Obama were names you heard far more frequently on the US networks on the first day of his trip here than you did the name Bush.


A friend of mine who works here for a big US network says they were seventh story in the running order and possibly not getting onto the main evening news. And he was working with the White House correspondent!
What I thought was most interesting today was what felt like an ever so slightly more critical approach towards the Israelis from the Bush administration.

They are still the closest of allies of course.

However, in the last 24 hours I think every White House briefing we've had has mentioned how Israel has to stop settlement expansion, just as the Palestinians have to stop attacks against Israelis.

For years you rarely heard more than a cursory mention of Israel's settlement growth (remember one of Israel's commitments is to stop building Jewish towns and villages on occupied Palestinian land).

It'll be surprising if it makes a huge difference on the ground - but as President Bush said with a smile to Prime Minister Olmert today, "if you need a little nudge then you know I will give a nudge." He sounded like he meant it too.

9 JANUARY - MORNING

The streets are quieter than I ever remember them, apart from when this country closes down on Yom Kippur.

People have stayed away from the city today, because the streets around the president's hotel are closed. There are police everywhere. When the president's convoy moves from venue to venue they simply shut down the route he takes to other traffic.


I walked up to the hotel, which is surrounded by Israeli and US security people. People hang around to take a quick photo and are told not to use their cameras.
There's a strange feeling in the air. I left a United States in the grip of early election fever where George W Bush feels somewhat irrelevant. Here he's greeted by all as the most powerful man on Earth.

He hopes that will help encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to focus on what he wants them to do - launch a proper negotiating process.

The thing that's so noticeable is the difference between what you hear from Bush's aides, and what you hear from people on the streets here.

His aides tell us they're still confident that there can be a negotiated peace deal by the end of the year. And why not? After all most people understand the broad layout of what such a deal would look like. In theory and on paper it is possible.

But then you talk to the people here, like my taxi driver this morning, who told me with that weary sigh everyone here has when talking about such visits: "It won't achieve anything."

8 JANUARY

Midnight on a mild January night. Far warmer than the freezing conditions I left behind in Iowa after reporting on the first stage of the process to chose the next president of the world's most powerful nation.

The United States - caught up in the excitement of Clinton v Obama - almost seems to have almost forgotten that its current president has exactly a year left in office.

I wheel my case across the tarmac, towards the charter plane that's taking reporters to the Middle East on President Bush's eight-day trip, and chat to a colleague who covers the White House for another network.

"He's got to go abroad," we joke. "No one here's interested in him anymore!"

But if George W Bush - America's least popular president in years (both at home and abroad) - gets it right, there will be more than just interest in him.

In pre-trip interviews he's said he genuinely believes there can be a "comprehensive peace treaty [between Israel and the Palestinians] signed by the end of this year".

Having left Jerusalem last August, after almost four years reporting from there, that strikes me as pretty unlikely.

As we taxi for take-off the steward makes a mistake during the safety announcement.

"In the event of a water execution..." he trails off.

"Do you mean water-boarding?" shouts a journalist. Much laughter.

Everyone here's covered President Bush's refusal to say whether he considers - as many do - the interrogation technique to be torture.

We settle back for the ride. In the next eight days we'll visit six countries, one occupied territory, and a host of world leaders.

It's going to be tiring, but fascinating.