George Bush about Lukashenka’s money
Today, the U.S. president George W. Bush filed a special report to U.S. Congress detailing personal fortune and income of the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenka. [1]. Bush was obliged to do it within the stipulations of the Belarus Democracy Act. It seems like a perfect timing from the White House to do this.
I’ve received this 12-page report from a White House aide, and it appears that most of it is just a repetition of information from well-known open sources in Belarus, plus some quotes from the insiders who used to work with Lukashenka. Really there’s nothing new there for a person who reads Belarusian indepdent press. The report also includes unchecked information, basically, gossip and speculations. I was quite surprised to find such tittle-tattle in an official document originating from the White House.
Besides, just when it starts getting interesting, it’s over and there’s a note at the end “the annex to this report is confidential” (so, apparently, U.S.Congressmen can see it, but we mere mortals can’t). It could be something in there, or it could be just bluffing.
Overall, it’s very hard to say whether this report will have any impact at all on the situation in Belarus.
March 18th, 2006 at 8:39 am
Everybody supposed that the goal of our opposition was to win a victory over our president. They won over the American one, instead.
March 18th, 2006 at 10:26 am
Miram: Really glad to see you here. :)
Ja uzo navat paczau chvalavacca, kudy ty znik z LJ.
March 18th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Could you further the report to me at tobias dot ljungvall at liberal dot se?
Best regards,
Tobias
(This comment need not be published unless you like to.)
March 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Tobias Ljungvall: Done.
March 19th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Well you don’t want to believe everything that comes out of that man’s mouth. Barely three years ago he was rabbitting on about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Four years ago he was hailing the Revolution-of-whatever in Georgia which enabled him to sell expensive American weapons to dirt-poor Georgia and which provided him with a cheap airbase to attack Iran from. Less than two years ago he embraced the Orange Revolution in Ukraine which was supposed to transform Ukraine into a prosperous European country with Swiss-style cottages on hillsides and a car in every drive. Instead, the Orange thugs have manage to ruin the Ukrainian economy even further, to have a massive row with Russia and failed to return the property stolen from state in the 1990s through re-privatisation.
Now, the West is blue in the face shouting about how awful Lukashenko is supposed to be, knowing full well that the majority of people actually want him to be president again. And that is democracy - the rule of the people. It may not be a pro-Western liberal democracy, but democracy it is.
What is it that the West can offer instead? Some half-wit nationalist thug who has been on the Americans’ payroll for the last 12 years? Someone who will sever links with Russia, bring financial ruin and suck up to the West, only to be told - much lime Ukraine was - that Belarus will never be able to join the EU? Someone who will make everyone speak a language that nobody really speaks and honour the Forest Brothers instead of the real World War 2 veterans.
No, thanks. You better carry on with looking for WMDs.