Posted on 10-4-2003
Clark
Offends Bush
By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter NZ Herald, 10 April03
Intro, Alan Marston: The National Party and Act are really saying,
don't
offend Bush because if you do he is likely to attempt to kill
you and your
economy. The infamous Coalition of the Willing incorporates
The Coalition
of the Servile, the New Zealand sub-section is lead by Richard
Prebble, but
he has many challengers in the race to the ethical depths.
NZ Herald:
Prime Minister Helen Clark faced fierce pressure in Parliament
yesterday
over claims that United States President George W. Bush had
taken personal
offence at her comments on the Iraq war and that his national
security
adviser, Condoleezza Rice, had asked the Government for an explanation.
Opposition parties seized on signs that the diplomatic fallout
from her
comments was more serious than originally portrayed, causing
business
concern as well as embarrassment for the Prime Minister.
Under attack for a second day, Helen Clark was accused of underplaying
the
potential damage and of dodging questions in the House on Tuesday
about the
text of an apology - which Foreign Minister Phil Goff provided
later that
night.
She was grilled over the wording of the letter, which appears
to apologise
for the fact that offence was taken rather than apologising
for the remarks
themselves.
Offence was taken in Washington when Helen Clark told reporters
in New
Zealand she believed the war would not have occurred under a
Democratic Al
Gore presidency and that the war appeared not to be going according
to plan.
Act leader Richard Prebble, citing unnamed senior sources in
the
Administration, said the President himself had taken offence.
"It would be equivalent to President Bush saying that relations
with New
Zealand would be much easier if Bill English was Prime Minister.
"Why will the Prime Minister not be frank with this Parliament
and the
country about how serious the offence is that she caused last
week?"
Mr Goff revealed that New Zealand's ambassador, John Wood, had
delivered a
letter to an official attached to the National Security Council.
"It said she was deeply distressed to learn that the comments
she had made
has caused the US Government to take offence.
"She said no offence was intended and recognised nevertheless
that offence
was taken, that she regretted that and wished to apologise for
it.
"The letter indicated the value that the Prime Minister put
on New
Zealand's relationship with the United States as she had reiterated
and
that it was a matter of great sorrow to her that the episode
had arisen."
The council includes President Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney,
Secretary
of State Colin Powell, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and
Dr Rice.
Mr Goff told Parliament yesterday that the letter asked that
her views also
be conveyed to the President - a strong indication that the
claims of
personal offence are true.
The letter was addressed to the official who had raised the
issue but Mr
Goff indicated the concern had been at the top level when he
said through a
spokesman last night that the US official was expected "to pass
it to any
member of the council that raised similar concerns".
National leader Bill English pressed the Prime Minister on whether
she had
apologised for the comments or just for the offence taken from
the comments.
Helen Clark: "I am concerned at anything which looks like it
might damage a
long-standing relationship which is of value to me and New Zealand.
"Therefore when I hear that offence has been taken, I apologise
for that
offence being taken."
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