Bush roadshow excluded South African journalists

[Nambe]

Independent Online

The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has written to the United States Ambassador protesting against selective media coverage of this week's visit to South Africa by United States President George Bush.

The complaints relate to a selective accreditation system which excluded all South African journalists and South African-based foreign correspondents from gaining access to Bush's visit to the Ford plant in Pretoria on Wednesday and a briefing on the trip by US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday night. ---

Jeffreys urged the the US government to ensure that that all public engagements and briefings by Bush and his senior staff were open to all media accredited to cover the visit, including the South African media. ---

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[MaineDem]

1. This is all too unbelievable!

I'm embarrassed again by this administration.

[jamesinca]

2. Once again a screened audiance

Is he afraid of a hard question about his integrity is that why the sceening in foreign countries goes on?

[Athame]

3. Why is there no representative from So Africa in the WH press corps?

from the article:
She said that in the vast majority of cases the press corps had a representative from the country the president was visiting. She conceded that it was "unfortunate" that South Africa was not represented in the press corps and that it had not been possible to arrange any South African media access to US officials.

Is there an under story to this? I am not aware of the basis for the exclusion. Surely the arrangements for the Africa trip took a long time, long enough for credentials to be secured. This article makes it sound as if South Africa has been deliberately excluded.

[donsu]

4. agree - there is more to this story

nt

[canuck]

6. maybe because Mandala hates Shrub

the day after Mandala got out of jail, he thanked CUBA, who did more to fight apartheid than the USA did. And, Mandala recently opened trade alliances between Cuba and S. Africa for minerals and energy and stuff, which PISSED washington off big time.

I wonder, too, what * gets out of going there. Is he trying to leech off the noteriety of S.Africa escaping apartheid, so he seems like a "freedom fighter" too? -In this case does he think it goes unnoticed that Mandala himself hates bush and is vociferously against the war?

Does he just like appearing with black people so he doesn't seem like a bigot?

What gives?

[Mari333]

5. Most secretive, lying bastards ever in the White House

and the beat goes on, til 2004.

Impeach the bastard.