Tuesday, February 27, 2007

So Walid Jumblat is in DC. He released to Lebanese media that he met with Bush for 30 minutes. Later, his advisers in Lebanon said that his meeting with Bush lasted one hour. You go to the White House's website, and you find no record of that meeting. Most likely, when Jumblat was meeting with the National Security Adviser, Bush dropped in and shook the hand of Jumblat, and his companiaons, Ghattas Khuri (who used to write reports of his travel to Rustum Ghazalah) and Marwan Hamadi. Bush sometimes does that to loyal clients of the US around the world. The handshake--in Lebanonese imagination--becomes a full-fledged meeting. Like do you think that Bush knows who this Jumblat is? I mean, do you really think that Bush even knows what Lebanon is? (It has been announced in Lebanon that Samir Ja`ja` (pronounced Ga`ga` in Egyptian accent) will be meeting with Bush--i.e., Bush will be shaking his hand soon).