Condoleezza Chases Down Dictator!
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, October 13, 2005, 9:24 PM
After Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made stops in Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and later to Tajikistan, she was not about to put up with any silliness from the Ex-Soviet Autocratic President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, on Thursday!
After their opening remarks, the Kazakh Leader left his podium. That is when Condi chased him down and brought him back to the podium to answer reporter’s questions!
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stops the Kazakh leader in his tracks and gestures to reporters during their press conference in Astana, October 13, 2005. Condoleezza chased down Nazarbayev after their opening remarks. She stopped him in his tracks and brought him back to the stage to answer questions!… Not exactly the sort of thing Nazarbayev is used to,… on many fronts! Rice visited Kazakhstan on Thursday as part of her regional tour. (Reuters)
And, from Andrea Koppel’s question you can see why!
(from US State Department)
QUESTION: Andrea Koppel with CNN. I have a question for both of you. Mr. President, one of your daughters controls the media. The other controls the main bank here. The opposition, the political opposition, is routinely harassed, arrested. What evidence is there that you are anything more than a dictator?
Ouch! (She may want to tone it down some or she may end up like Andrea Mitchell from NBC.)
PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV: (Via interpreter.) What I said about the freedom of speech, I said I underlined that it should not be a freedom of misinformation. So I think that our opposition has provided you with some…(blah, blah,…)
SECRETARY RICE: Andrea, I think if we were interested only in oil and the war on terrorism we would not be speaking in the way that we are about democracy here or in Saudi Arabia or throughout the Middle East.
And so quite clearly, while we do have interests in terms of resources and in terms of the struggle for terrorism, we have in no way allowed those interests to get in the way of our open and clear defense of freedom.
We have talked about that in any number of circumstances. I think that, for instance, in Uzbekistan it’s been very clear that we do not see a conflict between our strategic interests and in our interests in democracy. In fact, we’ve spoken up clearly in that case. I’m here talking, on camera, with the President about the need for Kazakhstan to have free and fair elections; to have international observation of those elections; to have access to media for the opposition. I met, after the speech, with two people who will be a part of the campaign. And I will take their concerns with me to Washington and we will press for free and fair elections here, just as we pressed for free and fair elections everywhere else in the world.
And so our position is consistent around the world. The need for democratic change and the need for opposition to be able to express themselves freely and we expect the same of Kazakhstan.
Condoleezza will make another unplanned stop in Moscow tomorrow as she works her way back to the states.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stands with female members of the Afghanistan military during a visit to the Pakistan Air Force base in Chaklala to witness multinational relief efforts in progress October 12, 2005. The United States government is participating in a multinational humanitarian assistance and support effort lead by the Pakistani government to bring aid to victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the region October 8, 2005. (Reuters)
Condoleezza pushed the governments of Tajikistan and Kasakhstan to open up to democracy on Thursday:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday gently pressed the rulers of two former Soviet states to liberalize their democracies, recalling Washington’s balancing act with friendly dictators during the Cold War.
Rice said the United States would not trade away democratic principles in the interest of stability. But she refrained from direct public criticism of leaders such as Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose government disbanded a main opposition party and banned demonstrations around a scheduled Dec. 4 presidential election.
“Central Asia is a region that has not had a democratic past,” Rice said after a meeting with Tajikistan’s authoritarian president, Imomali Rakhmonov. Like Nazarbayev, he is a wily veteran of the old Soviet hierarchy.
Rakhmonov’s government has jailed several former loyalists and opposition leaders, including a prominent politician who was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison just before Rice’s visit.
“The important issue is to take these countries where they are and see them make progress,” Rice said.
TigerHawk has more on the Secretary of State.
Lieutenant Commander Smash is impressed.
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Brendon Carr commented:
This confirms the opinion I formed of Condoleeza Rice during the 9/11 Committee hearings: She’s awesome. I am sincerely hopeful for a Rice/Giuliani (Giuliani/Rice?)Republican ticket in 2008.
It’s poetic justice for a daughter of the Old South to be such a resolute warrior, with dignity and good humor, bringing liberty to oppressed peoples — including the oppressed citizens in allied states. Go, Condi, go!
TJIC commented:
Agreed, Condi rocks!
Condi in 2008!
Anonymous commented:
Fantastic,
I don’t often play the race card but I find myself falling into the identity politics trap so…um.. as black man I am so damned proud of her.
Plus I kinda dig those knee boots, bought a pair for the wife!
There I said it! Hmmm. I Think I’ll sign this Anon.
kc_harley commented:
How bout we be PROUD of Condi cause she’s a True StateWoman and an AMERICAN!!
Is Condi black??:)
Assorted Babble by Suzie commented:
“Mr. President, one of your daughters controls the media. The other controls the main bank here.”
SHOCKING!!!!!!!
Condi rocks in my opinion! I have the utmost respect for her!! A plus too that she is from the South the same as I am. (smiling)
Great comments here above me!
Joe commented:
This is one of those very rare times someone in the MSM deserves praise. I’m glad Koppel didn’t mince words with Nazarbayev and flat out insinuated he was nothing more than a dictator.
And Rice deserves all the credit for making sure the opportunity was there for Koppel’s question to be asked.
Ixman commented:
Heh. This reminds me of that incident in Chile, where George bush took charge and pulled his bodyguard. The fact that I find most refreshing about Condi is her distinct lack of Weeniness or Weaselenes. If actions can define a foundation upon which to start a campaign, this is a pretty good start.
Gateway Pundit commented:
Joe- I agree with you. I would like to add a few points about this story.
If you did not watch “Special Report” last night you would never know that this event happened in Kazakhstan. It is not written about. I could not find it last night in any of the articles written on Condi’s stopover there.
Even CNN did not find the incident worthy of reporting. Odd, since there reporter was right there. You can bet if she got her arm twisted that it would make the news!
Yet, all of the MSM accounts hammer on, “Does the US really want democracy or does the US just want the Kasakh’s oil?” This sounds like a good argument from the left (oil is important) when Condi talks democracy in Kasakhstan or Azerbaijan, etc. but not so much in countries with less resources where the Administration’s line is the same. That’s what makes Condi’s response so very strong, especially since the autocrat was standing right next to her!
I love the look in his eyes as Condi stops him. You can just tell that this does not happen to him often!
Daniel in Brookline commented:
This is definitely the sort of brass I’d hoped to see from Dr. Rice. Let’s see more of the same!
(By the way, Smash got promoted to Lieutenant Commander on his return to the United States. Just thought you should know.)
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
EddieP commented:
Wonderful report. Condi is, Condi does, Condi rocks!
Congrats to SMASH!
Anonymous commented:
As soon as she does it to the communist chinese ( instead of kissing their ass ), then I’ll be impressed. But just doing it to some fourth-world rinky-dink-country dictator? Nah, not that big of a deal.
Anonymous commented:
Plus I kinda dig those knee boots, bought a pair for the wife!
There I said it! Hmmm. I Think I’ll sign this Anon.
Yeah! Cuz it’s so important that the first woman president be bangable.
Anonymous commented:
Hey, George Washington was widely acknowledged to be a real HUNK! Tall, patrician, “a good leg in his stocking” — and a good personality, too!
Rosemary commented:
Great article! Thank you.
Bill Arnett commented:
Gosh, more idolatrous ass-kissing than mere mortals can stand. I do, however, hope that Condi “I believe the memo was titled Osama bin Laden determined to attack within the United States” Rice does run for President. Every comedian in the country would have material for life behind that!
Anonymous commented:
Bzzz. Sorry guys. The visit is widely perceived (in Kazakhstan that is, not by the American bloggers) not so much as the “brave and principled stand against a dictator by the brave and principled Mrs. Rice” but rather as “we like you, we really really like you, let’s keep on being friends”.
Gateway Pundit commented:
Bzzz. Anonymous. I agree. It is a sad thing that countries cannot go from dictators to democracy with the click of a switch. That would be a wonderful thing. The American Left loves to report the sad frustration of the Kazakh Opposition. And, it is sad that their democracy will not happen overnight. That is why true Leaders like Condi Rice are so refreshing at this crucial time. Democracy takes time… Condoleezza understands this and she is helping to jump start the process.
Anonymous commented:
I have already established the webpage:
http://www.draftcondi.us/
She would kick tail on any other contender. Whup up on Hiliary. Anyone else, don’t even bother to mention them. Gore? Kerry? She’s flatten them.
Yes, as the first female president she would be eminently bangable. I regret that I’d be out of the competition, since I am married. (And I think she prefers fellow blacks, but maybe she might be flexible enough to allow my 1/8 American Indian status to compensate. It’s almost the same. Well, sorta similar. We’re both on the EEOC guidelines. And since none of her ancestors went with the Buffalo Soldiers, it’s not like there’s a risk our granddaddies shot at each other).
ETW commented:
QUESTION: Andrea Koppel with CNN. I have a question for both of you. Mr. President, one of your daughters controls the media. The other controls the main bank here. The opposition, the political opposition, is routinely harassed, arrested. What evidence is there that you are anything more than a dictator?
Hmm. Can we get Condi and Andrea to swing by Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, where Marxists in $1,000 suits are wrecking havoc? The president of the election board is also president of the superior court; the minister of info is spokesperson of the ruling party. most successful businesses are owned by ruling party aristocracy. the outgoing parliament passed legislation controlling the conduct of the incoming parliament: yes, whereas 20 signatures used to be enough to introduce legislation, now it’s close to 300… and parliament can’t bring up ANY finance related bills. Bonus: opposition members are being thrown in jail just for fun’s sake. we got alladat plus rigged elections blessed by Jimmah Carter.
Come one, come all.
Peggy commented:
Very much appreciate your comments and reporting, gatewaypundit!
And I do love SecState Condi Rice! How could anyone not?
(Snark–Ms. Rice will NEVER be mistaken for the cleaning lady by anyone, as Albright was…LOL)
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