Bush arrives in Vietnam for regional summit - story and pics

[Kadie]

Bush arrives in Vietnam for regional summit

POSTED: 11:34 p.m. EST, November 16, 2006

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- U.S. President George W. Bush opened a visit Friday to the wartime capital of this once-divided country, a trip that is stirring inevitable comparisons between the unpopular war in Iraq and the divisive conflict fought and lost in Vietnam more than three decades ago.

snip...
Bush's itinerary promised some interesting moments. Before attending a state dinner Friday evening, Bush was to drop by the headquarters of the Communist Party to talk with its general secretary.

Bush was the fourth U.S. president to visit Vietnam, where communist forces prevailed over the United States and a Washington-backed regime in Saigon in a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans. President Clinton visited Vietnam in 2000; Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon made wartime visits.

Bush and his aides have pushed back against comparisons of the war here and the Iraq war, now in its fourth year. Like Vietnam, the United States faces a determined insurgency in Iraq; both wars have demonstrated the limits of U.S. power.

On Air Force One as it flew to Hanoi, White House press secretary Tony Snow dodged discussion of the Vietnam War, either its lessons for Iraq, or Bush's personal interest in visiting a country that once so divided the United States.

"The Vietnamese are not particularly interested in that," Snow said. "This is not going to be a look back at Vietnam. It's going to be a look forward" on how to best cooperate on health, trade, prisoners of war and military issues.

more...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/16/bush.hanoi.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

U.S. President George W. Bush waves after arriving at Hanoi's Noi Bai International airport for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit November 17, 2006. REUTERS/Adrees Latif (VIETNAM)


U.S. President George W. Bush, left, and first lady Laura Bush come out from the Air Force One upon their arrival in Hanoi international airport to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday, Nov. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)


U.S. President George W. Bush, left, and first lady Laura Bush wave as they disembark from the Air Force One upon their arrival in Hanoi international airport to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday, Nov. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)


U.S. President George W. Bush, left, and first lady Laura Bush wave from the Air Force One upon their arrival in Hanoi international airport to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday, Nov. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)


U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush pose with Vietnamese women wearing traditional 'ao dai' after they were presented with flowers upon their arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday, Nov. 17, 2006. Bush is in Vietnam to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and will also travel to Indonesia before returning to the United States. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

[grasswire]

1. PICKLES! GAH!

A lavender polyester suit in November??

Look at the leg cling in the last pic.

Lordalmighty.

[Warpy]

3. Vietnam never gets particularly chilly, not even in November

and that doesn't look like polyester to me. It looks more like cotton or linen or a blend, all appropriate to a tropical country.

I think she looks great for her age, but she needs to consult a colorist and ditch that garish red lipstick. It's not her color, especially with a lavender pantsuit.

In any case, she's not getting paid for any of this good will stuff.

[volstork]

2. "Bush arrives in VietNam..."

35 years too late

[pacalo]

4. *Now* he can say he's been to Viet Nam.

[MidwestTransplant]

5. Greeter: "First time here sir?" Bush: "Yeah but I was supposed to

be here before but was busy doing other...errr stuff"