Turkish Women Blast Karen Hughes With Iraq War Criticism

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092801429.html

ISTANBUL, Sept. 28 -- A group of Turkish female activists confronted Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes Wednesday with heated complaints about the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, turning a session designed to highlight the empowering of women into a raw display of the anger at U.S. policy in the region.

"This war is really, really bringing your positive efforts to the level of zero," said Hidayet Sefkatli Tuksal, an activist with the Capital City Women's Forum. She said it was difficult to talk about cooperation between women in the United States and Turkey as long as Iraq was under occupation.

Hughes, a longtime confidant of President Bush tasked with burnishing the U.S. image overseas, has generally met with polite audiences -- many of whom received U.S. funding or consisted of former exchange students -- during a tour of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey this week.

In this case the U.S. Embassy asked Kader, an umbrella group that supports woman candidates, to assemble the guest list. None of the activists currently receive U.S. funds and the guests apparently had little desire to mince words. Six of the eight women who spoke at the session, held in Ankara, the capital, focused on the Iraq war.

[clydefrand]

1. Wish I could have been there to see her stumble through

this criticism! Love it! Maybe she falter like the rest of the scumbags.

[Strawman]

7. Dick Cheney told her that she'd be greeted like a hero there

with long lines of Arab women waiting for her to sign their copies of her book Ten Minutes from Normal.

[LibDemAlways]

Just like her boss, Hughes can only make

carefully scripted appearances in front of "safe" audiences - or risk getting an earful. Looks like this time her handlers screwed up.

[lastknowngood]

2. The Saudi women did the same thing she's having a tough

first tour.

[joemurphy]

4. Her "tour" is ridiculous. What does Karen Hughes know

about the Middle East that qualifies her to be our "Propaganda Minister" to it?

She was also a member of the White House Iraq Group (WHIG) that is presently being investigated by Fitzgerald in connection with the Rove-Libbey "outing" of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Why she was ever permitted to be named an "Ambassador" under these circumstances is beyond me. Joe Biden gave her a ringing endorsement at the sparsely attended committee confirmation hearing, BTW.

The mind boggles.

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Remember Laura Bush?

LOL. I betcha Karen's tour will stop very soon just like Laura's.

[gademocrat7]

3. Why doesn't she pack up and go back to Texas.

Hughes is not helping our image anywhere. Oh, I forgot..she is part of the lying, corrupt inept shrub administration.

[Golden Raisin]

5. Another Rove/Bush boondoggle

Why is taxpayer money being wasted on a trip like this? (I KNOW the answer, but it just pisses me off.) Every penny spent on this revolting, choreographed & stage-managed Karen Hughes Dog'n'Pony show should be allocated to aiding wounded veterans of the Iraq War, to the surviving families of soldiers who died, to Iraqi orphans or to Katrina victims, or some other worthy cause, where it might actually do some good. Another disgusting, egomaniacal Rove/Bush boondoggle, and I'll bet Halliburton is somehow getting a no-bid cut of the action too.