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Getting Ready 3

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Anonymous said…
cant decide if i feel like smiling or crying looking at the pics. i know it's e big event for the country but its so sad people still believe that these kind of stuff can improve things. i wish i was home though, so i could hear people's talking about this.
5:20 pm
Anonymous said…
As an American living in Albania, and married to an Albanian, I have mixed feelings about the visit of the smirking chimp. I wish this historic visit had been made by his predecessor who was the one who pushed through the NATO intevention in Kosova. The Republicans were all staunchly against the interventionist policy of Clinton, until it turned out to be a plus for them as a piece of evidence of America's good intentions toward Muslims. I'm happy Albania is finally getting time on the world stage and hopefuly this will spur investment and help dispel the notion of the country as a failed state. I also hope this visit does not draw the attention of al-Qaeda and the Iraqi insurgents and result in an attack against Albanian troops in Irbil. Finally, I'm distressed that the government here is rolling over on it's back and letting the US Secret Service disarm the police and Guard of the Republic during the visit. If he doesn't trust them enough to let their elite soldiers carry guns, he should stay away. I hope he puts a little pressure on Berisha to make good on all his anti-corruption promises.
8:24 pm
Anonymous said…
Berisha spent 1.7 million Euro to hire a US comapny to manage this visit and all we get is posters? Criminal.
8:26 pm
seanachie said…
The welcome afforded to this visit is an endorsement of the US and not Bush; given the history of Albania since the end of the Ottoman occupation I am not going to begrudge the Albanians their sentiments towards the Americans.

However @Anonymous#2:

'Finally, I'm distressed that the government here is rolling over on it's back and letting the US Secret Service disarm the police and Guard of the Republic during the visit. If he doesn't trust them enough to let their elite soldiers carry guns, he should stay away'

I'm sorry, but your beloved Clinton did as much in Ireland on the three occasions he visited (and I'm sure things were not too different in many other countries not big enough to pull their weight internationally. I despise Bush but this absurd nostalgia for an opportunist shyster who bombed pharmaceutical factories in distant countries when his self-appointed position as sexual-harrasser-in-chief became too hot for him can only be the work of either foolish or mendacious thinking. Bush is awful; so was Clinton.

And, believe me, I am not anti-American. I hope for the good of your country that his wife is prevented from ever getting near the White House again.
10:58 pm
Anonymous said…
To Seanachie from another Anonymous

What are you trying to say here??
Bush or Clinton CAN AND SHOULD came as many times and when they want to Albania. They are welcomed. Considering the state of our armed forces what they are doing is the most reasonable thing to do.
As for Hilary Clinton, thanks god millions of americans do not share your opinion.
11:21 pm
seanachie said…
Anonymous #4:

If you read my post with even the slightest care you would have seen that I did not question the right of Bush or anybody else to visit Albania, nor of the right of the Albanian people to greet them.

As for Hilary Clinton, of course millions of Americans do not share my opinion, but millions others do, and not all of them are reactionary GOP Bible-bashers either.
1:25 am
Anonymous said…
Sorry you lost me here.

What is the conection with Ireland, sexual affairs and Bible devoted people and the visit of an american president in Albania?
As for Clinton he showed he is human after all which he appologised for
8:42 am
seanachie said…
The original post was a response to the following one by Anonymous #2, concerning the security measures enforced by the American secret services:

'Finally, I'm distressed that the government here is rolling over on it's back and letting the US Secret Service disarm the police and Guard of the Republic during the visit. If he doesn't trust them enough to let their elite soldiers carry guns, he should stay away'

I was merely pointing out that this was the norm for Clinton's foreign visits too, and disagreeing with Anonymous #2's favourable assessment of Clinton. If you're looking for a connection with Bush's visit, there it is. Not very complicated, really.
11:25 am
Anonymous said…
One of the comments says that the Albanian Government spent 1.7m Euros getting an American company to manage the visit. Considering Bush is only going to be in Albania for seven hours (7 hours), this seems very over the top. I only hope that the visit has generated some paid work for Albanian citizens and may possibly generate some inward investment by American companies which may in turn result in job opportunitiues for Albanians. One thing is for sure, with all this bull, Bush will feel more loved in Albania than he does in many parts of the USA!
12:30 pm
Anonymous said…
Exactly!
Our police forces are a mess and I have nothing against them being unarmed around Xhorxh W. Bush. Would you trust a force who has a record of envolvmend in illigal traffic of guns, illegals, drugs, who is corrupted and unprofessional expect in some cases.
So we should stop crying about this because we have only ourself to blame
3:16 pm
Anonymous said…
I think this is a bit over the top personally .However, I can understand why the Albanian government is doing this. The truth is that the Albanian’s own a lot to America about the help they gave with Kosovo. It’s just good luck for Bush to get all the credit.
I still don’t get why in hell they are stopping our officers to carry the gun?
The idea that our officers are not trustworthy is ridiculous. Anyway is not that hard to find a gun in Tirana if you want one, isn’t it?
In the end I just hope there is money well spent!!
5:10 pm
ITS said…
I hope he chokes on a piece of Baklava...
2:29 pm
Anonymous said…
I think that the Albanian government is not doing enough at all.
i don't like the numbers 60-70 % support?! It should be mor elike 99%.
6:09 pm
Anonymous said…
I don't like the posters and the "proud to be partners" slogan. It is too dry. More bright colors, better marketing is needed to bring more enthusiasm.
6:13 pm
Werner Bossmann said…
borrowed one of your pictures for our blog, i hope you didn't mind. see you in bgd or tir.
9:30 am
olli said…
Hi Werner. No problem. Didn't make it to Belgrade this time but definitely sometime this summer.
9:34 am
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