April 27, 2005

Putin arrives in Israel for a historic 2-day visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for a historic visit in Israel on Wednesday evening.

He is the first Russian leader ever to visit Israel, and arrived on the same day that a verdict was expected in the controversial trial of Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Jewish former owner of oil giant Yukos, accused of fraud and tax evasion.
[...]
In addition to Iran's nuclear program and Moscow's sale of missiles to Syria, the question of fugitive Russian Jewish oligarchs in Israel may come up in the talks.

What a world we live in, huh?
Did you ever think you'd see the day?
(Maybe Dr. Condi's talk with Vlad did him a little good...)
When you stop to think that it was the USSR that armed the Arab nations who attacked Israel in '67 and '73 and given Russia's loooooonnnng history of anti-Semitism under both the Commies and the czars, this is an amazing development.
Of course, earlier this week, Mohammed came to the mountain in lowly Crawford, Texas:



Much MSM ink has been spilled about what this picture "means," but if President Bush was brought up like I was, he was taught to be kind and patient to elderly people; his own parents are contemporary with the Saud monarch.
Prince Abdullah is a senior citizen who has trouble getting around now that he's in his late 70's.
Does this photo mean our President is "in bed" with the Crown Prince? No.
It probably means nothing more than that Dubya genuinely likes the old boy and has a good relationship with him.
What caught my eye were the beautiful bluebonnets in bloom behind them--our state flower!
Thanks to Lady Bird Johnson and her wildflower project, bluebonnets are blooming all over the Lone Star State!
(She may be a Democrat, but over and above that, she's a proud Texan.)