As President Bush concluded his Middle Eastern voyage with a short stay in Kuwait, he used the occasion to make another of his continual claims that Iran is “the world’s leading state supporter of terrorism.” His Kuwait hosts were polite and may even have nodded a head to give the president some encouragement they actually listened carefully to his words. But, within days of Bush’s departure, Kuwait’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed, visited Iran where he made it clear to the world, “My country knows who is our friend, and who is our enemy and Iran is our friend.” He is currently working with Iranian diplomats to resolve several issues between the two nations related to the continental shelf boundary.

One can only wonder if George Bush pays any attention to people when he visits another country. Didn’t anyone on his staff alert the president to the fact his hosts had favorable relations with Iran? Did he discuss with Kuwait officials the gist of his tirade against Iran prior to making the speech? Does George Bush have any grasp on what other nations think about issues of concern to him? Just asking a few questions.