Smiles, no questions

PRESIDENT Bush had a number of private meetings on Sunday in Sharm el-Sheikh, but little to say afterward, reports baltimoresun.com.


Sometimes, Bush and his counterpart from another nation deliver a few remarks after their meetings. Sometimes they just smile. But seldom do they take any questions.


"I didn't hear you," President Bush said gently to a reporter who called out a question following his appearance with Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani on the close-cropped lawn of the presidential villa of the Hyatt Regency resort on the shore of the Red Sea where Bush conducted several bilateral meetings. "One area where our discussions can be productive is to concentrate on economic matters," Bush said - to "make it harder... for terrorists... to find safe haven."


Relations between the US and Pakistan 'are good' and 'will continue to be good', Bush affirmed. The Prime Minister, however, was a little more specific about the problems they had discussed inside - the economy, the food problem, energy and 'the common problem... terrorism and extremism'.


Reporters heard much less, however, out of the meeting with King Abdullah II, of Jordan. In fact, they heard nothing. They were led into the second floor sitting room of the villa, with a sweeping view of the sea, to find the President and the King seated side by side, with their retinues in a circle. Most smiled, some stared blankly, for the photo opportunity. Reporters had the same show with the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.