STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Get a low APR NextCard Visa in 30 seconds! 1. Fill in the brief application 2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds 3. Get rates as low as 2.99% Intro or 9.99% Ongoing APR and no annual fee! Apply NOW! http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/NextCard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- McVeigh, Global Warming Cloud Bush Europe Trip By Randall Mikkelsen Reuters WASHINGTON (June 11) - President Bush headed to Europe on Monday for a trip clouded by the execution of Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh and anger over Bush's rejection of an international global warming treaty. Bush departed on Monday evening for Spain on his first overseas presidential trip. He will also visit Belgium, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia. The six-day trip includes a meeting with NATO allies, a U.S.-European Union summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Bush's first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana. Bush has sparked concern in Europe with his support for the death penalty, his reluctance to take action against global warming and his plans to build a U.S. missile defense system. Bush is hoping that promises to sustain the traditional close transatlantic links and a chance to personally explain his views will help overcome the differences, but street protesters and questioning European leaders await him. ''There are some differences of opinions on subjects, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends and can't work to build useful alliances for the benefit of our people,'' Bush said in an interview with European reporters before he left. ''I'm used to explaining positions that some people don't agree with,'' he said. JUSTICE, NOT VENGEANCE Bush faced two of those areas of disagreement directly on Monday. He gave a strong endorsement of McVeigh's execution -- opposed by European governments -- for killing 168 people in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City. ''This morning, the United States of America carried out the severest sentence for the gravest of crimes. The victims of the Oklahoma City bombing have been given not vengeance, but justice,'' he said. The German government released a statement saying it opposed McVeigh's execution on ''fundamental principle.'' No European Union member imposes the death penalty. Bush said in the interview, ''I understand the death penalty creates a lot of emotions in most people ... but in a democracy the issues are debated, the laws are on the books and it's up to the executive branch to adhere to the laws, which I will do as president.'' Bush also outlined what he will promote as an alternative to the 1997 Kyoto treaty on global warming, which he rejected in March to the dismay of many European leaders. ''My administration is committed to a leadership role on the issue of climate change,'' Bush said in a speech in the White House Rose garden. Bush said global warming is a real problem. ''We recognize the responsibility to reduce our emissions,'' he said. He pledged to increase research and development and pursue diplomatic efforts to solve the problem, but again rejected as ''unrealistic'' the Kyoto treaty's mandatory targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases thought to cause global warming. Although European leaders say mandatory targets are necessary, Bush said too many scientific uncertainties remained to warrant stronger action now. He said the United States would work through a 1992 United Nations pact on global warming to find an international solution. Guiding principles would be stabilizing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, relying on market incentives and scientific advances, and involving both developed and developing nations. Bush said the Kyoto treaty was ''fatally flawed'' in that it exempted developing countries and its mandatory targets would harm the U.S. economy. MISSILE DEFENSES European leaders have also expressed concern about Bush's plan to build a missile defense system, fearing it could touch off a costly new arms race. The system would entail scrapping or radically changing the ABM treaty to build a system of interceptors to shoot down incoming long-range missiles. The ABM treaty bans missile defenses, to ensure that a nation which launched a nuclear attack would be exposed to a devastating retaliation. Bush said on Monday he looked forward to making his case to Putin and the European leaders. ''I think the whole doctrine of blowing each other up ... is an ancient doctrine,'' he said. ''I think people, when they hear my rationale and discussion, particularly some of the younger leaders who aren't necessarily wedded to the whole Cold War mentality, will say, 'I now understand the logic.''' He said he would make ''some strong statements on NATO,'' and reiterated his support for expanding the transatlantic alliance to include more members of the former Soviet bloc. In principle, ''no nation should be excluded,'' he said. Bush also sought to allay concerns over his commitment to U.S. peacekeepers in the Balkans. ''You will hear me say loud and clear, in the Balkans, we came in together, we will leave together,'' he said. Reuters 20:14 06-11-01 Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
