US President George Bush has come under surprise attack from leading American politicians at the World Summit for the 鈥渄isastrous consequences鈥� of his isolationist foreign policy.
In an early morning press conference which caused a mini-sensation in Johannesburg on Thursday, three democratic congressmen and a former state governor launched a fierce broadside against Bush for ignoring the world鈥檚 attempts to cut poverty and pollution.
鈥淭here are two Americas,鈥� said Jerry Brown, a former governor of California. One was 鈥渁n America of isolationship and retreating from co-operation with the world鈥� and the other was an America that was trying to reduce its impact on the global climate.
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鈥淲e stand with the majority of the people in the US and the majority of people at this conference in the need to reduce poverty without harming the environment,鈥� he declared.
By blocking all attempts to agree targets in Johannesburg, the Bush administration is threatening to make the World Summit a failure. 鈥淚 think it is unfortunate that the President is not here,鈥� said Brown.
鈥淪pecial obligation鈥�
The congressmen called on Bush to reverse his opposition to the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. They also lent their support to the Brazilian initiative, launched on Wednesday, for the world to meet 10 per cent of its energy needs with clean renewable sources by 2010.
鈥淎 lot of people are wincing here at the notion that the US should go it alone,鈥� said Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon. 鈥淎s the richest nation in the world and the world鈥檚 largest polluter, the United States has a special opportunity and obligation to deal with its greenhouse gas emissions.鈥�
He dismissed the suggestion that Bush could not come to Johannesburg because he was too busy fighting the war on terrorism. The President could do both, he argued. 鈥淭he greatest long term threat is to the environment.鈥�
鈥淩ecycled ideas鈥�
Representative George Miller of California accused the official US delegation to the World Summit of offering only 鈥渞ecycled ideas and recycled money鈥�.
He added: 鈥淚 am deeply concerned that the US administration is being obstructionist in meeting the goals of sustainable development.鈥�
The third congressman, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, said that the US had a 鈥渕oral responsibility鈥� to act. 鈥淲e are calling on the Bush administration to reconsider its position and to affirm participation with the global community,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he world is watching鈥�.