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Dalai Lama Begins US Visit

Amid Tibet, Olympic turmoil, Seattle peace conference first stop for spiritual leader

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 10, 2008 6:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Dalai Lama arrived in Seattle today to begin a five-day series of speeches and workshops on peace and compassion, the Seattle Times reports. He told a group of Tibetan supporters at the airport that he was saddened by yesterday's protests in San Francisco surrounding the Olympic torch, and reiterated his support for August's Beijing Games.

Some 150,000 people are expected to commune with the Lama at various venues, the Times forecasts (noting the traffic snarls sure to ensue). The highlight should be Saturday's speech at open-air Qwest Field before a sellout 55,000; 8,600 are booked for tomorrow night's panel discussion at KeyArena, to be followed by a concert from fellow panelist Dave Matthews.

Surrounded by Japanese plain-clothes police officers, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, left, greets well-wishers on his departure from Narita International Airport, east of Tokyo. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, Tatsushi Iijima)

Flanked by security personnel, the Dalai Lama answers a reporter's question upon arriving at his hotel in Seattle, Thursday, April 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, center left, is greeted by his supporters at a hotel in Narita, east of Tokyo, during a stopover in Japan Thursday, April 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, Takaki Yajima)

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Dalai Lama Begins US Visit

Amid Tibet, Olympic turmoil, Seattle peace conference first stop for spiritual leader

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