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May 13, 2008 8:49:15 AM CDT

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Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser  

Posted Apr 13, 08 1:03 PM CDT in US,  Politics,  World    Most Covered

(newser) – The foreign dignitaries opting to skip the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony are engaging in a "cop-out," said President Bush's national security adviser today. What's more, claimed Stephen Hadley, they're missing an opportunity to meaningfully pressure China via behind-the-scenes diplomacy—as the US is doing. Bush has said he doesn't "view the Olympics as a political event," the AP reports.

"It's a sporting event," said the president, who will be attending in support of American teams. "The whole issue of opening ceremonies is a non-issue," Hadley argued on national TV. Low-profile tactics like Bush's phone call to the Chinese president urging him to meet with the Dalai Lama's reps are better than "frontal confrontation."

Source Associated Press

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Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser
French athletes say they want to be able to wear a badge marked 'For a better world' at the Beijing Olympics, in response to China's crackdown in Tibet.   (Associated Press)
Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser
A pro-Tibet demonstrator holds a placard during a protest in front of the Belgian International Olympic Committee building in Brussels, Wednesday April 9, 2008. Belgian officials say they want to give...   (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser
A San Francisco Police officer watches as Tibetan monks lead a march toward the Chinese Consulate in protest of China's Olympic torch in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 8, 2008. .   (Associated Press)
Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser
A Pro-Tibet demonstrator chants slogans during a protest in front of the Belgian International Olympic Committee building in Brussels, Wednesday April 9, 2008.   (Associated Press)
Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser
A pro-Tibet demonstrator chants slogans during a protest in front of the Belgian International Olympic Committee building in Brussels, Wednesday April 9, 2008.   (Associated Press)
Olympic Boycott Is a 'Cop-Out': Bush Adviser
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley appears on "Fox News Sunday" in Washington, Sunday, April 13, 2008.   (Associated Press)
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George W. Bush  • China  • 2008 Beijing Olympics  • Tibet  • human rights  • human rights abuse  • Stephen Hadley  • Opening Ceremony


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