On Thu, 29 May 2008 08:58:38 -0700, (JJS)
wrote:

In article ,
wrote:

On Wed, 28 May 2008 09:51:23 +0100, "William Black"
wrote:



Bush 'plans Iran air strike by August' Won't work. Bush had
stated that he will attend the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony (Aug
8).

Interesting.

Half the European leaders have already pulled out of that particular chance
for a free dinner.

That a stretch seeing that Merkel, Brown and Sarkozy had never said
they were going in the first place. You can't withdraw from an event
that you were not going to. Its too late for them to change their
minds now. The same thing with Steven Spielberg withdrawing his
services. He never had a contract to do anything for the Beijing
Olympics.

You really believe he didn't know his contractual situation regarding
the Olympics? Rather strange wouldn't you say for someone involved
in a business neck deep in contracts.

Exactly.


Chinese envoy says he would have not disclosed meeting with Spielberg
without resignation claim
February 28, 2008
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/9...3/6362228.html

Visiting Chinese government's special representative for Darfur, Liu
Guijin, Wednesday said had the so-called resignation event not taken
place he would have not revealed his meeting last September with
Hollywood director Steven Spielberg.

"The so-called resignation announced by Mr. Spielberg is really a big
surprise to me," Liu told a news conference held at the Chinese
embassy in Khartoum at the end of a four-day visit in Sudan.

Liu said he had told reporters several days ago in London that he met
with Spielberg in New York last September. At that time, "Mr.
Spielberg is no longer an artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics
since he had not signed a contract before the deadline. That is what I
learnt from the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad," he explained.

"But I told Mr. Spielberg that though you are no longer an artistic
advisor for the Beijing Olympics, I am still ready to exchange views
over issues in which you are interested," said the envoy, adding that
he spent over one hour on the meeting and tell Spielberg what the
Chinese side had done for the settlement of the Darfur issue.

After listening to Liu's introduction, Spielberg expressed his
gratitude, saying that he would do what he thought he should do for
the success of the Beijing Olympics whether he was or not an artistic
advisor, according to the envoy.

Liu said he personally have no ill feeling towards Spielberg.
"Instead, personally I respect him very much. I can understand the
pressure he is facing," said Liu.

Once again, Liu rejected attempts to link the Beijing Olympics to what
has happened in Sudan's Darfur, warning that to politicize the Olympic
Games will be very harmful in the long run as there would be abundant
attempts in the future to link the Olympic Games to politics.

"The friendly and cooperative relations between China and Sudanhad
already come into being before February of 2003 when infighting flared
up in Darfur," he said. "China is having normal relations with Sudan,
just like China's relations with other African nations. So we firmly
oppose any attempt to politicize Chinese-Sudanese relations."

Liu arrived in the Sudanese capital early Sunday after visiting
Britain. It is his fourth visit to this Africa's largest nation since
his appointment last May.

On Tuesday, Liu flew into South Darfur's capital city Nyala for a
one-day visit to assess security and humanitarian situations there. It
was his second visit to Darfur since his appointment.

Following Sudan, Liu is scheduled to leave for Paris in the early hour
on Thursday for a brief visit and then tour to another African nation
Chad.

Liu, a 62-year-old veteran diplomat and former Chinese ambassador to
Zimbabwe and South Africa, has been engaged in African affairs for
more than 25 years.

Since last May, he had paid three visits to Sudan and also shuttled
between the United States, Britain, Egypt, Libya and other countries
concerned, making unremitting efforts to resolve the Darfur issue.

Source: Xinhua