JOAN VEON MEETS PRESIDENT BUSH
July 22, 2001
On the last day of the Group of 8, the Italian press center put out a press briefing that listed all of the press briefings. It stated that at 2:00, Bush and Putin would meet at the Jolly Hotel. So I walked over to the Jolly Hotel, which was on the other side of the Harbor. I was hot and sweaty when I got there. The guard said that the press briefing was not there, it was at the Ducale Palace. About that time a White House shuttle bus drove up and I asked him if he could take us (another report from BBC walked about the same time from a different direction). We walked right into the Mayor’s building – very ornate, right up to the second floor where we were stopped. I said we were there for the press briefing. The lady was surprised and said we did not have enough passes and that the press briefing was only for the White House and Russian press. We said we wanted to sit in on the press briefing if we could since we were there. She would check.
Another guy came over and asked if we had gone through security. I answered no. He said wait one moment. The BBC woman got upset with me because I told the truth. If I had said yes, maybe we could have stayed. Another guy came over and said in a huffy voice, “Come with me.” I explained to him that the International Press Center stated that it was on the list as if it was open to all. So we left the building and went outside. I saw the Presidential limousine sitting there and knew that he would be coming out that way so I chose to wait across the street in back of the part ions where there was hardly anyone.
As I was looking at the palace, I saw paintings depicting a story. I asked if anyone knew what the paintings were about. I was told that it was about how Genoa took part in the Crusades. An older gentleman came up and told me that his family dated back to the 9th Century. He then gave me the complete history. The flag on the ship is the St. George flag which the British asked if they could borrow to use when then sailed to the Holy Land. King Richard the Lionhearted paid money to use Genovese ships and their flag which was subsequently adopted by the British Navy when they are in the Mediterranean.
He went on to tell me that Genoa made their money after Columbus discovered America and brought gold back to Spain. Since Genovese banks had financed the Spanish king and queen, the merchants and bankers were then able to build all of the beautiful palaces in Genoa.
Bush and Putin then came out of the building and shook hands. Putin went directly to his waiting limousine which had been subsequently parked near Bush’s. It is a beautiful dark blue-navy Mercedes limousine. Bush then came back out again and started shaking hands with people who were near the door. My friend, Dr. Victorio Malpense, identified them as security guards who had posed as reporters. I crossed over the street and was able to get right up to the front of the barricade. Bush was to the left of me. I called out, “President Bush are we at peace”, when he heard my voice he came over and said, “My fellow American.” I said, “Is the world at peace?” He didn’t answer - he moved away, I said, “You didn’t answer my question,” He said, “I did—we are at peace.” I then asked, “Is this the new world order your father talked about?” He heard, but there was no answer nor was there any visible change in his facial expressions.
In 1990, his father as president used the term, “New World Order” in a speech at the United Nations which was right after communism fell in Russia. He then used it in another speech to the American people at his first State of the Union message. However, it has never been defined. What I did not know at the time I asked my questions to the president is that the entire press briefing was about the fact that the Cold War is over and we are now friends with Russia.
Note: (1) On Italian TV, showed Berlusconi and the Prime Minister having some kind of press conference. The room had the St. George Flag which is the flag of Genoa and above the desk where they were speaking and sitting, was a very old tapestry which showed St. George killing the Dragon.