Ferragamo Condi flips off SE Asia

[U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice] flew . . . into a storm of criticism of her decision not to attend the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations convention late this month. If, as seems likely, her decision stands, she will be the first secretary of state in more than 20 years not to attend, and some of the region's leaders are upset by her choice to skip the meeting and send Robert B. Zoellick, the deputy secretary of state.

"Lots of people were offended by this decision," said a senior Asian diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the issue. "We all have respect for Mr. Zoellick, but it is a statement of her priorities."

"It's regrettable," said Syed Hamid Albar, the Malaysian foreign minister, quoted by Kyodo, the Japanese news agency. "I hope it is not an indication that the U.S. is giving less importance or showing less interest in Asean while focusing on the Middle East."

diplomacy is, by definition, nuance... but, as we know, bushco doesn't "do" nuance... evidently not... nothing "nuanced" about blowing off a meeting for the first time in 20 years... ya gotta love bushco... why "do" nuance when you can simply bludgeon with a club...?

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