Bush Security Adviser Stephen Hadley Can't Tell The Difference Between Nepal And Tibet

President Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley appeared on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos and repeatedly confused Nepal and Tibet.

Discussing how Bush has "no reason not to go" to this summer's Olympic games in Beijing and how boycotting them would be wrong, Hadley discussed the outcry over Tibet and the US response, only he kept saying Nepal.

"If countries are really concerned about Nepal, we shouldn't have this sort of non-issue of opening ceremonies or not. They should do the hard work of quiet diplomacy to urge the Chinese government -- in their interest -- to take advantage of this opportunity to do something," Hadley said.

He went on, "The way to deal with the issue of Nepal is not by some -- a statement that you're not going to the opening ceremonies and say, therefore, I checked the Nepal box."

And it didn't end there. "What he's doing on Nepal is what we think the international community ought to be doing, which is approaching the Chinese privately through diplomatic channels and sending a very firm message of concern for human rights, a concern for what's happening in Nepal, urging the Chinese government to understand that it is in their interest to reach out to representatives of the Dalai Lama, and to show, while the whole world is watching China, that they are determined to treat their citizens with dignity and respect. There is an opportunity here."

Nepal, which shares a border with Tibet and which is an independent constitutional monarchy, has about 29 million people, is 10% Buddhist and is not the home of the Dalai Lama.

Video of the horrendous gaffe below:

Comments

[charlietuna11]

hadley said that bush is working thru diplomatic channels advising china on human rights violations?? time to change the channel, even the chinese have a sense of humor..

[souris]

...........anyone who is surprised that one of the hacks that is doing "a-heck-of-a-job" in the Bush Administration doesn't know their ass from their elbow.....raise your hand.........anyone????

[shockmagog]

I think the quality of his medjools should negate any geopolitical shortcomings the National Security Adviser may have.

http://www.hadleyfruitorchards.com/

[bushmocker]

I received a security alert saying internet explorer blocked this site from downloading files to my computer.What gives Huffpo,am I open to an attack from a source at Huffpo?Anyone else notice problems only associated with Huffpo?

[nevergiveup]

I hate everyone in this administration. Stupid people. Liars, thieves and traitors.

Way to go, Rethugs! Proving to the world every day what ignorant bullies they are.

Whyd o Republicans hate their country so much.

If Bush attends the Olympics, he'll be the first president to do so in decades. He's a grandstanding, functionally illiterate, morally vacuous A**hole. I don't want him out there representing the USA under any circumstances. BushCo has nothing to do with who Americans are and what they want.

[ObGyn]

Last time I checked, Bush was president of the USA. He won twice (at least once by election. (Ok they stole Ohio, but who cares)). So, obviously, he is more representative of the mentality of the American population than you are willing to accept.

[shockmagog]

Bush was selected by the Supreme Court the first time, after his party was instrumental in institutional election fraud in Florida. You are correct in saying the Republicans "stole" Ohio, however. That, alone, has led to 4 more years of disaster for our country, so I think a lot of people care about that.

Bush has been "representative of the mentality of the American population," especially as projected to the rest of the world, and it has precipitated and coincided with our nation's decline. However, "Bush as America" is no longer the case, as history is already showing George W. Bush to be the worst president in United States history.

[zull2]

If you really liked Stephen Hadley's confusion between Nepal and Tibet, then you'll LOVE the McCain Administration! After all, McCain can't tell a Sunni from a Shiite and an Iraqi from a Saudi, and this guy would be making the evaluation of his security adviser! (This same lack of knowledge from the Bush Adminstration is how Hadley landed his job in the first place...just in case the reader didn't draw that parallel...)

[April]

What is going on in Nepal that we don't know about?

[wldnswmmr]

Not sure, but if I ever get out of here, I'm going to Kathmandu.

It's actually consistent with Bushian concepts of social studies. The Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans, etc. are all sort of Arabs or "Arabesques," and killing Arabesques wherever they are kind of makes the U.S. a safer place, because "people from that part of the world" sent the 9-11 hijackers. So Chinese, Tibetans, Nepalese are all sort of Mongolians and drawing a lot of fancy distinctions among these non-Caucasians isn't that important. There's some kind of problem in the Himalayas, Bush is on it and he's going to the Olympics, probably the opening ceremonies too, and he thanks all those Mongolians for their tireless support in financing the U.S. wars over there in the Arabesque world.

[ceti]

Ironically, Mongolia supported the Iraq War and have a few troops there. They might be interested in mop operations -- the last time they were in Baghdad, the city was completely destroyed and Arab civilization set back centuries. In 1258, the Mongol general Hulegu, a grandson of Genghis Khan, sacked Baghdad, killing 800,000 people and ending its primacy as the largest city in the Arab world.

In another irony, in Nepal it is Tibetan-related ethnic groups that are the Maoists' strongest supporters, and the Maoist are heading towards a stunning victory. No one expected these results. Even the Maoist leaders were stunned.

[bushmocker]

Tibetan monk warriors are gathering on the borders around Nepal.

[tea in the harbor]

They just had an election, peacefully changing from a Monarchy to a Democracy, all without a single US bomb!

[Meah]

Jimmy Carter helped with the voting process in Nepal. He needs to do that in the USofA.

[MACinCHI]

Actually, Hadley is correct. We shouldn't be discussing boycotting the Olympic Games in Beijing because of the situation in Nepal. Of course, he misses the point that Nepal has nothing to do with the human rights problem in China. In fact they are having their first democratic elections in several years since the idiot king disbanded the parliament.

But why should our National Security Advisor know anything about the world? He shouldn't let facts get in the way of policy! How will we be able to justify declaring war on the Vatican City if we try to tell Bush that it's the home of the Pope? We should be worried about the human rights conditions in Iceland (they have them) and how they're going to destroy our way of life with geothermal energy.

[fcsakes]

Life as usual in the bush white house. don't know shit.

It would be a cop out to boycott the olympics? Why would they chose to do anything different this close to the end.

[Zentomato]

George Stephanopolis is a real tool. How many times did Hadley say Nepal and GS didnt say a word to correct him. Maybe George is as stupid as Hadley? Disgustingly ass kissing journalism by GS.

[JohnFromCensornati]

I think stupid, but you never know.
Maybe he was allowing Hadley to make a fool of himself.
We'll never know.
He can't admit it if that's what he did.

[nanotubz]

Or maybe George thought it was funny to see Bush's security adviser repeatedly prove how clueless he actually is.

[Harinama]

hehe i agree. George St. is pretty smart. I'm sure he just wanted the official to keep looking like an idiot, and laughed under his breath with each remark.

[MadJeffersonian]

Another shining example of the United States' educational system!

The best example being a incurious C-student becoming president touting education.

[bushmocker]

Can you imagine what his real grade would have been without daddy influence?

[Harinama]

hmm...maybe Grade 10? He definitely didnt make it through grade 11...!

[Rmtns]

Another seat saver Republican, chosen for his party loyalty and fundraising, rather than experience and intelligence. I can't wait to hear Rash Windbag and Sean Whinity explain this as the liberal press's fault tomorrow.

[bushmocker]

Come on folks give Hadley a break,Nepal,Tibet,both have five letters,sound kind of similar and are located on the same globe.

[realpolitic]

That verbal gaffe explains how we invaded the wrong country. The Bushies never intended to invade Iraq, rather it was Iran all along. But once we entered the country, we could not admit it was a mistake.

[bushmocker]

LOL! You said it tongue in cheek(I think), but honestly we know it could be true.

[realpolitic]

After all, Iran and Iraq only one letter separates the two.

[Meah]

There you go! Stupid @#@$#s! I think Hadley said Nepal at least four or five times. What a complete idiot! And I wrote to George S. asking him what his point was not bringing up Tibet. Shoddy, actually.
Real shoddy. "Excuse me, just because you are talking about the wrong country, I am afraid of you and I will not correct you!" A real piece of work, old George Stephanopolus. Hadley, well, Jeeze, don't show your ugly face again, idiot! You know nothing!

[sander9860]

There's a second story here: Mr. S didn't correct him!!!

[ObGyn]

National Security Adviser does not know the difference between Nepal and Tibet (and neither did George Stephanopoulos). Bush’s Whitehouse Press Secretary Dana Perino does not know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was. I am not kidding.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_press_secretary_admits_she_1210.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/10/perino-i-didnt-know-wha_n_76062.html

Alberto Gonzalez was Bush’s Whitehouse counsel, then promoted to Attorney General. Condi Rice was promoted from National Security Adviser to Secretary of State. The list of uninformed incompetents leading us is astonishing. If it isn’t all so tragic it would be funny.