Dalai Lama White House Visit: Barack Obama Invites Spiritual Leader For Saturday Meeting

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has invited the Dalai Lama to the White House Saturday, making time for the Tibetan spiritual leader who is in Washington for an 11-day Buddhist ritual.

The president last met with the Nobel Peace laureate in February 2010, infuriating Chinese officials. China accuses the Dalai Lama of pushing for Tibetan independence.

Employing a low-key approach, the White House has set the meeting in the White House Map Room, not the Oval Office, which is reserved for visiting heads of state. The White House is keeping the meeting closed to the news media, as it did last year.

A White House official says Obama will urge that representatives of the Dalai Lama be allowed to engage with Chinese authorities and will call for the preservation of Tibetan culture.

Comments

[smburwick]

07:33 PM on 07/19/2011

Jeffbrooks: I didn't care for Bush either, and I do not want anything bad to happen to this country. On the contrary, I want this country to be numero UNO, not a banana republic.

[warloch2]

09:01 AM on 07/19/2011

I wonder if Obama is going to make him leave the White House out the back door by the garbage cans again? Oh wait I forgot this time it is for a photo op for Obama's campaign.
:-)

[Pod-gers]

02:11 PM on 07/17/2011

The US Government's "Tibet program(s)" continue to this day. They started in the 1940s as far back as I am able to confirm. They started with the OSS, with presidential knowledge and approval, and continued under the CIA.

Today, the Tibet program is a mishmash of both Overt and Covert programs and opperations. Since the Tibet programs are an ongoing offensive against China, much is unavaliable because it remains CLASSIFIED.

The Tibet Program started out as part of the Great Game with the US opposing Soviet expansion into China and South East Asia. After the huge failure of our puppet in China, Chaing Kai Shek, Mao came to power, and China became independent of foreign dominmation.

For the Soviet Union and the US, however, WWII was not over. The soviets supported No Korea's invasion over Mao's serious objections, and we, the US, supported Chaiang Kai Shek in Taiwan as the legimate ruler of all of China. ie, we refused to recognize China, and the soviets refused to recognize So Korea.

today, the Soviet Union is no more, the Cold war is over, but not for the US. We unfortunatley continue to harbour the Cold War hangover, and it weakens us because we are unable to acurately assess who are our friends and who are our enemies.

This then, is our greatest foreign policy weakness, one that needs to be addressed in a meaningful way, without mindless ideology.

.

[Pod-gers]

01:44 PM on 07/17/2011

Proof that the dalai lama bears false witness...

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34445.pdf
For years reports have claimed that third parties were involved in the 1950s
dispute and confrontation between the Tibetans and the Chinese Communist
government — in particular India, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and
the Kuomintang (KMT) Party of Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan. According to one
source, CIA involvement began in the mid-1950s, proximate to the Dalai Lama’s
visit to India and his subsequent return to Tibet. There have been unconfirmed
reports, for instance, that in the 1950s the CIA trained Tibetan rebels at Camp Hale,
Colorado; that at least one CIA-trained operative accompanied the Dalai Lama on his
1959 flight to India; and that this operative was in constant radio touch with the CIA
station in Dacca, India, which then conducted air-drops to supply the Dalai Lama’s
entourage.

The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan exile community have denied third party
involvement.

But look at this declassified State Department Document confirming US, (third party) involvement...
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_xxx/337_343.html

Clearly, the Dalai Lama lies about this.

[ayisha]

08:22 AM on 07/17/2011

833 Fans
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20 hours ago (12:05 PM)
He is required by law to do this.
http://www­.fas.org/s­gp/crs/row­/R40453.pd­f
--------------------------------------------

you have repeated this "required by law" comment, so please point out exactly where it is noted in the document you link to. i took a cursory glance at it, and saw nothing that suggested a legal mandate of any kind for the President to meet with the Dali Lama. i did find one or two passages of interest, especially in light of the comments i see so far suggesting that this invitation is some sort of "liberal activism" on the President's part (see below). so, please, just tell me exactly where it says this is a legal requirement, as it is very early on a Sunday morning, and i have not yet had my required 2 cups of coffee.

"President George H. W. Bush in 1991 became the first U.S. President to meet with the
Dalai Lama, while President Bill Clinton met with the Dalai Lama several times in casual drop by meetings." (p. 3)

and

"President George W. Bush raised the profile of presidential meetings with the Dalai Lama considerably in 2007, becoming the first sitting U.S. President ever to meet publicly with the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal." (footnote 12, bottom of p. 3).

[ayisha]

08:40 AM on 07/17/2011

sorry, that was aimed at Pod-gers. the name did not seem to register in the copy & paste.

[Retrofuturistic]

12:57 AM on 07/17/2011

Meanwhile, back in Ohio:

http://www.plunderbund.com/2011/07/15/video-kasich-urges-public-school-graduating-class-to-serve-the-creator/

[William D Simpson]

11:06 PM on 07/16/2011

This shows the true nature of Barack Obama's unregenerate spirit! He would never invite John MacArthur to the White House. "Haha"! I can only hope that Barack has this much sense. It is doubtfull though...

[ayisha]

07:55 AM on 07/17/2011

is MacArthur the de facto leader of a people seeking to transition to national sovereignty? what is your point exactly?

[On My Way 58]

09:38 PM on 07/16/2011

It is part of the job as president to meet with all sorts of people - those who are liked as well as those who are despised. Without those meetings, nothing can be disussed and there is no hope for a dialogue leading to benefits and concesions for both sides..

[alexdross]

05:51 PM on 07/16/2011

the amount of vitriol that's gushing from these threads in a response to an article on the dali lama is sickening. you people should be ashamed of yourselves.

[charlygardel]

11:11 PM on 07/16/2011

Absolutely.

[eddy joe]

05:38 PM on 07/16/2011

China accuses the Dalai Lama of pushing for Tibetan independence.....not hard to imagine the chinese wouldn't like that. Some archaeological data suggests humans may have passed through Tibet at the time India was first inhabited, half a million years ago.[12] No wonder he looks so old. Seriously, I hope we don't intend to start inurrections in china. Although i hope they achieve their independence, we have enough on our plates.

[Pod-gers]

05:45 PM on 07/16/2011

F&F You have some good information, eddy joe, and here is some more...
http://diggchina.blogspot.com
.

[charlygardel]

11:12 PM on 07/16/2011

Impressive piece of propaganda. Chairman Mao would be proud.

[MekhongKurt]

04:54 PM on 07/16/2011

Well, if any of The Old Men of Zhong Nan Hai needed an enema, they just got one! :-)

[Aquest]

03:47 PM on 07/16/2011

Obama inviting the Dali Lama to the White House is a show of leadership and strength. He did this knowing that China would not like it but also knowing it was the right thing to do. He could have not invited the Dali Lama and given into China's demands.

People like Pawlety have already shown that he is afraid of the Chinese and would bend over to do their bidding.

[Pod-gers]

05:51 PM on 07/16/2011

LOL Obama bends over for Congress. he met with the dalai Lama because he is required by law to do so.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40453.pdf
.

[Aquest]

10:10 AM on 07/17/2011

I read that entire document and no where does it say anything about any requirement concerning the President meeting with the Dali Lama.

You may want to read it sometime - so you quit posting these lies.

[GH]

01:47 PM on 07/17/2011

No. Clinton couldn't muster up the inner strength to meet officially with the Dalai Lama. Obama refused to meet with him the first time, but finally did on the second trip. And the only reason that he did, apparently was because of all the disappointment - and outrage - over his refusal.

It started out the same this time. So, at the last minute, Obama schedules a low key Saturday meeting.

I bet that he didn't have a golf game scheduled on Sat.

What a guy.

[GH]

01:39 PM on 07/17/2011

Well sure. Unfortunately, Obama, after refusing to meet with the Dalai Lama the first time around, finally gave in to much pressure, and did meet last year. It was, however, rather insulting that the WH made his Holiness the Dalai Lama, leave the WH by the back service door, amidst the piles of garbage bags and piles of snow.

But, at least he did meet. President Clinton also had a difficult time standing up to the pressure from the Chinese, and never officially met the Dalai Lama, only managing to arrange a couple of drop by visits when others (Gore comes to mind) were meeting with him.

And then there was George Bush - who not only didn't even flinch, in the face of threats by the Chinese Gov't, but boldly meets officially twice - the front door was graciously opened - but publicly presented the Dalai Lama, in 2007, with the U.S. Congress' highest civilian honor, the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21320198/ns/politics-white_house/t/bush-urges-china-meet-dalai-lama/

Now there's a picture of a true American leader. Didn't do everything right - but on the call to lead for humanity - he stood up. Did rather nicely on HIV/Aids in 3rd world countries, like Africa, as well.

[Aquest]

01:57 PM on 07/17/2011

Obama did not make the Dali Lama leave by the back door. The Dali Lama arrived and left that way because he requested to do so.

[Sallie Fajardo]

03:44 PM on 07/16/2011

There's only one way to heaven and that's by Christ Jesus.All other religions can be proven false by living them and seeing zero results but with Christ Jesus you get miracles.

[RationalityPlease]

06:04 PM on 07/16/2011

Thanks, I don't want to go to your idea of heaven.

[RationalityPlease]

06:12 PM on 07/16/2011

I'm not allowed to say that I'm not interested in going to her idea of heaven?

[RationalityPlease]

06:13 PM on 07/16/2011

Weird. My comment keeps disappearing and reappearing... some strange battle of the mods?

[sarapy]

02:56 PM on 07/16/2011

...and did obildy tell you that he can walk on water also ? did he tell you to drink the kool aid before walking in the room ? did he tell you about hope'nchange ???

[johnblack53]

04:34 PM on 07/16/2011

lol. You people are exactly the same way about your Lord and savior Bush 2.

[Pod-gers]

02:38 PM on 07/16/2011

This meeting in MapRoom with Obama spotlights Dalai Lama as an enigma, exposes our past cold war policy, which continues today, altho it's harmful to all players, especialy Tibetans in China.

Our recruitment of the DL's two elder brothers, by OSS/CeyeA, in 1951 and the DL in 1959, is a vestage of the coild war, like our apendix, usless to us today.

Whenever I see a thread like this, I see comments from innocent, believers, who've been conned by this most unholy lama, who thinks nothing of those Tibetans who used to be enthralled by his family, the monestaries, other lords of his reign, as well as himself.

He has never ever apologised to them for their suffering.
http://diggchina.blogspot.com/2011/03/serf-emancipation-day.html

Then there is his hyprocasy, claiming to advocate for peace! How truley outrageous!
http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/dalai-lama/dalai-lama-supports-violence/

I feel shame when I have to endure our President meeting with this faker. In both the Ten commandmenta and Buddhist Ethics, one should not bear false witness.
http://en.tibetol.cn/

And we know why he bears false witness, because is is paid to do so.
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_xxx/337_343.html

I am convinced that there are those who cannot bear to see things as they are. How ironic, that is samsara. Wallowing in delusion. DL Spreading confusion! Shameful!

[eddy joe]

05:41 PM on 07/16/2011

Exellent links...everyone should have a look.

[wereeverywhere]

07:38 PM on 07/16/2011

In the Party propagandist upside down 'mind,' working for peace and independence for your people is suspect while the continued occupation by the Chinese government that denies basic human rights to Tibetans is applauded. That puts you in a unique position to judge who's wallowing in delusion.