 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shrugged off protests over the US-led war in Iraq at the start of a tour today of north-west England hosted by her British counterpart Jack Straw. "I would say to those who wish to protest, 'By all means, I have no problem with people exercising their democratic rights'," Dr Rice told reporters at a BAE Systems factory in Samlesbury, on the outskirts of Blackburn.
| "That doesn't mean I have to pay any attention to their senseless nattering." |
Her reciprocal visit to Mr Straw's hometown of Blackburn, after his trip last year to her native Alabama, met with a chilly reception from both anti-war protesters and press reports of a US-British dispute over defence technology. As soon as she arrived at a school in Blackburn, Dr Rice was greeted by 200 protesters, some waving placards stamped with "stop the war," and many shouting "Hey, hey Condi Rice, how many kids have you killed today?"
| Ummm... That doesn't rhyme... |
The refrain echoed the one shouted at "LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?" when US President Lyndon Baines Johnson was leading the United States in its war in Vietnam in the 1960s.
| I see. It used to rhyme in 1968, so it should also rhyme today. Gotcha. |
The protesters, who included women wearing Muslim headscarves, also chanted: "Condoleezza Rice go home". Some carried placards saying: "Stop the war" and "How many lives per gallon?"
| Good question, since our Islamist adversaries seem to be the ones inflicting the majority of the casualties... |
Jabbar Khan, 16, a student at the school, was among those on the other side who supported Dr Rice. "We should be proud to have such a high-profile visitor to our school," he told AFP. He said about 50 children took the day off at Pleckgate High School to join the protest. "They skived off," said Khan. |