President Bush and the 'Charm Offensive' in Europe

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In Brussels today, President Bush celebrated European unity, and tonight he's eating dinner with French President Jacques Chirac. Tomorrow he'll be the first American leader to visit the headquarters of the European Union. But the Atlantic Alliance is still divided over Iraq, Iran, the environment and many other issues. Can the President's "charm offensive" overcome skepticism about his style and his intentions? Is the European Union becoming a "counterweight" to the world's only "super power?" We get input from journalists in the US and Europe, historians and experts in US and European foreign policy. Making News: Beirut Protests Government, Syrian Military Presence Syrian President Bashar Assad says he will soon start withdrawing his troops from Lebanon. That's from the Chief of the Arab League, who says he met with Assad today in Damascus. Meantime, in Beirut, tens of thousands of Lebanese marched in protest of the Syrian presence. Hassan Fattah, who covers the Middle East for the New York Times, updates the mood in Beirut. Reporter's Notebook: Suicide of "Gonzo" Journalist Hunter S. Thompson He rode with the Hells Angels, coined the term "gonzo journalism" and became a continuing character in the Doonesbury comic strip. Last night, he shot himself to death in Woody Creek, Colorado, where he lived in a fortified compound. Author of Hells Angels, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson's drugged-out counter-culture life made him as much a celebrity as his writing. That's according to University of Florida journalism professor William McKeen, author of a critical biography of Thompson.
In Brussels today, President Bush celebrated European unity, and tonight he's eating dinner with French President Jacques Chirac. Tomorrow he'll be the first American leader to visit the headquarters of the European Union. But the Atlantic Alliance is still divided over Iraq, Iran, the environment and many other issues. Can the President's "charm offensive" overcome skepticism about his style and his intentions? Is the European Union becoming a "counterweight" to the world's only "super power?" We get input from journalists in the US and Europe, historians and experts in US and European foreign policy.
  • Making News: Beirut Protests Government, Syrian Military Presence
    Syrian President Bashar Assad says he will soon start withdrawing his troops from Lebanon. That's from the Chief of the Arab League, who says he met with Assad today in Damascus. Meantime, in Beirut, tens of thousands of Lebanese marched in protest of the Syrian presence. Hassan Fattah, who covers the Middle East for the New York Times, updates the mood in Beirut.
    • Reporter's Notebook: Suicide of "Gonzo" Journalist Hunter S. Thompson
    He rode with the Hells Angels, coined the term "gonzo journalism" and became a continuing character in the Doonesbury comic strip. Last night, he shot himself to death in Woody Creek, Colorado, where he lived in a fortified compound. Author of Hells Angels, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson's drugged-out counter-culture life made him as much a celebrity as his writing. That's according to University of Florida journalism professor William McKeen, author of a critical biography of Thompson.

President Bush and French President Chirac Discuss Common Values, Vision

Hunter S. Thompson

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Warren Olney