I Come Not to Bring Peace

According to a report which the BBC may yet disown in yet another access of post-Hutton contrition, George W Bush informed the Palestinian foreign minister in 2003 that he was "driven with a mission from God." The syntax certainly seems authentic. Apparently God also gave Bush personal instructions about the war on terror: "God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did."

Bush also claimed that he felt God's words coming to him on the subject of his little brown brothers in the Middle East: "'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East'. And, by God, I'm gonna do it." The Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, claimed that Bush said, "I have a moral and religious obligation. I must get you a Palestinian state. And I will."

This is all most encouraging, of course. I was shocked, therefore, to read today that the presidential articulacy surrogate, Scott McClellan, has denied the veracitosity of these remarks. George W Bush "never made such comments". George W Bush did not claim God's authority for the war on Afghanistan or the war on Iraq; he has not been divinely inspired to get the Palestinians their state or the Israelis their security; and he does not admit to recognising a moral or religious obligation to get Mahmoud Abbas a Palestinian state.

I find this all rather odd. How can it be that a born-again Christian, who famously prayed with his poodle in 2002, is taking decisions of global importance without the guidance of his omnipresent sky-daddy? How dare Scott McClellan, who was not present at the meeting in question, presume to cast doubt on Bush's relations with the Deity? Does McClellan think Bush smites multitudes for fun?