Bush tells Howard 'You're kind of like a Texan'

11.45am

CRAWFORD, Texas - French President Jacques Chirac may be persona non grata in these parts, but Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Saturday received the highest honour President George W. Bush could think of:

"You're kind of like a Texan," Bush told Howard.

Bush prides himself on being an early riser, so he was surprised to wake up early on Saturday, look out the window and find Howard up and ready for a stroll.

"So I hustled and got dressed, and we went for a good walk," Bush related at his Texas ranch. "And I'll tell you something, the guy -- I'm a pretty good athlete. He walks a good clip. I was breathing hard."

Bush has barred Chirac from his Texas hideaway over France's refusal to go along with attacking Iraq and Russian President Vladimir Putin probably will not be back any time soon for trying to thwart military action.

And Bush cancelled a Monday trip to see war opponent Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in Ottawa. Instead, he is going to Little Rock, Arkansas, for a speech on the economy.

But for Australia's decision to support the war with 2000 troops and aerial bombing raids, Bush gave Howard a ride on Air Force One and a ranch weekend.

Howard is the latest in an exclusive group of world leaders to have visited Bush's ranch in central Texas, joining fellow war supporters British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, as well as Putin, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Bush and Howard looked pretty casual and comfortable at a joint news conference, wearing matching blue blazers and no neckties on a warm and humid day before a ranch scene of hay bales and a barn under overcast skies.

During the visit Bush showed Howard his favourite spot on the 547ha ranch: a limestone canyon with waterfall bubbling forth after a recent rain.

With Bush behind the wheel, the two leaders drove up to the news conference site in the president's white pickup truck, wives Laura and Janette in the back seat. The Crawford ranch is the only place the Secret Service will let Bush drive.

Bush and Howard's mutual praise was as thick as the Texas cedar Bush is constantly clearing away around his ranch in order to keep the trees from sucking up all the water from the other hardwoods.

Howard congratulated Bush "on the leadership that you gave to the world, at times under very great criticism, at times fighting very great obstruction. But you had a resolute, clear view of what had to be done."

"I can't tell you what a comfort it is to talk to him on the phone," Bush said. "He's steady. ... He was steady under fire."

Bush regretted only one part of the Howard visit. "The only thing I regret is he didn't go fishing with me yesterday afternoon. He wanted a little rest."

Bush said he would like to visit Australia "as soon as possible." One opportunity might be later this year.

The Howard visit was part of a campaign to thank those nations that helped the United States during the Iraqi conflict. Next Thursday, Bush is playing host to foreign ministers of seven east European nations seeking to join Nato.

Six of them were part of the non-military anti-Iraq coalition that Washington formed in an effort to display international solidarity after the United Nations refused to go along with authorising military force.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq