Budapest as part of her European trip to encourage countries who support the war against terrorism amid controversy at home, BosNewsLife learned Sunday May 19.
The museum visit came shortly after she strongly defended her husband, who has been criticized for possible ignoring intelligence last summer that could have prevented the September 11 attacks.
"I know my husband, and all Americans know how he has acted in Afghanistan and in the war with terror. I think really, we need to put this in perspective and I think it’s sad to prey upon the emotions of people as if there were something we could have done to stop" the suicide hijackings, Mrs. Bush said.
INVESTIGATION
Democrats in Congress, and a few Republicans, have demanded an investigation into what President George W. Bush knew and why he did not appear to act on it. Some relatives of September 11 victims are reportedly outraged to that Bush was told in August about potential hijackings but failed to warn the public.
Mrs. Bush said however that the "very general, unspecific" warnings before September 11, were not suggesting that terrorists planned to use airplanes as missiles in the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, which killed more than 3,000 people.
Mrs. Bush tried hard to convince reporters that the row would not
overshadow her three day trip to post Communist Hungary, which she praised for embracing religious and other freedoms in 1989, as well as allowing US troops to be based in the south of the country.
AFGHANISTAN
The First Lady stressed that Hungary, which she noted "is poised" to become a European Union member in 2004, played a crucial role in making Afghanistan a more open country.
"Today thanks to the United States and Hungary and all our coalition partners, the women of Afghanistan have new freedom and reason to hope," she told about 60 Hungarian women leaders at a luncheon spiced with paprika and traditional music.
That theme was also expected to be part of her radio address to the Afghan people via the US funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty network in Prague, the Czech Republic, where she was due to start her official visit Monday, May 20, before joining her husband in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday.
However Mrs. Bush, who is accompanied by daughter Jenna, did not leave Hungary empty handed, saying she was "pleased to announce a new grant of five hundred thousand dollars" to establish a women’s health initiative in Hungary.
BREAST CANCER
The Director of the government’s Public Health Program, Andras Javor, told BosNewsLife that the money would be used for a program that includes fighting breast cancer. It is part of an health awareness campaign in a country where the average life expectancy is currently 67 years for men and 75 years for women.
"Our aim is to make that 70 for men and 78 for women in the next ten years," he said. Mrs. Bush also revealed a multi million dollar health plan for Central and Eastern Europe Friday, that will especially support women and infants across Hungary and 5 other former Communist countries.
Speaking to doctors and patients at the National Institute of Oncology she said it was important to support the health of women, who have long been neglected in a Communist society.
FOUNDATION
She made the announcement standing next to US ambassador to Hungary, Nancy Brinker, who set up the Dallas based Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, in honor of her sister who died from the disease 22 years ago.
Through fundraising and "Race for the Cure" events, the foundation has reportedly provided more than 300 million dollar for breast cancer research in the United States.
While not everyone on the streets of Budapest share her husband’s policy opinions, 50-year old building engineer Irena Balog praised Mrs. Bush’s faith in God and social activities. "I think that after the September 11 attacks, the world needs nice people with a big heart," added Balog, an ethnic Hungarian from Romania.
