The First Lady's First Saudi Visit

Laura Bush Begins Her Middle East Tour To Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

(AP)  First Lady Laura Bush helped launch a screening facility in Saudi Arabia Tuesday as part of a U.S.-Saudi initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in the kingdom where doctors struggle to break long-held taboos about the disease.

Bush's trip to Saudi Arabia, her first to the oil-rich kingdom, is part of a regional tour that aims to highlight the need for countries to share resources and unite in the fight against breast cancer.

"Breast cancer does not respect national boundaries, which is why people from every country must share their knowledge, resources and experience to protect women from this disease," Bush said in a speech at the King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh.

"The cure for breast cancer can come from a researcher in Washington or a young doctor in Riyadh," she added.

Bush, who wore a navy blue pant suit, arrived in Riyadh from the United Arab Emirates, her first Mideast stop. Visiting female dignitaries are not required to don the traditional black cloak that all women in Saudi Arabia must wear in public. She was greeted by Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, the king's son, who is honorary president of the Saudi Cancer Society.

Bush visited the Abdul-Latif cancer screening center, the country's first, where she met with Saudi women affected by breast cancer.

She later witnessed the signing the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research agreement at a packed auditorium at the King Fahad Medical City.

Saudi became the third country to take on the program, which was organized by the State Department and includes the Susan G. Komen Foundation with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Maryland, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Before the agreement was signed, Dr. Samia al-Amoudi, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April, spoke about the pain she felt when her 10-year-old daughter asked her if she would one day be stricken with the same disease.

She said she told her daughter "hopefully you will be able to tell your children there was once a disease called breast cancer that killed women, but it no longer is the problem it once was."

Al-Amoudi, a gynecologist, said about 70 percent of breast cancer cases in Saudi Arabia will not be reported until they are at a very late stage, compared with 30 percent or less in the U.S. She also said 30 percent of Saudi patients are under 40 years old.

Al-Amoudi said many of the hurdles in Saudi Arabia are not medical. For instance, until recently, it was widely considered socially improper to refer to the disease by name in the kingdom, she said.

"People would refer to breast cancer as 'the bad disease' or 'that disease,"' said al-Amoudi.

"But today, when we talk to the highest levels of authority or are speaking in front of all kinds of media about this issue we name the disease for what it is: breast cancer," she added.

Dr. Abdullah al-Amro, head of the King Fahad Medical City, said that almost one-fifth of all women with cancer in Saudi Arabia have breast cancer.

Bush, whose mother and grandmother suffered from breast cancer, was also scheduled to meet with King Abdullah and with breast cancer survivors during her visit.

She will then travel to Kuwait, where she will meet with women democratic reformers, legal advocates and business leaders.

Laura Bush last visited the Middle East in 2005, stopping in Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories to promote freedom, education and the role of women.

[pastdue1]

Cannot condemn her for promoting Cancer Awareness, but she really is sort of a coward. She is in a friendly country (a Bush family friend) and will not be heckled or questioned rudely. In the USA now, the people are becoming so disillusioned with the Bush administration that it is probably too embarassing for her to do the same kind of thing here. There are far more pressing problems in the United States than breast cancer awareness in Saudi Arabia that a brave first lady could attack.

[lostcountry1]

great posts everyone. its soo good to see that soo many people see this ignorant suzy homemaker wanna-be for exactly what she is,full of G.W.!she must be delivering the plans for the next 9/11 so they can sell everyone on a new war, IRAN. she should go back to florida, and be with her real husband, jeb. you all know that jenna is jebs, just look at her.with george w bush its either "your with me,or your against me" ... well jeb, you gonna take your turn? ask her to send her daughters to iraq, then she could be truely proud!

[simonsez40]

Laura Bush - pawn for the man with no spine, brains or heart...........who cares about what either Bushs do...........

[grazinggoat]

CBS News: ''Al-Amoudi, a gynecologist, said about 70 percent of breast cancer cases in Saudi Arabia will not be reported until they are at a very late stage, compared with 30 percent or less in the U.S. She also said 30 percent of Saudi patients are under 40 years old.''

-This outburst of Breast Cancer prevalence is exactly paralleled to the influx of US and Western products into the Saudi Kingdom. What do you think will happen if a group of clean women (void of pollution agents) will behave once exposed to all the products that cause cancer to the exporting countries'' women?

-All this artificial culture has an impact on users'' health. All those benzen-cyclic based products are known to be VERY unstablizing to the relatively stable structure of Human DNA. Breaking down the structure of the DNA by exposing it to Perfumes, food additives, houselhold cleaning products, taht for a sudden flooded the Saudi Market some 30-40 years ago...

This should be a great blatant example of Western Society and culture effect on Humans'' health... Any other question?

[watcher269-2009]

Maybe Laura should spend more time at home helping US children with health insurance needs - focus on HOME! Not the countries your oilman husband is enriching by his illegal war! You should be at home baking cookies or something a Proud Christian woman would be doing!

[bareemperor]

Laura Bu$h consorting with the enemy...

I remember 9/11 was supposedly done by Saudis.

Hmmmm

Maybe we have some unfinished business over there?

[eggy1620]

Just another piece of ammunition for the fanatics to use against America. %u201CWe must stop the Crusaders from coming here and teaching our women about their bodies!!!!%u201D

[abbe91]

"Laura Bush last visited the Middle East in 2005, stopping in Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories to promote freedom, education and the role of women."

She still needs to visit the urology department in the American hospital in Dubai, where Bin Laden spent 10 days in July 2001 for kidney treatment and was visited by a few CIA agents and the head of Saoudi intelligence.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,584444,00.html

[homespunlady]

Laura NEEDS a little vacation time while California BURNS! George took one of HIS MANY vacations during Katrina.

So what if NATURAL DISASTERS DESTROY our ENTIRE Nation JUST so long as our WAR PROFITEERS Keep all that manpower that COULD HAVE SAVED THOSE HOMES halfway around the world!

It''s a GUARANTEE that they''ll soon be able to JACK UP the PRICES of ALL THE "recovery materials" and use THIS LATEST disaster as ANOTHER way to GOUGE the American People!!

Remember the BIN LADEN FAMILY is IN Construction!!!

[jonesforch]

lord for someone who is trying to help you all are really mean people.