Tsjechisch protest bij start Europese tour Bush (en)

Two thousand anti-missile shield protestors picketed government buildings in Prague on Monday (4 June) night as US president George Bush landed in the Czech republic to start a week long European tour, with Mr Bush set to chide Russia over democratic standards in a major speech on Tuesday.

Czech demonstrators held up signs saying "Bush number one terrorist" in what has become a familiar sight on his European visits since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, with 1,500 Czech police - including counter-terrorist and sniper units - all-but shutting down central Prague in anticipation of larger protests today.

Opinion polls show two-thirds of Czechs do not want the US to build bits of a new missile shield in the country, amid fears of worsening relations with Russia and becoming a target for anti-US terrorist groups. The base - to be operational by 2012 - will also see US missiles in Poland, despite similar fears in Polish society.

Mr Bush will spend Tuesday with Czech leaders in Prague before attending the G8 summit in Germany from Wednesday to Friday, where he is likely to face more jeers in the wider context of anti-globalisation protests. Anti-G8 riots in Germany continued to simmer away Monday night, with 66 fresh arrests in Rostock.

On Friday afternoon, the US president will travel to Jurata in Poland, before jetting off to Italy on Saturday to meet prime minister Romano Prodi and Pope Benedict XVI. The trip will round off with a visit to Tirana, Albania on Sunday and Sofia on Monday. The US is also helping build up NATO capacity in Bulgaria.

Not so friendly this year

The Czech and Polish governments are keen to press ahead with the missile shield plans, with Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek on Monday saying "Bush should leave Prague with the feeling that the Czechs are an ally of the US, and that they won't let anybody dictate to them," Polish media report.

The comment - an apparent riposte to hostility on the missile shield from G8 member Russia - sets the tone for a further exchange of harsh words between the west and the Kremlin this week. The atmosphere contrasts with the - predominantly - friendly tone of last year's G8 summit in St Petersburg.

On Monday, Mr Putin threatened to point nuclear missiles at European targets for the first time since the Cold War.

At the weekend, Mr Bush's national security advisor, Steven Hadley, gave a foretaste of what Bush's Russia democracy speech might contain.

"The president has been very clear that...while Russia's future is in its hands, we believe, obviously for Russia and for any other nation, that true stability and prosperity comes when nations give their people economic freedom, and build the institutions of an enduring democracy," he said.

'Butting heads'

The daily White House press conference on Monday afternoon was dominated by the issue of the US and EU's relations with Russia. White House spokesman Sean McCormack criticised Moscow's aggressive rhetoric but suggested there was little to fear from the political row.

"Even if you assume that somehow we got off on the wrong foot with regard to the missile defence plans for Europe, that doesn't really account for this continuing rhetoric that Russia keeps harping on," he said. "It's a big complicated relationship and there are going to be areas where we butt heads."

The spokesman also played down the significance of Czech and Polish opposition to the missile shield. "On any political or national security question, you're going to have a difference of opinion within a population," he said. When asked if the US might ditch the plan due to popular opposition, he answered "No, no."