Protestors harass President Bush during trip to Indonesia

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam -- Warmly greeted by world leaders in Vietnam, President Bush drew a different reaction Sunday at his upcoming stop in Indonesia, where thousands angrily protested America's policy in the Middle East and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.\nThe White House said it was confident about security precautions for Bush's visit Monday despite police warnings of an increased threat of attack by al-Qaida-linked groups.\nThe president was to spend just six hours in Indonesia, most of it at Bogor Palace, a presidential retreat outside the capital of Jakarta and far from the scene of protests Sunday where Bush was denounced as a "war criminal" and "terrorist."\nWhile President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a close U.S. ally in the war on terror, Bush is highly unpopular in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.\nWrapping up three days in Vietnam, Bush was taking a quick look around the city once known as Saigon. He planned to drop by the stock exchange, meet with business leaders and visit the Pasteur Institute for a briefing on its research on HIV/AIDS and other public health problems.\nIt was Bush's first appearance on the world stage since his Republican Party lost control of Congress and was rebuked for the unpopular war in Iraq.\nThe White House said Bush was pleased by the results of a 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi although the administration was left struggling to explain how it ended.\nTo Bush's dismay, he was unable to deliver a promised agreement on normal trade relations with Vietnam. It was snarled in Congress, but the administration expressed confidence it eventually would be approved.\nVietnam's economy is booming, the fastest growing in Asia, and the country is the world's second-largest exporter of rice. But the benefits have not reached most people. The per capita income is less than $700 a year.\nIn a city usually teeming with motorcycle traffic, streets were cleared for Bush's motorcade. As he rode by, people waved, laughed and cheered. It was a contrast to the subdued reaction of residents in Hanoi, where Bush participated in the summit and conferred with the leaders of China, Russia, South Korea and Japan.\nThe White House said it was satisfied with the summit statement prodding North Korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks and urging nations to keep the pressure on by enforcing U.N. Security Council sanctions.\nBut the administration was at a loss to explain why the statement was simply read as part of the chairman's wrap-up statement and not issued as a written document. Another oddity was that the section about North Vietnam was not translated into English when the statement was read.\n"He read it in Vietnamese, but for whatever reason the translation was not given in the consecutive English translation at the time," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. "We have double checked. The Vietnamese said, 'Yes, he did read it.'"\nBush met separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao to discuss strategy for yet-to-be-scheduled talks with North Korea. The administration sent U.S. envoy Christopher Hill to Beijing for further consultations.\nIn their public remarks, Bush and Putin celebrated a U.S.-Russia agreement for Moscow's entry into the World Trade Organization. Bush said Russia's admission to the group was "good for the United States and good for Russia."\nWith Putin and Hu, Bush also pressed for a U.N. Security Council resolution to pressure Iran to abandon nuclear weapons. It was unclear whether Bush made any headway in persuading China and Russia to drop their reluctance to go along.\nDescribing Bush's discussions with Putin, Snow said the leaders did not discuss specifics "but they understand that you need a strong resolution that will send the Iranians the clear message that we're not only united, but serious, and at the same time are going to offer them the opportunity to have civil nuclear power, which is of some importance to the Iranian people"