WASHINGTON — Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit last week to President Bush's ranch in Texas was punctuated with an unannounced, last-minute surprise: Bush invited his houseguest to sit in on his highly classified morning intelligence briefing, the daily global review of terrorist threats, loose nukes and brewing hotspots.
Just a few weeks before, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia got similar insider treatment at the ranch: He was given a precious seat at the table for Bush's strategy session with the American negotiators with North Korea.
Such special efforts to rebuild and reshape alliances — and to make clear which foreign leaders are considered members of the Bush inner circle — are part of an intense effort by the White House to compensate for the breaches with the traditional allies that became so visible during the war in Iraq.
While many presidents have used private visits to Camp David and state dinners to impress foreign leaders, Bush is taking the process a step further: Since the fall of Baghdad, he has issued invitations to reward allies who have signed on to his view of the world — and are willing to join him in his plans to confront terrorists and rogue states.
Just as notable as who has been invited into the cozy intelligence reviews in Bush's living room, with its view of his private fishing pond, is the list of those not likely to be enjoying that view anytime soon. Bush will meet the leaders who led the opposition to the Iraq war at the Group of 8 meeting this weekend in Evian, France, where he is expected to spend as little one-on-one time as possible with President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany.
Bush's aides insist he is not abandoning traditional allies, even if Secretary of State Colin L. Powell warned not long ago that France would have to face the "consequences" of opposing the United States on Iraq.
But clearly the highest honors have gone to those who sent in forces to aid in Iraq — a short list that includes Britain, Australia and Poland. Howard received the highest compliment in the Bush lexicon: "You're kind of like a Texan."