Laura Bush making push for democracy

AMMAN, Jordan – First Lady Laura Bush said America’s image abroad has been damaged by the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq and the retracted News-week report of Quran desecration at Guantanamo Bay.

She made the comments as she flew to the Middle East to promote democracy, human rights and free elections in the region.

“We’ve had terrible happenings that really, really hurt our image of the United States,” Bush told reporters. “People in the United States are sick about it. They’re very sorry that that’s the image that people in the Arab world got of the United States.”

During a five-day diplomatic visit, the first lady said she will emphasize the role of women and education in creating free, functioning democracies around the world. She said she’ll also work to mend America’s tattered image.

At the World Economic Forum today in Jordan, she will deliver a speech on democratic progress and expanded rights for women in places such as Kuwait and in Afghanistan, where recent riots and killings have amplified the dangers and instability that persist.