Small turnout for Wilders in the US

Geert Wilders, leader of the populist Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch parliament, attracted a fair amount of media attention in the US last week. But members of Congress had little time for the man and his film.

Earlier in February the controversial anti-Islam campaigner was refused entry into the United Kingdom despite being invited by a member of the British parliament's House of Lords. He flew to London anyway, accompanied by dozens of journalists, but was sent back at Heathrow airport on February 12. His visit to the US was a lot more tranquil.

No danger

Geert Wilders walked calmly towards the Capitol in Washington. There, in the heart of American democracy, he had an important appointment. His film Fitna was to be screened, at the invitation of the Republican senator Jon Kyl. Wilders' bodyguards were relaxed last Thursday afternoon. There was no danger here.

Christine Brim of the Center for Security Policy (CSP) was waiting at the entrance to the Lyndon B. Johnson auditorium. The CSP had organised the screening. "We have invited all 535 members of Congress," said Brim hopefully.

The CSP's reputation has been better in Washington. It is headed by Frank Gaffney, a neo-conservative former staff worker with Ronald Reagan who still defends the invasion of Iraq. Another member is the ultra-conservative James Inhofe, who calls the effect of human activity on global warming a "hoax". The reputation of senator Kyl, who invited Wilders and the CSP, has sufferered less damage over the recent past. The conservative Kyl is considered a hawk on defence but does not avoid compromise and is also respected by Democrats.

Strategic location

The Lyndon B. Johnson auditorium is strategically located. Most senators pass it on their way to meetings. On Thursday, former presidential candidate John McCain, a friend of Kyl's, was drumming up some staff workers a few metres from the auditorium. Senator Inhofe rushed past - uninterested. Bob Bennett, a conservative from Utah - the same. And John Kerry, another former presidential candidate, walked dreamily by after leading a packed meeting on the improvement of America's relations with Muslim countries.

It looked for a long time as if Fitna would only be seen by CSP people and staff workers of members of Congress. Five minutes before it was due to start there were around forty people there - not one of them a member of Congress.

Frank Gaffney arrived at the last minute. And just before the doors closed, Jon Kyl appeared. But a few moments later the doors reopened and he was gone again. The organiser of the event strode out into the hall. Kyl's spokesman could not explain why the senator had missed the screening, but according to Brim it had to do with president Obama's budget presentation. "The senator had to go to the White House."

"Countless media"

On Friday morning, the CSP and Wilders repeated the screening in the National Press Club, now no longer behind closed doors. There were five camera teams - two Dutch and three American. Among the American journalists was David Frum, an influential conservative columnist, and Joshua Keating of Foreign Policy magazine.

Questions came mainly from Dutch reporters. Wilders' supporters were unhappy with the line of questioning. They were treating Wilders unfairly. Wilders explained that "the Dutch press is left-wing".

Wilders later talked up his trip. He had been on CNN twice, on FoxNews twice, had talked to the opinion editors of The Wall Street Journal, done an interview with The Boston Globe and made contact with "countless other media". And of course there was Kyl's "friendly invitation" which allowed Wilders to watch Fitna "with members of Congress". Asked by the Dutch press which members of Congress had attended the screening, Wilders was lost for words.

"The names are secret," said Brim after the screening. But Gaffney eventually came up with two: the unknown Roger Wicker (Mississippi) and Ed Royce (California). What did he think of the turnout? Members of Congress are busy on the day the budget is presented, he replied. "And this was literally the only time Wilders had to see us."