Pelosi: Athletes Should Not Anger 'Ruthless' Chinese Government at Olympics

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that the United States had a moral duty to condemn China's rights abuses, but urged U.S. athletes not to risk angering the "ruthless" Chinese government, a day before the opening of the Beijing Olympics.

Pelosi, speaking at a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, said the International Olympic Committee "turns a blind eye" to Beijing's rights violations.