    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [May 16, 2006]
    [Pages 933-938]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Prime Minister John Howard of Australia
    May 16, 2006

        President Bush. Thank you all. It's my honor to welcome the Prime
    Minister of Australia here to the East Room for a press briefing. I'm
    going to feed him tonight--before I feed him tonight, I'm going to feed
    him to you. [Laughter]
        We just had a really interesting discussion about a lot of issues.
    First, I admire

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    John Howard's understanding that the war on terror still goes on and
    that we've got to be steadfast and firm if we intend to succeed in
    defeating the terrorists.
        Secondly, I appreciate very much his understanding and discussions
    about the way forward in Iraq. We spent quite a bit of time talking
    about the new Government. I described to him as best as I could my
    feelings about the Prime Minister-designee,
    who I believe is a firm and decisive person that is going to make a
    difference in that country's future.
        I thanked him very much for the commitment of Australian troops. We,
    of course, talked about the Iraqi security forces' capacity to defend
    themselves. I reported to him that we're pleased with the progress being
    made but that the United States will make decisions about our troop
    levels based upon conditions on the ground.
        We talked about Afghanistan. Again, I want to thank the Prime
    Minister for his support there for this fledgling democracy. We talked
    about North Korea. We talked about Iran. We talked about a lot. And
    that's what you'd expect when you're talking to an ally and a friend and
    a good strategic thinker.
        The Prime Minister is capable of not only seeing the problems for
    today; he's capable of looking down the road. And I appreciate his
    advice and his judgment on national security matters, as well as in
    talking about issues like energy and trade. We've got a good
    relationship with Australia, and we intend to keep it that way.
        I always remind my friends who talk to me about countries around the
    world, I say, I can't think of a country more like--a place more like
    Texas than Australia. And that's a compliment--[laughter]--except for
    some of these people over here. [Laughter] The people of Australia are
    independent-minded; they're smart; they're capable; they're hard-
    working. And I really enjoy my relationship with the Prime Minister.
        So Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. Thanks for coming, and the floor is
    yours.
        Prime Minister Howard. Well, thank you very much, Mr. President.
    Again, can I thank you very warmly for the great hospitality that you
    have extended to me. It was a real privilege to sit around the Cabinet
    table and talk to your Cabinet officers, which followed a very extensive
    discussion between the two of us about all of those issues of which you
    spoke.
        We remain a steadfast ally of the United States in the war against
    terror. I've made that clear on every occasion I've spoken here in the
    United States. The war against terror will go on for a long time; I
    think we have to accept that. Progress is being made. The challenge
    remains very, very strong, and there needs to be a continued commitment.
    And we admire and respect the leadership given by you and by the United
    States in that war, and it's a war that confronts us all. Those who
    imagine that somehow or other you can escape it by rolling yourself into
    a little ball and going over in the corner and hoping that you're not
    going to be noticed are doomed to be very, very uncomfortably
    disappointed.
        We did have an opportunity to talk extensively about some of the
    challenges in our immediate region. And I spoke about the situation in
    East Timor and the Solomon Islands and the importance of the role of
    Indonesia, the symbolism and also the practical consequence of Indonesia
    being the largest Islamic country in the world. And therefore, the
    success and prosperity of moderate Islamic leadership in that country is
    itself a very important factor in the long-term success of the fight
    against terrorism, because the fight against terrorism is not only a
    military and physical one; it is also an intellectual one. And it's a
    question of providing within the Islamic world a successful democratic
    model as an alternative to the fanaticism of those who would obscenely
    invoke the sanction of Islam to justify what they seek to do.
        Can I finally say that of the many ties that bind Australia and the
    United States,

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    as I said on the lawn earlier today, none are more important, of course,
    than the shared values and the beliefs that both of our countries have--
    that the spread of democracy around the world is an important goal and
    an important responsibility. It's been a privilege for our two peoples
    to enjoy democracy in an uninterrupted fashion for so long that we tend
    to take it for granted, and we forget its liberating impact on those who
    taste and experience it for the first time. And both of our societies
    have a responsibility in expanding the opportunities for democracy, and
    that, of course, lies very much at the heart of much of what our two
    societies do.
        Mr. President, thank you very, very much for the honor you've done
    me and the courtesy and friendship that you've extended to me and all of
    the traveling party. We appreciate it very, very deeply, indeed. Thank
    you.
        President Bush. Two questions a side. Terry [Terence Hunt,
    Associated Press].

    Terrorist Surveillance Program

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, you've said that the
    Government is not trolling through the lives of innocent Americans, but
    why shouldn't ordinary people feel that their privacy is invaded by the
    NSA compiling a list of their telephone calls?
        President Bush. What I have told the American people is, we'll
    protect them against an Al Qaida attack, and we'll do so within the law.
    I've been very clear about the principles and guidelines of any program
    that has been designed to protect the American people.
        I've also been clear about the fact that we do not listen to
    domestic phone calls without court approval and that this Government
    will continue to guard the privacy of the American people. But if Al
    Qaida is calling into the United States, we want to know, and we want to
    know why.
        For the Australian press friends here, we got accused of not
    connecting dots prior to September the 11th, and we're going to connect
    dots to protect the American people, within the law. The program he's
    asking about is one that has been fully briefed to Members of the United
    States Congress in both political parties. They are very aware of what
    is taking place. The American people expect their Government to protect
    them, within the laws of this country, and I'm going to continue to do
    just that.
        Prime Minister Howard. Australian press. Mr. Curry.

    Australian Prime Minister Howard

        Q. Mr. President, your relationship with Mr. Howard is obviously
    very close, personally. And I was wondering, first, could you just
    expand a little on that chemistry? And secondly, sir, do you think you
    would be able to work effectively with a future Australian leader, be it
    either a successor of Mr. Howard from his own party or from their
    opposition?
        President Bush. Well, I suspect he's going to outlast me, so that is
    a moot point--[laughter]--probably a question you ought to ask him.
    Somebody said, ``You and John Howard appear to be so close. Don't you
    have any differences?'' And I said, ``Yes, he doesn't have any hair.''
    [Laughter]
        Look, ours is a world in which sometimes people tell you something
    and they don't mean it. In order to work together to make difficult
    decisions--decisions of war and peace, decisions of security, decisions
    of trade--you've got to have somebody you talk to that tells you
    straight up what's on their mind. You know, politics sometimes produces
    people that will tell you one thing and don't mean it. It's really hard
    to be making rational decisions if somebody you're talking to just
    doesn't level with you.
        And that's what I like about John Howard. He may not be the
    prettiest person on the block--[laughter]--but when he tells you
    something, you can take it to the bank. He is a reliable partner. And we
    don't agree on 100 percent, of course. But

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    the interesting thing, talking to John Howard, is that you can trust the
    man. And that's what is a necessary ingredient to be working together
    for the common good.
        And I also appreciate a person who is capable of standing by a
    decision. I remember the campaign--as a matter of fact, your campaign
    was right before my campaign--and John Howard stood strong. And I
    remember telling somebody--and the polls didn't look all that good, I
    guess, at one point in time--and I remember saying to somebody, ``This
    man is going to be rewarded at the ballot box because the people of
    Australia want somebody who is consistently strong, not somebody who
    tries to waffle around trying to figure out where to end up for
    political expediency.''
        People may not agree with his position on every issue, but people
    have got to agree with the fact that he's a man of conviction. And
    that's the essence of leadership--courage and conviction. And so we've
    got a relationship that is based upon respect, and I respect him. I've
    seen him in action. I've seen what it means to have him being
    pressured--probably by your newspaper. But I've seen him stand strong,
    and that's what's needed in this world.
        Holland [Steve Holland, Reuters], yes.

    Immigration Reform

        Q. Thank you, sir. On immigration, some worry that the U.S. military
    is stretched too thin. How effective can these National Guard troops be
    if they're shuttling in and out of the border area every two or three
    weeks? And how are you going to turn around these House Members who seem
    to be unswayed by your argument on the guest-worker program?
        President Bush. The program to put Guard on the border is one that
    will enable the Border Patrol to do its job better. It's very important
    for the American people to know it's the Border Patrol that's going to
    be on the frontline of apprehending people trying to sneak into our
    country. And the Guard will be doing a variety of functions, which I
    outlined last night.
        Secondly, the Guard is--the up to 6,000 Guard in the first year of
    operation really is not going to put a strain on our capacity to fight
    and win the war on terror, as well as deal with natural disasters. And,
    of course, we'll be working in conjunction with Governors to make sure
    that that's not the case, that it doesn't put an unnecessary strain on
    other functions of the Guard.
        Thirdly, the Pentagon is briefing today--how the program is going to
    work. There are Guard troops in Arizona and New Mexico and Texas that
    can be used by the Governors down there to work with the Border Patrol,
    that they'll be reimbursed for. And there's also training missions that
    can be used to help complement the Border Patrol. We're going to have
    double the Border Patrol agents since 2001, by 2008. And what the Guard
    is doing, the Guard is providing an interim service until those Border
    Patrol agents get stood up.
        I made it clear to the country last night that we're not going to
    militarize our border. Mexico is a friend. But what we are going to do
    is use assets necessary to make sure that we can assure the American
    people that the border is secure.
        Now in order to secure the border, it's important for people up here
    in Washington to understand that there's got to be a temporary-worker
    program. Border security and a temporary-worker program are really
    important because--let me say, a temporary-worker program is really
    important to border security, because we don't want people trying to
    sneak into the country. It seems rational to me to say, ``If you're
    coming to work, come to work in a legal way, on a temporary basis, so
    you're not trying to sneak across.'' So the temporary-worker program
    goes hand in hand with border security. In order for there to be a--in
    order for us to solve the problem of an immigration system that's not
    working, it's really important for Congress to

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    understand that there needs a--that the elements I described all go hand
    in hand.
        And so I'll continue to work with them. Look, this is a hard issue
    for many people.
        Q. Would you go along with border protection only and a guest-worker
    program--[inaudible].
        President Bush. I said I want a comprehensive bill because I
    understand there needs to be a comprehensive bill in order to make--in
    order for us to achieve the objective.
        And the objective is, on the one hand, protect our borders, and on
    the other hand, never lose sight of the thing that makes America unique,
    which is, we're a land of immigrants and that we--we're not going to
    discriminate against people. Now, we don't think there ought to be an
    automatic path to citizenship; that's called amnesty. Amnesty would be
    wrong. Amnesty would say that somebody that stood in line legally is--is
    mistreated, as far as I'm concerned. Amnesty would mean that more people
    would try to come and sneak into our country in the hopes that they
    would be granted automatic citizenship.
        But there ought to be a way for somebody to pay a fine or learn
    English or prove that they've been here for a long time working and be
    able to get in line--not the head of the line but the back of the line--
    in order to become a citizen.
        You know, there are some in our country who say, ``Let's just deport
    everybody.'' It's unrealistic. It may sound attractive to some. You
    can't deport people who have been in this country for a long period of
    time--millions of people that have been here.
        And so we've got to be rational about how we move forward. And part
    of my appeal last night was to say to people, let's don't get so
    emotional that we forget who we are. We're a land of immigrants, and
    when we welcome somebody to our country who is here legally, willing to
    work and willing to realize a dream, it helps restore our soul.
        So this is a difficult debate for Members. I'm going to continue
    working with them. Part of my job is to lead, and I did last night. I
    said, here's how we get to where we need to be.

    Australia's Wheat Market/Trade

        Q. Mr. President, American wheat growers are angry that hundreds of
    millions of dollars in bribes were paid to Saddam's Iraq to protect
    Australia's wheat market. Do you share their anger, and do you
    sympathize with the push on Capitol Hill to investigate this further in
    America? And Mr. Prime Minister, I'd be interested in your comments on a
    possible Capitol Hill inquiry into this.
        President Bush. My own judgment is, is that the Howard
    administration is pretty capable of investigating what took place, and I
    look forward to seeing the results of the investigation.
        Prime Minister Howard. For my part, you are aware of what the
    Australian Government has done. Australia is the only country in the
    world that has responded to the bulk of findings with a public inquiry
    with the powers of a royal commission. And you are aware that the
    commission has probably completed its public hearings, and we're likely
    to have a report by the 30th of June.
        What the United States Congress does in relation to this is a matter
    for the United States Congress. And, clearly, if it decides to do
    something, then we will respond in the appropriate fashion. But for our
    part, in Australia, we have been open, transparent that we do not
    approve in any way, shape, or form of the payment of bribes, and if a
    finding is to that effect, then the full processes of Australian law
    should be brought to bear. You can't be more transparent than that, and
    I think that is understood in the United States.
        But obviously, just as we have responsibilities within Australia,
    the legislators of

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    this country, where I'm a guest, have responsibilities in this country.
    And if it discharges those in a particular fashion, the way it thinks
    fit--well, that's its right, and we will respond in what is also the
    appropriate fashion. I don't think I can add anything more to that, and
    we have been patently transparent and open. And let me just repeat
    again, Australia is the only country in the world that has established a
    public inquiry with the powers of the royal commission.
        President Bush. Thank you, sir.

    Note: The President's news conference began at 11:43 a.m. in the East
    Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister-
    designate Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq.