    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [May 25, 2006]
    [Pages 1019-1032]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom
    May 25, 2006

        President Bush. Thank you all. Good evening. I want to thank Prime
    Minister Tony Blair for coming to Washington to discuss his recent visit
    to Iraq. The Prime Minister met with key leaders of the new Iraqi
    Government that represents the will of the Iraqi people and reflects
    their nation's diversity. As Prime Minister Blair will tell you, Iraqi
    Prime Minister Maliki outlined an aggressive
    agenda to bring security to the Iraqi people, to improve electricity and
    other essential services, and to pursue a strategy for national
    reconciliation.
        The agenda that Prime Minister Maliki
    has outlined demonstrates that Iraq's new Government understands its
    duty to deliver real improvements in the daily lives of the Iraqi
    people. The formation of a new government represents a new beginning for
    Iraq and a new beginning for the relationship between Iraq and our
    coalition. The United States and Great Britain will work together to
    help this new democracy succeed. We'll take advantage of this moment of
    opportunity and work with Iraq's new Government to strengthen its young
    democracy and achieve victory over our common enemies.
        As we celebrate this historic moment, it's important to recall how
    we got there and take stock on how far we've come over the last 3 years.
    The violence and bloodshed in Iraq has been difficult for the civilized
    world to comprehend. The United States and Great Britain have lost some
    of our finest men and women in combat. The car bombings and suicide
    attacks and other terrorist acts have also inflicted great suffering on
    the Iraqi people. And Iraqis have increasingly become the principal
    victims of terror and sectarian reprisal.
        Yet in the face of this ongoing violence, each time the Iraqi people
    voiced their opinion, they chose freedom. In three different elections,
    millions of Iraqis turned out to the polls and cast their ballots.
    Because of their courage, the Iraqis now have a government of their
    choosing, elected under the most modern and democratic Constitution in
    the Arab world.
        The birth of a free and democratic Iraq was made possible by the
    removal of a cruel dictator. The decision to remove Saddam
    Hussein from power was controversial. We did
    not find the weapons of mass destruction that we all believed were
    there, and that's raised questions about whether the sacrifice in Iraq
    has been worth it. Despite setbacks and missteps, I strongly believe we
    did and are doing the right thing. Saddam Hussein was a menace to his
    people; he was a state sponsor of terror; he invaded his neighbors.
    Investigations proved he was systematically gaming the Oil-For-Food
    Programme in an effort to undermine sanctions, with the intent of
    restarting his weapons programs once the sanctions collapsed and the
    world looked away. If Saddam Hussein were in power today, his regime
    would be richer, more dangerous, and a bigger threat to the region and
    the civilized world. The decision to remove Saddam Hussein was right.
        But not everything since liberation has turned out as the way we had
    expected or hoped. We've learned from our mistakes, adjusted our
    methods, and have built on our successes. From changing the way we train
    the Iraqi security forces to rethinking the way we do reconstruction,
    our commanders and our diplomats in Iraq are constantly adapting to the
    realities on the ground. We've adapted our tactics, yet the heart of our
    strategy remains the same: to support the emergence of a free Iraq that
    can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself.

    [[Page 1020]]

        All our efforts over the past 3 years have been aimed towards this
    goal. This past weekend, the world watched as Iraqis stood up a free and
    democratic government in the heart of the Middle East. With our help,
    Iraq will be a powerful force for good in a troubled region and a
    steadfast ally in the war on terror.
        With the emergence of this Government, something fundamental changed
    in Iraq last weekend. While we can expect more violence in the days and
    weeks ahead, the terrorists are now fighting a free and constitutional
    government. They're at war with the people of Iraq, and the Iraqi people
    are determined to defeat this enemy, and so are Iraq's new leaders, and
    so are the United States and Great Britain.
        It is vital that Iraq's new Government seize this opportunity to
    heal old wounds and set aside sectarian differences and move forward as
    one nation. As Prime Minister Maliki has
    made his priorities clear, we have learned they're the right priorities.
    He's said he will focus on improving the security situation in Baghdad
    and other parts of the country. He has declared he will use maximum
    force to defeat the terrorists. He's vowed to eliminate illegal militias
    and armed gangs. He wants to accelerate the training of the Iraqi
    security forces so they can take responsibility from coalition forces
    for security throughout Iraq. He wants to improve health care and
    housing and jobs, so the benefits of a free society will reach every
    Iraqi citizen.
        Our coalition will seize this moment as well. I look forward for
    continued indepth discussions with Tony Blair, so we can develop the
    best approach in helping the new Iraqi Government achieve its
    objectives. The new Government of Iraq will have the full support of our
    two countries and our coalition, and we will work to engage other
    nations around the world to ensure that constitutional democracy in Iraq
    succeeds and the terrorists are defeated.
        Mr. Prime Minister.
        Prime Minister Blair. Thank you, Mr. President, and can I say what a
    pleasure it is to be with you again at the White House. And thank you
    for your welcome.
        As everyone knows, I was in Iraq earlier in this week, in Baghdad.
    And I was able to discuss with the new leaders of Iraq, firsthand, their
    experience and their hopes and expectations for the future. And I came
    away thinking that the challenge is still immense, but I also came away
    more certain than ever that we should rise to it. And though it is at
    times daunting, it is also utterly inspiring to see people from all the
    different parts of the community in Iraq--the Sunni, the Shi'a, the
    Kurds--sitting down together, all of them democratic leaders--
    democratically elected by their people--elected for a 4-year term,
    elected and choosing to come together as a government of national unity,
    and completely determined to run their country in a different way for
    the future.
        Anybody who studies the program of the Iraqi Government can't fail
    to see the similarities with the type of program that any of us would
    want to see for our countries. And what is remarkable about it is that
    they put the emphasis, of course, on the issues to do with economic
    recovery and reconstruction and all the problems of infrastructure that
    they have in their country, but they also very clearly commit themselves
    to reconciliation between the different parts of the country, to the
    fight against sectarianism, and to the defeat of terrorism.
        And I think what is important now is to say that after 3 years,
    which have been very, very difficult indeed, and when, at times, it
    looked impossible for the democratic process to work--I think after
    these 3 years and the democratic process working and producing this
    Government, then it is our duty, but it is also the duty of the whole of
    the international community, to get behind this Government and support
    it, because the other thing that came across to me very strongly from
    talking to them

    [[Page 1021]]

    was that the reason there is bloodshed and violence in Iraq is that the
    very forces that we are confronting everywhere, including in our own
    countries, who want to destroy our way of life, also want to destroy
    their hope of having the same type of life. In other words, the very
    forces that are creating this violence and bloodshed and terrorism in
    Iraq are those that are doing it in order to destroy the hope of that
    country and its people to achieve democracy, the rule of law, and
    liberty.
        And I think there is a pattern here for us in the international
    community. I know the decision to remove Saddam was deeply divisive for
    the international community and deeply controversial. And there's no
    point in rehearsing those arguments over and over again. But whatever
    people's views about the wisdom of that decision, now that there is a
    democratic Government in Iraq, elected by its people, and now they are
    confronted with those whose mission it is to destroy the hope of
    democracy, then our sense of mission should be equal to that, and we
    should be determined to help them defeat this terrorism and violence.
        And I believe very, very strongly indeed--even more so having talked
    to the leaders there and now coming back and examining our own situation
    and how we help--I'm more than ever convinced that what is important for
    them in Iraq is to know that we will stand firm with them in defeating
    these forces of reaction.
        I believe the same, incidentally, is true of the struggle in
    Afghanistan, where again, exactly the same forces of terrorism and
    reaction want to defeat the hopes of people for progress. I would also
    like to think--and this is something the President and I were discussing
    earlier--we will carry on discussing over tonight and tomorrow--and that
    is the importance of trying to unite the international community behind
    an agenda that means, for example, action on global poverty in Africa
    and issues like Sudan; it means a good outcome to the world trade round,
    which is vital for the whole of the civilized world, vital for
    developing countries but also vital for countries such as ourselves; for
    progress in the Middle East; and for ensuring that the global values
    that people are actually struggling for today in Iraq are global values
    we take everywhere and fight for everywhere that we can in our world
    today.
        So I would like to pay tribute also to the work that our forces do
    there. I think both our countries can be immensely proud of their
    heroism and their commitment and their dedication.
        But one very interesting thing happened to me when I was there and
    talking to some of our Armed Forces and talking, also, to the Iraqi
    soldiers that were working alongside them, and that is, for all the
    differences in culture and background and nationality, both of them were
    working together in a common cause, and that was to help a country that
    was once a brutalized dictatorship become a country that enjoys the same
    rights and the same freedoms that we take for granted here and in the
    United Kingdom. And for all the hardship and the challenge of the past
    few years, I still think that is a cause worth standing up for.
        Thank you, Mr. President.
        President Bush. Terry [Terence Hunt, Associated Press].

    Timetables for Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, Pentagon officials have talked about prospects for
    reducing American forces in Iraq to about 100,000 by year's end. Does
    the formation of a unity government in Iraq put you on a sound footing
    to achieve that number?
        And, Mr. Prime Minister, is it realistic to think that Iraqi forces
    will be able to take control of all Iraq by the end of next year as Mr.
    Maliki suggests?
        President Bush. First of all, we're going to work with our partners
    in Iraq, the new Government, to determine the best way forward in
    achieving an objective, which

    [[Page 1022]]

    is an Iraq that can govern itself and sustain itself and defend itself.
        I have said to the American people, as the Iraqis stand up, we'll
    stand down. But I've also said that our commanders on the ground will
    make that decision. And I have--we'll talk to General Casey once he is--conferred with the new Government
    of Iraq. They don't have a defense minister yet; they're in the process
    of getting a defense minister. So it probably makes a lot of sense for
    our commander on the ground to wait until their defense structure is set
    up before we discuss with them, and he with me, the force levels
    necessary to achieve our objective.
        Q. So the 100,000----
        President Bush. That's some speculation in the press that I--they
    haven't talked to me about. And as the Commander in Chief, they
    eventually will talk to me about it. But the American people need to
    know that we'll keep the force level there necessary to win. And it's
    important for the American people to know that politics isn't going to
    make the decision as to the size of our force level; the conditions on
    the ground will make the decision. And part of the conditions on the
    ground, Terry, is a new government, and we believe the new Government is
    going to make a big difference in the lives of the Iraqi people.
        I told you earlier that when you attack an Iraqi now, you're at war
    with an Iraqi Government that's constitutionally elected. And that's a
    different attitude from the way it's been in the past.
        Prime Minister Blair. I think it's possible for the Iraqi security
    forces to take control progressively of their country. That's exactly
    the strategy we've outlined at the beginning. And I think it's possible
    to happen in the way that Prime Minister Maliki said. For that to
    happen, obviously, the first thing that we need is a strong government
    in Baghdad that is prepared to enforce its writ throughout the country.
    My very strong feeling, having talked to the leaders there, is that they
    intend theirs to be such a government.
        Secondly, what they intend is to come down very hard on those people
    who want to create the circumstances where it's difficult for the Iraqi
    forces to be in control. And the truth of the matter is, there is no
    excuse now for anyone to engage in violence in Iraq. I mean, if people's
    worry is to do with being excluded from the political process, everybody
    has got their place in the political process today. And obviously, there
    are still issues to do with the capability of the Iraqi forces, but all
    the time they are building up, both in number and in capability, and
    we've got to support that all the way through.
        But I'll tell you one interesting thing from talking to all the
    different groups--because sometimes, certainly in our country, the
    impression is given that the Iraqi people wish that we were gone from
    Iraq and weren't there any longer in support of the Iraqi Government or
    the Iraqi forces. Not a single one of the people I talked to, not one of
    the political leaders from whatever part of the spectrum, in Iraq, that
    I talked to--and these are all people from all the different communities
    elected by their people--not one of them wanted us to pull out
    precipitately. All of them wanted us to stick with it and see the job
    done.
        Now, of course, they want to take back control of their own country
    fully, and we want them to do that. But when the Prime Minister, Maliki,
    talked about an objective timetable, what he meant was a timetable
    governed by conditions on the ground. And we will be working with them
    now over the coming period of time to see how we can put that framework
    together. But they have a very, very clear sense of what they want the
    multinational force to do. They want us there in support until they've
    got the capability, and then they want us to leave and them to take full
    charge of their country. And I believe that can happen.
        Yes, Adam.

    [[Page 1023]]

    United Nations

        Q. One gets a clear sense of your mutual relief that a Government
    has now been formed, an elected Government has been formed in Iraq. But,
    nonetheless, the current Secretary-General of the United Nations has
    said that he believes that the invasion of Iraq was probably illegal.
    When you look at your legacy and you look ahead to the reforms of the
    United Nations you want to see, are you really saying that what you'd
    actually like to see is a United Nations which could take preemptive
    action legally?
        Prime Minister Blair. I think what we need to do is to recognize
    that there are threats in our world today that require us to act earlier
    and more effectively. And I think we can debate the institutional
    structure within which that should happen in the United Nations and
    elsewhere. But I also think that when we look at this global terrorism
    that we face, there is--to me, at any rate--a very clear link between
    the terrorism that is afflicting virtually every country in the Western
    world, either in actuality or potentially, the terrorism that is
    happening all over different countries of the Middle East and in Asia
    and elsewhere, and the terrorism that is there in Iraq and Afghanistan.
        And one of the things, I think, certainly for our people, they find
    most difficult to understand is, they will say, ``Well, is it--can it be
    worth everything that we are doing? I mean, it's such a huge sacrifice
    that is being made. Can it be worth it?'' And I think the answer to that
    is, it is worth it to those engaged in this violence and terrorism to
    try to stop us, and we should have the same faith and confidence in our
    determination to succeed as they have in their determination to make us
    fail.
        And I think that is an issue for the whole of the international
    community, because I've got no doubt at all that if we do succeed, as I
    believe that we will in Iraq, difficult though it will be, and we
    succeed in Afghanistan, then the whole of this global terrorism will
    suffer a defeat. And that's why I think we need an international
    community that's capable of recognizing these problems and acting on
    them.
        President Bush. I'd like to see a United Nations that's effective,
    one that joins us in trying to rid the world of tyranny; one that is
    willing to advance human rights and human dignity at its core; one
    that's an unabashed organization--is unabashed in their desire to spread
    freedom. That's what I'd like to see, because I believe that freedom
    will yield the peace. I also believe freedom is universal. I don't
    believe freedom is just a concept only for America or Great Britain;
    it's a universal concept. And it troubles me to know that there are
    people locked in tyrannical societies that suffer. And the United
    Nations ought to be clear about its desire to liberate people from the
    clutches of tyranny. That's what the United Nations ought to be doing,
    as far as I'm concerned.
        Yes, Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Iran

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President. How close are you to an agreement on a
    package of incentives for Iran? And what does Iran stand to gain if it
    were to give up its enrichment program? And why are you ignoring these
    recent back-channel overtures from Iran?
        President Bush. We spent a great deal of time talking about the
    Iranian issue, and one of the goals that Tony and I had was to convince
    others in the world that Iran with a nuclear weapon would be very
    dangerous, and therefore, we do have a common goal. And this fundamental
    question is, how do you achieve that goal, obviously. We want to do it
    diplomatically.
        Right now we, as a matter of fact, spent a lot of time upstairs
    talking about how to convince the Iranians that this coalition we put
    together is very serious. One option, of course, is through the United
    Nations Security Council. And we strategized about

    [[Page 1024]]

    how do we convince other partners that the Security Council is the way
    to go if the Iranians won't suspend like the EU-3 has asked them to do.
    The Iranians walked away from the table. They're the ones who've made
    the decision, and the choice is theirs. Now, if they would like to see
    an enhanced package, the first thing they've got to do is suspend their
    operations, for the good of the world. It's incredibly dangerous to
    think of an Iran with a nuclear weapon.
        And therefore, Steve, to answer your questions, of course, we'll
    look at all options, but it's their choice right now. They're the folks
    who walked away from the table. They're the ones who said that, ``Your
    demands don't mean anything to us.''
        Now, in terms of--you said back channels----
        Q. Back-channel overtures.
        President Bush. Well, I read the letter of the President, and I thought it was interesting. It was, like,
    16 or 17 single-spaced typed pages of--but he didn't address the issue
    of whether or not they're going to continue to press for a nuclear
    weapon. That's the issue at hand.
        And so it's--we have no beef with the Iranian people. As a matter of
    fact, the United States respects the culture and history of Iran, and we
    want there to be an Iran that's confident and an Iran that answers to
    the needs of the--we want women in Iran to be free. At the same time,
    we're going to continue to work with a government that is intransigent,
    that won't budge. And so we've got to continue to work to convince them
    that we're serious, that if they want to be isolated from the world, we
    will work to achieve that.
        Q. Should this enhanced package include a light-water reactor and a
    security guarantee?
        President Bush. Steve, you're responding to press speculation. I've
    just explained to you that the Iranians walked away from the table, and
    that I think we ought to be continuing to work on ways to make it clear
    to them that they will be isolated. And one way to do that is to
    continue to work together through the United Nations Security--if they
    suspend and have the IAEA in there making sure that the suspension is
    real, then, of course, we'll talk about ways forward, incentives.

    United Nations/Iran

        Q. Prime Minister, you've both talked a little about the U.N. I know
    that you believe the U.N. needs vigorous leadership, and you're going to
    pick up on these themes in your speech tomorrow. Is that a job
    application? And if not----
        President Bush. Wait a minute. [Laughter]
        Q. ----do you both have a sense--do you have someone in mind? And if
    not, how are you going to get the reform of the U.N. you want to see?
        Prime Minister Blair. No, no, and I'm not sure--[laughter]--is the
    answer to those ones. Look, what we want to do is to make sure that the
    U.N. is an effective instrument of multilateral action. That's what
    everyone wants to see. And the fact is, there are multiple problems in
    the world; they require the international community to respond on a
    collective basis, but you've got to have an effective set of
    multilateral institutions to do that. And that's true whether you're
    tackling global poverty or trying to resolve disputes or, indeed, when
    you're dealing with issues like Iran.
        The whole point about the international community today is that
    these problems are urgent; they need to be tackled. If they're not
    tackled, the consequences are very quickly felt around the world, and
    you've got to have institutions that are capable of taking them on and
    tackling them and getting action taken.
        Now, we were just talking about Iran a moment ago. I mean, we want
    to have this resolved through the process of the multilateral
    institutions. There's a way we can do this. I mean, after all, we are
    the

    [[Page 1025]]

    ones saying the Atomic Energy Authority--their duties and obligations
    they lay upon Iran should be adhered to. And we've got absolutely no
    quarrel with the Iranian people. The Iranian people are a great people;
    Iran is a great country. But it needs a government that is going to
    recognize that part of being a great country is to be in line with your
    international obligations and to cease supporting those people in
    different parts of the world who want, by terrorism and violence, to
    disrupt the process of democracy.
        So I think that our position with Iran is a very reasonable one. And
    we want to see how we can make progress and help them to do the things
    that we believe that they should do, but they must understand that the
    will of the international community is sure and is clear, and that is
    that the obligations that are upon them have got to be adhered to.
        President Bush. Stretch [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].

    Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snow/National
    Economy

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President.
        President Bush. I call him Stretch.
        Q. And I've been called worse. [Laughter] Has Treasury Secretary
    Snow given you any indication that he intends to leave his job any time
    soon?
        President Bush. Secretary of Treasury Snow?
        Q. Has he given you any indication he intends to leave his job any
    time soon? And related to that, Americans--macroeconomic numbers are
    indeed good, but many Americans are concerned, increasingly concerned
    about rising health care costs, costs of gasoline. And does that make it
    hard for your administration, Treasury Secretary Snow, and everyone else
    to continue to talk up the economy?
        President Bush. No, he has not talked to me about resignation. I
    think he's doing a fine job. After all, our economy is--it's strong. We
    grew at 3.5 percent last year; a good, strong first quarter this year.
    We added five--2.5 million new jobs; we've got 4.7 percent unemployment
    rate nationwide. Productivity is up; homeownership is high; small
    businesses are doing well. He's done a fine job.
        And our--obviously, people are concerned about rising fuel prices--
    all the more reason to get off oil and to promote alternatives, such as
    ethanol or battery technologies that will enable us to drive the first
    40 miles on electricity. We're spending about $1.2 billion over the next
    10 years to develop hydrogen fuel cells. We want--we need to get away
    from hydrocarbons here in America for economic security, for national
    security, and for environmental reasons as well.
        One way we could help alleve gasoline prices here in America is for
    the Congress to pass some regulatory relief so we can actually expand
    refining capacity. We haven't built a new refinery here since the 1970s.
    And curiously enough, when demand for a product goes up with tight
    supply, price follows. And so we put out some logical ways for Congress
    to work with the administration to relieve price pressures on gasoline.
        As far as health care goes, there are some practical ways to deal
    with health care costs, and one of the most practical ways is to get rid
    of these junk lawsuits that are running good doctors out of practice and
    running up the price of medicine. Passed it out of the House; they can't
    get it out of the Senate because the lawyers won't let it out. But we
    put forth a commonsense practice to deal with rising health care costs
    as well.

    Progress in Iraq

        Q. You both presented the Iraqi Government as a substantial
    vindication of the conflict. Do you also accept, as a matter of harsh
    political reality, that the Iraq conflict has also left both of you
    politically weakened and, whether justly or unjustly, less

    [[Page 1026]]

    able to give the kind of moral leadership that you're discussing today?
        President Bush. No question that the Iraq war has created a sense of
    consternation here in America. I mean, when you turn on your TV screen
    and see innocent people die, day in and day out, it affects the
    mentality of our country.
        But here's what they're asking in America; they're asking, ``Can we
    win?'' That's what they want to know. Do we have a strategy for victory?
    And so the talk about the unity Government--you might remember, there
    was some--a lot of speculation as to whether there would even be a unity
    government. A couple of months ago, people were saying, ``Well, they
    can't even get a unity government going.'' But we have a unity
    government--a Kurd President, a Prime
    Minister who is a Shi'a, a
    Speaker who is a Sunni. These are
    strong leaders. It's an indication that progress is being made.
        Part of progress, of course, is on the political track. You know, we
    had elections in Iraq; 12 million people voted last December. Now, it
    seems like an eternity ago, I know, like a decade. But that's not all
    that long ago in the larger scope of things. Twelve million people said,
    we want to be free. It was an astounding moment. And this unity
    Government is now formed as a result of those elections, under a
    Constitution approved by the Iraqi people. That's progress. It's
    certainly a far sight from the days of a tyrant who killed hundreds of thousands of his own people and
    used weapons of mass destruction and threatened the neighborhood. I
    mean, that is progress.
        No question, however, that the suiciders and the killers and the
    IEDs and the deaths have an effect on the American people. But one of
    the reasons that I appreciate Tony coming is that he brings a fresh
    perspective of what he saw. And the American people need to know, we are
    making progress toward a goal of an Iraq that can defend itself, sustain
    itself, and govern itself; that will deny the terrorists a safe haven.
        You know, Al Qaida has made it clear what their intentions are in
    Iraq. I'm sure you've read some of the intercepts that are laid out
    there for people to see. And they have made it clear that it's just a
    matter of time for countries like Great Britain and the United States to
    leave. In other words, if they make life miserable enough, we'll leave.
    And they want us to leave because they want a safe haven from which to
    launch attacks, not only on us but on moderate Muslim governments as
    well. These people are totalitarians. They're Islamic fascists. They
    have a point of view; they have a philosophy; and they want to impose
    that philosophy on the rest of the world. And Iraq just happens to be
    a--one of the battles in the war on terror.
        And Tony brings up a good point: Why are they resisting so hard;
    what is it about democracy they can't stand? Well, what they can't stand
    about democracy is this: Democracy is the exact opposite of what they
    believe. They believe they can impose their will; they believe there's
    no freedom of religion; they believe there's no women's rights. They
    have a dark vision of the world, and that's why they're resisting so
    mightily.
        So, yes, I can understand why the American people are troubled by
    the war in Iraq. I understand that. But I also believe the sacrifice is
    worth it and is necessary. And I believe a free Iraq is not only going
    to make ourselves more secure, but it's going to serve as a powerful
    example in the Middle East.
        You know, foreign policy, for a while, just basically said, if it
    seems okay on the surface, just let it be. And guess what happened?
    There was resentment and hatred that enabled these totalitarians to
    recruit and to kill, which they want to continue to do to achieve their
    objectives. And the best way to defeat them in the long run is through
    the spread of liberty.

    [[Page 1027]]

        And liberty has had the capacity to change enemies to allies.
    Liberty has had the capacity to help Europe become whole, free, and at
    peace. History has proven that freedom has got the capacity to change
    the world for the better, and that's what you're seeing.
        You know, the amazing thing about dealing with Prime Minister Blair,
    has never once has he said to me on the phone, we better change our
    tactics because of the political opinion polls. And I appreciate that
    steadfast leadership. And I appreciate somebody who has got a vision, a
    shared vision for how to not only protect ourselves in the war on terror
    but how to make the world a better place.
        Prime Minister Blair. I don't really think it's a matter of our
    vindication. I think, in a way, that's the least important part of it.
    But I do think that occasionally, we should just take a step back and
    ask, why are we doing this? Why is it so important?
        Saddam was removed from power 3 years ago. Since then, incidentally,
    our forces have been there with the United Nations mandate and with the
    consent of the Iraqi Government itself--the Iraqi Government becoming
    progressively more the product of direct democracy.
        So whatever people thought about removing Saddam--you agree with it,
    you didn't agree with it--for these last 3 years, the issue in Iraq has
    not been, these people are here without any international support,
    because we haven't had any United Nations resolution governing our
    presence there. The issue is not, you're there, but the Iraqi people
    don't want you there, because the Iraqi Government and now this directly
    elected Iraqi Government has said they want us to stay until the job is
    done.
        So why is it that for 3 years, we have had this violence and
    bloodshed? Now, people have tried to say, it's because the Iraqi
    people--you people, you don't understand; you went in with this Western
    concept of democracy, and you didn't understand that their whole culture
    was different; they weren't interested in these types of freedom. These
    people have gone out and voted--a higher turnout, I have to say--I'm
    afraid to say, I think, than either your election or mine. These people
    have gone out and voted----
        President Bush. Depends on which one, 2000 or 2004? [Laughter]
        Prime Minister Blair. I think both of them.
        President Bush. I think you're right. [Laughter]
        Prime Minister Blair. They have gone out and voted despite
    terrorism, despite bloodshed, despite literally the prospect of death
    for exercising their democratic right. So they have kept faith with the
    very democratic values that we say we believe in, and the people trying
    to wrest that democracy from them are opposed to absolutely everything
    we stand for and everything the Iraqi people stand for.
        So what do we do in response to this? And the problem we have is
    very, very simple. A large part of the perspective with which we look at
    this is to see every act of terrorism in Iraq, every piece of ghastly
    carnage on our television screens, every tragic loss of our own forces--
    we see that as a setback and as a failure, when we should be seeing that
    as a renewed urgency for us to rise to the challenge of defeating these
    people who are committing this carnage. Because over these past 3 years,
    at every stage, the reason they have been fighting is not, as we can
    see, because Iraqi people don't believe in democracy; Iraqi people don't
    want liberty. It is precisely because they fear Iraqi people do want
    democracy; Iraqi people do want liberty.
        And if the idea became implanted in the minds of people in the Arab
    and Muslim world that democracy was as much their right as our right,
    where do these terrorists go? What do they do? How do they recruit? How
    do they say, America is the evil Satan? How do they say, the purpose of
    the West is to spoil your lands, wreck

    [[Page 1028]]

    your religion, take your wealth? How can they say that? They can't say
    that.
        So these people who are fighting us there know what is at stake. The
    question is, do we?
        President Bush. Must say, that was a great answer. [Laughter]
        Prime Minister Blair. Yours was pretty good too. [Laughter]
        Q. You have your chance now. [Laughter]
        President Bush. Another chance, good. Well, thank you, Martha
    [Martha Raddatz, ABC News].

    Troop Levels in Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, you have said time and time again, and again
    tonight, when Iraqi forces stand up, coalition forces can start standing
    down.
        President Bush. Right.
        Q. But the fact is, you have been standing up Iraqi forces in great
    numbers. The administration says you have hundreds of thousand trained
    and equipped, tens of thousand leading the fight. And yet during the
    same period they've been standing up, there has not been a substantial
    decrease in U.S. and coalition forces. So what does that tell us about
    how meaningful the figures are on Iraqi troops? And what does that tell
    us about a potential for a drawdown?
        President Bush. It tells you that the commanders on the ground are
    going to make the decision, that's what that tells you. And when they
    feel comfortable in recommending to me fewer troops, I will accept that.
    But they're going to make that recommendation based upon the conditions
    on the ground. I know I keep saying that, and it probably bores you that
    I keep giving the same answer, but I haven't changed my opinion.
        I talk to our commanders all the time. They feel strongly that the
    Iraqi Army is getting better. It's hard to have a command and control
    system with an Iraqi Army when you don't have a defense minister. And so
    Mr. Maliki is going to have to pick one
    soon. And then our commanders will gauge as to whether or not the
    command and control structure is sufficient to be able to enable the
    Iraqis to take more of the fight. They are taking more of the fight, by
    the way. They're in more Provinces than ever before. They're taking over
    more territory. They're taking over more missions. There are some gaps
    that we need to continue to work on to fill. The transportation issue is
    going to need to be dealt with over time.
        All I can report to you is what General Casey--in whom I have got a lot of confidence--tells me,
    and that is, the Iraqis are becoming better and better fighters. And at
    some point in time, when he feels like the Government is ready to take
    on more responsibility and the Iraqi forces are able to help them do so,
    he will get on the telephone with me and say, ``Mr. President, I think
    we can do this with fewer troops.'' We've been up to 165,000 at one
    point; we're at about 135,000 now.
        Q.  [Inaudible]
        President Bush. Hold on for a second. Actually, he moved some additional troops from Kuwait into Baghdad.
    Conditions on the ground were such that we needed more support in
    Baghdad, to secure Baghdad, so he informed me, through Donald
    Rumsfeld, that he wanted to move troops
    out of Kuwait into Baghdad.
        So these commanders--they need to have flexibility in order to
    achieve the objective. You don't want politicians making decisions based
    upon politics. You want the Commander in Chief making decisions based
    upon what the military thinks is the right way to achieve the objective.
    I've set the objective; it's clear for everybody--a country that can
    sustain itself, defend itself, and govern itself. And we're making
    progress on all fronts. But as to how many troops we have there will
    depend upon the generals and their commanders saying, ``This is what we
    need to do the job, Mr. President.'' And that's the way it's going

    [[Page 1029]]

    to be so long as I'm standing here as the Commander in Chief, which is
    2\1/2\ more years.
        Prime Minister Blair. I spoke to General Casey and to our own
    General Fry in Baghdad on Monday. We sat down and talked this very issue
    through. And I think what you will find is that progressively, there
    will be more and more parts of Iraq that are policed by the Iraqi
    security forces themselves, and their capability is improving. But I
    also think you will find, probably over the next few months, there will
    be a real attempt by the antidemocratic forces to test them very, very
    strongly. And remember, a lot of the attacks are now happening not on
    the multinational force, although those attacks continue, of course, but
    actually on the Iraqi forces themselves, on their police, on their army,
    and so on. And the purpose, of course, of that is to deter them from the
    very buildup of capability that we want to see.
        But over the course of the next few months, you will see
    progressively those Provinces in Iraq coming under Iraqi control, and
    then, of course, it will be for the Iraqis to sort out that
    responsibility.
        President Bush. One thing, Martha, is that we want to make sure we
    complete the mission, that we achieve our objective. A loss in Iraq
    would make this world an incredibly dangerous place. Remember, there is
    not only sectarian violence, a hangover from Saddam's era, but there is an Al Qaida presence in the form of
    Zarqawi, who wants to sow as much havoc
    as possible to cause us to leave before the mission is complete.
        Listen, I want our troops out; don't get me wrong. I understand what
    it means to have troops in harm's way. And I know there's a lot of
    families making huge sacrifices here in America. I'll be going to a
    Memorial Day ceremony next Monday, paying tribute to those who have lost
    their life. I'm sure I will see families of the fallen. I fully
    understand the pressures being placed upon our military and their
    families. But I also understand that it is vital that we do the job,
    that we complete the mission. And it has been tough. It's been really
    tough, because we're fighting an unconventional enemy that is willing to
    kill innocent people. There are no rules of war for these people. But
    make no mistake about it, what you're seeing in Iraq could happen all
    over the world if we don't stand fast and achieve the objective.
        No, I had the followup answer; you can't have a followup question.
    Nice try, though.

    Prime Minister Blair

        Q. Prime Minister, this is possibly your last official visit to
    Washington as Prime Minister----
        President Bush. Wait a minute. [Laughter] Back-to-back disses.
        Q. At least the beginning of the end of your particular special
    relationship. Will you miss the President? What will you miss about him?
    [Laughter]
        And for the President, what will you miss about Tony Blair, and what
    are you looking for in an eventual replacement?
        President Bush. I'll miss those red ties, is what I'll miss.
    [Laughter] I'll say one thing--he can answer the question--don't count
    him out; let me tell it to you that way. I know a man of resolve and
    vision and courage. And my attitude is, I want him to be here so long as
    I'm the President.
        Prime Minister Blair. Well, what more can I say? [Laughter] Probably
    not wise to say anything more at all. [Laughter]
        You guys, come on, I want you to--the British delegation, ask a few
    serious questions. [Laughter]
        President Bush. Right.
        Prime Minister Blair. Or we'll go on to one of you guys. [Laughter]
        President Bush. Plante [Bill Plante, CBS News].

    [[Page 1030]]

    Iraq

        Q. Perhaps I can change the mood. Mr. President, you talk about
    setting the objective. But our people, my colleagues on the ground in
    Iraq, say that when they talk to American troops, the rank and file,
    they say they don't believe that they've had enough to do the job. They
    say further that while the Iraqi Army may be improving, there is
    absolutely no way to depend upon the police, who they say are corrupt
    and aligned with militias. All of this going on--what reason is there to
    believe that the new Government can do any better with these people than
    we've been able to do so far?
        President Bush. There are several tracks, Bill. One is the political
    track. I think it's very important for the Iraqi people to have a
    government that has been elected under a Constitution they approved. In
    other words, the political track has been a vital part of having a
    country that can govern itself and defend itself.
        There's a security track. And there's no question that there are a
    lot of Iraqis trained to fight, and many of them are good fighters--
    117,000 have been trained and equipped. There needs to be more
    equipment; no question about that. The Iraqis--I think if you were to
    get a--at least the assessment I get, is that the Iraqi Army is moving
    well along and they're taking more and more of the territory over in
    order to defend their country.
        No question, we've got a lot of work to do on the police. General
    Casey has said publicly that year 2006
    is the year that we'll train the police up and running. Perhaps the
    place where there needs to be the most effective police force is in
    Baghdad. I just told you, we're moving more troops in. There's a--
    General Casey met today with the Prime Minister to talk about how to secure Baghdad. It's really important
    that Baghdad--that capital city become more secure. And there's plans to
    deal with the contingencies on the ground. All I can tell you is, is
    that we're making progress toward the goal.
        Prime Minister Blair. Can I just--and I'd like to say something,
    again, out of the discussions I had on Monday. I think that what is
    important is, try and get a sense of balance in this. Look, it would be
    completely foolish for us to say, there are no problems with either the
    police or the army; you've got a full force capability in the way that
    we want. And nobody is actually saying that.
        It would also be wrong to turn it around the other way, though, even
    in respect to the police. I had quite a detailed discussion, not, in
    fact, with the generals, but some of the ordinary soldiers who--British
    soldiers there, up in Baghdad, and also with some of the people who are
    working with the police at the moment. And what they said to me is, yes,
    there are real problems to do with corruption in parts of the police
    force, but actually, there is also another side to it, which there are
    people who are really dedicated and really committed to a nonsectarian
    Iraq, who also are playing their part.
        Now, I think the whole question is whether this new Government can
    then grip this in the way, in a sense, that only they can. You see, I
    think this is where, inevitably, over time, we have to transfer
    responsibility. And that is, of course, what we wish to do, and part of
    that is because it is easier for an Iraqi interior minister, who is the
    product of an Iraqi-elected Government, to go in and take the really
    tough measure sometimes that is necessary to sort some of these issues
    out.
        But I can assure you of two things: First of all, there is another,
    more positive side to the Iraqi forces--both the army and in parts of
    the police as well; and secondly, the Iraqi Government knows that this
    is the absolute prerequisite of success for them. It's just--one of the
    ministers said to me, he said, ``You should understand, our state was a
    completely failed state.'' The police--people didn't go to the police

    [[Page 1031]]

    in Iraq if they had a problem under Saddam. They had a problem if they
    were in contact with the police because of the way the state was run.
        And so you're talking about literally building the institutions of a
    state from scratch. And I don't think it's, in one sense, very
    surprising that it is both difficult and taking time. But I think that
    they do know that this is of vital importance for them to succeed. And I
    think you may find that it is easier for Iraqis to do this themselves
    and take some of these measures necessary, than it is for us, although
    we would be there, obviously, in support of what they're doing.

    Lessons Learned in the War on Terror

        Q. Mr. President, you spoke about missteps and mistakes in Iraq.
    Could I ask both of you which missteps and mistakes of your own you most
    regret?
        President Bush. Sounds like kind of a familiar refrain here--saying
    ``bring it on,'' kind of tough talk, you know, that sent the wrong
    signal to people. I learned some lessons about expressing myself maybe
    in a little more sophisticated manner--you know, ``wanted dead or
    alive,'' that kind of talk. I think in certain parts of the world it was
    misinterpreted, and so I learned from that. And I think the biggest
    mistake that's happened so far, at least from our country's involvement
    in Iraq, is Abu Ghraib. We've been paying for that for a long period of
    time. And it's--unlike Iraq, however, under Saddam, the people who committed those acts were brought to
    justice. They've been given a fair trial and tried and convicted.
        Prime Minister Blair. I think inevitably, some of the things that we
    thought were going to be the biggest challenge proved not to be, and
    some of the things we didn't expect to be challenges at all proved to be
    immense. I think that probably in retrospect--though at the time it was
    very difficult to argue this--we could have done the de-Ba'athification
    in a more differentiated way than we did.
        I think that the most difficult thing, however, has been the
    determination of people to move against the democratic process in Iraq
    in a way that, I think--as I was saying a moment or two ago--indicates
    our opponents' very clear view from a very early stage that they have to
    stop the democratic process working. And I think it's easy to go back
    over mistakes that we may have made, but the biggest reason why Iraq has
    been difficult is the determination of our opponents to defeat us. And I
    don't think we should be surprised at that.
        Maybe in retrospect, when we look back, it should have been very
    obvious to us, and is obvious still in Afghanistan, that for them, it is
    very clear. You know, they can't afford to have these countries turned
    round, and I think that probably, there was a whole series of things in
    Iraq that were bound to come out once you got Al Qaida and other groups
    operating in there to cause maximum destruction and damage. And
    therefore, I'm afraid in the end, we're always going to have to be
    prepared for the fall of Saddam not to be the rise of democratic Iraq,
    that it was going to be a more difficult process.
        President Bush. Mr. Prime Minister, can I buy you dinner?
        Prime Minister Blair. Certainly.

    Note: The President's news conference began at 7:31 p.m. in the East
    Room at the White House. In his remarks, the President referred to Prime
    Minister Nuri al-Maliki, former President Saddam Hussein, President
    Jalal Talabani, and Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mahmoud
    al-Mashhadani of Iraq; Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., USA, commanding
    general, Multi-National Force--Iraq; President Mahmud Ahmadi-nejad of
    Iran; and senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. Prime Minister
    Blair referred to Lt. Gen. Sir Robert Fry, Royal Marines, deputy
    commander, Multi-National

    [[Page 1032]]

    Force--Iraq. A reporter referred to Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the
    United Nations.