    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [June 26, 2006]
    [Pages 1210-1213]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Organizations That Support the United
    States Military in Iraq and Afghanistan and an Exchange With Reporters
    June 26, 2006

        The President. I have just had a remarkable discussion with some of
    my fellow citizens who have dedicated their lives to making sure our
    troops know that this country supports them as they help secure our
    country and spread freedom.
        One of the amazing things about America is that people are desirous
    of coming together to support a neighbor in need. And we've got kids who
    are overseas defending this country, and we've got people at this table
    who are supporting their families, their loved ones, and most
    importantly, the troops who are in harm's way.
        There's an organization called America Supports You. I would hope my
    fellow citizens would look on the web page americasupportsyou.mil to
    determine how you can help support our troops if you so desire. I would
    urge Americans to do that, and around the table are leaders of the
    different organizations that make up this umbrella group. We've heard
    from people that are helping families of the wounded. We're talking to
    people who are using their position in different fields, like the
    entertainment field, to go over and provide hope for our troops. We're
    talking to moms and wives of those who have volunteered to serve our
    country.
        But I want to thank you all for joining us, and thank you for
    serving your country. I told the folks here that the politics in
    Washington can be rough. But make no mistake about it, I am determined
    to succeed. And we will implement a plan to achieve victory, which is
    necessary, and that they need to tell the troops that no matter

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    how tough it looks here in the Nation's Capital, that I know we're doing
    the right thing, and I know we will win.
        I'll take a couple of questions. Terry [Terence Hunt, Associated
    Press].

    Iraq/U.S. Armed Forces

        Q. Mr. President, General Casey saw you on Friday, and it's been
    reported that he's talked about withdrawing two brigades from Iraq by
    this year. Can you tell us what he recommended to you?
        The President. First of all, I did meet with General Casey, and I met with him because it's very important
    for me, as well as Secretary Rumsfeld, to
    meet with our commander on the ground. I've told the American people our
    commanders will be making the decisions as to how to achieve victory,
    and General Casey, of course, is the lead person. So we had a good visit
    with him.
        And we talked about a lot of things. The first thing we talked about
    was the joint operations with the Iraqi forces to secure Baghdad and how
    that's going. We talked about the actions we're taking in Ramadi. The
    coalition is in the lead in Ramadi, and we're trying to make sure Ramadi
    does not become a safe haven for Al Qaida. And so he explained to me the tactics on the ground, what we're
    doing to secure that city and to run the Al Qaida-types out.
        We talked about the Iraqi training mission. And as you well know,
    our standards are, as Iraqis stand up, the coalition will be able to
    stand down. And he talked about that
    kind of progress.
        But in terms of our troop presence there, that decision will be made
    by General Casey, as well as the
    sovereign Government of Iraq, based upon conditions on the ground. And
    one of the things that General Casey assured me of is that whatever
    recommendation he makes, it will be aimed toward achieving victory. And
    that's what we want. And victory means a free Government that is able to
    sustain itself, defend itself. It's a Government that will be an ally in
    the war on terror. It's a Government that will be able to fight off Al
    Qaida and its desires to have a safe haven.
        And so I did visit with General Casey, and I came away once again with my trust in that man.
    I've told the people here around the table that the decisions that I
    will make will be based upon the recommendations of people like General
    George Casey.
        Toby [Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters].

    North Korea

        Q. Mr. President, how much closer do you believe North Korea is to
    launching the long-range missile, and how concerned are you about this?
    What if they just launch a satellite----
        The President. Toby, I have said that the North Koreans should
    notify the world of their intentions, what they have on top of that
    vehicle and what are their intentions. We have not heard from the North
    Koreans, so I can't tell you what their intentions are. I have made
    clear to our partners on this issue--that would be Japan and South Korea
    and China and Russia--that we need to send a focused message to the
    North Koreans in that this launch is provocative. And I was pleased to
    hear that the Chinese have delivered that message to the North Koreans,
    and we would hope that the leader in North Korea
    listened to the Chinese.
        So we don't know; we don't know. That's part of the problem. It's a
    nontransparent society that ought to be sharing its intentions with the
    rest of the world.
        Hutch [Ron Hutcheson, Knight Ridder].

    Environment

        Q. I know you are not planning to see Al Gore's new movie, but do
    you agree with the premise that global warming is a real and significant
    threat to the planet that requires action----
        The President. I think--I have said consistently that global warming
    is a serious problem. There's a debate over whether it's manmade or
    naturally caused. We ought

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    to get beyond that debate and start implementing the technologies
    necessary to enable us to achieve a couple of big objectives: one, be
    good stewards of the environment; two, become less dependent on foreign
    sources of oil for economic reasons and for national security reasons.
        That's why we're pressing for clean coal technology. That's why the
    hydrogen initiative is robust. In other words, we want our children
    being able to drive cars not fueled by gasoline but by hydrogen. That's
    why I've been a strong advocate of ethanol as an alternative source of
    fuel to run our cars. I strongly believe that we ought to be developing
    safe nuclear power. The truth of the matter is, if this country wants to
    get rid of its greenhouse gases we've got to have the nuclear power
    industry be vibrant and viable. And so I believe in--and I've got a plan
    to be able to deal with greenhouse gases.
        April [April Ryan, American Urban Radio Networks].

    Voting Rights Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, what are you doing to ensure that the Voting
    Rights Act is reauthorized by the midterm elections, as you're saying
    that's one of your top priorities? And also, do you support foreign
    ballots--foreign language ballots?
        The President. I am working very carefully with Members of Congress
    to implement that which I said when I signed the proclamation for Rosa
    Parks, is I want this Voting Rights Act extended. And so we're working
    with Members of the United States Congress to see if we can't get it
    done.

    Bank Records/War on Terror

        Q. Sir, several news organizations have reported about a program
    that allows the administration to look into the bank records of certain
    suspected terrorists. My questions are twofold: One, why have you not
    gone to Congress to ask for authorization for this program, 5 years
    after it started? And two, with respect, if neither the courts nor the
    legislature is allowed to know about these programs, how can you feel
    confident the checks and balances system works?
        The President. Congress was briefed. And what we did was fully
    authorized under the law. And the disclosure of this program is
    disgraceful. We're at war with a bunch of people who want to hurt the
    United States of America, and for people to leak that program and for a
    newspaper to publish it, does great harm to the United States of
    America. What we were doing was the right thing. Congress was aware of
    it, and we were within the law to do so.
        The American people expect this Government to protect our
    constitutional liberties and, at the same time, make sure we understand
    what the terrorists are trying to do. The 9/11 Commission recommended
    that the Government be robust in tracing money. If you want to figure
    out what the terrorists are doing, you try to follow their money. And
    that's exactly what we're doing. And the fact that a newspaper disclosed
    it makes it harder to win this war on terror.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:41 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Gen. George W. Casey, Jr.,
    USA, commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq; and Chairman Kim
    Jong Il of North Korea.

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