    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [November 30, 2006]
    [Pages 2133-2141]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Nuri al-
    Maliki of Iraq in Amman, Jordan
    November 30, 2006

        President Bush. Good morning. It's good to be in Amman. I first want
    to thank His Majesty King Abdullah for his
    gracious hospitality.
        Prime Minister Maliki and I just had a very productive meeting. This
    is the third time we've met since he took office 6 months ago, and with
    each meeting, I'm coming to know him better. He's a strong leader who
    wants a free and democratic Iraq to succeed. The United States is
    determined to help him achieve that goal.
        I told the Prime Minister we're ready to make changes to better
    support the unity Government of Iraq and that certain key principles
    behind our strategy remain firm, and they're fixed. First, we believe
    the success of Prime Minister Maliki's Government is critical to the
    success in Iraq. His Government was chosen by the Iraqi people through
    free elections in which nearly 12 million people defied terrorists to
    cast their ballots. I've told the Prime Minister that our goal in Iraq
    is to strengthen his Government and to support his efforts to build a
    free Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself and
    is an ally in the war against the terrorists.
        Secondly, the success of the Iraqi Government depends on the success
    of the Iraqi security forces. During our meetings, the Prime Minister
    and I heard an update from an important group that our Government
    established last month: the Joint Committee on Accelerating the
    Transferring of Security Responsibility. We agreed on the importance of
    speeding up the training of Iraqi security forces. Our goal is to ensure
    that the Prime Minister has more capable forces under his control so his
    Government can fight the terrorists and the death squads and provide
    security and stability in his country.
        Third, success in Iraq requires a united Iraq where democracy is
    preserved, the rule of law prevails, and minority rights are respected.
    The Prime Minister made clear that splitting his country into parts, as
    some have suggested, is not what the Iraqi people want, and that any
    partition of Iraq

    [[Page 2134]]

    would only lead to an increase in sectarian violence. I agree. In the
    long term, security in Iraq requires reconciliation among Iraq's
    different ethnic and religious communities, something the overwhelming
    majority of Iraqis want.
        The Prime Minister and I also discussed the review of our strategy
    in Iraq that is now nearing completion. I assured the Prime Minister
    that our review is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the sovereign
    Government of Iraq to meet their objectives, which we share. As part of
    the review, I've asked our military leaders in the Pentagon and those on
    the ground in Iraq to provide their recommendations on the best way
    forward.
        Others outside the Government are conducting their own review, and I
    look forward to hearing their recommendations. I want to hear all advice
    before I make my decisions about adjustments to our strategy and tactics
    in Iraq to help this Government succeed.
        My consultations with the Prime Minister and the unity Government
    are a key part of the assessment process. And that's why I appreciate
    him coming over from Iraq so that we could have a face-to-face visit.
    The Prime Minister and I agree that the outcome in Iraq will affect the
    entire region. To stop the extremists from dominating the Middle East,
    we must stop the extremists from achieving their goal of dominating
    Iraq. If the extremists succeed in Iraq, they will be emboldened in
    their efforts to undermine other young democracies in the region, or to
    overthrow moderate governments, establish new safe havens, and impose
    their hateful ideology on millions. If the Iraqis succeed in
    establishing a free nation in the heart of the Middle East, the forces
    of freedom and moderation across the region will be emboldened, and the
    cause of peace will have new energy and new allies.
        Mr. Prime Minister, I want to thank you again for your time. I
    appreciate your friendship, and I appreciate the courage you show during
    these difficult times as you lead your country.
        Prime Minister Maliki. Thank you. In the name of God. Beginning, I
    would like to thank King Abdullah for hosting this meeting. And I would
    also like to thank the President of the United States for his response
    and for the role that he has shown in dealing most positively with all
    the files that we've discussed.
        And I would like, during this occasion as we leave this transitional
    stage, we have won initially when we have accomplished democracy in Iraq
    and when we give Iraq the permanent Constitution and the Parliament and
    the unity Government. And all these are victories--that are victories
    with the principles that we believe in. And therefore, these victories
    were our decision not to let those who would like to tamper with the
    fates of the region, or those who oppose democracy, to win so that the
    despotic regime comes back. And Iraq will never be a safe haven for
    terrorists who are trying to spread darkness instead of light, the light
    that started in Mesopotamia.
        We have many visions and many ideas about the transformation
    process, and we are determined to succeed in the face of all the
    challenges that we believe are probably--should exist in a situation
    such as the situation that Iraq is going through. These are not
    outrageous challenges. There are criminals, there are people who are
    breaking the law. But the steel strength of the national unity
    Government would help us face all those who are breaking the law, or
    those who are trying to take down democracy in Iraq, or those who are
    conspiring and trying to have coups or basically bring down the national
    unity Government.
        We are active with anybody who are working within the framework of
    the Constitution. Because we established the Constitution, we'll abide
    by it, we'll protect it, and we'll be protected by it. We assure
    everybody that we are in alliance with international community in facing
    all the

    [[Page 2135]]

    challenges that the world is facing. And foremost in those challenges is
    terrorism. Terrorism is not a danger only to Iraq; it's a culture; it's
    an ideology. The whole civilized world must face it as one line, one
    unit. Some people might not understand the successes that we have as we
    daily face terrorism in Iraq and as the security forces in Iraq chase
    them down, arrest them. This is solid strength based on our vision, and
    our vision is that terrorism, terroristic ideology, extremism,
    sectarianism are all issues that will rob humans from happiness.
        We are ready to cooperate with everybody who believe that they need
    to communicate with the national unity Government, especially our
    neighbors. Our doors are open, and our desire is strong that between us
    and our neighbors, we will have strong relationships based on mutual
    respect and staying away from everybody's internal business. Iraq is for
    Iraqis, and its borders will be sound, and we'll not allow anybody to
    violate these borders or interfere in our internal affairs.
        So everybody who is trying to make Iraq--their own influences appear
    on the account of the Iraqi people needs to recalculate, because it will
    not happen. And all the political forces in Iraq have agreed on that.
    They want to form a very strong political base to support the national
    unity Government. We have visions in Iraq, and we are at the steps of
    transformation into a new stage where we'll have security plans that we
    will believe will be effective and will deliver what is required.
        In Iraq, we don't only deal with terrorism. We're dealing with
    building a whole state in all its aspect--political, economic, security,
    militarily--and all these are signs of maturity that are now very
    obvious in Iraq. And we hope that they will be complemented and
    supported by the international community and by our neighbors, who I
    hope that will be supportive not only for the benefit of Iraq, for the
    benefit of those countries as well.
        President Bush. We will take a couple of questions. Abramowitz
    [Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post].

    Democracy Efforts in Iraq/Security Situation in Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, the memo from your National Security Adviser has
    raised the possibility the United States should press Prime Minister
    Maliki to break with Muqtada Al Sadr. Is this, in fact, your strategy?
    And did you raise this issue with the Prime Minister this morning?
        And to the Prime Minister, I'd like to ask, the President's Adviser
    has said that a central problem in Iraq is your close alliance with Mr.
    Al Sadr, and did you make any representations to the President that you
    would break with Al Sadr, and could your Government survive such a
    break?
        President Bush. I will let the Prime Minister talk about his
    relations with Al Sadr. I will tell you that
    he and I spent a lot of time talking about the security situation inside
    of Iraq. I expressed my concern about the security situation; he
    expressed his concern about the security situation. After all, one of
    his most important jobs is to provide security for the Iraqi people.
    Part of the Prime Minister's frustration is, is that he doesn't have the
    tools necessary to take care of those who break the law.
        I was reassured by his commitment to a pluralistic society that is
    politically united, and a society in which people are held to account if
    they break the law, whether those people be criminals, Al Qaida,
    militia, whoever.
        He discussed with me his political situation, and I think it is best
    that he talk to you about the Sadr group or
    any other group he wants to talk about inside of Iraq.
        Prime Minister Maliki. Matter of fact, my coalition is not with only
    one entity. The national unity Government is a government formed of all
    the entities that participated in it. Therefore, that coalition
    basically represent a national responsibility.

    [[Page 2136]]

        And Mr. Sadr and the Sadrists are just one component that
    participate in the Parliament or in the Government. And I think
    participating in the Government is a responsibility, and it's a mutual
    commitment, and those who participate in this Government need to bear
    responsibilities. And foremost upon those responsibilities is the
    protection of this Government, the protection of the Constitution, the
    protection of the law, not breaking the law.
        Therefore, I do not talk about one side at the expense of the other.
    I'm talking about a state; I'm talking about law; I'm talking about
    commitments. And this should apply to all the partners in the Government
    who have chosen to participate in the political process.
        As to the issues that would pertain to violating the law or breaking
    the law, we would deal with them the same way, because the most
    important principle is the sovereignty and the power and the
    establishment of the state that must be borne by the state, but only our
    partners should participate in that.

    Insurgency and Terrorist Attacks in Iraq

        Q. Hizballah has denied that his forces trained Muqtada Al Sadr
    forces, but do you have any information if Hizballah has actually
    trained the forces of Muqtada Al Sadr?
        Prime Minister Maliki. I think--[inaudible]--expressed itself and
    expressed its responsibilities. And one--another time, I would like to
    say that Iraq and all the Iraqis in the political process--nobody has
    the right, outside of Iraq, to interfere in the political or the
    security situation inside of Iraq. We invite everybody to cooperate with
    us. But as far as this issue related to training, Hizballah denied, and
    they're responsible for their denial.
        President Bush. Our objective is to help the Maliki Government
    succeed. And today we discussed how to further the success of this
    Government. This is a government that is dedicated to pluralism and rule
    of law. It's a government elected by the Iraqi people under a
    Constitution approved by the Iraqi people, which, in itself, is an
    unusual event in the Middle East, by the way.
        We talked today about accelerating authority to the Prime Minister
    so he can do what the Iraqi people expect him to do, and that is bring
    security to parts of his country that require firm action. It's going
    to--the presence of the United States will be in Iraq so long as the
    Government asks us to be in Iraq. This is a sovereign government. I
    believe that there is more training to be done. I think the Prime
    Minister agrees with me. I know that we're providing a useful addition
    to Iraq by chasing down Al Qaida and by securing--by helping this
    country protect itself from Al Qaida.
        Al Qaida wants a safe haven in Iraq. Al Qaida made it clear earlier
    that suicide bombers would increase sectarian violence. That was part of
    their strategy. One of our goals is to deny safe haven for Al Qaida in
    Iraq, and the Maliki Government expects us and wants us to provide that
    vital part of security.
        So we'll be in Iraq until the job is complete, at the request of a
    sovereign government elected by the people. I know there's a lot of
    speculation that these reports in Washington mean there's going to be
    some kind of graceful exit out of Iraq. We're going to stay in Iraq to
    get the job done, so long as the Government wants us there.
        We want the people of Iraq to live in a free society. It's in our
    interests. In my judgment, if we were to leave before the job is done,
    it would only embolden terrorists. It would only embolden the
    extremists. It would dash the hopes of millions of people who want to
    live in a free society, just like the 12 million people who voted in the
    Iraqi election. They want to live in a free society. And we support this
    Government because the Government understands it was elected by the
    people. And Prime Minister Maliki is working hard to overcome the many
    obstacles in the way to a peaceful Iraq, and we want to help him.

    [[Page 2137]]

        Let's see, Martha [Martha Raddatz, ABC News].

    Iraqi Military and Security Forces/Transfer of Security Responsibilities

        Q. Mr. President, is there a time limit on meeting any of these
    goals for Prime Minister Maliki? And you keep mentioning that the U.S.
    goal is to fight Al Qaida. Does that mean you believe it's up to the
    Iraqis to stop the sectarian violence and quell the sectarian violence,
    and this is something you don't want U.S. troops involved in?
        And, Prime Minister Maliki, can you tell us why you canceled the
    meeting last night?
        President Bush. What was the first part of your three-part question?
    [Laughter]
        Q. Time limit on meeting goals. Is there a time limit on meeting
    goals?
        President Bush. A time limit, as soon as possible. But I'm
    realistic, because I understand how tough it is inside of Iraq. The
    Prime Minister is dealing with sectarian violence. The Prime Minister is
    having to deal with Al Qaida. The Prime Minister is having to deal with
    criminal elements. And we want to help him.
        And, yes, I talked about making sure that Al Qaida doesn't take--
    doesn't provide--gets safe haven in Iraq. Sure, that's an important part
    of our strategy. But I also have said that the goal is a country that
    can defend, sustain, and govern itself. And therefore, to the extent
    that our troops are needed to help do that, we're willing to do that.
    That's part of the operation in Baghdad. Part of the plan in Baghdad was
    to prevent killers from taking innocent life.
        Q. Including sectarian violence?
        President Bush. Well that's--killers taking innocent life is, in
    some cases, sectarian. I happen to view it as criminal as well as
    sectarian. I think any time you murder somebody, you're a criminal. And
    I believe a just society and a society of--that holds people to account
    and believes in rule of law protects innocent people from murderers, no
    matter what their political party is.
        And I discussed this with the Prime Minister, and I don't want to
    put words in his mouth, but I received a satisfactory answer about the
    need to protect innocent life. And that's exactly what our troops have
    been doing, along with the Iraqis. My plan, and his plan, is to
    accelerate the Iraqis' responsibility. See, here's a man who has been
    elected by the people. The people expect him to respond, and he doesn't
    have the capacity to respond. And so we want to accelerate that
    capacity. We want him to be in the lead in taking the fight against the
    enemies of his own country.
        And that's exactly what we discussed today. We had a Joint Committee
    on Accelerating the Transfer of Security Responsibility Report. And it
    was a report that General Casey, who is
    with us today, and our Ambassador, Zal Khalilzad, who is with us today, as well as the Prime Minister's
    team delivered to both of us about how to accelerate responsibility to
    the Iraqi Government so this person elected by the people can take the
    fight to those who want to destroy a young democracy.
        You had a question----
        Q. Sir, there are no time limits here?
        President Bush. As quick as possible, Martha. As quick--I've been
    asked about timetables ever since we got into this. All timetables mean
    is that it is a timetable for withdrawal. You kept asking me those
    questions. All that does is----
        Q. Mr. President----
        President Bush. Hold on a second. All that does is set people up for
    unrealistic expectations. As soon as possible. And today we made a step
    toward as soon as possible by transferring a--accelerating the transfer
    of authorities, military authorities to the Prime Minister.
        Q. Did you put any pressure----
        President Bush. Hold on a second. Hold on, please, sir. Please.
    Thank you.
        Prime Minister Maliki. I emphasize what the President has just said,
    that we have

    [[Page 2138]]

    agreed together, and we are very clear together, about the importance of
    accelerating the transfer of the security responsibility. And be assured
    that the Iraqi forces and the security forces have reached a good level
    of competency and efficiency to protect Iraq as a country and to protect
    its people.
        As far as the other issue related to the meeting, I have met with
    King Abdullah, then have met again with his Prime Minister and a group
    of his ministers, and we've discussed bilateral relations that are of
    concern to both nations--Iraq and Jordan--and that relationship is based
    on mutual friendship and being a good host and a good neighbor. And
    there was not part of our agenda a trilateral meeting, so there is no
    problem.
        Please.

    Iraq-Iran Relations

        Q. Did you discuss with the President the Iranian influence that is
    expanding in Iraq and how--and the almost complete Iranian control over
    Baghdad, as the press sources seems to indicate? In Iraq, did you build
    this big wall between Iraq and Iranian? So--and are you going to deal
    with----
        President Bush. Did I--I didn't understand your first question.
        Q. To deal with Iranian directly?
        President Bush. Am I going to meet with the Iranians directly, is
    that the question?
        Q. The question of Iraq, yes.
        Prime Minister Maliki. As far as the first question that was
    mentioned by the reporter, I think these are wrong and exaggerated
    information, and they are being used as one of the propaganda mechanisms
    to give the impression of sectarian strife so that will reach a point of
    no return. Because we want to emphasize that we will not allow anybody
    to exert their control over any part of Iraq. If there is any talk about
    intervention in Iraq and all the discussion, all the talks about people
    or other nations exerting control over Iraq, this is not true. This is a
    political process in Iraq. We want good relationships with our
    neighbors; we want complementary relationships with our neighbors to
    protect the region from tensions. But the main principle underlying all
    this is the respect of the Iraqi borders and the internal affairs of
    Iraq.
        President Bush. I believe the Iranians fear democracy, and that's
    why they destabilized Lebanon; that's why they are worried about the
    establishment of a Palestinian state.
        I appreciate the Prime Minister's views that the Iraqis are plenty
    capable of running their own business and they don't need foreign
    interference from neighbors that will be destabilizing the country. I am
    very worried, as should the world, about Iran's desires to have a
    nuclear weapon and, therefore, will continue to work with the world to
    send a clear message to the Iranians, the Iranian Government, that we
    will--they will become more isolated. And my message to the Iranian
    people is, we have no beef with the Iranian people. We respect their
    heritage; we respect their history; we respect their traditions. I just
    have a problem with a government that is isolating its people, denying
    its people benefits that could be had from engagement with the world.
        I told the Prime Minister, we'll continue to work with the world
    community to insist that Iran abandon its nuclear weapons programs. And
    I have said that if they were to verifiably suspend their enrichment
    program, we would be a part of the EU-3 plus Russia plus China
    discussions. They know how to get us to the table. The choice is theirs
    to make. It's the choice of the Iranian Government as to whether or not
    they make the right decisions, for not only the sake of the diplomacy,
    but for the sake--more importantly, for the sake of their people.
        We might as well keep going, Prime Minister.
        Richard [Richard Wolffe, Newsweek]. Please, sir. Please. Thank you.

    [[Page 2139]]

    Prime Minister Maliki's Leadership

        Q. When you were in Baghdad 6 months ago, you expressed the same
    kind of confidence in the Prime Minister and his Government that you've
    expressed today. Yet there have been repeated rounds of disappointments
    when it comes to the Prime Minister's Baghdad Security Plan, with his
    plans for reconciliation. I'm wondering, if anything, if you've had any
    doubts over the last 6 months about the strength of his Government,
    about the Prime Minister's own abilities. And what gives you such
    confidence today to think that he can achieve what he hasn't done over
    the last 6 months?
        President Bush. Well, as you mentioned, he's been in power for 6
    months, and I've been able to watch a leader emerge. The first thing
    that gives me confidence is that he wants responsibility. A sign of
    leadership is for somebody to say, ``I want to be able to have the tools
    necessary to protect my people.'' One of his frustrations with me is
    that he believes we've been slow about giving him the tools necessary to
    protect the Iraqi people. And today we had a meeting that will
    accelerate the capacity for the Prime Minister to do the hard work
    necessary to help stop this violence. No question, it's a violent
    society right now. He knows that better than anybody. He was explaining
    to me that occasionally the house in which he lives gets shelled by
    terrorists who are trying to frighten him.
        And so the second point I make to you is that I appreciate his
    courage. You can't lead unless you have courage. And he's got courage,
    and he's shown courage over the last 6 months.
        Thirdly, he has expressed a deep desire to unify his country. You
    hear all kinds of rumors about the politics inside of Iraq. I'm talking
    to the man face to face, and he says that he understands that a unified
    government, a pluralistic society, is important for success. And he's
    making hard decisions to achieve that.
        No question, it's been tough. It would have been a lot easier had
    people not tried to destabilize the young democracy. His job would have
    been more simple had there not been terrorists trying to create
    sectarian violence.
        Now, I want everybody to remember that it was Mr. Zarqawi of Al
    Qaida who said, ``Let us bomb Shi'a in order to create the conditions
    necessary for sectarian violence.'' The Samarra bombing started off this
    new phase of violence. The Prime Minister comes in about halfway through
    that phase in order to--he'd been selected, and now he's dealing with a
    serious situation on the ground. And what I appreciate is his attitude.
    As opposed to saying, ``America, you go solve the problem,'' we have a
    Prime Minister who's saying, ``Stop holding me back. I want to solve the
    problem.''
        And the meeting today was to accelerate his capacity to do so. It's
    not easy for a military to evolve from ground zero, and I appreciate our
    forces and I appreciate General Casey,
    who have worked very hard to train the Iraqis so they become a capable
    fighting force as well as a unifying element for Iraq. But it's one
    thing to put people in uniform and another thing to have clear command
    structure, or the capacity to move troops from point A to point B, or
    the capacity to make sure that the troop carrier from point A to point B
    has got the necessary air in its tires or oil in its engine. In other
    words, this is a sophisticated operation, to get a unifying army stood
    up.
        And one of the reasons I appreciate the Prime Minister is that he,
    on the one hand, sees that it's a sophisticated operation to get a
    military up from zero, but on the other hand, is frustrated by the pace.
    And the reason why he's frustrated is because he wants to show the
    people who elected him that he is willing to take the hard tasks on
    necessary to provide security for the Iraqi people, such as hunting down
    those who are killing the innocent. And the reason I came today to be
    able to sit

    [[Page 2140]]

    down with him is to hear the joint plans developed between the Iraqi
    Government, the sovereign Government of Iraq, and our Government, to
    make sure that we accelerate the transfer of capacity to the Prime
    Minister. And I know he's looking forward to more capacity being
    transferred so he can do his job.
        Anyway, he's the right guy for Iraq, and we're going to help him,
    and it's in our interest to help him, for the sake of peace.

    Situation in the Middle East

        Q. Mr. President--[inaudible]--what is your--[inaudible]--Prime
    Minister Olmert and President Abu Mazen to keep this cease-fire
    agreement? And what should be done--[inaudible].
        President Bush. Well, first of all, there's no question that if we
    were able to settle the Palestinian-Israeli issue, it would help bring
    more peace to the Middle East. And therefore, our Government is focused
    on helping develop the two-state solution. As a matter of fact, I was
    the--our Government strongly believes in the two-state solution, and I
    believe it's in the Palestinian people's interest that they have their
    own state, and I believe it's in Israel's interest that there be a
    democracy on her border. And therefore, we're working to that end.
        Look, there are extremists who want to stop the development of a
    Palestinian state, just like there are extremists who want to
    destabilize Lebanon--and we're strongly in support of the
    Siniora Government--just like there are
    extremists who want to destabilize this young democracy. Isn't it
    interesting that the radicals and extremists fear democracy so much that
    they're willing to kill innocent people? And the task at hand is to
    support moderate, reasonable people in their quest for free societies.
    And that means that Abu Mazen,
    who I believe wants there to be a Palestinian state living side by side
    with peace in Israel, deserves the support of the world. And he deserves
    support in peeling his Government away from those who do not recognize
    Israel's right to exist.
        And therefore, Condoleezza Rice will be
    going to talk to Abu Mazen
    tomorrow, as well as Prime Minister Olmert,
    working with both parties together to see how we can advance the vision
    that the Prime Minister himself talked about earlier this week.
        Q. And your advice to both of them?
        President Bush. My advice is, support reasonable people and reject
    extremists. Understand that most people want to live in peace and
    harmony and security. It's very important for the American people to
    understand that most Muslim mothers want their children to grow up in
    peace, and they're interested in peace. And it's in our interest to help
    liberty prevail in the Middle East, starting with Iraq.
        And that's why this business about graceful exit just simply has no
    realism to it at all. We're going to help this Government. And I'm able
    to say that it is--that we have a government that wants our help and is
    becoming more capable about taking the lead in the fight to protect
    their own country. The only way that Iraq is going to be able to succeed
    is when the Iraqis, led by a capable person, says, ``We're tired of it.
    We don't want violence; we want the peace that our 12 million people
    voted for.'' And it's in the world's interest that Iraq succeed.
        Mr. Prime Minister, you want to answer some more questions?
    [Laughter] Go ahead. Hold on for a minute. Wait, wait, wait.
        Prime Minister Maliki. We said six question; now this is the
    seventh--this is the eighth--eight questions. Mr. President?
        President Bush. Yes, this guy?

    Progress in Iraq

        Q. In light of the war that the United States is fighting against
    terror in Iraq, what has been accomplished? What do you expect to be
    accomplished after 3-year confrontation?

    [[Page 2141]]

        Another question, other people are accusing the United States of
    bringing terrorism to Iraq, and the proof is that what's going on in
    Iraq and what's going on in Afghanistan. The proof is that. And the
    biggest loser is the Iraqi citizen.
        President Bush. It's an interesting analysis: The biggest loser for
    a free society is the Iraqi citizen, when this society was just
    liberated from the grips of a brutal tyrant
    that killed thousands and thousands of the Iraqi citizens.
        What has been accomplished is the liberation of a country from a
    tyrant who is now sitting in jail getting a
    trial that he was unwilling to give thousands of people he murdered
    himself or had murdered.
        Secondly, this country has a Constitution, which is one of the most
    modern constitutions ever written in the Middle East. This is a
    government that had been elected by the people. No question, it's tough.
    But the reason why terrorists are trying to stop the advance of freedom
    in Iraq is the very reason why we need to help them: Because they can't
    stand democracies, and they want to impose a hateful vision on as much
    of the world as possible. They want safe haven from which to launch
    attacks again. A safe haven in Iraq, a country that has got a lot of
    resources, would be very dangerous for America.
        It didn't take but 19 people who were trained in Afghanistan to get
    on airplanes and come and kill over 3,000 citizens in my country.
    Threats that gather overseas must be taken seriously if we want to
    protect ourselves. And the best way to protect ourselves is to hunt down
    the terrorists and to help young democracies survive. Freedom and
    liberty is the great alternative to the hateful vision of those who are
    willing to murder innocent lives to achieve their objective.
        And so you bet it's worth it in Iraq, and necessary. And I was very
    proud and pleased to see 12 million Iraqis go to the polls, to be able
    to express their desires, their wishes, as they helped put a government
    in place that this man now leads.
        Prime Minister Maliki. Thank you very much.
        President Bush. Good to see you. Thank you.
        Prime Minister Maliki. Thank you.
        President Bush. Thank you all.

    Note: The President's news conference began at 9:43 a.m. at the Four
    Seasons Hotel Amman. In his remarks, the President referred to King
    Abdullah II of Jordan; Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr; Gen. George
    W. Casey, Jr., USA, commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq;
    Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of Lebanon; President Mahmoud Abbas of the
    Palestinian Authority; Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel; and former
    President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Prime Minister Maliki referred to
    Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit of Jordan. Prime Minister Maliki and
    some reporters spoke in Arabic, and their remarks were translated by an
    interpreter.