[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
[December 7, 2006]
[Pages 2153-2165]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom
December 7, 2006
President Bush. Thank you all. Please be seated. I just had a good
visit with Prime Minister Tony Blair. I appreciate you coming back, Mr.
Prime Minister. I always enjoy our discussions. And I appreciate your
clear view that we are confronted with a struggle between moderation and
extremism, and this is particularly evident in the broader Middle East.
I talked about my recent trip to Jordan, where I talked to Prime
Minister Maliki. I briefed the Prime
Minister on my visit with His Eminence, Mr. Hakim, one of the major political players in Iraq. We discussed the
report I received yesterday from the Iraq Study Group, a report chaired
by Secretary of State--former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. I told the Prime Minister I thought this was a very
constructive report. I appreciated the fact that they laid out a series
of recommendations, and they're worthy of serious study. I also updated
the Prime Minister on the reviews that are being conducted by the
Pentagon and the State Department and our National Security Council. I
talked to him about the consultations I'm having with the United States
Congress.
We agree that victory in Iraq is important. It's important for the
Iraqi people; it's important for the security of the United States and
Great Britain; and it's important for the civilized world. We agree that
an Iraq that can govern itself, defend itself, and sustain itself as an
ally on the war on terror is a noble goal. The Prime Minister and I seek
a wide range of opinions about how to go forward in Iraq, and I
appreciate your opinions and your advice.
The increase in sectarian attacks we're seeing in and around Baghdad
are unsettling. It has led to much debate in both our countries about
the nature of the war that is taking place in Iraq. And it is true that
Sunni and Shi'a extremists are targeting each other's innocent civilians
and engaging in brutal reprisals. It's also true that forces beyond
Iraq's borders contribute to this violence. And the Prime Minister put
it this way, he said, ``The violence is
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not an accident or a result of faulty planning. It is a deliberate
strategy. It is the direct result of outside extremists teaming up with
internal extremists--Al Qaida with the Sunni insurgents and Iran with
the Shi'a militia--to foment hatred and to throttle, at birth, the
possibility of a nonsectarian democracy.'' You were right, and I
appreciate your comments.
The primary victims of the sectarian violence are the moderate
majority of Iraqis--Sunni and Shi'a alike--who want a future of peace.
The primary beneficiaries are Sunni and Shi'a extremists, inside and
outside of Iraq, who want chaos in that country so they can take control
and further their ambitions to dominate the region.
These Sunni and Shi'a extremists have important differences, yet
they agree on one thing: The rise of free and democratic societies in
the Middle East, where people can practice their faith, choose their
leaders, and live together in peace would be a decisive blow to their
cause.
And so they're supporting extremists across the region who are
working to undermine young democracies. Just think about the Middle
East. In Iraq, they support terrorists and death squads who are
fomenting sectarian violence in an effort to bring down the elected
Government of Prime Minister Maliki. In
Lebanon, they're supporting Hizballah, which recently declared its
intention to force the collapse of Prime Minister Siniora's democratically elected Parliament and Government. In
Afghanistan, they're supporting remnants of the Taliban that are seeking
to destabilize President Karzai's Government
and regain power. In the Palestinian Territories, they are working to
stop moderate leaders like President Abbas from making progress toward the vision of two
democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace
and security.
In each of these places, radicals and extremists are using terror to
stop the spread of freedom. And they do so because they want to spread
their ideologies, their ideologies of hate and impose their rule on this
vital part of the world. And should they succeed, history will look back
on our time with unforgiving clarity and demand to know, what happened?
How come free nations did not act to preserve the peace?
Prime Minister Blair and I understand that we have a responsibility
to lead and to support moderates and reformers who work for change
across the broader Middle East. We also recognize that meeting this
responsibility requires action. We will take concerted efforts to
advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. Prime Minister Blair
informed me that he will be heading to the Middle East soon to talk to
both the Israelis and the Palestinians, and I support that mission. I
support the mission because it's important for us to advance the cause
of two states living side by side in peace, and helping both parties
eliminate the obstacles that prevent an agreement from being reached.
And your strong leadership on this issue matters a lot.
We'll support the democratic Government of Prime Minister
Maliki as he makes difficult decisions and
confronts the forces of terror and extremism that are working hard to
tear his country apart.
Britain and America are old allies, and the Prime Minister and I are
strong friends. But Britain and America aren't standing together in this
war because of friendship. We're standing together because our two
nations face an unprecedented threat to civilization. We're standing
together to prevent terrorists and extremists from dominating the Middle
East. We stand together to prevent extremists from regaining the safe
haven they lost in Afghanistan, a safe haven from which they launched
attacks that killed thousands of our citizens. We stand together because
we understand the only way to secure a lasting peace for our children
and grandchildren is to defeat the extremist ideologies and help the
ideology of hope, democracy prevail. We know the only way to secure
peace for ourselves is to help millions of moms and dads across
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the Middle East build what our citizens already have: societies based on
liberty that will allow their children to grow up in peace and
opportunity.
It's a tough time, and it's a difficult moment for America and Great
Britain. And the task before us is daunting. Yet our nations have stood
together before in difficult moments. Sixty-five years ago this day,
America was jolted out of our isolationism and plunged into a global war
that Britain had been fighting for 2 years. In that war, our Nation
stood firm. And there were difficult moments during that war, yet the
leaders of our two nations never lost faith in the capacity to prevail.
We will stand firm again, in this first war of the 21st century. We
will defeat the extremists and the radicals. We will help a young
democracy prevail in Iraq. And in so doing, we will secure freedom and
peace for millions, including our own citizens.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
Prime Minister Blair. Thank you very much, Mr. President. And thank
you, firstly, for stressing again the strength of the relationship
between our two countries, which is important for us, but I think it's
important for the wider global community as well. Thank you also for the
clarity of your vision about the mission that we're engaged in at the
moment, which is a struggle between freedom and democracy on the one
hand and terrorism and sectarianism on the other. And it's a noble
mission, and it's the right mission, and it's important for our world
that it succeeds.
And so the question is, how do we make sure that it does, indeed,
succeed? And in respect of Iraq, I, like you, welcome the Baker-Hamilton
study group. It offers a strong way forward. I think it is important now
we concentrate on the elements that are necessary to make sure that we
succeed, because the consequences of failure are severe. And I believe
this is a mission we have to succeed in and we can succeed in.
And I think there are three elements that we can take forward. The
first is to make sure that we are supporting the Maliki Government in
making sure that that Government's nonsectarian nature is reflected in
the policies of that Government and the way that it conducts itself. I
think in respect of governance and security and capability--particularly
economic capability--there is much that we are doing, but can do even
more in order to make sure that they are supported in the vital work
that they do and in the work of reconciliation, in bringing the
different parts of Iraq together in order to give effect to the will of
the Iraqi people, expressed in their democratic election.
I think, secondly, it's important that all of us who are engaged in
this, but particularly those in the region, live up to their
responsibilities in supporting the Maliki Government, in ensuring that
Iraq is able to proceed in a democratic and nonsectarian way.
And I think that, finally, as you rightly emphasize, it is important
that we do everything we can in the wider Middle East to bring about
peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is something that I know
you feel deeply and passionately about. You are the first President who
committed yourself to the two-state solution, and I believe that by
moving this forward, we send a very strong signal not just to the region
but to the whole of the world that we are evenhanded and just in the
application of our values, that we want to see an Israel confident of
its security and a Palestinian people able to live in peace and justice
and democracy.
And that brings me back, finally, to the point that I began with,
because I think it is the central point. Yes, it is immensely tough at
the moment and very challenging, and everybody knows that. But there are
only two ways that the Middle East can go. Its people can either be
presented with a choice between a secular or a religious dictatorship,
which is not a choice that any
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free people would ever choose, or alternatively, they can enjoy the same
possibilities of democracy that we hold dear in our countries. And this
is not a view that we hold--I hold because of idealism alone; it is
because I also believe that the only realistic path to security is by
ensuring the spread of liberty.
So, Mr. President, thank you again for welcoming me here. And we
will work closely with you in the time to come in order to achieve the
mission we have set ourselves.
President Bush. Thank you, sir.
Prime Minister Blair. Thank you.
President Bush. We'll answer a couple of questions.
Iraq Study Group Report/Situation in the Middle East
Q. Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, neither of you has shown
much doubt about your Iraq policies. Do you acknowledge that your
approach has failed, as Baker-Hamilton suggests? And are you willing to
engage directly with Syria and Iran and pull out most combat forces by
early 2008, unless there's unexpected circumstances?
President Bush. The thing I liked about the Baker-Hamilton report is it
discussed the way forward in Iraq. And I believe we need a new approach.
And that's why I've tasked the Pentagon to analyze the way forward.
That's why Prime Minister Blair is here to talk about the way forward,
so we can achieve the objective, which is an Iraq which can govern
itself, sustain itself, and defend itself and be an ally in the war on
terror.
And the Baker-Hamilton report did some very interesting things. First, it shows
that Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an--to come
up with a strategy to achieve an objective, something the American
people don't think is possible to happen. In other words, they've seen
elections, and they saw all the bitterness and finger-pointing and name-
calling and wonder whether or not we can work together on this important
cause. And I believe we can, and the Baker-Hamilton commission showed
it's possible for people of good will to sit down at the table and
design a way forward.
And so that's why I'm sitting down with the Members of Congress, to
say to both Republicans and Democrats, ``This is an important cause.
It's important for our security. It's important to help lay the
foundations for peace, and I want to hear your ideas.'' And I thought
the report did a good job of showing what is possible. The Congress
isn't going to accept every recommendation in the report, and neither
will the administration, but there's a lot of very important things in
the report that we ought to seriously consider.
And as the Prime Minister talked about, there's three aspects to the
report. One is, how do we empower the Maliki Government so that the
Maliki Government--the elected Government of
the Iraqis--can help with the economy, can help secure peace, can do
hard work necessary to achieve stability and to achieve the objective?
It talked about the regional--the countries in the region and the
responsibilities of the region to help this Iraqi Government. And the
idea of having an international group is an interesting idea. We've
already got the compact, and I think the
Baker-Hamilton report suggests that we
broaden the Compact beyond just economic measures.
But one thing is for certain: When people--if people come to the
table to discuss Iraq, they need to come understanding their
responsibilities to not fund terrorists, to help this young democracy
survive, to help with the economics of the country. And if people are
not committed, if Syria and Iran is not committed to that concept, then
they shouldn't bother to show up.
Thirdly, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is an--is important to
have--is important to be solved. I'm committed to a two-state
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solution. I believe it is in Israel's interest and the Palestinian
people's interest to have two states living side by side for peace. And
the Prime Minister shares that goal, and he is willing to take time to
go over and help remove obstacles toward achieving that goal.
And there are two notable obstacles. One is the prisoner, and secondly, is for there to be a unity government
that recognizes the principles of the Quartet, with which Israel can
negotiate. And we want to help.
And so I view this as a very important way forward, with important
concepts. And the American people expect us to come up with a new
strategy to achieve the objective which I've been talking about and
which is laid out in the Baker-
Hamilton report.
Prime Minister Blair. Look, I think the analysis of the situation is
not really in dispute. The question is, how do we find the right way
forward? And what we've got at the moment is something that is at one
level very simple to describe but at another level very profound and
difficult to deal with, and that is that the outside extremists are
linking up with internal extremists, basically to create the
circumstances of sectarianism, where it's very, very difficult then for
democracy and ordinary institutions to function.
And I think the Baker-Hamilton report allows us to--as the situation
has evolved in Iraq--to evolve our strategy in order to meet it in the
ways that I've just described. But I think we've got to be very, very
clear about this: It will require everybody to face up to their
responsibilities--us, of course, because we are principal actors in
this, but also the Iraqi Government. They've got to be prepared to make
the moves necessary--full governance, full capability, reconciliation,
and full help and security--and we will be there to support them.
But then there's responsibilities, as the President was saying a
moment or two ago, on the region and the neighbors. And let me come
directly to the Iran and Syria point. The issue for me is not a question
of being unwilling to sit down with people or not, but the basis upon
which we discuss Iraq has got to be clear, and it's got to be a basis
where we are all standing up for the right principles, which are now
endorsed in the United Nations resolutions, in respect of Iraq. In other
words, you support the democratic elected Government; you do not support
sectarians; and you do not support, arm, or finance terrorists.
Now, the very reason we have problems in parts of Iraq--and we know
this very well down in the south of Iraq--is that Iran, for example, has
been doing that. It's been basically arming, financing, supporting
terrorism. So we've got to be clear the basis upon which we take this
forward. And as I say, it's got to be on the basis of people accepting
their responsibilities.
And finally, in relation to what the President was just saying a
moment or two ago on Israel and Palestine, I mean, I think that one
thing that is very clear is that the old Middle East had within it the
origins of all the problems we see. I mean, this terrorist problem that
we faced in the last few years, it didn't originate, I'm afraid, a few
years ago. It's been building up over decades. It's come out of a series
of states of oppression, of warped ideology based on a perverted view of
the faith of Islam. This has been building up for a long period of time,
and it has basically come out of the Middle East.
Now my view in the end is that you go back to the origins of this
and say, well, how do we resolve it? And the only way we resolve it is
by having the right vision and then the practical measures to achieve
it.
Now I think the vision is absolutely correct. What we've got to do
now--and this is exactly why the President is talking about the way
forward--is that we've got to get the right way forward--this is where
Baker-Hamilton helped--in order that we have the practical policy that
bolsters and gives effect to the vision, because the vision is
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the right vision. You leave a Middle East in which the Israel-Palestine
issue is not solved, in which there's no moves towards democracy, in
which Iraq goes back in its old state, in which the Iranian people have
no chance to express themselves, maybe not in the months or 1 year, 2
years, but you'll have the same problem. You know, the reason we are
faced with this issue is because in the end, everything that happened in
that region erupted, in fact, on the streets of New York. But it--the
origins of this went way, way back before that.
And so it is--there's a tendency, I think, sometimes, to see this as
a battle between the idealists on the one hand and the realists on the
other. In my view, the only modern form of realism is one that has
ideals at the center of it.
War on Terror
Q. Mr. President, the Iraq Study Group described the situation in
Iraq as grave and deteriorating. You said that the increase in attacks
is unsettling. That won't convince many people that you're still in
denial about how bad things are in Iraq, and question your sincerity
about changing course.
President Bush. It's bad in Iraq. Does that help? [Laughter]
Q. Why did it take others to say it before you've been willing to
acknowledge it to the world?
President Bush. In all due respect, I've been saying it a lot. I
understand how tough it is, and I've been telling the American people
how tough it is, and they know how tough it is. And the fundamental
question is, do we have a plan to achieve our objective? Are we willing
to change as the enemy has changed? The--and what the Baker-Hamilton study has
done is, it shows good ideas as to how to go forward. What our Pentagon
is doing is figuring out ways to go forward, all aiming to achieve our
objective.
Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk
to the families who die. I understand there's sectarian violence. I also
understand that we're hunting down Al Qaida on a regular basis and we're
bringing them to justice. I understand how hard our troops are working.
I know how brave the men and women who wear the uniform are, and
therefore, they'll have the full support of this Government. I
understand what long deployments mean to wives and husbands, and mothers
and fathers, particularly as we come into a holiday season. I
understand. And I have made it abundantly clear how tough it is.
I also believe we're going to succeed. I believe we'll prevail. Not
only do I know how important it is to prevail, I believe we will
prevail. I understand how hard it is to prevail. But I also want the
American people to understand that if we were to fail--and one way to
assure failure is just to quit, is not to adjust, and say, it's just not
worth it--if we were to fail, that failed policy will come to hurt
generations of Americans in the future.
And as I said in my opening statement, I believe we're in an
ideological struggle between forces that are reasonable and want to live
in peace and radicals and extremists. And when you throw into the mix
radical Shi'a and radical Sunni trying to gain power and topple moderate
governments, with energy which they could use to blackmail Great Britain
or America or anybody else who doesn't kowtow to them, and a nuclear
weapon in the hands of a government that is--would be using that nuclear
weapon to blackmail to achieve political objectives, historians will
look back and say, how come Bush and Blair couldn't see the threat?
That's what they'll be asking. And I want to tell you, I see the threat,
and I believe it is up to our governments to help lead the forces of
moderation to prevail. It's in our interests.
And one of the things that has changed for American foreign policy
is a threat overseas can now come home to hurt us. And September the
11th should be a wake-up call for the American people to understand what
happens if there is violence and safe
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havens in a part of the world. And what happens is, people can die here
at home.
And so no, I appreciate your question. I appreciate--as you can
tell, I feel strongly about making sure you understand that I understand
it's tough. But I want you to know, sir, that I believe we'll prevail. I
know we have to adjust to prevail, but I wouldn't have our troops in
harm's way if I didn't believe that, one, it was important, and two,
we'll succeed. Thank you.
Diplomatic Efforts in the Middle East
Q. Prime Minister, if I may, briefly--isn't what the----
Prime Minister Blair. You're not going to do a followup, are you?
[Laughter]
Q. No, no, forgive me. I just wanted to ask you about your Middle
East mission, if I may. Given your trip to the Middle East, isn't the
truth of what the Arab-Israeli solution--sorry, isn't the truth of what
the Arab-Israeli problem requires is not, however hard you try, another
visit by a British Prime Minister, but the genuine commitment--and not
merely in words--of an American administration that's serious about
doing something about it?
Prime Minister Blair. Well, I believe that we have that commitment.
And I mean, you're right in this sense, there would be no point in me
going unless it was part of a mission that was supported fully by our
American allies. But it is--we agree--the vision--I mean, the one thing
that I find very frustrating about the situation, Israel-Palestine, is
that there is actually an agreement as to the solution we want to see,
which is a two-state solution. And really, everybody is agreed to that.
So the question is, how do you get there?
And there are critical obstacles that stand in the way of that that
require detailed attention and management, and it's not merely myself
who's going to be engaged in this, of course, but as you know, the
Secretary of State has been very closely involved in this. She's been
visiting the region recently, and I know is, again, fully committed to
it.
I think what is interesting from what you have from this today is an
acceptance and, indeed, a clear belief that you look at these issues
together. There is a kind of whole vision about how we need to proceed
that links what happens inside Iraq with what happens outside Iraq. And
again, I think that the Baker-Hamilton report put this very simply and
very clearly.
And you know, there is no way that you ever succeed in these things
unless you just carry on trying, and that's what we will do. And one of
the things I learned in all the long years that you followed me in
relation to Northern Ireland is that you just--you don't accept that you
ever give up. You just carry on doing it. And I am sure that it is
possible to resolve this, and I also do believe that if we do, then it
would send a signal of massive symbolic power across the world.
President Bush. Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].
War on Terror Strategy
Q. Thank you, sir. You mentioned Iran and Syria as part of this
regional effort. Are you willing to engage with them directly as the
report recommends? And back to the issue of the troops, is it possible
to get them out of Iraq by early 2008, as the report talks about? And
when do you hope to have this report? Sorry to----
President Bush. How many questions you got, Steve?
Q. Sorry about that. [Laughter]
President Bush. You mean, when do I hope to announce the strategy,
is that what you're talking about?
Q. Yes, sir.
President Bush. After I get the reports. And Baker-Hamilton is a really
important part of our considerations. But we want to make sure the
military gets their point of view in. After all, a lot of what we're
doing is a military operation. I want to make sure the State Department
is able
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to help us analyze the strategy to make sure that we've got the right
political emphasis, not only inside Iraq but outside Iraq.
I appreciated the Prime Minister's answer to this lad--we call them
lads, in Great Britain--lad's question, is that--[laughter].
Prime Minister Blair. You've made a friend, I think, there.
[Laughter] It's a long time since anyone's called him that, yes.
[Laughter]
President Bush. You got to understand--well----
Q. He calls me a number of other things.
President Bush. Our Secretary of State
is very much engaged in this issue. She works hard on the issue. And as
much as we'd like to impose the settlement, it's important for you to
understand, sir, that the Israelis and the Palestinians must accept
responsibility and must sign off on an agreement. It's kind of easy to
sit back and say, okay, we're going to impose this on them. We can help,
and we will help.
So, Steve, that's--we're spending a lot--I know, I'm heading back.
We're spending a lot of time considering the new course, because the
decisions that we make affect lives. They affect the lives of our
soldiers; they affect the lives of the Iraqi people. But one thing is
central to this new course, and that is, the Iraqi Government must be
given more responsibility so they can prove to their people and to their
allies that they're capable of making hard decisions necessary for their
young democracy to move forward.
Second part of your long question?
Iran/Syria
Q. Well, are you willing to engage direct talks with----
President Bush. Oh, Iran and Syria.
Q. ----just a regional effort----
President Bush. No, no, I understand. Steve, let me talk about
engaging Iran. We have made it clear to the Iranians that there is a
possible change in U.S. policy, a policy that's been in place for 27
years, and that is that if they would like to engage the United States
that they've got to verifiably suspend their enrichment program. We've
made our choice. Iran now has an opportunity to make its choice. I would
hope they would make the choice that most of the free world wants them
to make, which is, there is no need to have a weapons program; there is
no need to isolate your people; there's no need to continue this
obstinance, when it comes to your stated desires to have a nuclear
weapon. It's not in your interest to do so.
And should they agree to verifiably suspend their enrichment, the
United States will be at the table with our partners.
It's really interesting to talk about conversations with countries,
which is fine; I can understand why people speculate about it, but there
should be no mistake in anybody's mind, these countries understand our
position. They know what's expected of them.
There is--if we were to have a conversation, it would be this one,
to Syria: Stop destabilizing the Siniora Government. We believe that the
Siniora Government should be supported, not
weakened. Stop allowing money and arms to cross your border into Iraq.
Don't provide safe haven for terrorist groups. We've made that position
very clear.
And the truth of the matter is, is that these countries have now got
the choice to make. If they want to sit down at the table with the
United States, it's easy--just make some decisions that will lead to
peace, not to conflict.
Is that the third part of your question? You've got to stop these
long questions, Steven. Steven.
U.S. Troop Levels in Iraq/War on Terror
Q. Combat troops out by early 2008, is that possible----
President Bush. One of the things the report did mention, and I
think you've said it in your comment, that if conditions so
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allow--and we want our combat troops out as quick as possible. We want
the Iraqis taking the fight. But it's very important to be--as we design
programs, to be flexible and realistic. And as the report said--I don't
got the exact words, but it was along the lines that, you know,
``depending upon conditions,'' I believe is what the qualifier was. And
I thought that made a lot of sense. I've always said we'd like our
troops out as fast as possible. I think that's an important goal.
On the other hand, our commanders will be making recommendations
based upon whether or not we're achieving our stated objective. And the
objective, I repeat, is a government which can sustain, govern, and
defend itself--free Government of Iraq that can do that--and will be an
ally in this movement--against this movement that is threatening peace
and stability. And it's real.
I like to remind people, it's akin to the cold war in many ways.
There's an ideological clash going on. And the question is, will we have
the resolve and the confidence in liberty to prevail? That's really the
fundamental question facing--it's not going to face this Government or
this Government because we made up our mind. We've made that part clear.
But it will face future governments. There will be future opportunities
for people to say, ``Well, it's not worth it; let's just retreat.'' I
would strongly advise a government not to accept that position because
of the dangers inherent with isolationism and retreat.
Situation in the Middle East
Q. I'll try to be succinct. Mr. President, 2 years ago, you said
that you were ready to expend political capital on the Israel-
Palestinian situation. With hindsight, do you think you've fulfilled
that intention? How closely do you see a linkage between what happens in
Israel-Palestine and a settlement in Iraq, achieving your goals?
And Prime Minister, given that you were so recently in the Middle
East and the situation hasn't exactly improved since then, is there
anything specific you're hoping to achieve next week when you go back?
President Bush. Want me to start? I'm getting older, so you're going
to have to repeat the second part of your question. [Laughter] Let me
answer the first part. What's important is for people to accept the goal
of two states living side by side for peace. And what has changed in the
Middle East is that Israel and Palestine--at least the current
leadership of both countries, or both--one entity and one country--
accept that goal. That's important.
To that end, the previous Prime Minister
made a decision to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, which I felt was a
good decision, which would expedite the potential arrival of a state.
And so to answer your question, yes, we're spending a lot of capital
getting people headed in the same direction, which if you look at the
history of the Middle East, is a change.
Secondly, one of the reasons why there hasn't been instant success
is because radicals and extremists are trying to stop the advance of a
Palestinian state. Why? Because democracy is a defeat for them. That's
what I strongly believe. I find it interesting that when Prime Minister
Olmert reaches out to Palestinians to discuss a
way forward on the two-state solution, Hizballah attacks Israel. Why?
Because radicals and extremists can't stand the thought of a democracy.
And one of the great ironies is that people in the Middle East are
working hard to prevent people in the Middle East from realizing the
blessings of a free society in a democracy.
And so no question, progress has been spotty. But it's important for
people to understand, one of the reasons why is, is because radicals are
trying to prevent it, and they're willing to kill innocent people to
prevent progress. Now, our goal is to help the Abbas Government strengthen its security forces, and
we're doing that. Our goal is to help the Abbas Government form a
government that adheres to the principles
[[Page 2162]]
of the Quartet. We can't abandon the principles of the Quartet just
because it may sound easy. We can't do that. When nations lay out
principles, you've got to adhere to those principles, just like when we
laid out a vision, you adhere to that vision.
And so the Prime Minister's visit, like Condi's visit recently to the Middle East, are all aiming
to help countries remove obstacles necessary to achieve the vision. And
it's hard work, but it's necessary work. And so I do believe there is
a--I know there's a change of attitude. And now the fundamental question
is, can we help the moderates prevail? And make no mistake about it,
radicals and extremists will kill in order to stop the progress. And
that's what's difficult. But it should be a signal to those of us who
have got the comfort of liberty to understand the consequences of this
ideological struggle we're fighting. One of the consequences is the
denial of a Palestinian state.
This is ironic, isn't it? I think it is, and it's sad.
Prime Minister Blair. I mean, I think, first of all, it's important
to understand how much has begun--how much work there's been. I mean, I
know I've had many, many meetings on this issue over the past few
months. I know Secretary Rice has been immensely active on it over these
past months as well. Now, some of that is visible and out there at press
conferences and meetings, and a lot of it is behind the scenes.
But in essence, what we've got to do is to try to resolve two
issues. First of all, we need to get the release of Corporal Shalit,
which, as Prime Minister Olmert made clear the other day, would then
allow the release of many Palestinian prisoners as well. And this is
obviously a very important issue.
But then, secondly, and this is, I think, really--one of the core
questions is, we are prepared to release the money to the Palestinian
Authority. We are prepared to take the peace process forward and get
into a process of negotiation. But we need a government on both sides
that is committed to the basic principles of that negotiation. And at
the present time, we are not able to achieve a national unity government
on the Palestinian side. And the reason for that is that we are saying,
not as a matter of dogma at all, but you can't have a government that
everyone can deal with and you can then negotiate a peace between Israel
and Palestine, unless it's on the basis that everyone accepts the
other's right to exist. So that's the difficulty. It's not a kind of
technical point; it's absolutely at the heart of it.
Now, what we have got to do is to find either a way of unlocking the
problem of forming that national unity government, on the principles
laid down by the United Nations as well as the rest of the Quartet, or
alternatively, a different way forward, but whatever way forward will
have to be on the basis you get an empowered Palestinian Government with
whom everyone can negotiate and deal with.
Now, you know, again, it's a very, very obvious thing. It's not just
for the Israelis and the Palestinians but also for the whole of the
region. You know, you can't negotiate this unless everyone accepts the
basic principles of the negotiation. But if people were to do that--and
after all, we're only asking people to accept the position that the
United Nations and, really, the whole of the international community--
you could move this forward quickly. I mean, I don't think there's any
doubt at all that if you could get an empowered Palestinian Government
able to negotiate, Israel has made it clear it is prepared to negotiate.
I'm not saying there aren't very tricky issues. There are--things
like Jerusalem, the right of return, which are very, very difficult. But
actually, it's not beyond our wit to put it together. We could put it
together. But you need to get these initial steps taken.
Now, what I'm wont to do when I go out there is just explore what is
the way
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that we get that ability to get the negotiation underway, trying to work
round these obstacles. And it's something--we were talking about Iran
and Syria moments ago; it's something all of those countries could help
with if they wanted to help with it. So I kind of feel one thing that is
important is that everyone understands that there's no shortage of
willingness, energy, commitment on our side.
And believe me, I've talked about this with the President many, many
times, and I don't believe there's any shortage of those qualities on
his part at all. But we need to get this--we need to get the door
unlocked because it's kind of barred at the moment. It needs to be
opened. And that's the task, I think, for the next period.
President Bush. Thank you. L.A. Times man, Jim [Jim Gerstenzang].
Iraq Study Group Report
Q. Mr. President, you have said that you have the Baker-Hamilton
report; you also have the--you're waiting to hear from the Pentagon;
you're waiting to hear from the State Department. This report was
prepared by a bipartisan group, the only one you'll get. Secretary Baker
has a special relationship with the family. Should this report not get
extra consideration? Does it not carry more weight than any of the
others?
President Bush. That's an interesting question. It's certainly an
important part of our deliberations, and it was certainly an important
part of our discussions this morning. Some reports are issued and just
gather dust. And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington
are never read by anybody.
To show you how important this one is, I read it, and our guest read
it. The Prime Minister read a report prepared by a commission. And this
is important. And there are some--I don't think Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton expect
us to accept every recommendation. I expect them--I think--I know they
expect us to consider every recommendation, Jim, that we ought to pay
close attention to what they advise. And I told them yesterday at our
meeting that we would pay close attention and would seriously consider
every recommendation. We've discussed some of their recommendations here
at this press conference. And we are--we will spend a lot of time on it.
And I--and so you ask its relative importance. I'd call it a very
important report and a very important part of our working to a new
approach, a new way forward in Iraq.
And I can't--I really do thank those citizens for taking time out of
busy lives to spend time helping us look at different options. These are
distinguished souls. They got plenty to do. They're busy people, and yet
they took 9 months out. And they talked to a lot of people; they went to
Iraq; they thought about it a lot. And it was a very considerate,
important report. And I will take their recommendations very seriously.
War on Terror Strategy
Q. Mr. President, the Iraq Study Group said that leaders must be
candid and forthright with people. So let me test that. Are you capable
of admitting your failures in the past, and perhaps much more
importantly, are you capable of changing course, perhaps in the next few
weeks?
President Bush. I think you're probably going to have to pay
attention to my speech coming up here when I get all the recommendations
in, and you can answer that question yourself. I do know that we have
not succeeded as fast as we wanted to succeed. I do understand that
progress is not as rapid as I had hoped. And therefore, it makes sense
to analyze the situation and to devise a set of tactics and strategies
to achieve the objective that I have stated.
And so if the present situation needs to be changed, it follows that
we'll change it if we want to succeed. What's really interesting is, the
battle has changed in Iraq
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from the rejectionists and former Ba'athists and definitely foreign
fighters who have entered the country that were trying to destabilize
the new Government to one that Mr. Zarqawi stated clearly--he said,
``Look, let's kill Shi'a in order to create enough chaos and confusion
and doubt of the Government, and set off a sectarian battle.'' And he
succeeded in that extent. He didn't succeed at avoiding us, but he did
succeed at starting off sectarian strife. And now the fundamental
question is, what strategy is necessary to deal with this type of
violence?
We'll continue after Al Qaida. Al Qaida will not have safe haven in
Iraq. And that's important for the American people to know. We've got
special operators. We've got better intelligence. And there is--Al Qaida
is effective at these spectacular bombings, and we'll chase them down,
and we are, along with the Iraqis. The strategy now is how to make sure
that we've got the security situation in place such that the Iraqi
Government is capable of dealing with the sectarian violence, as well as
the political and economic strategies as well.
So yes, I think you'll see something differently, because it's a
practical answer to a situation on the ground that's not the way we'd
like it. You wanted frankness; I thought we would succeed quicker than
we did, and I am disappointed by the pace of success.
Prime Minister Blair. I mean, look, there isn't any--as I said a
moment or two ago, there isn't any doubt about how tough this is. It's
hugely challenging. But what the report did not say is that we should
just get out and leave it. What it did say is that it's immensely
important that we succeed.
Now, the question is, therefore, how do we do it? And in that
regard, I think the report is practical, it's clear, and it offers also
the way of bringing people together.
The other thing that we want to do, because this is part of
succeeding in this mission, is actually to make people understand that
this is something where you've got to try and bring people together
around a set of common objectives and a practical set of methods to
achieve those objectives.
And, you know, the issues that the report raises--I mean, these
aren't issues that, obviously, no one has ever thought of; these aren't
issues that haven't been part of the continual discussion and debate and
iteration within the coalition and, indeed, between us and the Iraqi
Government. But those essential elements--we want to make sure, in the
light of the changing situation that there is there, that, one, we have
the Iraqi Government able to operate effectively, but in a nonsectarian
way, because that's what we began with. Secondly, that we make sure that
everyone in the region is supporting that. And thirdly, that we set this
within the context of a broader vision for the Middle East, not least in
respect of Israel and Palestine.
Now, in respect of the elements of that strategy, this report gives
us a basis on which we can move forward, but we've obviously then got to
look at the practical measures that are necessary in order to give
effect to those elements. And that's what we'll do. And I think that,
you know, the one thing that no one who is dealing with this on a day-
to-day basis has any doubt about is how tough it is. But the question
is, how we make sure that we overcome those tough conditions and
succeed, because the need to succeed is so huge.
British Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan
Q. Prime Minister, just a brief supplementary--sorry, I didn't get
to ask you the question. You promised some time--I'm sorry.
President Bush. Look, I agree; this is a total violation of--
[laughter]. Our press corps is calling you down, man. I mean, there you
are--no, go ahead. [Laughter]
Q. You're encouraging it.
President Bush. I'm not encouraging it. He's not a member of the
American press--it's the Prime Minister. [Laughter]
[[Page 2165]]
Prime Minister Blair. He's my guy. [Laughter]
Q. Only because you cut me off, Mr. President----
President Bush. Okay. [Laughter]
Press. Ooh! [Laughter]
Q. Prime Minister, you promised the British military whatever it
takes to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the former head of the
British Army says the British military is not being funded properly for
the job it's being asked to do. Do you accept that?
Prime Minister Blair. We get from our military advice as to what
they need, and we do our level best to meet it. I mean, we'll--I haven't
actually read Mike Jackson's comments. I think it's Mike's speech you're
talking about. And let me tell you, he's someone I have enormous amount
of respect for and did a fantastic job when he was chief of our staff.
But in relation to this, we've worked closely with the military the
whole time. It's important we carry on doing it. And I simply make the
point that in the last few years, and not least yesterday in the pre-
budget report of the chancellor, we gave another significant increase in
funding. But it's important we do this. I mean this is a mission in
which it is--because it's important that we succeed, it's important that
we equip our armed forces properly. But I've got nothing--if you'll
forgive me, I've not got anything to comment on in detail until I've
actually read the speech that he made. Not that--I'm not saying you
wouldn't give me a fair resume of it. [Laughter]
President Bush. Thank you, buddy.
Prime Minister Blair. Okay.
President Bush. Good job. Thank you.
Note: The President's news conference began at 11:05 a.m. in Room 450 of
the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, the
President referred to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq; Abdul Aziz
Al-Hakim, chairman, Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution of Iraq;
Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of Lebanon; President Hamid Karzai of
Afghanistan; President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority; Cpl.
Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured and held captive by militants
in Gaza since June 25; and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel. Prime Minister Blair referred to former
Chief of the General Staff Michael Jackson of the United Kingdom.