    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [January 4, 2007]
    [Pages 4-9]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany
    January 4, 2007

        President Bush. Madam Chancellor, thank you. Welcome back to
    Washington. It's good to welcome you here to the White House. And
    Laura and I are looking forward to feeding you
    dinner. I'm not so sure it's going to be as good a dinner as the
    barbeque you fed us--[laughter]--but we'll try.
        This new year marks the beginning of Germany's Presidency of both
    the EU and the G-8. And we just had a wide-ranging discussion about a
    lot of issues. We talked about the Chancellor's ambitious agenda for
    both those leadership roles. We discussed how we can continue to work
    together to promote prosperity and security and peace.
        We spent time talking about Afghanistan, and I appreciate very much,
    Madam Chancellor, your support for the people of Afghanistan. You take
    your NATO commitments seriously. We're proud to serve alongside such a
    strong ally.
        We talked about Iran, and I thanked Chancellor Merkel's strong
    support for a Chapter VII Iranian--Chapter VII United Nations Security
    Council resolution on Iran. It was an important message to send Iran,
    that the free world wants there to be a peaceful future. And we don't
    see a peaceful future with the Iranians developing a nuclear weapon. And
    so I want to thank you for your leadership, Madam Chancellor. We're
    going to continue to work together on the Iranian issue. It's important
    for us to follow through in order--on this Chapter VII resolution in
    order to solve this issue peacefully.
        We talked about the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And Madam Chancellor
    had a good idea to convene the Quartet, which I agreed to. I think the
    Quartet ought to meet at an appropriate time. Condoleezza Rice will be going to the Middle East here shortly.
    She'll come back to report to not only me but also to the Chancellor,
    about how we can move the process forward. We're committed--strongly
    committed to a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side
    by side in peace, two democracies supporting each other's rights to
    exist. I'm optimistic that we can achieve that objective. I'm looking
    forward to working with the Chancellor to do so.
        We talked about Lebanon. And one thing is for certain, this
    administration--and I'm confident Chancellor Merkel as well--will
    support the Siniora Government. Isn't it
    amazing that young democracies are constantly attacked by radicals and
    extremists, and Lebanon is such an example. And I believe those of us
    who are fortunate enough to live in free societies have an obligation to
    support democracies like that of Lebanon.
        We talked about Darfur. I appreciate very much Chancellor Merkel's
    deep concern for the suffering that goes on in Darfur. You may realize
    that my administration has called the suffering there a genocide. We
    take the issue very seriously. We expect the Bashir Government to make

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    more progress toward allowing there to be not only security but goods
    and supplies provided to the people that suffer there. And Madam
    Chancellor understands the issue. I appreciate the fact that German
    planes are flying relief into Darfur. Your great country is making a
    strong commitment, and we look forward to working with you as the head
    of the EU as well, to help end the suffering there in that part of
    Africa.
        We talked about trade. We're committed to the Doha round. We've got
    hard work to do to overcome our obstacles. But we spent a--we had a
    good, frank discussion on the subject. Jose Barroso and his trade minister will be coming to the United
    States on Monday. We'll continue to further our dialog on Doha. But I
    believe we can get a deal done; it's just going to take a lot of will
    and a lot of hard work to do it. I know it is going to be necessary if
    we really do want to deal with global poverty, to have a successful
    round at Doha. Trade is the best way to help poor nations develop their
    economy so that people can realize the benefits of wealth moving
    throughout their society.
        We talked about climate change. And I assured the Chancellor that
    I've been committed to promoting new technologies that will promote
    energy efficiency, and at the same time, do a better job of protecting
    the world's environment. And I believe there's a chance now to put
    behind us the old, stale debates of the past and focus on technological
    developments that will enable us to be good stewards of the environment,
    and at the same time, enable us to become less dependent on oil and
    hydrocarbons from parts of the world that may not like us.
        Here in the United States, we're going full-steam ahead with new
    technologies that will change the way we drive our cars and power our
    homes and light our streets. And so, Madam Chancellor, we've discussed a
    lot. We'll have a chance to further our discussions over dinner. I'm so
    happy you're here. I appreciate you taking time to come and visit. The
    floor is yours.
        Chancellor Merkel. ----and the G-8 Presidency and the fact that this
    trip here to Washington happens today are certainly not a matter of
    coincidence, but it is clearly an expression of the fact that we share
    values, that there are a lot of common interests between our two
    countries, and that there is also a lot of need for enhanced cooperation
    between the European Union and the United States of America. We clearly
    are in need of that cooperation in order to make further progress in
    solving the problems besetting the world of today.
        There are a lot of issues that we debated here today that have
    clearly a connection to our presence in the European Union. The Doha
    round is one issue that comes to mind. We would like to cooperate very
    closely on that. We are all aware of the fact that this window of
    opportunity that we have is closing fast. We need to act swiftly. And it
    was with great pleasure that this is, indeed, an issue that is very
    important not only to the European Union but also to the United States
    of America.
        We will have to further exchange also our views with the G-20 in
    order to achieve an objective that is in our interest and is in their
    interest, that helps them to get access to our markets and that also
    helps us.
        There will be a G-8 meeting later on in the year, and there will be
    issues related to that that will deal with the climate change, is one. I
    was delighted to hear that there is a readiness here, and we shall
    continue to work on this--our experts, indeed, work on this.
        On the one hand, we obviously need economic growth; but on the other
    hand, a reduction, also, of greenhouse gases. We were at one on this.
    And energy efficiency is the primary goal that we need to attain. There
    are a lot of areas where we are confident we can cooperate, starting
    from biofuels to new technologies that we are going to develop. Between
    the European

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    Union and the United States, I think there is a wide scope for further
    talks on this.
        We also talked about this project of a future common market, the
    joint efforts to make our economic forces so efficient that these
    economies, our two economies that, after all, rest on one and the same
    values, can be rendered more efficient. There will be close contacts; we
    will set up a working group that will further explore those issues and
    that will then prepare for the EU-U.S. summit.
        It's certainly an uphill battle. I always describe it as a sort of
    thick board that needs to be chalked at. And what we're dealing here
    with is, for example, patent laws, international financial markets,
    protection of intellectual property rights, and so on.
        We also talked about the international situation, the situation
    particularly here in the Middle East. We thought that, for example, in
    the framework of the Quartet, the European Union can do a lot in order
    to bring about a solution to the problems besetting the Middle East. I'm
    delighted to hear that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going to
    go to the region shortly. I think this is the right point in time to
    take some time and reflect what the Quartet can actually do in order to
    bring about a solution.
        We would like the European Union to speak with one and the same
    voice, saying we want a two-state solution; we want the recognition of
    Israel, of the state of Israel by the Palestinians; we want to
    strengthen President Abbas; and we also want to strengthen, to bolster
    the evolution of a strong Lebanon. We discussed this today too, and we
    also discussed the measures that we think need to be taken.
        We cooperate very well in Afghanistan. It was an issue that we
    discussed at greater length during the NATO meeting in Riga. There will
    be by the end of January, a NATO meeting on that particular issue. I
    think this is going to be actually very important, that particular
    meeting--in order to take up where we left off in Riga--to concentrate
    on military projects, obviously, but also to give a very strong boost to
    civilian projects so that we might continue to build on what we agreed
    during the last NATO meeting.
        Obviously, we also talked about the situation in Iraq. Allow me to
    say, although Germany is not militarily present in Iraq, we have every
    interest in seeing Iraq taking a turn for a more peaceful development,
    where people no longer need to be in fear of their lives, and that
    politically we shall do everything we can in order to give support to
    such a positive development.
        Well, my impression is that over the next 6 months during our
    Presidency there is a lot on the agenda. There are a lot of common
    interests, as I said, and a lot of areas where I feel we can tackle
    problems together. And I think this dialog is just the beginning of a
    very intensive dialog we shall continue to have during our Presidency;
    this is, after all, a sixth meeting already. So I think we may safely
    speak of a continuous exchange of views. Thank you yet again for the
    invitation, Mr. President.

    Iraq

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President. You spoke for nearly 2 hours today with
    Iraq's Prime Minister. Do you both agree now on the need to send more
    U.S. troops to Iraq to deal with the rising violence in that country?
        President Bush. Well, Ben [Ben Feller, Associated Press], my
    thinking is taking shape. I'll be ready to outline a strategy that will
    help the Iraqis achieve the objective of a country that can govern,
    sustain, and defend itself sometime next week. I've still got
    consultations to go through. Whatever decision I make, though, will be
    all aimed at achieving our objective.
        I did have a good discussion with Prime Minister Maliki. It did nearly last for 2 hours. I talked about a lot
    of topics with him. One thing I was looking for was will--to determine
    whether or not he has the

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    will necessary to do the hard work to protect his people. And I told
    him, I said that: ``You show the will; we will help you.'' And that's--
    I'm in the process of making up my final decision as to what to
    recommend--what recommendations to accept. One thing is for certain: I
    will want to make sure that the mission is clear and specific and can be
    accomplished.

    Situation in the Middle East/Syria

        Q. Madam Chancellor, Mr. President, concerning the Middle East and
    the revival of the Quartet: Did you consider to enlarge the mandate of
    the Quartet? And there have been talks in Europe about including Lebanon
    problems, maybe even talks to Syria and broadening the mandate of this,
    since last summer during the conflict of the northern border between
    Israel and southern Lebanon, you learned that all these problems are
    interlinked.
        President Bush. Your first part of your question? I didn't hear the
    first part of your question.
        Q. I was just referring----
        President Bush. Broaden the Quartet, is that what you said?
        Q. That broaden--mandate of the Quartet, that you take care of more
    than the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
        President Bush. My view is the Quartet ought to stay focused on the
    Israeli-Palestinian issue, because when we solve that problem, a lot of
    other problems will be easier to solve.
        Secondly, Syria knows exactly what she needs to do in order to
    reenter the nation--reenter the--you know, to be viewed as a nation
    that's constructive. And my own view is, is that we need to proceed with
    the Hariri tribunal as fast as possible and hold people to account. If
    they murder somebody, they need to be held to account. People need to--
    they need to bring this to conclusion.
        So my attitude on Syria is they can be a much more constructive
    partner, and they haven't been. They don't need to be told that in
    meeting after meeting after meeting. They get told that right here in a
    press conference like this. They know exactly what they need to do. And
    it's their choice to make.
        Chancellor Merkel. I think that the Quartet actually has its work
    cut out for it, looking at the Middle East conflict, first and foremost.
    I mean, it needs to be spelled out clearly what one actually wants to
    achieve, and the players in the region need to have the necessary
    willingness to bring about a solution. They can be supported by the
    Quartet, and international unified opinion can be set up through the
    Quartet.
        But I think the main task, really, is to push matters along, to give
    a support to Prime Minister Siniora to develop a truly sovereign
    Lebanon. I think Syria needs to be given a push there. And Syria, I
    think looking at, for example, the efforts made by the European Union,
    looking at the fact that the Foreign Minister of Germany went there to
    talk to them, Syria has been given a lot of opportunities.
    Unfortunately, they have allowed those opportunities to pass without
    taking any action. We expect Syria to change, but unfortunately so far,
    we haven't received any optimistic messages to that effect.

    Death of Former President Saddam Hussein of
    Iraq/War on Terror

        Q. Mr. President, you mentioned that you see national reconciliation
    as a crucial goal there for your policy. Why then haven't you condemned
    the taunting that Saddam Hussein faced on the gallows from Shiite
    officials? And on a related subject, can you be more specific as to
    which day next week you'll be unveiling your Iraq policy?
        The President. The second part of your question, no. [Laughter]
    First part of your question--I want you to anticipate the speech. I want
    you to be thinking about it. I want you to be internalizing it.
        Q. [Inaudible]

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        The President. Thank you. I talked to Prime Minister Maliki about the videotape that was released during the
    execution of Saddam Hussein. He said he's going to fully investigate
    what happened. I appreciate that very much. One thing is for certain: A
    horrific chapter in Iraqi history has been closed, and now we're talking
    about a more hopeful chapter for the Iraqi people. And that's what I
    spent most of my time talking to him about.
        We expect there to be a full investigation of what took place. The
    Iraqi people want to move forward. They want to forget that terrible
    part of their past, and they want to live in peace. And it's in our
    Nation's interest to help them do so.
        So I spent a lot of time talking about the strategy to help achieve
    that objective, and that objective is a country that is an ally in this
    war on terror, a country that sends a strong example to reformers and
    women throughout the Middle East that it's possible to live in a free
    society that can work for the common good. I believe Prime Minister
    Maliki has the will necessary to make the
    tough decisions. That's one of the things I learned today. And in the
    meantime, he said he's going to fully investigate what took place.
        Q. Sir, do you have a personal reaction, though----
        President Bush. My personal reaction is, is that Saddam Hussein was
    given a trial that he was unwilling to give the thousands of people he
    killed. He was given a fair trial, something he was unwilling to give
    thousands of Iraqi citizens, who he brutalized. I wish obviously that
    the proceedings had been--gone in a more dignified way. But
    nevertheless, he was given justice; the thousands of people he killed
    were not.

    Europe-U.S. Relations

        Q. I have a question to the President and then a question to the
    Chancellor. Mr. President, now Germany tries to have a new action of the
    Middle East Quartet. And the debate always is how can European powers
    influence a superpower like the United States? Whether Germany objected
    Iraq or Tony Blair got along in Iraq, they had not much influence, the
    pessimists say. Can you give us one example where you changed your mind
    after talking to a European leader?
        And, Mrs. Merkel, there are actually few successes of the Quartet
    over the past time. Were the efforts so weak or are the problems so
    great that they simply have not been able to achieve progress? And what
    does this mean? What does this spell out for renewal of efforts?
        President Bush. I don't know if I'd call this ``change of mind,''
    but one thing that my European friends have taught me is that the United
    Nations is an important body in order to be able to convince parliaments
    of hard work that needs to be done. For example, getting resolutions on
    Iraq at the United Nations is important for a country like Denmark or
    Holland, in order for them to go to their parliaments and say, ``We have
    U.N. approval.''
        As you probably are aware, I've really never felt like the United
    States needs to get United Nations approval to make decisions necessary
    for our security. But I have come to realize that other countries do
    rely upon the United Nations, and I respect that a lot. So there's an
    area, for example, where I have been taught a lesson by my allies and
    friends.
        I listen to Angela Merkel a lot. She has got a lot of wisdom. I
    don't know if this helps her or hurts her for me to say this, but
    nevertheless, my consultations with Angela are very productive and very
    important.
        The United States needs to have good relations with Europe in order
    for us to achieve big objectives, whether it be trade or peace or
    security, it's--the relations between Europe and the United States are
    vital. And sometimes the relations are--can be difficult. Not every
    country agrees, throughout Europe. And yet Angela always gives me good
    advice as to how to deal

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    with the common problems we face in order to make sure that our alliance
    works for the common good. And I appreciate that very much.
        Chancellor Merkel. I simply think that we ought to try time and
    again to achieve some sort of results in the Israeli-Palestinian
    conflict. Looking at another field, for example, the adoption of the
    resolution on Iran, after all, we were able, looking at the past months,
    to forge a uniform position of the international community and have that
    reflected in a resolution of the United Nations Security Council. I
    think that's an enormous success, although things went obviously more
    slowly than if the EU and the United States, for example, had negotiated
    together.
        But by including Russia and China time and again in these
    negotiations, what evolved out of that process is an international
    community that is credibly being able to show Iran where there is a
    redline. And I think it's essential to see that the European Union, the
    United States, China, and Russia need to pull in the same direction on a
    number of other international issues.
        And I think it's very important that that goes for the Quartet, for
    example, too, because that's where I think that we will be able to
    make--it's an ideal forum where we can actually be able to make a
    difference and in a coherent fashion.
        If that Quartet were to be more active, therefore, in the future,
    the Presidency and also the Commission would obviously also have to meet
    a very specific task in fulfilling that--its part of the mandate. We
    need to make it clear, particularly to the not so constructive parts of
    Hamas, that they cannot play us off each other--us, that is the EU and
    the United States--but that we pull in the same direction, that we move
    in concert.
        And I must say I am a strong believer in this multilateral effort in
    these international fora, because it shows clearly where the redline is
    to those who do not wish for democracy. And this is what we need to do,
    time and again make it clear to them where the limits are, where the
    redlines are.
        President Bush. No back rubs. [Laughter]

    Note: The President's news conference began at 6:35 p.m. in Cross Hall
    at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Fuad
    Siniora of Lebanon; President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir of Sudan;
    President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso and Trade Minister Pascal Lamy of
    the European Commission; and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq.
    Chancellor Merkel referred to President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian
    Authority; and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany. A
    reporter referred to Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom.
    Chancellor Merkel spoke in German, and her remarks were translated by an
    interpreter.