    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 7, 2007]
    [Pages 1444-1449]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With President Nicolas Sarkozy of France in Mount Vernon, Virginia
    November 7, 2007

        President Bush. Mr. President, welcome. Thank you very much for
    coming here to Mount Vernon, and thank you for coming to the United
    States. I think it's safe to say that you've impressed a lot of people
    here on your journey. You bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm for your
    job, love of your country, and a strong set of universal values in your
    heart.
        We've just had an extensive conversation, one that you'd expect good
    friends to do--to have. We talked about Iran and the desire to work
    jointly to convince the Iranian regime to give up their nuclear weapons
    ambitions for the sake of peace. We talked about the Middle East and the
    upcoming talks at Annapolis, Maryland. We spent some time on Kosovo, and
    I appreciate the President's leadership on Kosovo.
        I can't thank the President enough for his willingness to stand with
    young democracies as they struggle against extremists and radicals. And
    one such democracy is Afghanistan. Mr. President, your leadership on
    that issue for your country was very impressive. You sent a very clear
    message. It's clear that you're a man who does what he says he's going
    to do. It's the kind of fellow I like to deal with.
        And so, Mr. President, I also want to thank your administration in
    your staunch, strong stance for human rights and human dignity. Whether
    they be to those who are oppressed in Burma or Darfur or on the island
    of Cuba, France's voice is important, and it's clear that the human
    rights of every individual are important to the world. And I look
    forward to advancing peace and freedom with you, Mr. President.
        Our bilateral relations are important. They are strong, and we
    intend to keep them that way. And so welcome here to George Washington's
    old home. Proud to have you in America. Thanks for coming.
        President Sarkozy. I want to thank President Bush, his
    administration, and all

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    Americans who have welcomed us in such exceptional fashion. I get the
    distinct sense that it is France that has been welcomed so warmly, with
    so much friendship, so much love. This was my hope, my ambition. And
    with Bernard Kouchner, Christine Lagarde, Rachida Dati, and myself, this
    is exactly what we wanted.
        We've been very moved, deeply moved by your wonderful welcome,
    together with Mrs. Laura Bush, yesterday at the White House. I
    especially enjoyed the skit of the dialog between George Washington and
    Lafayette that we witnessed.
        The tokens of friendship that we have seen since we've been here,
    your openmindedness and the fact that we can address any and every
    subject, all those that you mentioned, sir, even though the European
    defense policy and NATO have also been addressed, environmental issues,
    which are close to our heart, and Afghanistan. I said that we would stay
    there because what is at stake is the credibility of the Atlantic
    alliance and the fight against terror.
        We spent hours discussing very important issue, commercial,
    economic, and others. And I will say that we have done so in a spirit of
    openness and trust, and that is something I've been particularly struck
    by. And I can tell you that this visit, I think, has been very widely
    covered in France. So when I say that the French people love the
    American people, that is the truth and nothing but the truth.
        Now, I expressed--I spoke at length this morning, and I think the
    best would be that after President Bush--whom I wish to thank once
    again--we could answer any questions you may have.
        President Bush. Two questions a side. Deb [Deb Riechmann, Associated
    Press]. We'll go----

    Pakistan

        Q. Mr. President, you came down so hard on Burma and other nations
    for their crackdowns on prodemocracy demonstrators. Yet you seem to be
    giving Musharraf a pass. So the question is, why are you going so soft
    on Musharraf? Is there a double standard?
        President Bush. I spoke to President Musharraf right before I came over here to visit with President
    Sarkozy. And my message was that we believe strongly in elections, and
    that you ought to have elections soon, and you need to take off your
    uniform. You can't be the President and the head of the military at the
    same time. So I had a very frank discussion with him.
        Look, our objective is the same in Burma as it is in Pakistan, and
    that is to promote democracy. There is a difference, however. Pakistan
    has been on the path to democracy; Burma hasn't been on the path to
    democracy. And it requires different tactics to achieve the common
    objective.
        And as I told you, I just spoke to President Musharraf before I came here. And my message was very, very
    plain, very easy to understand, and that is, the United States wants you
    to have the elections as scheduled and take your uniform off.
        You want to call on somebody?
        President Sarkozy. You know, in France, I don't choose, I don't pick
    the journalists.
        President Bush. You don't get to choose? Who chooses? I choose?
    [Laughter] Who would you like me to choose? [Laughter] Oh, he chose.
    Wait a minute. It didn't last very long, did it?
        President Sarkozy. I didn't choose, I indicated a general direction.
    [Laughter]

    Iraq/France-U.S. Relations/Pakistan

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President. My question is on Iraq. Mr. President,
    this morning you talked at length about Afghanistan, Iran, but not Iraq.
    And I wanted to ask both of you, is France reconciled with the United
    States as the United States is reconciled with France? So what about
    Iraq? Can France, for instance, help to get out of the Iraqi quagmire?
    And President Bush,

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    where do you stand on Iraq and your domestic debate on Iraq? Do you have
    a timetable for withdrawing troops?
        President Bush. Yes. I don't--you know, ``quagmire'' is an
    interesting word. If you lived in Iraq and had lived under a tyranny,
    you'd be saying, ``God, I love freedom.'' Because that's what's
    happened. And there are killers and radicals and murderers who kill the
    innocent to stop the advance of freedom. But freedom is happening in
    Iraq, and we're making progress.
        And I can't thank the President enough for sending his Foreign
    Minister to Baghdad. It was a clear message
    that freedom matters, that when people are struggling to live in
    freedom, that those of us who have the comfort of a free society ought
    to help them.
        We had a difference of opinion with your great country over whether
    or not I should have used military force to enforce U.N. demands. I
    reminded a TV reporter--I don't know
    if the person is here or not--but I said, I just want to remind you that
    1441 was supported by France and the United States, which clearly said
    to the dictator, you will disclose, disarm, or face serious
    consequences. Now, I'm the kind of person that when somebody says
    something, I take them for their word.
        Having said that, we had a difference of opinion. But I don't sense
    any difference of opinion now that a struggling democracy wants help
    from those of us who live in the comfort of free societies. And, Mr.
    President, the strong gesture of sending your Foreign Minister there wasn't a message to the United States, because
    we're good friends; it was message to the Iraqi citizens that said: We
    hear your cries for freedom; we want you to succeed, because one of the
    lessons of history is, free societies yield peace.
        And so I appreciate your leadership on that issue, and I want to
    thank your Foreign Minister for--I don't
    see your Foreign Minister. Look, the guy was here. [Laughter] Oh, there
    he is, yes, next to--look, the President was blocking--next to Madam
    Rice. Anyway, thank you, sir.
        President Sarkozy. Allow me to give you two answers in one. On
    Pakistan, yes, we're worried about the situation. It's worrisome, and we
    need to have elections as swiftly as possible. You cannot combat
    extremism using the same methods as extremists, and it is very
    important, it is of the essence that Pakistan organize elections. I,
    like President Bush, I wish this to take place as speedily as possible.
        Let me remind you that this is a country of 150 million inhabitants
    who happens to have nuclear weapons. This is very important for us that
    one day we shouldn't wake up with a government, an administration in
    Pakistan which is in the hands of the extremists. And we should, each
    and every one of us, think about this, of the principles, the values
    that we uphold and that we defend and we must continue to uphold. And
    then there's the complexity, as it were, in the field. That's why it's
    important to convene election, call elections.
        Now, on Iraq, Bernard Kouchner's trip to Iraq was very successful.
    What does France want? A united Iraq. No one--no, it is in no one's
    interest to see Iraq dismantled. We want a democratic Iraq. We want a
    diverse Iraq, where each component element of Iraqi society has learned
    to live with others; an Iraq which is--which can administer and govern
    itself and that has the means of ensuring the peace and security of
    every one of its citizens. And that is exactly Bernard Kouchner's
    message when he went to Iraq. And this is in the interest of one and all
    that it be thus, and that position is the position I will defend until
    the end.
        President Bush. Toby [Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters].
        Q. Mr. President, with----
        President Bush. Which one?
        Q. Both of you.
        President Bush. Get moving, will you? [Laughter]

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    Oil Prices/Iran

        Q. Okay. Mr. President, with oil approaching $100 a barrel, are you
    concerned that your hard words for Iran on its nuclear program are
    helping drive up oil prices, which can end up hurting the U.S. economy?
        President Bush. No. I believe oil prices are going up because the
    demand for oil outstrips the supply for oil. Oil is going up because
    developing countries still use a lot of oil. Oil is going up because we
    use too much oil, and the capacity to replace reserves is dwindling.
    That's why the price of oil is going up.
        I believe it is important for us to send clear signals to the
    Iranian Government that the free world understands the risks of you
    trying to end up with a nuclear weapon. And therefore, we will work
    together to try to find if there's not rational people inside your
    Government who are tired of isolation and who believe there's a better
    way forward.
        Every time I give a talk about Iran, I make sure I speak to the
    Iranian people. And I want them to hear once again that we discussed
    your country today; that we believe--that I believe that you've got a
    bright future; that we respect your history and respect your tradition.
    However, you are governed by people who are making decisions that are
    isolating you from the rest of the world, and you can do better than
    that.
        The idea of Iran having a nuclear weapon is dangerous, and
    therefore, now is the time for us to work together to diplomatically
    solve this problem. And we spent a lot of time on the subject. And I
    thank the French President for his resolve on solving this issue
    peacefully.
        Do you want to call on some----
        President Sarkozy. I just wanted to say that we exchanged all the
    intelligence and information we had. It is unacceptable that Iran should
    have, at any point, a nuclear weapon. But Iran is entitled to the energy
    of the future, which is civilian nuclear energy. I believe in the
    effectiveness of sanctions. I believe even in the need to toughen the
    sanctions. But in my mind, the two go together. In other words, the
    open--the outstretched hand of dialog, of continuing discussions,
    because Iran deserves a better fate than that isolation. And I cannot
    imagine that there are not people, leaders in Iran who will stop to
    think about the consequences of what is going on.
        This is a great people and a great civilization, and we must be firm
    for as long as there is no gesture on their part. And we have to keep
    the way of dialog open, because we must do everything to avoid the
    worst-case scenario. And this is indeed--was the subject of a very
    lengthy conversation, which showed exactly how convergent our views
    were.

    France's Role in Afghanistan/Lebanon's Presidential Election/Spread of
    Democracy

        Q. Mr. President, with respect to your statements on Afghanistan and
    France's commitment on engagement, does this mean that France is going
    to be sending additional ground troops in to fight in the southern
    regions of Afghanistan, as the U.S. wishes them to do?
        How do you feel about the fact that France has been engaging Syria
    on the upcoming Lebanese Presidential election? Do you think that's a
    good idea? And what are the chances that Lebanon will have a
    Presidential election by November 24th? Thank you.
        President Bush. Thanks, good question.
        You want me to go first?
        President Sarkozy. Well, on Afghanistan, I said what I thought and
    what I think. We've talked about it with President Bush. We will not
    pull out of Afghanistan because what is at stake here is the solidity of
    our alliance, and ultimately, what is at stake here is the fight against
    terror. We're thinking about the best way to help bring about a
    democratic Afghanistan. Is it by strength, in stepping up our training
    efforts so that

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    we lay the groundwork or the basis of a modern Afghan state? Or is it by
    other means? Maybe perhaps military means? We're still thinking about
    it.
        President Bush. First of all, you know, the Syrian influence in
    Lebanon was something that the previous Government and I worked on to--
    collaboratively. And because France and the United States worked
    together, we passed 1551 Resolution out of the United Nations, which got
    Syria out of Lebanon, by and large. And so we spent time collaborating
    on how best to make sure that Syria doesn't influence the Presidential
    elections, that, in fact, the Presidency is picked by the Lebanese
    people.
        And we're--I'm very aware that Mr. Hariri and Nabih Berry are in consultations
    as to whether or not they can come up with an acceptable candidate to
    them, not to Syria; whether or not the Lebanese people can be assured
    that their President is going to be representing the people of Lebanon,
    not the people--not the Government of Syria.
        And I'm comfortable with President Sarkozy's Government sending
    clear messages that meet common objectives. And our common objective
    here is for this Lebanese democracy to survive, thrive, and serve as an
    example for others.
        We will work with France and with others to see that this process be
    completed by November 24th. We believe it's in the interests of the
    Middle East that this Lebanese democracy survive.
        I want Lebanon to serve as an example for the Palestinians, to show
    them what's possible. I believe in a two-state solution. I believe there
    ought to be two states living side by side in peace. So does the
    President; we discussed that today. There's nothing better for the
    Palestinians, to see what is possible with a stable democracy in
    Lebanon.
        The interesting challenge we face in the world in which we live is
    there are murderers who will try to stop the advance of democracy,
    particularly in the Middle East. Isn't it interesting that the places
    where there's most violence is where there's young democracies trying to
    take hold, whether it be Iraq or Lebanon or in the Palestinian
    Territories?
        And the call for nations such as ourselves is to support those who
    want to live in freedom. Freedom is the great alternative to the
    ideology of people who murder the innocent to achieve their political
    objectives--by the way, the very same ones that came and killed 3,000 of
    our citizens.
        And so what I'm telling you is--let me end this press conference by
    telling you this: I have a partner in peace, somebody who has clear
    vision, basic values, who is willing to take tough positions to achieve
    peace. And so when you ask, am I comfortable with the Sarkozy Government
    sending messages, you bet I'm comfortable.
        Mr. President, thanks for coming. I appreciate you being here

    Note: The President's news conference began at 3:12 p.m. at the Mount
    Vernon Estate. In his remarks, he referred to President Pervez Musharraf
    of Pakistan; Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner
    of France; and Parliament Member Sa'ad al-Din al-Hariri and Speaker of
    Parliament and National Assembly President Nabih Berry of Lebanon.
    President Sarkozy referred to Minister of Economy, Finance, and
    Employment Christine Lagarde and Minister of Justice and Keeper of the
    Seals Rachida Dati of France. President Sarkozy and some reporters spoke
    in French, and their remarks were translated by an interpreter.

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