    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [July 1, 2007]
    [Pages C-9-xii]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Public Papers Of The President Of The United States 2007 BOOK
    II

    [[Page i]]

                          PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS

                                     OF THE

                                  UNITED  STATES

    [[Page iii]]

                          PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS

                                     OF THE

                                  UNITED  STATES

                                  George W. Bush

                   [GRAPHIC(s) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                        2007
                                  (IN TWO BOOKS)

                   BOOK II - JULY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2007

                   ________________________________________
                   UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
                              WASHINGTON : 2011

    [[Page iv]]

                  [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                Published by the

                         Office of the Federal Register

                  National Archives and Records Administration

     For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
                                     Office

       Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov  Phone: (202) 512-1800
                           Fax: (202) 512-1204

                  Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20401

    [[Page v]]
                                    Foreword

        This volume collects my speeches and papers from the second half of
    2007.

        As this period began, the surge of American troops to Iraq had
    reached full strength. This increase in forces--and the new
    counterinsurgency strategy led by General David Petraeus--helped bring a
    steady decline in the violence that had gripped Iraq. In September, I
    spoke to the American people from the Oval Office. I said, ``One year
    ago, much of Baghdad was under siege. Schools were closed, markets were
    shuttered, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Today,
    most of Baghdad's neighborhoods are being patrolled by coalition and
    Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and
    markets are reopening. Citizens are coming forward with vital
    intelligence. Sectarian killings are down. And ordinary life is
    beginning to return.''

        As these signs of hopeful progress emerged, Iraq's leaders worked to
    follow security gains with political reconciliation. In September, I
    traveled to Iraq's Al-Anbar Province and met with Iraqi Prime Minister
    Nouri Al-Maliki and other political leaders. While there, I saw the
    beginnings of political improvements, as many tribal leaders came
    forward to reject violence and murder in return for moderation and
    peace. To support this progress, I assured the people of Iraq that
    America would not abandon them.

        During this time, I also emphasized our Nation's ongoing commitment
    to the people of Afghanistan. In August, I hosted Afghan President Hamid
    Karzai at Camp David, where we discussed the continuing battle against
    the remnants of the Taliban. After having been forced from political
    power, these radicals had become desperate, even killing Afghan children
    on their way to school in cowardly attempts to regain power. I told
    President Karzai that the United States would continue to stand by
    Afghanistan's side.

        While the War on Terror continued to be of the utmost importance to
    my Administration, we also remained focused on other critical issues
    throughout the world. In July, I hosted a Conference on the Americas, an
    event that emphasized the close ties between the United States and our
    neighbors in the Western Hemisphere. In a speech at the State Department
    in October, I highlighted our support for one of those neighboring
    nations by emphasizing America's commitment to the freedom movement in
    Cuba. I said ``The socialist paradise is a tropical gulag. The quest for
    justice that once inspired the Cuban people has now become a grab for
    power. And as with all totalitarian systems, Cuba's regime no doubt has
    other horrors still unknown to the rest of the world. Once revealed,
    they will shock the conscience of humanity. And they will shame the
    regime's defenders and all those democracies that have been silent.''

    [[Page vi]]

        I also engaged in wide-ranging diplomacy throughout the world. In
    August, I attended the North American Leaders' Summit in Canada, where I
    met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President
    Felipe Calderon to discuss an agenda of peace and prosperity for our
    continent. In September, I traveled to Australia for the Asia Pacific
    Economic Cooperation's annual leadership meeting. And in November, my
    Administration brought together the leaders of Israel and the
    Palestinian Authority for a historic conference in Annapolis, Maryland
    to encourage the expansion of freedom and peace in the Holy Land.

        This was also a time of accomplishment at home. In August, I signed
    the Protect America Act, a piece of legislation that modernized the
    Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This law gave our intelligence
    professionals the necessary legal authority to gather information about
    the intentions of our enemies while protecting the civil liberties of
    Americans. In December, I signed the Energy Independence and Security
    Act, a good bill that increased the supply of alternative fuel sources
    and increased fuel economy standards. And during this period, I welcomed
    two talented Americans to my cabinet--Michael Mukasey as Attorney
    General and Lieutenant General James Peake as Secretary of Veterans
    Affairs.

        As the year came to a close, I signed a bill approving a vital trade
    agreement between the United States and Peru. This expansion of
    America's participation in the global marketplace was a fitting close to
    a year that continued a trend of strong economic results. In December,
    America celebrated its 52nd consecutive month of job growth--the longest
    such period on record. The year to come would test the strength of our
    longstanding prosperity--but our economy would once again prove itself
    resilient.

                           B

    [[Page vii]]

                                     Preface

        This book contains the papers and speeches of the 43d President of
    the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary
    during the period July 1-December 31, 2007. The material has been
    compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National
    Archives and Records Administration.

        The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates
    shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In
    instances when the release date differs from the date of the document
    itself, that fact is shown in the textnote. Every effort has been made
    to ensure accuracy: Remarks are checked against a tape recording, and
    signed documents are checked against the original. Textnotes and cross
    references have been provided by the editors for purposes of
    identification or clarity. At the request of the Office of the Press
    Secretary, the Bush property known as Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford,
    Texas, is referred to simply as the Bush Ranch. Speeches were delivered
    in Washington, DC, unless indicated. The times noted are local times.
    All materials that are printed full-text in the book have been indexed
    in the subject and name indexes, and listed in the document categories
    list.

        The Public Papers of the Presidents series was begun in 1957 in
    response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications
    Commission. An extensive compilation of messages and papers of the
    Presidents covering the period 1789 to 1897 was assembled by James D.
    Richardson and published under congressional authority between 1896 and
    1899. Since then, various private compilations have been issued, but
    there was no uniform publication comparable to the Congressional Record
    or the United States Supreme Court Reports. Many Presidential papers
    could be found only in the form of mimeographed White House releases or
    as reported in the press. The Commission therefore recommended the
    establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings,
    addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available.

        The Commission's recommendation was incorporated in regulations of
    the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, issued under
    section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506), which may be
    found in title 1, part 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations.

        A companion publication to the Public Papers series, the Weekly
    Compilation of Presidential Documents, was begun in 1965 to provide a
    broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet
    the needs of the contemporary reader. Beginning with the administration
    of Jimmy Carter, the Public Papers series expanded its coverage to
    include additional material as printed in the Weekly Compilation. That
    coverage provides a listing of the President's daily schedule and
    meetings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by
    the Office of

    [[Page viii]]

    the Press Secretary. Also included are lists of the
    President's nominations submitted to the Senate, materials released by
    the Office of the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the
    book, and proclamations, Executive orders, and other Presidential
    documents released by the Office of the Press Secretary and published in
    the Federal Register. This information appears in the appendixes at the
    end of the book.

        Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Herbert Hoover,
    Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B.
    Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan,
    George Bush, and William J. Clinton are also included in the Public
    Papers series.

        The Public Papers of the Presidents publication program is under the
    direction of Michael L. White, Managing Editor, Office of the Federal
    Register. The series is produced by the Presidential and Legislative
    Publications Unit. The Chief Editor of this book was Stacey A. Mulligan,
    assisted by William K. Banks, Loretta F. Cochran, Lois Davis, Kathleen
    M. Fargey, Joseph G. Frankovic, Michael J. Forcina, Stephen J. Frattini,
    Allison M. Gavin, Gwendolyn J. Henderson, Diane Hiltabidle, Alfred
    Jones, Joshua H. Liberatore, Heather N. McDaniel, Ashley Merusi, Amelia
    E. Otovo, Jennifer M. Partridge, D. Gregory Perrin, Matthew R. Regan,
    Michael J. Sullivan, and Joseph K. Vetter.

        The frontispiece and photographs used in the portfolio were supplied
    by the White House Photo Office. The typography and design of the book
    were developed by the Government Printing Office under the direction of
    Robert C. Tapella, Public Printer.

    Raymond A. Mosley
    Director of the Federal Register

    David S. Ferriero
    Archivist of the United States

    [[Page ix]]

                                    Contents

    Foreword . . . v

    Preface . . . vii

    Cabinet . . . xi

    Public Papers of George W. Bush,
    July 1-December 31, 2007 . . . 903

    Appendix A
    Digest of Other White House Announcements . . . 1600

    Appendix B
    Nominations Submitted to the Senate . . . 1625

    Appendix C
    Checklist of White House Press Releases . . . 1637

    Appendix D
    Presidential Documents Published in the Federal Register . . . 1651

    Subject Index . . . A-1

    Name Index . . . B-1

    Document Categories List . . . C-1

    [[Page xi]]

                                  Cabinet

            Secretary of State..................Condoleezza Rice

            Secretary of the Treasury...........Henry M. Paulson, Jr.

            Secretary of Defense................Robert M. Gates

            Attorney General....................Alberto R. Gonzales
                                                (resigned 9/17)
                                                Michael B. Mukasey
                                                (appointed 11/9)

            Secretary of the Interior...........Dirk Kempthorne

            Secretary of Agriculture............Michael O. Johanns
                                                (resigned 9/19)

            Secretary of Commerce...............Carlos M. Gutierrez

            Secretary of Labor..................Elaine L. Chao

            Secretary of Health and Human
            Services............................Michael O. Leavitt

            Secretary of Housing and Urban
            Development.........................Alphonso R. Jackson

            Secretary of Transportation.........Mary E. Peters

            Secretary of Energy.................Samuel W. Bodman

            Secretary of Education..............Margaret Spellings

            Secretary of Veterans Affairs.......R. James Nicholson
                                                (resigned 10/1)
                                                James B. Peake
                                                (apppointed 12/20)

    [[Page xii]]

            Secretary of Homeland Security......Michael Chertoff

            Chief of Staff......................Joshua B. Bolten

            Administrator of the Environmental
            Protection Agency...................Stephen L. Johnson

            United States Trade Representative..Susan C. Schwab

            Director of the Office of
            Management and Budget...............Robert J. Portman
                                                (resigned 9/3)
                                                James A. Nussle
                                                (appointed 9/4)

            Director of National Drug Control
            Policy..............................John P. Walters