    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 1, 2007]
    [Pages 1406-1409]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the White House Press Pool and an Exchange With Reporters
    November 1, 2007

        The President. Thanks. I wanted to highlight the speech I'm giving
    today to Heritage. I'm concerned that there are some who have lost sight
    of the fact that we're at war with extremists and radicals who want to
    attack us again. Part of the speech is to remind people that even though
    we haven't been attacked since September the 11th, there's still an
    enemy out there that would like to attack us.
        And therefore, it's important for Congress to pass law and/or
    confirm nominees

    [[Page 1407]]

    that will enable this Government to more effectively defend the country
    and pursue terrorists and radicals that would like to do us harm.
        So in the speech, I'm going to call upon Congress to pass funding
    measures for our troops in harm's way--DOD appropriations bill as well
    as the supplemental. I'll remind the audience that Congress has had the
    details of the--75 percent of the details since last February. They've
    had ample time to study the request. And I strongly believe they need to
    get these funding measures passed quickly for the sake of our troops and
    for the sake of the operations that are ongoing and protecting the
    country.
        Secondly, the Protect America Act is set to expire. If it were to
    expire, it would create an intelligence gap that, in my judgment, would
    jeopardize the security of the country. I call upon--and I give credit
    that the Senate Intel Committee has moved a bill; that is a very good
    start--and that in my speech, I call upon Congress to get a good bill to
    my desk quickly, so that an intelligence gap does not arise.
        I then remind the audience that a key member of the national
    security team--a key member of the team that works to protect the
    American people is the Attorney General. I've submitted a highly
    competent, smart, independent nominee in Judge Mukasey to the Senate. I am disappointed that the process is
    taking so long to get his name to the floor.
        I believe that the questions he's
    been asked are unfair; he's not been read into a program--he has been
    asked to give opinions of a program or techniques of a program on which
    he has not been briefed. I will make the case--and I strongly believe
    this is true--that Judge Mukasey is not being treated fairly. He's made
    the rounds on Capitol Hill; he's answered questions; he's been to
    hearings. I do thank the Senate for setting up what I hope will be a
    opportunity to move him out of Judiciary Committee to the floor on
    Tuesday. It is time to get his nomination to the floor so the Senate can
    vote him up or down.
        And then finally, I'll conclude the speech by reminding people that
    this concept of stability has--in other words, that foreign policy ought
    to promote stability as opposed to freedom has led to dangers; and that
    the only way to solve America's long-term security needs is to remember
    that the enemy that we face can only recruit when there's hopelessness
    and despair; and that liberty has got the capacity to transform
    societies from hopeless societies to hopeful societies; and that this
    administration will continue to press the freedom agenda. And obviously,
    that freedom agenda is being tested in places like Lebanon, Iraq, and
    the Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan.
        All those examples I've just cited are illustrative of this struggle
    between extremists and radicals and people who want to live in freedom.
        And so that's what the speech is. I want to thank you for giving me
    a chance to come and share some of my thoughts about why I'm giving it
    to you. I'll answer a couple of questions, if you got them.

    Attorney General-designate Michael B.
    Mukasey/U.S. Treatment of Detainees

        Q. Judge Mukasey is experienced in terrorism trials; he's been
    around. Why is it wrong for him--or why will you not let him say whether
    he thinks that waterboarding is illegal torture?
        The President. He has not been read in--first of all, let me put
    this in perspective. The Congress did pass a law, the Detainee Detention
    Act, that I signed into law. The techniques we use informed that law and
    Members of the Senate and House--select Members of the Senate and House,
    both parties, have been briefed on the law.
        Secondly, he doesn't know whether we use that technique or not. And
    thirdly, it doesn't make any sense to tell an enemy what we're doing.
    One of the fundamental

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    questions that the American people have got to know is that in order to
    protect America, if we capture somebody who may have data about whether
    or not he's going to--he is ordering an attack or there's an impending
    attack or there's a threat, we need to know that. And the techniques we
    use by highly trained professionals are within the law. That's what's
    important for America to know.
        Q. Mr. President, is legal liability in U.S. or foreign courts a
    concern when it comes to this issue of waterboarding and----
        The President. The main concern is, is that the American people must
    know that whatever techniques we use are within the law. And secondly,
    it doesn't make any sense--unless, of course, you don't think there's an
    enemy that's dangerous--it doesn't make any sense to broadcast to the
    enemy what they ought to prepare for and not prepare for.
        Q. Are these concerns legitimate that are being raised, or is it
    playing politics?
        The President. I think it's--I think this is--I'm just extremely
    disappointed that a good man with a good reputation, who has met with a
    lot of Senators, his nomination is being held up. You can listen to the
    voices that are out there talking as to whether or not this is politics
    or not. My point is, is that it's creating a--to have the Attorney
    General seat vacant for this long--there's an Acting Attorney General,
    of course, but not to have a confirmed Attorney General is not good for
    the country.
        Okay, what else?

    Turkey

        Q. On Turkey, you're going to be meeting next Monday.
        The President.  Yes, sir.
        Q. Turkey wants the U.S. to take a lead in fighting the PKK. How are
    you going to----
        The President.  I look forward to visiting with Prime Minister
    Erdogan on this important subject as to
    how we can work together to prevent people from coming out of mountain
    ranges to do harm to Turkish troops. And we will have a good,
    substantive discussion, as you would expect allies to do. And I'm
    looking forward to seeing him here in the Oval Office.

    Attorney General-Designate Mukasey

        Q. What do you think of the compromise proposed by McCain, Warner,
    and Graham on Mukasey, saying that----
        The President.  Mukasey just needs to get--get on the floor and get
    him an up-or-down vote. They've had plenty of hearings, plenty of ideas;
    get him out there and get him up and down.

    U.S. Treatment of Detainees

        Q. What is your own view about waterboarding?
        The President. I'm not going to talk about techniques. There is an
    enemy out there. I don't want them to understand--to be able to adjust
    one way or the other. My view is this: The American people have got to
    understand the program is important and the techniques used are within
    the law. And Members of the House and Senate know what I'm talking
    about; they have been fully briefed.

    War on Terror/Congress

        Q. Do you think the Congress has forgotten we're at war, Mr.
    President?
        The President.  Well, I think there is a tendency for people to say,
    well, maybe--let me just say, there are some who say, ``Don't call this
    a war on terror.'' And there are some who have accused me of using the
    words ``war on terror'' as a way to frighten people into voting booths.
    And I emphasize the word ``some.'' As I'll say in this speech, those who
    say we're not in a war on terror are either disingenuous or naive.
    Either way, the attitude is dangerous, because I will have quoted the
    words of the enemy in the speech, an enemy that said, ``We're going to
    come and kill you.''

    [[Page 1409]]

        And I think--I'm not going to--this speech doesn't intend--this is a
    comprehensive speech about what Congress needs to do to make sure that
    we have the tools necessary and the people necessary to protect America.
    I will not in any way personalize this speech. I'm not going to say that
    an individual Member that may disagree with me is not a patriotic
    person. I am going to remind people, though, of the dangers that we
    face.
        And I knew full well that if we were successful protecting the
    country, that the lessons of September the 11th would become dimmer and
    dimmer in some people's minds. Well, I just don't have that luxury and
    nor do the people that work with me to protect America, because we have
    not forgotten the lessons of September the 11th. And I expect and the
    American people expect Congress to give us the tools necessary to
    protect them.
        Okay?
        Q. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:35 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
    Erdogan of Turkey. A reporter referred to Sens. John McCain, John W.
    Warner, and Lindsey O. Graham. A tape was not available for verification
    of the content of these remarks.