[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
[November 10, 2007]
[Pages 1455-1461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in Crawford
November 10, 2007
President Bush. I want to thank you for coming. The Chancellor and I
have had a series of discussions on important subjects, starting with a
dinner we had last night. And then we got up this morning and had the
wonderful opportunity to walk across some of the ranch. It was a
glorious morning. The sun was beginning to rise; the birds were
beginning to chirp. And we were able to have a meaningful discussion on
a lot of issues. And then we completed our discussions here in what is
my office.
Madam Chancellor, I'm really glad you gave me an excuse to come down
to Texas. And I'm really glad you and Professor Sauer came. You can imagine how conducive it is to have
meaningful, strategic discussions in an environment outside of our
respective capitals. And that's what we did.
We discussed Afghanistan. I do want to thank the German people for
their strong support of this young democracy. And I appreciate the
German troops who are far from home, who are helping people realize the
blessings of liberty.
We discussed Iran and our deep desire to solve this important issue
diplomatically. And I believe we can solve it diplomatically, and it is
more likely we do so when the United States, Germany, and other nations
work collaboratively to send a common and firm message to the Iranians
that it is--the free world does not think you should have the capacity
to be able to make a nuclear weapon. And we will work according--
together accordingly.
We talked about Iraq. I want to thank Chancellor Merkel for
understanding that success in Iraq is important for Middle Eastern
peace. I fully understand that our nations have had difference of
opinion on this issue, but now that this Iraqi democracy is emerging, I
really appreciate the fact that Germany has been a constructive partner
in the compact--constructive partner with Iraq in the compact. And I
appreciate very much the fact that the German Government is committed to
help train police in the UAE.
I want to thank the Chancellor for her clear vision on issues such
as Kosovo and Burma and Lebanon. We discussed the Middle Eastern peace.
The upcoming Annapolis Conference is an important moment as we head
toward two states living side by side in peace.
We had a very good discussion on Doha and the need for Germany and
Europe and the United States to work closely together with developing
nations such as Brazil and India to advance the Doha round. I
appreciated very much the Chancellor's briefing on her trip to India. It
helps a lot for
[[Page 1456]]
those of us who are engaged in international politics to get advice from
people who have seen firsthand the attitudes and--of important players
such as India.
And finally, we had a meaningful and long discussion on climate
change. And once again, I assured Angela that I care deeply about the
issue; that the United States is willing to be an active participant and
try to come up with solutions that bring comfort to people around the
world; that it is possible to have the technologies necessary to deal
with this issue without ruining our economies. It's hard to deal with
the climate change issue if you're broke. It's easier to deal with the
climate change issue if you've got the revenues and finances that enable
you to invest in new technologies that will change how we live and, at
the same time, enable us to grow our economies and, at the same time,
enable us to be good stewards of the environment.
And so, Madam Chancellor, the mike is yours.
Chancellor Merkel. Well, yes, thank you very much, Mr. President,
dear George. First of all, allow me to thank you very warmly for the
possibility to meet with you here in Texas and to have this exchange of
views. I would also like to extend this word of gratitude to you on
behalf of my husband, who accompanies me here to this, what we also in
Germany would call a very beautiful spot----
President Bush. Thank you.
Chancellor Merkel. ----a very beautiful part of this planet, of this
world. It enables us to appreciate a little bit the vastness of the
territory here and also the beauty and the sheer variety of species that
you have here.
So we again were able to see this for ourselves this morning. Thank
you again for making this possible, to have this stroll with you and to
appreciate the beauty of this part and to have again an exchange of
views on a number of subjects.
President Bush. Jawohl. [Laughter]
Chancellor Merkel. Let me say, first of all, that we did make the
best possible use of our time to exchange our views on a number of
issues. We did talk about Afghanistan, as the President already said,
where we just recently were, and where we say that together with the
Afghan Government, we need to do more in order to help them continue to
build up the police and to continue to also build up the army there,
improve that, and go on with the training that we have already embarked
on.
We addressed the issue of Iran. We were at one in saying that the
threat posed through the nuclear program of Iran is indeed a serious
one. We both share this view, but that we also were of the opinion that
we think that this issue can be solved through diplomatic means, that
the next step then obviously would be a resolution. There is already
work underway to prepare for this next step.
We have also been very clear in saying that if the talks with the
representatives of Iran and Mr. Solana, as the representative on the
European Union side, do not yield any results, then further steps will
have to be made. Also, if the reports remain unsatisfactory--that the
International Atomic Energy Organization puts on the table
unsatisfactory--then we need to think about further possible sanctions.
And we do not only need to think about them, but we also have to then
talk and agree on further possible sanctions, if all of these conditions
are [not]* met.
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*White House correction.
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We then also said that Germany needs to look somewhat closer at the
existing business ties with Iran. There are certain companies that have
business with Iran. We have already done that. And we need to look, as
the situation unfolds, whether we have to have a closer look again at
that and possibly need to work together with our German business
community. I will talk
[[Page 1457]]
with them again on further possible reductions of those commercial ties,
as we have already sort of launched that in that tendency already now.
We then addressed the issue of the Middle East. And I said that it
is in the interest of the German Government--and we will indeed do
everything we can to support all of the efforts that the American
administration is making in order to turn the upcoming conference in
Annapolis into a success. We want the peace process to make progress,
and we think that the conference--the upcoming conference in Annapolis
is indeed a possibility to bring this success about.
We then had an exchange of views on the current situation in
Lebanon. Germany having a contingent there, serving with the UNIFIL
mission, obviously has a very great interest in seeing the situation
there stabilizing and progress being made in that country. And also, we
assured the Government of Mr. Siniora of our continued support. We would
like to--for this Government to be a strong one, and we think it is in
our interests, in both of our interests that this situation remains
stable.
On Kosovo, we did discuss this issue as well. There are currently
talks going on, and indeed those talks are heading into a crucial phase.
We call, at this point in time, on both the Kosovo side and the Serbian
side to try their utmost to bring about a sensible solution to the
problem there. And what we can do to foster that, we will do.
We did discuss also--the President raised this issue also with me of
the world trade round. We then discussed also the issue of the United
Nations reform of the Security Council, and there we do think that it
will be necessary to have further exchanges on that particular issue.
And we do hope that--some progress has been made already in this
respect, and we hope further progress will be underway. We're going to
continue to talk about that.
We then obviously also discussed the issue of the upcoming climate
conference in Bali. And I think that this is a very good chance of
turning this conference into a success. There are a lot of things where
the U.S. and the European Union share views, where we are at one, and
where I think that possibilities for cooperation may unfold. There are
still, admittedly, also areas where we do not completely agree yet,
where there are differences of opinion, but I think that this is a very
crucial time to really set the agenda for a post-Kyoto regime. And we do
hope--and we will do everything we can in order--to turn this conference
in Indonesia into a success.
Thank you.
President Bush. Two questions a side. John Yang [ABC News].
War on Terror/Pakistan
Q. Mr. President, this morning Benazir Bhutto said that the
Pakistanis' people's passion for liberty is threatening to explode.
First, have you had any more further discussions with General Musharraf?
And are you concerned that the continuing unrest within Pakistan is
distracting that country's leadership and military from the struggle
against the Taliban and Al Qaida?
President Bush. First, on Al Qaida, we do share a common goal, and
that is to eradicate Al Qaida. That goal obviously became paramount to
the American people when Al Qaida killed 3,000 innocent souls on our
soil. And since then, the United States of America, along with strong
allies and friends, has been in pursuit of Al Qaida.
I vowed to the American people we'd keep the pressure on them. I
fully understand we need cooperation to do so, and one country that we
need cooperation from is Pakistan. That cooperation has been made easier
by the fact that Al Qaida has tried to kill leaders in Pakistan several
times. And so we share a common goal.
Secondly, we share a goal with the Pakistani people, and that is to
live in a free society. I haven't spoken to President
Musharraf since I did earlier this week,
[[Page 1458]]
but he knows my position, and he knows the position of the U.S.
Government. I do want to remind you that he has declared that he'll take
off his uniform, and he has declared there will be elections, which are
positive steps.
We also believe that suspension of the emergency decree will make it
easier for the democracy to flourish. And so our message is consistent
and clear. Our message is also clear to Al Qaida: We will find you, and
we'll bring you to justice before you can hurt innocent people.
Q. President----
President Bush. It's good to see you again.
Q. Thank you very much.
President Bush. You're looking like a cowboy. [Laughter]
Q. Yes, well, I try. The boots are missing.
President Bush. Yes, okay. [Laughter]
U.S. Foreign Policy/Iran
Q. But, Mr. President, is the--is it right to say that you have much
more a multilateral approach towards the solutions of the problems of
the world than you had maybe 2 years ago?
And the question to both of you: How much patience do you have with
Iran? When is the time where diplomacy doesn't work anymore? And do you
think that the Chinese and Russian Government is doing enough in the
Iran crisis?
President Bush. I felt I was pretty multilateral the first 4 years
of my administration. After all, I went to the United Nations on the
Iraq issue and on the Afghanistan issue and said, we got a problem;
let's work together to solve it. I would like to remind you that U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1441 was unanimously approved by 15 nations.
And the declaration was, disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.
And in the case of--in that case, the tyrant didn't disclose, and so he
faced serious consequences.
I happen to be the kind of person that when somebody says something,
they better mean what they say. And although some nations didn't agree
with that, there was a multilateral effort in Iraq from the get-go, and
there's been a multilateral effort since the fall of Saddam Hussein. And
it's important for the multilateral effort to continue, because
democracies are the great alternative to the tyrannies espoused by
coldblooded killers such as Al Qaida.
Now, on Iran, what the Iranian regime must understand is that we
will continue to work together to solve this problem diplomatically,
which means they will continue to be isolated. And what the Iranian
people must understand is that we respect their heritage and respect
their traditions and respect their potential, but it's their Government
that has made the decisions that are denying them a bright future. And
so we'll continue to work very closely together.
And finally, I don't feel comfortable answering your hypothetical
question as to----
Q. China and Russia?
President Bush. Oh, excuse me; that's not hypothetical. [Laughter] I
thought you were saying, how long. Yes, well, that falls in the
hypothetical category.
China and Russia--we working hard with them. My last visit with the
Chinese President was in Sydney, Australia, and I
told him the top of my agenda is Iran. And I fully understand that China
has got energy needs, but a sure way to disrupt energy supply not only
in Iran and the Middle East, if the Iranians were to develop a nuclear
weapon and decided to do something with it. And so therefore, now is the
time to solve the problem.
And I had a good talk with Vladimir Putin on the very same subject. He understands that a nuclear-
armed Iran will be dangerous to his security and the security of the
world. And no responsible leader wants the Iranians to be able to
threaten world peace.
Chancellor Merkel. Well, the next diplomatic step, after all, has
already been devised, has already been envisaged and is
[[Page 1459]]
there to be taken, as it were. But for this next diplomatic step to
work, we obviously then, again, will need the engagement; we will need
the support of both China and Russia.
And let me say that I am deeply convinced that if the Security--if
the United Nations Security Council were then to announce sanctions,
that this would be the clearest message that you can get, that you can
send, and the clearest message that you can convey to Iran, irrespective
of the possibilities, obviously, of individual countries also sending
that clear message, European countries as well. But I think at least
that is true for me, at the center of all of our efforts has to be
sanctions that will then be called by the United Nations Security
Council.
Let me say also that I'm deeply convinced that the diplomatic
possibilities have not yet been exhausted; that diplomatic possibilities
are there; that we can solve this by using diplomatic means, and also,
we want to solve this by diplomatic means.
President Bush. Steven Lee Myers [New York Times]. Would that be
you?
Q. Thank you very much.
President Bush. Step forth, Steven Lee.
Q. I wanted to follow up a bit on Pakistan, if I may.
President Bush. Sure.
Pakistan
Q. Are you at all concerned that General Musharraf may not live up
to the promises that you said he's made to you? And are you concerned,
as Secretary Gates suggested yesterday, that the distraction, the
internal turmoil in Pakistan is actually--or could have an effect on the
effort in Afghanistan? Thank you.
President Bush. Thank you, Steven Lee. I take a person for his word
until otherwise. I think that's what you have to do. I mean, when
somebody says this is what they're going to do, then you give them a
chance to do it. I can tell you this, that President
Musharraf, right after the attacks on
September the 11th, made a decision, and the decision was to stand with
the United States against the extremists inside Pakistan. In other
words, he was given an option: Are you with us, or are you not with us?
And he made a clear decision to be with us, and he's acted on that
advice.
I want to remind you that if you're the chief operating officer of
Al Qaida, you haven't had a good experience. There has been four or five
number-threes that have been brought to justice one way or the other.
And many of those folks thought they could find safe haven in Pakistan.
And that would not have happened without President Musharraf honoring his word.
He fully understands the dangers of Al
Qaida. Benazir Bhutto fully understands the
dangers of Al Qaida. By far, the vast majority of people in Pakistan
want to live in a free and peaceful society, and they understand the
dangers of Al Qaida, because Al Qaida is a group of ideologues who
murder innocent people to achieve their political objectives.
And so I believe that we will continue to have good collaboration
with the leadership in Pakistan. My concern is for the Pakistani
democracy--for the sake of the Pakistani people, proceed as--back on
track as quickly as possible. President Musharraf said that he would take off his uniform; he said there
will be elections after the new year. And our hope is that he would
suspend this emergency decree to allow this society, which is on the
path to democracy, to get back on the path to democracy.
And I think about this issue a lot. One of the things that I pledged
to the American people is that we will continue the hunt for Al Qaida
leadership. They're still plotting and planning attacks on the United
States of America. And our most important responsibility is to protect
the American people from attack. I will also remind people that the
great alternative to their vision--their dark, dim vision for humanity--
is freedom. Freedom has got the capacity to turn enemies into allies.
Freedom has
[[Page 1460]]
got the capacity to bring peace. And that's why the work to help these
young democracies is vital work for the peace for our children and
grandchildren.
And that's why I applaud the Chancellor's efforts in Afghanistan and
her concerns about the democracy in Lebanon and her desire for there to
be a Palestinian democracy and to help--the willingness to begin to help
this young democracy in Iraq. It's all part of this global struggle
against extremists and radicals who murder people, who will kill people
to achieve their objective. And the fundamental question is, will free
societies have the will, the courage, and the determination to stand up
to them? And one of the things I have found in this leader is she does
have that vision. And I appreciate it a lot.
Germany/United Nations Security Council
Q. It's on reforming the United Nations. Could you tell us please,
both, what kind of progress that you made in your talks on this issue?
And more specific to you, Mr. President, the German Government, in the
past, frequently declared to be ready to take more responsibilities
within the United Nations, including a permanent seat in the Security
Council. So far, you haven't been very positive on that. Tell us why.
President Bush. You're right; I've been studiously noncommittal.
[Laughter] I have taken a position, which is the long-held position of
U.S. Governments, and that is, Japan should have a seat. Beyond that,
I've made no commitment, except this: that we're for U.N. Security
Council reforms, and that I'm willing to listen to good ideas. And
Angela brought up some good ideas today. And so----
Q. [Inaudible]
President Bush. It's up to her to tell you. I don't like to put
words in leaders' mouths. I don't particularly like it when people put
words in my mouth, either, by the way, unless I say it. But she can tell
you what she came up with.
But I will tell you that it intrigued me, and my--as I said--listen,
I stood up in front of the U.N. and said precisely what I'm telling you
now, that we're openminded. There's a good nonanswer for you. [Laughter]
Chancellor Merkel. Well, from my side, the people who know me, know
me as a person who is sort of success oriented, in the sense that I
don't think one ought to comment each step on the way towards a success.
But the message that I received today, and that was a very heartening
message, was that the President and the administration of the United
States are interested in the reform of the U.N. Security Council. And in
this overall complex of issues that relates to that, they will also,
obviously, be of interest who will then be the members of that reformed
Security Council.
I, for me personally, see this issue of a Security Council reform to
be a very important one. But what is also important, obviously, is to
try to enlist the support of the other very important countries who are
members of the Security Council, and hear particularly those countries
that have veto powers in the Security Council, to see to it that they
have also a great interest in seeing the Security Council reformed.
So in this overall context, it has certainly been a good message
that I heard today, that there is also an interest in that here. I found
this with the President today. And now we will have to keep an eye on
further steps to be taken along the way in order to achieve that goal.
We will try and find allies for this cause. And again, it is in
Germany's interest, as I said previously in public, to have a permanent
seat on the Security Council. We will not call on each and every country
that we talk to, to comment on each and every step along the way. We're
going to continue to work towards reform. And I think it is of the
essence that we have heard here today. And this is why this was such an
important message there: that is not only in the interests of Germany,
but it is also an interest that
[[Page 1461]]
was explained to us here and clearly stated by the U.S. administration.
President Bush. Yes. I'm now going to go feed the Chancellor a
hamburger. [Laughter] Right here in Crawford, Texas. No, well, I mean
back over there. Thank you all.
Chancellor Merkel. Obviously, for me, as a person who originally
came from Hamburg----
President Bush. Yes.
Chancellor Merkel. ----it's even more important. [Laughter]
President Bush. Hamburger.
Thank you.
Chancellor Merkel. Thank you.
Note: The President's news conference began at 11:45 a.m. at the Bush
Ranch. In his remarks, he referred to Joachim Sauer, husband of
Chancellor Merkel; President Pervez Musharraf and former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan; President Hu Jintao of China; and President
Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Chancellor Merkel referred to European
Union Foreign Minister Javier Solana Madariaga; and Prime Minister Fuad
Siniora of Lebanon. Chancellor Merkel spoke in German, and her remarks
were translated by an interpreter.