[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 50 (Monday, December 19, 2005)]
[Pages 1866-1867]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Senators John McCain and John Warner

December 15, 2005

    The President. It's my honor to welcome two good friends, the 
Chairman, John Warner, and of course, John McCain--Senator John McCain, 
here to the Oval Office. We share a common goal and that is to protect 
the American people and to win the war on terror.
    Senator McCain has been a leader to make sure that the United States 
of America upholds the values of America as we fight and win this war on 
terror. And we've been happy to work with him to achieve a common 
objective, and that is to make it clear to the world that this 
Government does not torture and that we adhere to the international 
convention of torture, whether it be here at home or abroad. And so we 
have worked very closely with the Senator and others to achieve that 
objective as well as to provide protections for those who are on the 
frontline of fighting the terrorists.
    And so I appreciate your hard work, Senator. You're a good man who 
honors the values of America. I also appreciate the strong support that 
you've given--both of you have given in the war on terror. The central 
front of that war is Iraq. Part of our strategy is to train Iraqis so 
they can join our forces and fight off the terrorists and, eventually, 
have the Iraqis be able to stand on their own. The other part is the 
democratic process that will help marginalize the Saddamists and the 
rejectionists.
    And today the Iraqi people went to the polls. I was so honored to 
welcome some young Iraqi Fulbright scholars here that were able to vote. 
And to see the joy--and to hear the joy they expressed and to see the 
joy on their faces after having just voted in a--for a permanent 
Government and a new Constitution was just a fantastic experience.
    And so I want to welcome you all to the Oval Office. Thanks for 
coming. Thanks for your good work on behalf of America.
    Senator McCain. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to take this 
opportunity to thank you for the effort that you made to resolve this 
very difficult issue. I thank you for your

[[Page 1867]]

active participation in it. And I also want to thank your National 
Security Adviser, Steve Hadley, who played a very important role as 
well. And I'm very pleased that we reached this agreement, and now we 
can move forward and make sure that the whole world knows that, as the 
President has stated many times, that we do not practice cruel, inhuman 
treatment or torture.

    This agreement basically does two things: One, puts into the Army 
Field Manual the specific procedures for interrogations. And two, it 
prohibits cruel, inhumane--or torture.

    In our negotiations, there was legitimate concerns raised by the 
administration concerning the rights of interrogators. And taking 
language from the Uniform Code of Military Justice, we provide them with 
legal counsel and certain protections that a reasonable person might 
view as carrying out of orders, not to contradict the Nuremberg 
decision, which, of course, said that obeying orders is not a sufficient 
defense.

    I, again, thank the President. And I would like to also repeat, 
we've sent a message to the world that the United States is not like the 
terrorists. We have no grief for them, but what we are is a nation that 
upholds values and standards of behavior and treatment of all people, no 
matter how evil or bad they are. And I think that this will help us 
enormously in winning the war for the hearts and minds of people 
throughout the world in the war on terror.

    And again, I want to thank the President. I want to thank Steve 
Hadley. I thank all the people who worked so hard to come to this 
agreement. Now I think we can move forward with winning the war on 
terror and in Iraq.

    I thank you, Mr. President.

    The President. Thanks, John.

Note: The President spoke at 2:41 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House.