[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 8 (Monday, February 27, 2006)]
[Pages 316-320]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Pakistani Journalists

February 22, 2006

    The President. Thanks for coming. I'm looking forward to going to 
Pakistan. I appreciate the courage of your President--I'm looking 
forward to my visit with President Musharraf. I'm trying to think of the 
number of times I have met with President Musharraf since I've been the 
President. I would say five or six, seven times. I remember our visit to 
Camp David.
    Q. I was there.
    The President. He is--were you there?
    Q. Yes.
    The President. I appreciate his courage. I appreciate the difficult 
job he has. I appreciate his commitment to joining the world in dealing 
with Islamic radicals who will murder innocent people to achieve an 
objective. I appreciate the fact that he has stood strong in the face of 
several attempts on his life. I also appreciate our relationship with 
Pakistan and his vision for a democracy in Pakistan. And so I'm looking 
forward to the trip. The Prime Minister was here several weeks ago. We 
had a very good talk. And he was laying the groundwork for what I think 
will be a constructive visit. Be glad to answer some questions.

Reaction to Prophet Mohammed Depictions

    Q. Mr. President, I'll start with the cartoon controversy. You and 
your allies work very hard on bridging the gap between the Islamic and 
the Western world, but the publication of a few cartoons in a remote 
newspaper seems to have undone everything. Why?
    The President. First of all, I think it's very important for people 
around the world to know that a free press is important for a democratic 
state; a free press--for peaceful states as well. Free press holds 
people to account. Free press makes sure that there is a check and a 
balance on people in power. Free press also must be a responsible press.
    Secondly, I fully understand people taking--not liking the cartoons. 
On the other hand, I do not believe that people should use that as a 
pretext for violence, nor do I appreciate the fact that some are using--
manipulating the anger over the cartoons to achieve political ends. And 
therefore, it's very important for Governments to not allow policy to be 
set by those who are cynically manipulating the anger that some have 
felt over these cartoons.

Nuclear Energy in Developing Nations

    Q. Mr. President, you have announced this global nuclear energy 
initiative, and this is the one that you have offered to India also. And 
you have spoken about the countries--countries like India can also get a 
benefit of this initiative. Do you have Pakistan in mind--Pakistan 
already saying that this offer to India is India-specific? Is it India-
specific, or Pakistan can also be included in this initiative?
    The President. Well, we are starting with India, and one of the 
primary reasons why is that India is in need of a diversification away 
from fossil fuels. India is consuming a lot of fossil fuel. That is 
driving up the price of--a part of the reasons why the price is rising. 
America uses a lot of fossil fuels. China is using more fossil fuels. 
India is using more fossil fuels, and it's affecting the price of energy 
in the United States and in India and in Pakistan. And so therefore, to 
the extent to which we can get these fast-growing, developing nations to 
use something other than fossil fuels, it's in the world's interest, and 
it's in Pakistan's interest as well.
    Now--and so I would not view--some say, ``Well, this is a zero-sum 
attitude by the United States,'' quite the contrary. It's the beginning 
of a policy that says, there will be a suppliers group of people who are 
capable of providing fuel stocks for a civilian nuclear

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power industry, countries that will then collect the spent fuel, 
reprocess it to be able to burn it in new types of reactors.
    The purpose of this whole initiative and beginning with countries 
like India, is to recognize that alternative sources of energy are going 
to be important for the development of a clean world and a world that 
becomes substantially less reliant on nonrenewable sources of energy.
    Q. But Pakistan can't be included in that?
    The President. Well, as I said, this is just the beginning of a very 
long process.

Kashmir

    Q. Mr. President, in your speech, you talked about Kashmir dispute, 
and you said that you would like India and Pakistan to take bilateral 
steps to resolve the dispute. Pakistan has made certain proposals, but 
they are not reciprocated by India. And it seems that this bilateral is 
not going anywhere; there's need for a third-party mediation or some 
sort of help. Do you have any specific proposals for that?
    The President. First, I'd like to make sure I clarify my statement 
for all to read. America supports a solution that is acceptable to all 
sides--since you're probably the only person in the room that paid 
attention to my speech--the speech, as you know, I said, ``to both 
sides.'' The language should be ``all sides,'' because it recognizes 
that a solution must be acceptable to India, Pakistan, and those living 
within Kashmir.
    Our position is one that says a dispute that has been so long in a 
nation's history can best be resolved when two nations make the 
determination to sit down and come up with a solution that is acceptable 
to all sides. Of course, during my discussions, I will encourage that 
dialog to go forward. I'm convinced that history changes, and as history 
changes, attitudes can change, circumstances change, and that we have a 
possibility to see this issue resolved by strong and courageous leaders.
    I'm pleased to see the amount of trade that's taking place between 
India and Pakistan. It's a substantial increase from July of '04 to July 
of '05. I thought that the--the new transportation routes between India 
and Pakistan are hopeful signs.
    And so the role of the United States, in our judgment, is one that 
will help lead to a settlement that is acceptable to all sides.

Democracy in Pakistan

    Q. Mr. President, you also spoke about democracy in Pakistan; some 
distance has to be covered. And the Commonwealth has recently asked Mr. 
Musharraf--President Musharraf that he must decide by 2007 whether he 
wants to continue as the Chief of Army Staff or as the President, one 
decision. Is the United States comfortable with a leader who is also the 
Chief of Army Staff in a democracy? Does it bother you that he--his 
contribution as the Chief of Army Staff?
    The President. I've had discussions with the President quite 
frequently about his vision for a democratic Pakistan. And I am--I 
believe that he is headed for a--continue to head for--on the road of 
reform. And he understands the pressures being put on him. As you said, 
the Commonwealth spoke, and I believe that he's committed to having a 
reform process come to fruition, and I believe he's committed to free 
and open elections.

Iran

    Q. Mr. President, there is another issue that is particularly 
sensitive for both India and Pakistan, which is that, Iran--India-Iran-
Pakistan gas pipeline. As we said, India--need alternative sources of 
energy. So is it possible that--decision, allow the construction of the 
pipeline?
    The President. What's important is that India, Pakistan, and the 
United States work together to send a firm message to the Iranians that 
a development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. You know, we--energy 
supplies are important for India, and they're important for Pakistan. I 
fully understand that. But a country which has been unwilling to adhere 
to treaties that it's agreed to, a country the President of which has 
said the destruction of Israel is in--part of foreign policy, a country 
which has not told the truth when it comes to whether or not they're 
enriching uranium or not, is a country that free nations need to deal 
with in a diplomatic way. And the best thing that the Iranians can hear 
is a unified message from all of us.

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    Q. Does it mean that at some date you could decide to take military 
action against Iran? Would you----
    The President. Diplomacy is our first option.

War on Terror

    Q. Mr. President, the recent incident in which U.S. military made a 
strike in the Pakistani tribal area in the Bajaur area. This has 
happened before also, and there was some outrage in Pakistan that there 
was no remorse from the U.S. Government on the action. These actions, 
when they are taken, is it because--the unilateral action that the folks 
on the other side do not trust their colleagues on the side of the 
border, or it's the timing, is it intelligence, or the lack of 
operational capabilities on the side--on the Pakistani side, that such 
actions are taken?
    The President. We are--we're partners in the war against terrorists, 
some of whom tried to kill your President. We coordinate. We're allies, 
and we coordinate--nor do we talk about sensitive antiterror operations. 
Of course, the United States mourns the loss of innocent life.

Pakistan-U.S. Trade Relations/Earthquake in Pakistan

    Q. Mr. President, in your speech, you also--you spoke about 
importance of prosperity, and you talked about offering business--
industry in Pakistan. Do you have anything specific in mind such as 
Pakistan has been trying for some time to get an FTA?
    The President. First step is a BIT, and we will discuss that--we 
will continue to discuss that. We discussed that during the Prime 
Minister's trip, and we will continue to pursue this avenue toward 
opening up additional opportunities, commercial opportunities between 
our respective countries.
    First things first, however; there have been some preliminary 
discussions as well, about perhaps some trading arrangements in the 
Western provinces of Pakistan. These are preliminary discussions. We 
think it makes sense to have a discussion. Such an agreement, if--a 
commercial arrangement, investment arrangement would be beneficial not 
only to Pakistan but to Afghanistan as well. And so there's a variety of 
discussions we're having to continue to open up ways to encourage 
investment and commerce.
    I must--I applaud the President's economic reform package. It's 
yielded some strong results. Pakistan's economy is growing, and that's 
positive. You know, one of the key things is that people see the 
benefits of democracy--the tangible benefits of democracy, besides being 
able to express themselves. Today I also referred to the Pakistan press, 
you might recall. I think I referred to you as lively, meaning that--at 
least the Pakistan press I've been exposed to has never been afraid to 
ask any questions, or never been intimidated, particularly with the open 
press conference. And I suspect it might be the same when I go next 
week.
    So I want to talk about reconstruction aid right quick before you 
finish. It's very important for the people of Pakistan to--and this is 
where trade matters as well, and commerce matters as well, that they see 
that the United States is interested in the lives of the citizens. You 
know, sometimes in the way things get reported, our policies get 
disconnected from people's lives improving. And we want that to happen, 
because a prosperous Pakistan is--will be a great example, a country 
that believes in markets and educating people to fill the jobs of the 
21st century, and a country that continues to deal with rules and 
regulations that make investment difficult at times, will show what's 
possible. And that's important.
    When the disaster struck, it took our Government no time to move. 
And we moved a lot of equipment and a lot of manpower and a lot of aid, 
because we cared about the people that were suffering. I remember 
President Musharraf calling me on the phone at one point to thank me. 
And it was a genuine thanks, because we were--as you know, we 
transferred a lot choppers, which were necessary to be able to move 
manpower and aid into remote regions of your country.
    He also asked, would we make sure that beyond the recovery effort, 
that there was a commitment to help rebuild. And my answer was, yes. And 
the reason--it's important for your readers to understand, I said, yes, 
because this country cares about the families whose lives were turned 
upside down by this disaster. When we heard 73,000 people lost

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their life, it touched our hearts and our conscience. When we realized 
over 2 million people lost their homes, we cared about those who had 
been displaced.
    And so our commitment is to the people of Pakistan, and it's a 
genuine, real, tangible commitment that the people of the country can 
see. I understand there's politics, and there's--there's people 
expressing their opinions. But one thing they can't argue with--those 
who want to be critical of the United States can't argue with a genuine, 
heartfelt commitment to the improvement of the lives of those folks in 
Pakistan who suffered a--suffered mightily as a result of the natural 
disaster.
    Final question, Kamran. Kamran.
    Q. Yes, Kamran.
    The President. Kamran.

War on Terror/U.S. Visa Policy

    Q. Mr. President, being an ally, there are some expectations. We 
captured the top lot of the Al Qaida, and 300 Pakistani soldiers died. 
There is a lot of expectation in Pakistan--you spoke about bilateral 
investment treaty and stuff, access to the market--more on access to the 
market. Are we moving towards free trade?
    And secondly, Pakistani students, sir, having terrible problems 
getting visas to the U.S. And that's very important--folks not getting 
to the U.S. for education, and can you help us?
    The President. A couple of points--one, there's no question that the 
Musharraf Government is committed to working to get Al Qaida brought to 
justice. It was Al Qaida that tried to kill him more than one time. And 
he also recognizes Al Qaida's presence is destabilizing. Al Qaida 
doesn't care about the people of Pakistan. They don't care about helping 
people get a good education, realize the vast potential of Pakistan. 
They're there to create chaos and murder. And so I appreciate that, and 
I appreciate his firm resolve.
    Secondly, we have been--there is a tangible benefit for the 
Government and the security of Pakistan in dealing with--using--sharing 
with, providing equipment. We resolved a long-simmering issue in the F-
16s. I recognize it has been put on hold, but the Government's 
commitment is a real commitment. It changed policy, as you recall. It 
reversed something that took place in the past.
    The BIT is a beginning of--it's a step toward what you talked about, 
advancing--additional trading.
    I agree with you on the issue of education. First of all, there are 
a lot of Pakistan citizens here, and a lot of Pakistani Americans that 
are making vital contributions to our country, proud United States 
citizens who honor their heritage.
    I agree with you that there ought to be more student exchanges. But 
this is not an issue just for Pakistani students; this is an issue for 
students from other parts of the world as well. We had a very 
restrictive visa policy right after 9/11. It was a--our visa policy was 
a natural reaction to a terrible event that took place. But by--it 
didn't take me long to realize that we were missing a great opportunity 
to have students from Pakistan see the real America. And there's no 
better place, no better way in many ways to see America than to come as 
a student, study at our institutions, but more importantly, interface 
with people the same age and realize that ours is an accepting culture.
    Q. Absolutely.
    The President. And we welcome Muslims. And we welcome people that 
may be different, and that there's no better ambassador for the American 
way of life and the attitudes--the true attitudes of the American 
citizens than to have somebody here who has seen firsthand what America 
is like and then go back home. Word of mouth is a pretty significant 
antidote to some of the propaganda that is being played out for others 
to hear. And so I agree with you, and we're--Condi Rice is very much 
involved with constantly revisiting the visa issue--student visa issue, 
in particular, and not only encouraging students to come here, but once 
they're here, not making it difficult for them to complete their 
education. In other words, there are some restrictions even after the 
students got here.
    Finally, we are also--along these lines announced a very strong 
language initiative so that more people are capable of--will be capable 
of conversing with people in parts of the world where, frankly, we 
haven't had that much conversation in their native language--

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all aimed at creating a hospitable world. And this trip will help send a 
message to the people of Pakistan: One, we're proud of the Pakistani 
Americans who live here; two, we want this relation to continue on. It's 
a vital relationship. And as I say, I am pleased with my personal 
relationship with President Musharraf. I try to put myself in his shoes. 
He is--he's got a tough assignment. On the one hand, he's got people 
trying to kill him, and on the other hand, he's taking this country 
toward--further down the road of democracy, and in so doing, is dealing 
with--as we speak, dealing with people who are taking advantage of a 
free press.
    And as I mentioned to you, I understand why people are reacting to 
that. It's very important, however, that they react in a way that does 
honor to the process and not resort to violence and destruction and, in 
some countries, to death.
    And so looking forward to it. See you all there, I hope.

President's Upcoming Visit to Pakistan

    Q. Mr. President, one last----
    The President. Yes.
    Q. About the visit, can you state if you ever think of canceling the 
visit----
    The President. No, I'm not going to--never thought about canceling 
it.
    Q. No?
    The President. Of course not.
    Q. Because----
    The President. No, zero, zero chance.

U.S. Visa Policy

    Q. So we are a good word for the students, they may get visas?
    The President. Well, I think we're working it very hard to make 
sure. Obviously, Ambassador Crocker and the Embassy there is the 
conscience. I will pass this on to Condi when I talk to her just to make 
sure that she's--she's constantly calibrating and looking at the issue. 
We hear--believe, we've had a lot of--there are a lot of folks here 
that--in America, and a lot of embassies around the world, hear from 
respective Governments when there's backlogs and slowness. These voices 
that are concerned about whether or not there's access to our 
universities are heard loud and clear. Believe me, it's----
    Q. Mr. President, best antidote is exposing people to American 
people.
    The President. There you go.
    Q. That's the best antidote you have.
    The President. Well, thank you.
    Q. Don't restrict that.
    The President. Don't worry. Glad you're here. Good job.

Note: The interview was taped at 2:11 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, the President referred to President Pervez 
Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan; and President 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. A tape was not available for verification 
of the content of this interview.