[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 19 (Monday, May 15, 2006)]
[Pages 867-874]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Sabine Christiansen of ARD German Television

May 4, 2006

President's Upcoming Visit to Germany

    Ms. Christiansen. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for joining 
us. We feel very honored by this. Mrs. Merkel invited you to Germany, as 
we heard, this summer, just before the G-8 summit. And we feel very 
honored in Germany that you would come and visit us. And as I heard, 
you're going to visit for the first time the former GDR. Are you looking 
forward to that?
    The President. Yes, I am. It was very kind of Chancellor Merkel--who 
I call Angela, by the way--to invite me to her residence. It's a gesture 
of friendship that I appreciate. And Laura and I are looking forward to 
it. And it will give me a chance to continue our dialog on important 
issues. I'll get to know her a little better, and she'll know me better. 
It will make the relationship be stronger over time. So I'm looking 
forward to it, and I really appreciate it.

German Chancellor Merkel

    Ms. Christiansen. Your father helped to make German reunification 
possible. And Chancellor Merkel told me that you've shown a lot of 
interest in her life, in her former life in the former GDR. What was the 
point of interest for you?
    The President. Well, last night we were sitting around in the 
private dining room upstairs here, and I thought it would be interesting 
for her to describe what it was like to grow up in a Communist world. 
Laura and I certainly don't know what that's like, nor did Condi Rice or 
Steve Hadley, the members of my team. And I thought it would be good for 
all of us to hear what it was like.
    It was very interesting. She talked about--you know, her dad was a 
pastor, and she talked about the different pioneer clubs and the 
schools. It also gave me a chance to get a glimpse into her soul. As I 
said in the Oval Office yesterday, there's something really refreshing, 
to work with somebody who understands firsthand what it means to be 
free. And certainly Angela Merkel has gone from a society which was 
repressive to a society which is open and free. So I wanted to hear the 
history, her history, and I also wanted to get a better feel for what 
she's like and why she thinks the way she thinks.

Germany-U.S. Relations

    Ms. Christiansen. That sounds more like a real transatlantic 
friendship than a partnership--well, with difficulties we had before.
    The President. Well, listen, first of all I had a good relationship 
with Chancellor Schroeder. The problem was, of course, that there was a 
disagreement over a very difficult decision I had to make, and that was 
Iraq.
    I fully understand why a government or a people would be, you know, 
I guess, disappointed in me in a way, and not understand why somebody 
would commit troops to achieve an objective. And I like to remind people 
that September the 11th, for us, was a change in our history, and it 
certainly changed the way I thought. And for others, it was just a 
moment in passing. So there was a disagreement.
    On the other hand, U.S.-German relations were always important, and 
now we have a chance to turn a new chapter in our relationship, 
strengthen that alliance, strengthen that relationship, and work on 
matters that will make this world a better place.
    So I'm thrilled with my relationship with Chancellor Merkel. She's a 
really interesting person. She is--first of all, I found her to be 
confident, not overconfident, but confident in her beliefs, and that's 
very important--for me, at least--to be dealing with someone who has got 
strength of character and confident in her capacity to work to make 
things better.

[[Page 868]]

Iran

    Ms. Christiansen. Now there is Iran on the agenda, and there you 
seem to be a team that plays together, in that. Are you confident after 
your meeting with Mrs. Merkel that the Europeans and others will support 
a resolution that might even open the door to sanctions?

    The President. Look, first of all, the most important thing in 
achieving a diplomatic solution--and I want the German people to 
understand--I want this issue to be solved diplomatically, and I think 
it can be solved diplomatically. And that the first objective of trying 
to get different countries to come together in a diplomatic front is to 
agree that Iran--in this case, Iran--should not have a weapon. And we've 
agreed--Germany, France, the United States, certainly agree with that. 
But so does Russia; so does China. And that's a really important part of 
putting together a coalition of people saying with a universal voice, or 
unified voice, ``no'' to Iran.

    Ms. Christiansen. Okay. At the----

    The President. Well, that's right.

    Secondly, we're working with our allies to--now that the Iranians, 
by the way, have basically said, ``We don't care,'' what next? And 
``what next'' is to go to the U.N. Security Council. And that's what 
we're working on now. And we're working on the language of the 
resolutions and the consequences. And as I told the press yesterday, 
it's best not to be describing the negotiations amongst ourselves on 
TV--simply because the Iranians will be listening to everything we say.

    But the point is, is that we want a unified front. Iran must hear 
that the free world is unified in saying, ``No weapon, no knowledge of 
how to build a weapon, no capacity to make a weapon.'' It's almost a 
matter of will at this point in time. In other words, they're watching 
to see whether or not our coalition will crack, whether or not they can 
create different factions within our coalition.

    And as I've described to people here in this country, is that we 
must not crack. If we want to solve this diplomatically, there must be a 
common front with a common strategy to achieve the objective.

Diplomatic Negotiations With Iran

    Ms. Christiansen. If this doesn't work with the U.N., you trying to 
find wide coalition that is going against Iran----
    The President. Expand the coalition.
    Ms. Christiansen. Exactly. Exactly.
    The President. And they're not mutually exclusive. And first of all, 
I think we ought to assume it can work in the U.N. We want it to work in 
the U.N. Therefore, the strategy will be to see to it that it does work 
in the U.N. And that's why--you know, I talked to Putin, President Putin 
the other day, right before Angela came. And she talked to President 
Putin in Siberia, as you know. And a lot of our conversations obviously 
revolve around Iran, since this is the most dangerous threat to peace 
right now.
    Ms. Christiansen. And sanctions?
    The President. Possibility--absolutely.
    Ms. Christiansen. But regarding Russia and China? That will be 
difficult----
    The President. No. It may seem difficult at this point in time, but 
there's time. As I explained, again, to people in our country, we're at 
the beginning of the diplomatic process, not the end of the diplomatic 
process. I know--we live in a world where everything has to be solved 
instantly. I wish problems could be solved instantly, but that's not how 
the world works, particularly when you're dealing with a nontransparent 
regime.
    See, they have an advantage--``they'' being the Iranians. They don't 
have a press, like the German press and the United States press, that is 
constantly reporting. They don't have democracies that are holding 
leaders to account. They're nontransparent. So therefore, their 
negotiating position is much stronger than ours in many ways.
    So we must double our efforts, constantly talking to each other, 
reminding each other about the need to stay unified, and that's what 
Angela and I spent a lot of time talking about yesterday.

U.S. Role in Diplomatic Negotiations With Iran

    Ms. Christiansen. Why isn't Washington talking directly to the 
Iranians?
    The President. Well, because it's much better to have a united 
front. In other words, we will achieve this diplomatically. If there's

[[Page 869]]

more than one country involved--we are very much involved. Yesterday we 
were part of putting down a U.N. Security Council Resolution. The 
Iranians know we're involved. But what I don't want to have happen is 
this unified effort fall apart because everybody depends upon one 
country to solve the problem.
    Ms. Christiansen. If all diplomatic efforts fail, what's worse at 
the end, a nuclear-armed Iran or an American military action?
    The President. You're asking me the classic hypothetical question. I 
believe we can achieve this diplomatically. And that's what I want to 
do. I want to achieve this diplomatically, because it's--and it's 
necessary we do so. And an armed Iran will be a threat to peace. It will 
be a threat to peace in the Middle East; it will create a sense of 
blackmail; it will encourage other nations to feel like they need to 
have a nuclear weapon. And so it's essential that we succeed 
diplomatically.

Israel

    Ms. Christiansen. Are you worried that Israel might not try to solve 
this diplomatically? Because Mr. Olmert already said, ``We can defend 
ourselves.''
    The President. Well, if I were an Israeli, I'd be concerned about 
the combination of a President that said, ``I want to wipe Israel off 
the map,'' and had a nuclear weapon. And so, obviously, Israel is a 
factor. It's a little country that will defend herself. Again, I keep 
repeating this, but that's why it's essential we continue to work 
together, like we're doing now, to convince the Iranians to give up 
their weapon.
    They will be isolated. What they need to understand is that they're 
going to be isolated from the rest of the world, and that will harm 
their people, in my judgment. And it's a tough issue, and it's why I ran 
for office, to solve these problems.

Iraq

    Ms. Christiansen. Let's go over to Iraq. Two German hostages who 
were held in Iraq for months, they just returned home safely, but Iraq 
remains a major terrorist base. Despite more than, I think, 130,000 U.S. 
soldiers there, are in the country, what do you say to the many 
Europeans who feel the Iraq war has made the world a less safer place?
    The President. I would say that they need to look at the facts, that 
Saddam Hussein was a very dangerous person in the world. Saddam Hussein 
had used weapons of mass destruction. Obviously, we didn't find them 
like everybody thought we would, but we did know he had the capacity to 
make them. He had harbored terrorists. He had invaded his neighborhood. 
And the removal of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do.
    And now there's a new democracy developing. And the best way to 
defeat the terrorists in the long run is to defeat their ideology with 
an ideology based upon liberty. And one of the most amazing events in 
modern history took place in December of last year, when 12 million 
Iraqis went to the polls. It's just a--it's a joyous moment for them.
    Now what's happened is, is there's a unified government formed. 
Obviously, it took a little longer than we wanted, but nevertheless they 
are together. There is a tough Shi'a as the Prime Minister-designate. 
There's a Sunni rejectionist who is now reconciled with the country. And 
what you'll see is a democracy that will grow to be an example for 
others and a country that will deny safe haven to the terrorists.
    I disagree with the assessment that there are more terrorists in 
Iraq now. As a matter of fact, slowly but surely, we're defeating them. 
But what's important for people in Germany to listen to is what I listen 
to, which is the voices of an enemy. Zarqawi and Al Qaida has announced 
that it's just a matter of time for America and the coalition to leave 
so we can have our safe haven from which to plot and plan further 
attacks on America and free nations.
    And the only way we can lose Iraq is if we lose our nerve, if we 
retreat, if we pull out before the job is done. And that's not going to 
happen so long as I'm the President.

Spread of Democracy

    Ms. Christiansen. So the development in Iraq, in Palestine, hasn't 
made you stop half-way, let's say, in the democratization process----

[[Page 870]]

    The President. Oh, quite the contrary. I really believe it's 
necessary to promote democracy. One of the interesting examples in 
history is, democracies don't fight each other. And Europe today is 
whole, free, and at peace. You have your disagreements, but those 
disagreements are not determined on a battlefield anymore.
    Japan was a country that my nation fought with, and today, one of my 
best friends in keeping the peace is the Prime Minister of Japan. What 
happened between World War II and today is, Japan took on a Japanese-
style democracy. What's really interesting is, when you go back and look 
at some of the writings and musings of people after World War II, there 
was great criticism about trying to help the Japanese become a Japanese-
style democracy: ``We can't do that; they're the enemy.'' Well, today, 
the enemy is the friend. So I think all the more reason to promote 
democracy is the elections in Iraq.
    I was not pleased that Hamas has refused to announce--its desire to 
destroy Israel. On the other hand, the elections did say to people in 
the Palestinian Territories, ``We're sick and tired of corruption. We 
want leaders who don't steal from us. We want leaders who help us 
educate our children and provide health for our citizens.''
    And so elections can be good signals of what people are really 
thinking. I believe that there's still work after elections to be done, 
but there's no doubt that we've got to spread liberty and freedom if 
we're going to defeat this ideology that really says, ``There should be 
no rights for women; there should be no religious freedom; and by the 
way, we'll carry out our foreign policy through acts of violence and 
murder.''

Germany-U.S. Relations/Intelligence

    Ms. Christiansen. We Germans seem to be more involved--have been 
more involved in the Iraq war than anybody else knew--involuntarily, I 
would like to say. Because the U.S. intelligence services used German 
airports for secret rendition flights, and interrogated, even, German 
citizens--hardly what you'd expect, I would say, from a friend and ally.
    The President. Well, first of all, on intelligence matters, it's my 
policy not to talk about them; otherwise they're not intelligence 
matters anymore. And the questions you ask will be all--in some cases, 
analyzed through courts, in some cases through press inquiry. But 
Germany is a friend.
    Ms. Christiansen. But the behavior itself? Is it behavior for an 
ally----
    The President. Well, like, what are you talking about?
    Ms. Christiansen. I mean, that you do this, that you don't ask for 
help for some of the ally, that you don't inform the ally and so on.
    The President. On, like, what subject, for example?
    Ms. Christiansen. Like these flights, for example.
    The President. Well, again, you're asking me to talk about 
intelligence matters that I'm not going to talk about. And people can 
say whatever they want to say, but we work closely with Germany on all 
kinds of fronts in order to protect ourselves.

War on Terror

    Ms. Christiansen. Then let me ask you about the image of the United 
States. Especially for us Germans after the war, the United States stood 
as the symbol of liberty, for democracy. And then we saw these--we saw 
Abu Ghraib; we saw Guantanamo; and these seemed, suddenly, to be signals 
that you're abandoning these values of democracy and liberty. And how do 
you want to repair them?
    The President. Well, first of all, it's absurd to say America is 
abandoning our values. No question, Abu Ghraib was a disgrace for our 
country. But I think people ought to take a look at what happened 
afterwards--and those who are responsible for that disgraceful behavior 
have been held to account, have been tried, have been, in some cases, 
dismissed from our military.
    We're at war with an enemy. And we've got to protect ourselves. And, 
obviously, the Guantanamo issue is a sensitive issue for people. I very 
much would like to end Guantanamo; I very much would like to get people 
to a court. And we're waiting for our Supreme Court to give us a 
decision as to whether the people need to have a fair trial in a 
civilian court or in a military court.

[[Page 871]]

    But in either case, they will get a trial, which they, themselves, 
were unwilling to give to the people that they're willing to kill--
``they,'' the enemy.
    And so it's--no, listen, our country is strong on human rights and 
civil rights. That's why we're leading the case in funding for HIV/AIDS 
in Africa. That's why we're trying to rally the Nation to do something 
about Darfur--the genocide in Darfur. That's why we provide food for the 
hungry. That's why we try to liberate people when we find them in the 
clutches of tyranny.
    Ms. Christiansen. So you said you had to do more?
    The President. Yes, we are doing a lot.

Iraq

    Ms. Christiansen. I understand, like, $320 billion that the Iraq war 
cost--a lot of people are saying----
    The President. It's worth it. It's worth it. I wouldn't have spent 
it if it wasn't worth it. Any time we put a troop in harm's way, they 
will get support. We're not going--I'm not going to ask a parent--I'm 
not going to be able to tell a parent, nor will I tell a parent, ``Your 
son who volunteered, or your daughter who volunteered is not going to 
get the full support of the Federal Government.'' And so long as we've 
got people in harm's way, this Government is going to support them.

Dependence on Foreign Sources of Oil/Gasoline

    Ms. Christiansen. Let me ask you another question to the war on 
terrorism. How do you want, really, to fight terrorism when you are so 
dependent on Arabian oil?
    The President. That's an interesting question. I've never thought of 
it that way. The first thing we ought to do is get off oil.
    Ms. Christiansen. That's what you said.
    The President. And I mean that. Yes, I know.
    Ms. Christiansen. Do you mean that, really?
    The President. Absolutely. Oil has become--it's an economic risk for 
us. I mean, after all, if the oil--if the demand for oil goes up in 
India or China, fast-growing economies, it affects the price of gasoline 
in the United States and in Germany. It's also a national security 
issue, obviously. Oil comes from unstable parts of the world, so I'm 
absolutely serious about getting off of oil.
    Ms. Christiansen. Because we, in Europe, we asked this when we heard 
your speech, and we said oil is now----
    The President. You don't believe old George W.?
    Ms. Christiansen. Gasoline is now, let's say $70 a barrel. And we 
said if we look at the United States, your gasoline is still so--I mean, 
the prices are so low, and we are paying so much money. Why haven't you 
raise taxes, energy taxes or something, if you really mean it?
    The President. Well, because the best way to do it is through 
technological change. You don't have to tax the working people. And, 
well, in order--what?
    Ms. Christiansen. That's what we do. [Laughter]
    The President. Well, we don't. We try not to. Listen, the price of 
gasoline just went up from $2.70 to $3 a gallon, which is about, I 
guess, 40 percent of what it costs in Germany. And people are screaming, 
because it's like a tax. And it affects low-income Americans.
    And so the best way to solve the problem is to spend money on 
research and development and come up with alternative ways to drive our 
automobiles. And we're making interesting progress. We think we're close 
to a breakthrough, to have a battery in our vehicles that will enable an 
urban dweller to drive the first 40 miles without using gasoline. So 
it's that effect of reducing demand for gasoline that will ultimately 
help our consumers. Obviously, we're trying to do all we can to make 
sure that supplies of gasoline don't get interrupted in the short term, 
but in the long term, I can see cars being powered by hydrogen, for 
example.

Environment/Energy

    Ms. Christiansen. Let me ask one more question to that climate 
topic. After Katrina and after a lot of new evidence of rapid climate 
change, are you now convinced that this is really a serious problem?

[[Page 872]]

    The President. No, I've always said greenhouse gases are a problem. 
There is an argument there as to whether or not they're naturally made 
or manmade. And my attitude is, let's just get beyond that argument and 
do something about it. I believe that we need more nuclear power. If 
you're really interested in solving greenhouse gas problems, nuclear 
power is one of the great renewable sources of energy. I know it's 
controversial.
    Ms. Christiansen. Very interesting and controversy debate in Germany 
as well.
    The President. And here in America. But if people are genuinely 
serious about solving greenhouse gas problems around the world, 
countries like the United States and India and China ought to be 
promoting civilian nuclear power.
    There's other things we're doing. One, as I just told you, we've got 
to change our habits when we're driving our cars. One of the real 
promising areas besides battery research is ethanol research, you know; 
use corn to be able to fuel automobiles in the United States. Solar 
energy can work and is becoming more economically feasible. Wind energy 
is making a marginal difference in the United States but, nevertheless, 
a difference.
    And so my--what I'm saying is, is that we're spending a lot--clean 
coal technology, for example, we're spending billions of dollars on 
clean coal technology to figure out how to have zero-emission coal-fired 
plants. And all this research is going to pay off. And the United States 
will be able to make sure our economy continues to grow and, at the same 
time, be good stewards of the environment.
    The debate--let me just cut to the chase. I said I didn't support 
Kyoto--and all of a sudden, everybody said, ``Well, George W. Bush 
doesn't care about clean air''--it's just rubbish. Of course I care 
about the quality of the air. As a matter of fact, the quality of the 
air has improved since I've been the President of the United States. But 
what I didn't want to do is wreck our economy, nor did I think it made 
sense to sign on to a treaty that didn't include countries like India 
and China. And so my attitude is, let's get beyond the debate and work 
in a cooperative fashion to share technologies, to share that which 
we're researching with each other, and have a new era of energy that is 
wise about how we treat the environment too.

Russia-U.S. Relations

    Ms. Christiansen. I'm very mindful of our time, but I would like to 
have a look to the G-8 summit and Russia and about the Russian-American 
friendship as well. Perhaps another question. You had felt quite warm 
about President Putin, but there is rising criticism from the Vice 
President, for example, in the moment, and others, on a lack of 
democracy in Russia. Have you talked to Putin directly about this? And 
will you, perhaps, raise any obstacles regarding the G-8?
    The President. Yes, of course, I've talked to him--a lot.
    Ms. Christiansen. About this problem?
    The President. Oh, absolutely. Yes, a lot.
    Ms. Christiansen. What does he say?
    The President. Well, first let me--let me share how I conduct my 
relations with people. I like Putin, but that doesn't mean I have to 
agree with some of the decisions he's made. I know this, that if I stand 
up and constantly criticize Putin publicly, he's not going to be 
interested in listening to what I have to say--and neither would I. When 
somebody feels like they can lecture to me publicly and doesn't do me 
the courtesy of coming to tell me what's on their mind, one-on-one, then 
I may not be interested in listening to them--if you know what I mean.
    So I'm the kind of person that tries to establish a good personal 
relationship with somebody, and then we can sit down and talk, and I 
tell them what's on my mind, and they tell me what's on his. And I have 
expressed our Nation's concerns about--for example, when they shut down 
parts of the press corps. I said, ``Vladimir, people are wondering why 
you're making the decision you're making. A free press is an indication 
of a healthy democracy.'' And he had an answer.
    But, nevertheless, as you know, I'm a religious person, and I 
believe religious liberty is an important part of a society. And I've 
got friends in the Catholic Church who asked me to talk to him about 
Catholic bishops being allowed to move in the country and to practice 
their faith. And so I bring up all these issues with him.

[[Page 873]]

    But there's a difference in scolding somebody to try to gain 
editorial approval, and somebody who is in a position to be effective. 
I'd much rather be an effective person than a popular person; let me put 
it to you that way.

Family Values

    Ms. Christiansen. As I said, we're very mindful of your time; it's 
been a great conversation. If you have 2 minutes--because I would like 
to have two questions, one on women and one on football. Do you agree to 
that?
    The President. Okay, I will.
    Ms. Christiansen. Very short ones. [Laughter] You seemed to get 
along very well Angela Merkel, a lot of women, strong women around you, 
here around the Oval Office. We're--have a big debate in Germany about 
women working and having children and the family. And your wife, for 
example, you seem to be a very good team in working together----
    The President. Thank you.
    Ms. Christiansen. And how do you strike this balance?
    The President. Yes. First of all, I have been raised by an 
incredibly strong woman who I love, and that's my mother. And I'm 
married to an incredibly strong woman who I love, and that's my wife. I 
hope that Laura and I have raised two incredibly strong women who will 
have confidence to go out and explore life and to achieve. I don't think 
that encouraging my daughters to live life to its fullest means that 
they can't be good mothers at the same time. As a matter of fact, I 
think a good mother is somebody who is strong in her own right, 
confident, and independent.
    And one of the things I do try to remind people is that the most 
important responsibility a person can have is to love their child with 
all their heart. That is by far the most important thing. I'll never 
forget--I'll give you one quick--we're fine on time. I'll tell you a 
quick anecdote. One of my dearest friends in political life is Karen 
Hughes. She was one of the most powerful women ever in the White House, 
simply because she had complete access to the President and I trusted 
her. At the same time, by the way, in an office down the hall was 
Condoleezza Rice, also a very strong woman who I am very fond of and 
very close to.
    And Karen, one time, came in to see me, and she said, ``Mr. 
President, I'm having trouble at home''--not that she--she wasn't having 
trouble with her husband or her son--but, ``My son is unhappy.'' And my 
reaction instantly was, ``Karen, do whatever is necessary to make your 
family happy. That's the most important thing.'' And so she left, and 
she went back to Texas, and I missed her dearly. But priorities matter 
in life, and people are able to set priorities and, at the same time, 
live life to the fullest.
    And Karen is a good example. She got her son squared away; he's now 
at Stanford University. She's now back in Washington, working with Condi 
at the State Department. And my only advice is to, one, welcome women in 
society. I welcome them in the White House. My Presidency is more 
complete because some of my top advisers are very strong, capable women.
    Angela Merkel is somebody who is a joy to deal with. She bring an 
interesting----
    Ms. Christiansen. Why?
    The President. Well, because she's got a straightforward manner 
about herself that is--when she says something, you know she means it. 
She is what she is. She's not a fake. And when I sit there talking to 
Angela, I'm not saying I'm talking to--I don't think gender; I think 
strength of character. I think reliability. I think clear-headed 
thinking. I think of a fellow strategist as to how to solve problems.
    So, anyway, that's a long answer to a short question.

2006 World Cup

    Ms. Christiansen. I think for the two of us, we don't have soccer 
expert teams sitting here together, but anyway, I think you're a 
baseball fan----
    The President. I am a baseball fan--you're right.
    Ms. Christiansen. You are. Do you think you've turned a little bit 
into a soccer fan? I mean, your team is doing so well at the moment 
and----
    The President. That's what they tell me. I do know a little bit 
about the World Cup

[[Page 874]]

because I read a very interesting article about the German coach--and 
evidently he's a dynamic--you know, he's spending some time in 
California. And the World Cup is such a huge event that I think most 
Americans like me, who weren't raised on soccer, are beginning to pay 
attention to it. Now, I know that sounds like heresy in Germany.
    Ms. Christiansen. In Germany, yes. But think of just--I mean, that 
the American team could meet the Iranian team.
    The President. Yes, could be.
    Ms. Christiansen. What then?
    The President. Well, I don't view it that way. I view it as, I hope 
the American team does well. But this is a big event for Germany, and 
Germany will be a great host for the games. And obviously, I hope the 
American team does well--they're supposedly a good team.
    Ms. Christiansen. If they get world champion, you're coming for the 
final game?
    The President. I don't know--do you think I possibly would be 
invited? I don't know.
    Ms. Christiansen. We're very happy that you come over in July.
    The President. I'm looking forward it, and I want to thank you for 
this good interview.

Note: The interview was taped at 1:21 p.m. in the Diplomatic Reception 
Room at the White House for later broadcast. In his remarks, the 
President referred to Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Chancellor 
Gerhard Schroeder of Germany; President Vladimir Putin of Russia; 
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran; former President Saddam Hussein 
of Iraq; Prime Minister-designate Jawad al-Maliki, and Speaker of 
Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani of Iraq; senior Al Qaida associate Abu 
Musab Al Zarqawi; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan; and Jurgen 
Klinsmann, head coach, Germany's 2006 World Cup men's soccer team. The 
interviewer referred to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel. The 
transcript was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on May 7. A 
tape was not available for verification of the content of this 
interview.