[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 50 (Monday, December 18, 2006)]
[Pages 2152-2153]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Deputy President Tariq al-Hashimi of 
Iraq

December 12, 2006

    President Bush. It's been my honor to meet with the Vice President 
of Iraq again. I had the pleasure of meeting the Vice President in 
Baghdad. It was there that I invited him to come to Washington, DC, and 
I did so because I understand his importance to the future of Iraq.
    The Vice President has suffered unspeakable violence in his family. 
He's lost loved ones to violent action. And yet, in spite of his grief 
and in spite of pain in his heart, he was willing to work for a united 
Iraq and a peaceful Iraq, an Iraq that can govern itself and sustain 
itself and defend itself, a free Iraq that will be an ally in the war 
against extremists and radicals.
    And Mr. Vice President, I respect your courage, and I respect your 
advice.
    I spent time with the Vice President today talking about the 
conditions in Iraq and what the United States can do to help this Iraqi 
Government succeed. He brought me up to date on the terrible violence 
that is taking place in some of the neighborhoods in Baghdad. He spoke 
eloquently about the suffering that innocent families have gone through. 
And my heart goes out to those, Mr. Vice President, who have suffered at 
the hands of extremists and killers.
    Our objective is to help the Iraqi Government deal with the 
extremists and killers and support the vast majority of Iraqis who are 
reasonable people who want peace.
    And so, Mr. Vice President, my message to you today, and to the 
Iraqi people is, we want to help you. We want to help your Government be 
effective. We want your help--your Government live up to its words and 
ideals. And I thank you for being a leader of one aspect of Iraqi 
society--you're the leader of many Sunnis and you're committed to a 
government that is Shi'a, Sunni, Kurdish, and everybody else in your 
country, every other group in your country that will help us yield 
peace.
    And I welcome you, I thank you, and I praise your courage.

[[Page 2153]]

    Deputy President Hashimi. I would like to express my sincere thanks 
to Mr. President for the invitation, first of all, and too when he 
expedites my visit to the States, which left a really positive message 
to the Iraqi people that the American administration, while they are 
revising their strategy, they are looking for a balance and fair 
analysis from diversified leaders in Iraq.
    So this visit coming after the visit of Mr. Hakim, I would like also 
to express my appreciation to the unique and unforgettable commitment of 
the President when he said, and continued saying that we are committed 
to the success in Iraq. And I share his views and aspirations that there 
is no way but success in Iraq.
    We have no other option in Iraq but to achieve that success. And 
with the cooperation with our friends and Mr. President and the American 
administration, we will join forces to achieve that success in the 
foreseeable future.
    There is a chance, and I can assure you there is a great and real 
chance to get out of this present dilemma. It is a hard time that the 
Iraqis face in time being, but there is a light in the corridor. There 
is a chance, but we need a good will and a strong determination, the 
same strong determination that the Mr. President has. There will be a 
chance for the country and for Iraq to succeed.
    During my discussion and dialog with the Mr. President, I had really 
a frank and positive dialog and conversation. We tackled key issues. And 
hopefully at the end of the day, I would like to see my comments and 
observations welcomed, because at the end of the day, what I say to Mr. 
President is achieving--or could be seen as a genuine and--[inaudible]--
part in the way of achieving the success.
    I thank Mr. President again for the time given to myself and to my 
colleagues. And I leave United States with a great hope that we do have 
friends in Washington, that they are very much interested, in fact, to 
help us in these very difficult times, and to achieve the unforgettable, 
the long-waited success. Whatever the sacrifices, my family and the 
country, at the end of the day, we have no other option but to maintain 
this momentum and to struggle until we meet that success, inshallah.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:51 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. Deputy President Hashimi referred to Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, 
chairman, Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.