[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 26 (Monday, July 7, 2008)]
[Pages 939-943]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference

July 2, 2008

    The President. Good morning. Next week, I'm going to travel to Japan 
for the eighth and final G-8 summit of my Presidency.
    At recent summits, G-8 countries have made pledges to help 
developing nations address challenges, from health care to education to 
corruption. Now we need to show the world that the G-8 can be 
accountable for its promises and deliver results. As I said the other 
day, we need people who not only make promises but write checks, for the 
sake of human rights and human dignity and for the sake of peace.
    Accountability is really important when it comes to our work on the 
continent of Africa. In 2005, G-8 leaders promised to double development 
assistance to Africa by 2010. America is on track to meet our 
commitments. And in Japan, I'll urge other leaders to fulfill their 
commitments as well.
    We must also fulfill our commitments in the battle against HIV/AIDS 
and malaria. I've asked Congress to reauthorize and expand the Emergency 
Plan for AIDS Relief, doubling our funding for this vital effort. It's 
very important that Congress reauthorize this plan, but in the meantime, 
we're fulfilling our promises that we made, not only to--at the G-8, but 
more importantly, to the people of--on the continent of Africa.
    It's important that over the next 5 years that we support 
antiretroviral treatment for approximately 2.5 million people; that we 
prevent 12 million new AIDS infections; and that we care for 12 million 
people also affected by HIV/AIDS, including 5 million orphans and 
vulnerable children. Last year, the G-8 agreed to meet those 
commitments; they agreed to match. They also agreed to help us reduce 
malaria in affected countries by half. And I just--I hope that these 
countries understand the great promise and hope that comes when we help 
alleviate this suffering. And so one of my really important agenda items 
is going to rally our partners to make commitments and meet commitments.
    We'll also discuss additional steps to confront some other 
challenges, such as the need to train health care workers in G-8 partner 
countries in Africa. It's one thing to say we're going to help people 
with their--deal with disease, but a lot of these countries need workers 
that are capable of helping, of reaching out to people in need. We 
should set a goal to treat at least 75 percent of the people with 
neglected tropical diseases in the most affected countries. We've got to 
work

[[Page 940]]

to confront higher food prices. I'm confident we'll be talking about 
energy and food.
    On the food issue, I've announced that the United States would make 
available nearly $1 billion in new resources to bolster global food 
security. Once again, I'll be going to the G-8 and talking about the 
great compassion and concern of the American people in addressing 
problems.
    At Toyako, I'll also ask leaders of the 
G-8 to make other important strategic moves to alleviate hunger, such as 
increasing the shipments of food, fertilizers, and seeds to countries in 
need. It's one thing to talk about the problem; this is a practical way 
to help countries deal with the lack of food.
    We need to help severely affected nations grow more of their own 
food. It's one thing to provide food; it seems like--to make sense to me 
to say, we're going to help you become more agriculturally self-
sustaining. This has been a issue in the United States Congress, by the 
way. Unfortunately, we tried to get this in the farm bill. Our Members 
of Congress decided against this plan, this way forward. But it makes 
sense for the United States, if we're going to be providing food aid, to 
encourage people to grow their own food so we don't have to deal with 
this problem on a regular basis.
    I'm also going to make sure that the world understands the 
importance of advanced agricultural technologies, including 
biotechnology, to help nations grow food so they don't have to come to 
the world for help. We'll also be talking about export restrictions and 
tariffs and subsidies. We will work to tear down barriers to trade and 
investment around the world. It's an opportunity for those of us in the 
G-8 and the other nations coming to talk about a successful round of 
Doha. The United States is firmly committed to Doha. We're working hard 
to get this done by the end of the year, and it will be a good 
opportunity in Japan to discuss what we need to do together to open up 
market access and to reduce agricultural subsidies.
    We'll be talking about energy security and, of course, at the same 
time, the climate change issue. I'll be reminding people that we can 
have better energy security and we can be better stewards of the 
environment without sacrificing economic growth.
    And the principle is pretty simple. It's going to be hard to have 
the amount of money necessary to invest in new technologies if we don't 
have the money to spend, and therefore, we need to make sure our 
economies are vibrant.
    We're now implementing new mandatory programs that will reduce 
billions of tons of emissions. I'll remind people at the G-8 and other 
nations that we're taking effective steps. We're going to make available 
more than $40 billion in loan guarantee authority to support private 
sector incentives and innovative clean energy technologies.
    The 2009 budget requests more than $4 billion to support 
technologies that have the potential to avoid, reduce, and sequester 
greenhouse gases. In other words, we've got a strong agenda when it 
comes to providing money to encourage the advent of new technologies. 
And as well, when--we'll be meeting with leaders of the major economies 
to discuss shared strategies and practical actions for addressing 
greenhouse gas emissions. This is called the major economies process 
that we proposed and G-8 leaders endorsed.
    All this is aiming, by the way, to develop a strategy in which major 
economies are a part of the strategy. Look, we can't have an effective 
agreement unless China and India are a part of it. It's as simple as 
that. I'm going to remind our partners that's the case. And we want the 
United Nations Framework Convention to be effective. And so we've got to 
reach common ground on how to proceed.
    And we're making some progress there, including the knowledge that 
we've got to have a long-term emissions reduction goal, midterm goals 
with national plans to achieve them, and cooperation in key industrial 
sectors.
    And also we're going to talk about the struggle against violent 
extremists. The temptation is to kind of say, well, maybe this isn't 
really a war; maybe this is just a bunch of disgruntled folks that 
occasionally come and hurt us. That, you know--that's not the way I feel 
about it. This is an ongoing, constant struggle to defend our own 
security and, at the same time, help people realize the blessings of 
liberty. I'll, of course, talk about Afghanistan and Iraq, and ask the 
G-8 to continue to help.

[[Page 941]]

    So this is an historic opportunity to meet, to exchange ideas, and 
to address some of the problems we all face. And I'm looking forward to 
going. And now I'll be glad to answer a couple of questions.
    Deb [Deb Riechmann, Associated Press].

Afghanistan/U.S. Troop Levels

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. June was the deadliest month for U.S. 
troops in--since we began the war in Afghanistan. Has Afghanistan 
replaced Iraq as the central front of the war on terror? And is Al Qaida 
and the Taliban taking the upper hand? And also, is it possible that we 
could send additional U.S. troops there sooner than the 2009 date that 
you've been talking about?
    The President. First of all, any time a troop loses their life, 
whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere, our hearts go out to 
their families. And I am so appreciative that, in a time of danger, 
Americans are willing to step up and volunteer and sacrifice.
    Secondly, it has been a tough month in Afghanistan, but it's also 
been a tough month for the Taliban. You know, one reason why there have 
been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough 
enemy. You know, an enemy who doesn't like our presence there because 
they don't like the idea of America denying safe haven. America is 
pressing an ideology that's opposite of theirs, and so, of course, 
there's going to be resistance.
    I am confident that the strategy is going to work, which is to 
confront the Taliban, confront elements of Al Qaida, and, at the same 
time, encourage the growth of a free society by good economic policy, 
good education policy, and good health policy.
    We're constantly reviewing troop needs, troop levels. We're halfway 
through 2008; as I said, we're going to increase troops by 2009. One 
thing, however, that you've got to understand is that we have doubled 
Afghan troops--coalition troops have doubled from 2 years ago. So there 
is an active presence, and there are more troops there than there were. 
But we're constantly reassessing and seeing whether or not we can change 
tactics in order to achieve our objective.
    Toby [Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters].

U.S. Monetary Policy/Energy

    Q. What do you realistically expect to accomplish at the G-8 to deal 
with soaring oil prices and the weak dollar, which are having effects on 
the U.S. economy? Even the Chinese now are saying that the United States 
needs to stabilize the dollar.
    The President. Yes. Well, we're strong-dollar people in this 
administration and have always been for a strong dollar and believe that 
the relative strengths of our economy will reflect that. One thing we 
need to make clear when I'm with our partners is that we're not going to 
become protectionists; that we believe in free trade and open markets. 
One of the fears around the world is the United States becomes a 
protectionist nation.
    Secondly, I'll remind people it took us a while to get into the 
energy situation we're in, and it's going to take us a while to get out 
of it. But one thing is for certain here in the United States, that we 
can help alleviate shortages by drilling for oil and gas in our own 
country. Something I've been advocating ever since I've been the 
President. I've been reminding our people that we can do so in 
environmentally friendly ways. And yet, the Congress, the Democratically 
controlled Congress now has refused to budge. It makes no sense for--to 
watch these gasoline prices rise when we know we can help affect the 
supply of crude oil, which should affect the supply of gasoline prices.
    And so, yes, we'll be talking about energy. Ultimately, of course, 
we're going to transition away from hydrocarbons. But we're now just in 
a transitional period, and we need more oil to be able to do so. And I'm 
also going to remind people that our habits are changing. Do you notice 
in these newspapers that automobile sales have slowed down dramatically 
as automobile manufacturers shift from cars that are using more gasoline 
to cars that are more efficient, more fuel efficient?
    And I'll also tell them, it's a tough period for American consumers. 
I mean, nobody likes high gasoline prices, and I fully understand why 
Americans are concerned about gasoline prices. But I want them to 
understand fully that we have got the opportunity to find more crude oil 
here at home, in environmentally friendly ways. And they ought to be 
writing their Congresspeople about it.

[[Page 942]]

And they ought to say, ``You ought to be opening up ANWR and Outer 
Continental Shelf and increasing oil shale exploration for the sake of 
our consumers, as well as become less dependent on oil.''
    McKinnon [John McKinnon, Wall Street Journal].

Environment/Technology/Trade

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Can you tell me what is the outlook for 
getting an agreement with the emerging economies that will limit 
emissions in a meaningful way in the midterm? What's the outlook for 
that, and how----
    The President. Yes, well, the first thing, John, is to make sure we 
get a understanding that all of us need to agree on a long-term goal. 
And part of the reluctance has been--on some nations that are major 
economies--to participate at all, because initially, I'm confident, they 
thought they were going to get a free pass from any international 
agreement. I mean, after all, the Kyoto international agreement excluded 
major economies. And therefore, they probably think, well, maybe history 
will repeat itself.
    The idea is to say, look, we want to be effective. Effectiveness 
comes when major economies come to the table. The first step is to agree 
to a long-term goal. And I've talked to our sherpa about that, and he 
feels pretty good that people are now coming to that clear understanding 
that we're going to have to come to a long-term goal. Hopefully we can 
do it at this meeting. If not, we'll continue to press forward to get it 
done.
    Secondly, one of the--a lot of the developing world says, well, it's 
unfair; the developed world gets to develop, and we don't. Well, our 
attitude about that is, why don't we set up a technology fund; and 
that--make it easier for people to be able to afford the new 
technologies that nations like ours and others will bring to the 
marketplace.
    Thirdly, if you really do want to make sure technologies move around 
the world, we got to reduce these trade barriers and tariffs that 
prohibit technologies from moving like they should.
    And so, we'll see, John. I mean, this is a tough issue. It's tough 
to get consensus. People--there's a consensus that it's a problem, but 
it's tough to get a consensus that all of us have a responsibility to do 
something about it--not just some, but all of us, so that whatever we do 
is effective.
    Bret Baier [FOX News].

Iran

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. There have been a spate of recent 
stories about possible military action against Iran before the end of 
the year, if not by the U.S. then by Israel. And that prompted Iranian 
officials to say, if they're attacked, they'll essentially shut down the 
Strait of Hormuz. One, how confident are you that Israel will not act 
independently as the diplomatic process moves forward? And two, what do 
you make of the mixed messages out of Iran--one of defiance and one of 
willingness to negotiate?
    The President. I have always said that all options are on the table, 
but the first option for the United States is to solve this problem 
diplomatically. I've also make it clear--made it clear that you can't 
solve a problem diplomatically unless there are other people at the 
table with you. And that is why we have been pursuing multilateral 
diplomacy when it comes to convincing the Iranians that the free world 
is sincere about, you know, insisting that they not have the 
technologies necessary to develop a nuclear weapon.
    And we're making progress along those lines. There's been the 
numerous Security Council resolutions. And in my recent trip to Europe, 
I was very encouraged to see these leaders stand up and speak out about 
the need to keep our coalition active and keep the pressure on.
    I will talk to Martha Raddatz [ABC News].

Israel/Iran

    Q. Let me follow up on that. Would you strongly discourage Israel 
from going after Iran militarily? And do you believe, when you leave 
office, Iran will be pursuing a nuclear weapon?
    The President. I have made it very clear to all parties that the 
first option ought to be to solve this problem diplomatically. And the 
best way to solve it diplomatically is for the United States to work 
with other nations to send a focused message, and that is, that

[[Page 943]]

you will be isolated and you will have economic hardship if you continue 
trying to enrich.
    As you might remember, I worked closely with Vladimir Putin on this 
issue. When I said that--when asked at one of these innumerable press 
conferences, ``Did you--do you think they ought to have a civilian 
nuclear program?'' I said, ``Of course, they should, but they can't be 
trusted to enrich.''
    And therefore, I agree with Russia that Russia--when Russia said she 
will provide enriched uranium for a civilian nuclear power program and 
will collect the enriched uranium, thereby negating the need for the 
Iranian regime to enrich at all.
    And so we will continue working diplomatically.
    Listen, thank you very much. I've enjoyed being with you. I hope 
you've enjoyed being with me. You haven't? Thank you.

Note: The President's news conference began at 10:31 a.m. in the Rose 
Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Deputy 
National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs Daniel M. 
Price, in his capacity as personal representative (sherpa) for the 
President in preparations for the G-8 summit; and Prime Minister 
Vladimir Putin of Russia, in his former capacity as President of Russia.