Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents 2007-01-08: Vol 43 Iss 1

3.8 MB·English

Weekly Compilation of
Presi lential
Documents
Contents
Addresses and Remarks Letters and Messages
See also Appointments and Nominations; Eid al-Adha, message—]
Meetings With Foreign Leaders New Year’s Day, message
Cabinet meeting—4
President Gerald R. Ford, eulogy at the Meetings With Foreign Leaders
national funeral service—3 Germany, Chancellor Merkel—5
Radio address—1
Statements by the President
Appointments and Nominations
Iraq, death of former President Saddam
Office of the Director of National
Hussein—1
Intellligence, Director of National
Intelligence, remarks—10
Supplementary Materials
State Department, Deputy Secretary of State,
remarks—10 Acts approved by the President—13
Checklist of White House press releases—12
Interviews With the News Media
Digest of other White House
News conference with Chancellor Merkel of announcements—1 1
Germany, January 4—5 Nominations submitted to the Senate—12
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF
Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu-
ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402
PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS
The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents will be
furnished by mail to domestic subscribers for $80.00 per year
Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Reg- $137.00 for mailing first class) and to foreign subscribers for
ister, National Archives and Records Administration, Washing- $93.75 per year payable to the Superintendent of Documents
ton, DC 20408, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The
ments contains statements, messages, and other Presidential charge for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing)
materials released by the White House during the preceding The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is also
week
available on the Internet on the GPO Access service at http
The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub- www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/index.html
lished pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Reg-
There are no restrictions on the republication of material
ister Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under
appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu-
regulations prescribe d by the Administrative Committee of the ments
Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607
1 CFR Part 10
Week Ending Friday, January 5, 2007
Statement on the Death of Former For Muslims in America and around the
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq world, Eid al-Adha is an important occasion
to give thanks for their blessings and to re-
December29 , 2006
member Abraham's trust in a loving God.
Today Saddam Hussein was executed after During the four days of this special observ-
receiving a fair trial—the kind of justice he ance, Muslims honor Abraham’s example of
denied the victims of his brutal regime sacrifice and devotion to God by celebrating
Fair trials were unimaginable under Sad- with friends and family, exchangingg ifts and
dam Hussein’s tyrannical rule It is a testa- greetings, and engaging in worship through
ment to the [raqi people’s resolve to move sacrifice and charity.
forward after decades of oppression that, de- America is a more hopeful Nation because
spite his terrible crimes against his own peo- of the talents, generosity, and compassion of
ple, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial. our Muslim citizens. This holiday reminds us
This would not have been possible without of the values that so many of our citizens
the [raqi people s determination to create a hold in common, including love of family,
society governed by the rule of law gratitude to God, the importance of commu-
Saddam Hussein s execution comes at the nity, and a commitment to re spect, dive rsity,
end of a difficult year for the [raqi people tolerance, and religious freedom.
and for our troops. Bringing Saddam Hussein Laura and I offer our best wishes for a
» Justice will not end the violence in [raq, memorable holiday.
but it is an important milestone on Iraq's George W. Bush
course to becoming 1 democr: icy that can
govern, sustain, me de re nd i tself and be an NoTe: An _ original was not available for
all]y i’ n t]h e war - on terr- o1 verification of the content of this message. This
} item was not received in time for publication in
We are reminded today of how far the
the appropriate issue,
lraqi people have come since the end ol Sad-
dam Hussein's rule and that the progress
they have made would not have been pos- The President’s Radio Address
sible without the continued service and sac- December 30, 2006
rifice of our men and women in uniform
Many difficult choices ~ further SaC- Good morning. This week, as Americans
—_— lie ahead. Yet the safety and security prepare to welcome a new year, we do so
of the American peop le re quire that we not with heavy hearts and fond memories of our
a ‘nt in ensuring that Iraq’s young democ- 38th President, Gerald R. Ford. We mourn
racy continues to progress the passing of a courageous leader, a true
gentleman, and a loving father and husband.
NOTI This item was not received in time for pub On behaloff a ll Americans, Laura and I send
licatiino tnh e appropriat e issue our prayers and condolences to Mrs. Ford
and the entire Ford family.
Gerald Ford was a great man who devoted
Message on the Observance of the best years of his long life to public serv-
Eid al-Adha ice. e fought for his country during World
December 29, 2006 War After returning home, he won the
first of1 3 elections to the United States Con-
I send holiday greetings to all Muslims gress. The people of Michigan admired his
gathered to celebrate Eid al-Adha. dedication and decency, and so did his fellow
Dec. 30 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2006
Members of Congress. Gerald Ford rose to President Ford. I’ve ordered flags to fly at
become a leader of his party, and he earned halfstaff for 30 days in his honor. This week-
the respect and good will of all who had the end, his body will lie in state at the United
privilege of knowing him. States Capitol. And on Tuesday, Laura and
Gerald Ford always believed in the impor- I will join former Presidents Clinton, Bush,
tance of answering the call to duty, and he and Carter at a funeral service at the National
was there for the Nation when we needed Cathedral as part of a National Day of
him most. In December 1973, he accepted Mourning.
the responsibilities of the Vice Presidency. Gerald Ford’s life spanned nine decades
And the following August, he became Presi- and took him from the football fields of his
dent of the United States without ever seek- boyhood in Michigan to the halls of power
ing the office. Providence gave us Gerald in Washington, DC. At every stage of his
Ford’s steady hand and calm leadership dur- journey, he displayed a decency, patriotism,
ing a time of great division and turmoil. He and courage that Americans will always ad-
guided America through a crisis of con- mire. As we say goodbye to the year 2006,
fidence and helped our Nation mend its we bid farewell to one of the finest public
wounds by restoring faith in our system of servants America has ever known. We give
government. thanks for the gift of his remarkable life, for
In his 22 years as President, Gerald Ford the caring man who touched so many lives,
distinguished himself as a man of integrity and the wise President who helped heal our
and selfless dedication. He always put the Nation.
needs of his country before his own and did May God bless Gerald R. Ford. Thank you
what he thought was right, even when those for listening.
decisions were unpopular. Only years later
would Americans come to fully appreciate Nore: The address was recorded at 8:20 a.m. on
the foresight and wisdom of this good man. December 29 at the Bush Ranch in Crawford,
TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 30.
In recent years, Americans have honored
The transcript was made available by the Office
Gerald Ford with the Presidential Medal of
of the Press Secretary on December 29 but was
Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal,
embargoed for release until the broadcast. The
and the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Office of the Press Secretary also released a Span-
Award. ish language transcript of this address.
Through it all, Gerald Ford stayed true to
the values that first led him to a life of public
service, and he helped share that spirit with Message on the Observance of
a future generation of leaders. He served as New Year’s Day, 2007
a mentor for Vice President Dick Cheney, December 31, 2006
former Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld,
former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Over the past year, we have reached im-
Alan Greenspan, and many others. He portant goals and confronted new challenges.
brought out the best in those around him At the start of this New Year, we move for-
and in our wholeN ation. ward with trust in the power of the American
To the end, Gerald Ford never lost the spirit, confidence in our purpose, and faith
spirit that Americans grew to admire so in a loving God who created us to be free.
much. This spring, I visited President and In 2006, the number of jobs steadily in-
Mrs. Ford at their home in Rancho Mirage, creased, wages grew, the unemployment rate
California. At age 92 and battling health dropped, and we achieved our goal of cutting
problems, he was still telling jokes and dis- the deficit in half three years ahead of sched-
playing the optimism that helped guide our ule. Thanks to the hard work and innovation
Nation through some of its darkest hours. of the American people, our economy has
Now America will stand with the members been growing faster than any other major de-
of the Ford family in the difficult hours and veloped nation. Significant tax relief has
days ahead. Across the country, there has helped our citizens keep more of what they
been an outpouring of grief and affection for earn and fuel an economy that is vigorous
Administration of George W. Bush, 2007 / Jan. 2 3
and healthy. My Administration will continue America found a man whose character and
to work to he Ip create more jobs, reduce the leadership would bring calm and healing to
deficit, and spread prosperity to all our citi- one of the most divisive moments in our Na-
Zens. tion’s history.
Last year, America continued its mission Long before he was known in Washington,
to fight and win the war on terror and pro- Gerald Ford showed his character and his
mote liberty as an alternative to tyranny and leadership. As a star football player for the
despair. In the New Year, we will remain on University of Michigan, he came face to face
the offensive against the enemies of freedom, with racial prejudice when Georgia Tech
advance the security of our country, and work came to Ann Arbor for a football game. One
toward a free and unified Iraq. Defeating ter- of Michigan’s best players was an African
rorists and extremists is the challenge of our American student named Willis Ward. Geor-
time, and we will answer history’s call with gia Tech said they would not take the field
confidence and fight for liberty without wa- if a black man were allowed to play. Gerald
vering. Ford was furious at Georgia Tech for making
Our Nation depends on the fine men and the demand and for the University of Michi-
women in uniform who serve our country gan for caving in. He agreed to play only after
with valor and distinction, and we remain Willis Ward personally asked him to. The
mindful of their dedication and sacrifice. stand Gerald Ford took that day was never
America’s troops and their families exemplify forgotten by his friend. And Gerald Ford
the great character of our country, and they never forgot that day either—and three dec-
have earned the1 r espect and admiration of ades later, he proudly supported the Civil
a grateful Nation Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in the
As we celebrate the New Year, we look United States Congress.
with hope to the year ahead and the opportu- Gerald Ford showed his character in the
nities it will bring devotion to his family. On the day he became
Laura and I send our best wishes for a President, he told the Nation, “I am indebted
happy New Year. May God bless you, may to no man and only to one woman—to my
God bless our troops and theirf ‘ amilies, and dear wife.” By then Betty Ford had a pretty
may God bless America. good idea of what marriage to Gerald Ford
involved. After all, their wedding had taken
George W. Bush
place less than 3 weeks before his first elec-
NOTE: An original was not available for tion to the United States Congress, and his
verification of the content of this message idea of a honeymoon was driving to Ann
Arbor with his bride so they could attend a
brunch before the Michigan-Northwestern
Eulogy at the National Funeral game the next day. [Laughter] And that was
Service for Former President the beginning of a great marriage. The Fords
Gerald R. Ford would have four fine children. And Steve,
January 2, 2007 Jack, Mike, and Susan know that, as proud
as their dad was of being President, Gerald
Mrs. Ford; the Ford family; distinguished Ford was even prouder of the other titles
guests, including our Presidents and First La- he held: father and grandfather and great-
dies; and our fellow citizens: grandfather.
We are here today to say goodbye to a Gerald Ford showed his character in the
great man. Gerald Ford was born and reared uniform of our country. When Pearl Harbor
in the American heartland. He belonged to was attacked in December 1941, Gerald
a generation that measured men by their Ford was an attorney fresh out of Yale Law
honesty and their courage. He grew to man- School, but when his Nation called, he did
hood under the roof of a loving mother and not hesitate. In early 1942 he volunteered
father. And when times were tough, he took for the Navy and, after receiving his commis-
part-time jobs to help them out. In President sion, worked hard to get assigned to a ship
Ford, the world saw the best of America, and headed into combat. Eventually his wish was
4 Jan.2 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2007
granted, and Lieutenant Ford was assigned that helped restore trust in the workings of
to the aircraft carrier USS Monterey, which our democracy.
saw action in some of the biggest battles of Laura and I had the honor of hosting the
the Pacific. Ford family for Gerald Ford’s 90th birthday.
Gerald Ford showed his character in pub- It’s one of the highlights of our time in the
lic office. As a young Congressman, he White House. I will always cherish the mem-
earned a reputation for an ability to get along ory of the last time I saw him this past year
with others without compromising his prin- in California. He was still smiling, still count-
ciples. He was greatly admired by his col- ing himself lucky to have Betty at his side,
leagues, and they trusted him a lot. And so and still displaying the optimism and gen-
when President Nixon needed to replace a erosity that made him one of America’s most
Vice President who had resigned in scandal, beloved leaders.
he naturally turned to a man whose name And so, on behalf of a grateful nation, we
was a synonym for integrity: Gerald R. Ford. bid farewell to our 38th President. We thank
And 8 months later, when he was elevated the Almighty for Gerald Ford’s life, and we
to the Presidency, it was because America ask for God’ s blessings on Gerald Ford and
needed him, not because he needed the of- his family.
fice.
President Ford assumed office at a terrible NOTE: The President spoke at 11:20 a.m. at the
time in our Nation’s history. At home, Amer- National Cathedral.
ica was divided by political turmoil and
wracked by inflation. In Southeast Asia, Sai-
gon fell just 9 months into his Presidency. Remarks Following a Cabinet
Amid all the turmoil, Gerald Ford was a rock Meeting
of stability. And when he put his hand on January 3, 2007
his family Bible to take the Presidential oath
of office, he brought grace to a moment of Thank you all. We just finished our first
great doubt. Cabinet meeting of 2007. I want to thank
In a short time, the gentleman from Grand my Cabinet officers for joining me here. We
Rapids proved that behind the affability was discussed our priorities for the next 2 years
firm resolve. When a U.S. ship called the Ma- and how we plan to achieve them. The Con-
yaguez was seized by Cambodia, President gress has changed; our obligations to the
Ford made the tough decision to send in the country haven't changed.
Marines, and all the:c rew members were res- Tomorrow Members of the 110th Con-
cued. He was criticized for signing the Hel- gress will take their oaths of office, and I
sinki accords, yet history has shown that doc- congratulate them. I welcome their arrival
ument helped bring down the Soviet Union, into town. I’m looking forward to working
as courageous men and women behind the with them and so are members of my Cabi-
Iron Curtain used it to demand their God- net. We've all been entrusted with public of-
given liberties. Twice assassins attempted to fice at a momentous time in our Nation’s his-
take the life of this good and decent man, tory, and together we have important things
yet he refused to curtail his public appear- to do. It’s time to set aside politics and focus
ances. And when he thought that theN ation on the future.
needed to put Watergate behind us, he made I've been encouraged by the productive
the tough and decent decision to pardon meetings that I’ve hak with many of the new
President Nixon, even though that decision leaders of Congress, people from both par-
probably cost him the Presidential election. ties. I want to thank them for coming down
Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency to the White House and talking to me about
when the Nation needed a leader of char- their ambitions and their goals for our coun-
acter and humility—and we found it in the try. I'm hopeful that Republicans and Demo-
man from Grand Rapids. President Ford’s crats can find common ground to serve our
time in office was brief, but history will long folks, to do our jobs, to be constructive for
remember the courage and common sense our country.
Administraotfi Goeonr ge W. Bush, 2007 Jan. 4 5
One area where we must work together rent levels of spending without additional
is that we’ve got to make sure we spend the earmarks. They agreed to a temporary mora-
people’s money wisely Over the past few torium on all earmarks. And this is a good
years, progrowth economic policies have gen- start, and I appreciate their position. I also
erated higher revenues Togethe r with appreciate the fact that House Republicans
spending restraint, these policies allowed us last fall passed strong earmark reform idea—
to meet our goal of cutting the budget deficit put forth earmark reform ideas. And I appre-
In half 3 years ahead of schedule We did ciate their hard work, but we need to do
so without taxing the working people. We more.
kept taxes low Here’s my own view to end the “dead of
It’s now time to take the next step Next the night” process: Congress needs to adopt
month I will submit a 5-year budget proposal real reform that requires full disclosure of
that will balance the Federal budget by 2012. the sponsors, the costs, the recipients, and
This budget will restrain spending while set- the justifications for every earmark. Congress
ting priorities. It will address the most urgent needs to stop the practice of concealing ear-
needs of our Nation, in particular the need marks in so-called report language, and Con-
to protect ourselves from radicals and terror- gress needs to cut the number and cost of
ists, the need to win the war on terro1 the earmarks next year by at least half.
need to maintain a strong national defense, To help rein in wasteful spending and re-
and the need to kee p this economy growing store fiscal discipline in Washington, I call
by making tax relief permanent on Congress to give the President the tool
By balancing _ the budget through that 43 Governors have, a line-item veto.
progrowth economic policies and spending These are just a few of the issues that we’re
restraint, we are better positioned to tackle going to need to work on in the year ahead.
longer term fiscal challenges facing our coun- This new year brings new opportunities for
try, namely the entitlement programs. These progress, and I’m looking forward to working
programs need to be reformed for the sake with the new Congress.
of younger Americans. We need to reform Thank you for your time.
Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid
so future generations of Americans can ben- NoTE: The President spoke at 10:19 a.m. in the
efit from these vital programs without bank- Rose Garden at the White House.
ruptouir ncougntr y
Another area where we can work together
is to reform the earmark process. One impor- The President’s News Conference
tant message we all should take from the With Chancellor Angela Merkel of
elections is that people want to end the secre- Germany
tive process by which Washington insiders January 4, 2007
are able to get billions of dollars directed to
projects, many of them pork barrel projects, President Bush. Madam _ Chancellor,
that have never been reviewed or voted on thank you. Welcome back to Washington. It’s
by the Congress. good to welcome you here to the White
Some of the earmarks are not even in- House. And Laura and I are looking forward
cluded in the legislation. They are stuffed to feeding you dinner. I’m not so sure it’s
into committee reports that have never been going to be as good a dinner as the barbecue
passed and are never signed into law. Ear- you fed us—{laughter |—but we'll try.
marks often divert precious funds from vital This new year marks the beginning of Ger-
priorities like national defense, and each year many’s Presidency of both the EU and the
they cost the taxpayers billions of dollars. G-8. And we just had a wide-ranging discus-
I appreciate the fact that Senator Byrd and sion about a lot of issues. We talked about
Congressman Obey, the Democrats who will the Chancellor's ambitious agenda for both
lead the appropriations process in the new those leadership roles. We discussed how we
Congress, heard the same message. For this can continue to work together to promote
year’s budget, they pledged to maintain cur- prosperity and security and peace.
Jan. 4 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2007
We spent time talking about Afghanistan, there to be not only security but goods and
and I appreciate very much, Madam Chan- supplies provided to the peo ple that suffer
cellor, your support for the people of Afghan- there. And Madam Chancellor understands
istan. You take your NATO commitments se- the issue. I appreciate the fact that German
riously. We’re proud to serve alongside such planes are flying relief into Darfur. Your
a strong ally. great country is making a strong commit-
We talked about Iran, and I thanked Chan- ment, and we look forward to working with
cellor Merkel’s strong support for a Chapter you as the head of the EU as well, to help
VII Iranian—Chapter VII United Nations end the suffering there in that part of Africa.
Security Council resolution on Iran. It was We talked about trade. We’re committed
an important message to send Iran, that the to the Doha round. We've got hard work to
free world wants there to be a peaceful fu- do to overcome our obstacles. But we spent
ture. And we don’t see a peaceful future with a—we had a good, frank discussion on the
the Iranians developing a nuclear weapon.
subject. Jose Barroso and his trade minister
And so I want to thank you for your leader-
will be coming to the United States on Mon-
ship, Madam Chancellor. We're going to
day; we'll continue to further our dialog on
continue to work together on the Iranian
Doha. But I believe we can get a deal done—
issue. It’s important for us to follow through
it’s just going to take a lot a will and a lot
in order—on this Chapter VII resolution in
of hard work to do it. I know it is going to
order to solve this issue peacefully.
be necessary if we really do want to deal with
We ialked about the Israeli-Palestinian
global poverty, to have a successful round at
issue. And Madam Chancellor had a good
Doha. Trade is the best way to help poor
idea to convene the Quartet, which I agreed
nations develop their economy so that people
to. I think the Quartet ought to meet at an
can realize the benefits of wealth moving
appropriate time. Condoleezza Rice will be
throughout their society.
going to the Middle East here shortly. She'll
We talked about climate change. And I as-
come back to report to not only me but also
sured the Chancellor that I’ve been com-
to the Chancellor, about how we can move
mitted to promoting new technologies that
the process forward. We’re committed
will promote energy efficiency, and at the
strongly committed to a two-state solution
same time, do a better job of protecting the
with Israeli and Palestine living side by side
in peace, two democracies supporting each world’s environment. And I believe there’s
other's rights to exist. I’m optimistic that we a chance now to put behind us the old, stale
can achieve that objective; I’m looking for- debates of the past and focus on techno-
ward to working with the Chancellor to do logical developments that will enable us to
so. be good stewards of the environment, and
We talked about Lebanon. And one thing at the same time, enable us to become less
is for certain, this administration—and I’m dependent on oil and hydrocarbons from
confident Chancellor Merkel as well—will parts of the world that may not like us.
support the Siniora Government. Isn’t it Here in the United States, we're going
amazing that young democracies are con- full-steam ahead with new technologies that
stantly attacked by radicals and extremists, will change the way we drive our cars and
and Lebanon is such an example. And I be- power our homes and light our streets. And
lieve those of us who are fortunate enough so, Madam Chancellor, we’ve discussed a lot.
to live in free societies have an obligation We'll have a chance to further our discus-
to support democracies like that of Lebanon. sions over dinner. I’m so happy you're here.
We talked about Darfur. I appreciate very I appreciate you taking time to come and
much Chancellor Merkel’s deep concern for visit. The floor is yours.
the suffering that goes on in Darfur. You may Chancellor Merkel. and the G-8
realize that my administration has called the Presidency and the fact that this trip here
suffering there a genocide. We take the issue to Washington happens today are certainly
very seriously. We expect the Bashir Govern- not a matter of coincidence, but it is clearly
ment to make more progress toward allowing an expression of the fact that we share values,
Administration of George W. Bush 2007 / Jan
that there are a lot of common interests be- It’s certainly an uphill battle. I always de-
tween our two countmes and that there is scribe it as a sort of thick board that needs
also a lot of need for enhanced cooperation to be chalked at. And what we’re dealing here
between the European Union and the with is, for example, patent laws, inter-
United States of America. We clearly are in national financial markets, protection of in-
need of that cooperation in order to make tellectual property rights, and so on.
further progress in solving the problems be- We also talked about the international situ-
settthei wnorlgd of today ation, the situation particularly here in the
There are a lot of issues that we debated Middle East. We thought that, for example,
here today that have clearly a connection to in the framework of the Quartet, the Euro-
our presence in the European Union The pean Union can do a lot in order to bring
Doha round is one issue that comes to mind. about a solution to the problems besetting
We would like to cooperate very closely on the Middle East. I’m delighted to hear that
that. We are all aware of the fact that this Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going
window of opportunity that we have is closing to go to the region shortly. I think this is
fast. We need to act swiftly. And it was with the right point in time to take some time
great pleasure that this is, indeed, an issue and reflect what the Quartet can actually do
that is very important not only to the Euro- in order to bring about a solution.
pean Union but also to th e United States of We would like the European Union to
America speak with one and the same voice, saying
We will have to further exchange also our we want a two-state solution, we want the
views with the G—20 in order to achieve an recognition of Israel, of the state of Israel
objective that is in our interest and is in their by the Palestinians, we want to strengthen
interest, that helps them to get access to our President Abbas, and we also want to
markets and that also helps us strengthen, bolster the evolution of a
There will be a G 8 meeting later on in strong Lebanon. We discussed this today too,
the year, and there will be issues related to and we also discussed the measures that we
that that will deal with the climate change, think need to be taken.
is one. I was delighted to hear that there is We cooperate very well in Afghanistan. It
a readiness here, and we shall continue to was an issue that we discussed at greater
work on this—our experts, indeed, work on length during the NATO meeting in Riga.
this There will be by the end of January, be a
On the one hand, we obviously need eco- NATO meeting on that particular issue. I
nomic growth. But on the other hand, a re- think this is going to be actually very impor-
duction, also, of greenhouse gases. We were tant, that particular meeting—in order to
at one on this. And energy efficiency is the take up where we left off in Riga—to con-
primary goal that we need to attain. There centrate on military projects, obviously, but
are a lot of areas where we are confident also to give a very strong boost to civilian
we can cooperate, starting from biofuels to projects so that we might continue to build
new technologies that we are going to de- on what we agreed during the last NATO
velop. Between the European Union and the meeting.
United States, I think there is a wide scope Obviously, we also talked about the situa-
for further talks on this. tion in Iraq. Allow me to say, although Ger-
We also talked about this project of a fu- many is not militarily present in Iraq, we
ture common market, the joint efforts to have every interest in seeing Iraq taking a
make our economic forces so efficient that turn for a more peaceful development, where
these economies, our two economies that, people no longer need to be in fear of their
after all, rest on one and the same values, lives, and that politically we shall do every-
can be rendered more efficient. There will thing we can in order to give support to such
be close contacts; we will set up a working a positive development.
group that will further explore those issues Well, my impression is that over the next
and that will then prepare for the EU-U:S. 6 months during our Presidency there is a
summit. lot on the agenda. There are a lot of common
8 Jan. 4 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2007
interests, as I said, and a lot of areas where President Bush. Your first part of your
I feel we can tackle problems together. And question? I didn’t hear the first part of your
I think this dialog is just the beginning of question.
a very intensive dialog we shall continue to Q. I was just referring
have during our Presidency—this i is, after all, President Bush. Broaden the Quartet,i
a sixth meeting already. So I think we may that what you said?
safely speak of a continuous exchange of
Q. That broaden—mandate of the Quar-
views. Thank you yet again for the invitation,
tet, that you take care of more than the con-
Mr. President.
flict between the Israelis and the Palestin-
ians.
Iraq President Bush. My view is the Quartet
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. You spoke ought to stay focused on the Israeli-Pales-
for nearly 2 hours today with Iraq’s Prime tinian issue, because when we solve that
Minister. Do you both agree now on the need problem, a lot of other problems will be easi-
to send more U.S. troops to Lraq to deal with er to solve.
the rising violence in that country? Secondly, Syria knows exactly what she
President Bush. Well, Ben [Ben Feller, needs to do in order to reenter the nation—
Associated Press], my thinking is taking
reenter the—you know, to be viewed as a
shape. I'll be ready to outline a strategy that
nation that’s constructive. And my own view
will help the Iraqis achieve the objective of
is, is that we need to proceed with the Hariri
a country that can govern, sustain, and de-
tribunal as fast as possible and hold people
fend itself sometime next week; I’ve still got
to account. If they murder somebody, they
consultations to go through. Whatever deci-
need to be held to account. People need to—
sion I make, though, will be all aimed
they need to bring this to conclusion.
achieving our objective.
So my attitude on Syria is they can be a
I did have a good discussion with Prime
much more constructive partner, and they
Minister Maliki. It did nearly last for 2 hours.
haven't been. They don’t need to be told that
I talked about a lot of topics with him. One
thing I was looking for was will—to deter- in meeting after meeting after meeting. They
mine whether or not he has the will necessary get told that right here in a press conference
to do the hard work to protect his people. like this. They know exactly what they need
And I told him, I said that, “You show the to do. And it’s their choice to make.
will, we will help you.” And that’s—I’m in Chancellor Merkel. 1 think that the
the process of making up my final decision Quartet actually has its work cut out for it,
as to what to recommend—what rec- looking at the Middle East conflict, first and
ommendations to accept. One thing is for foremost. I mean, it needs to be spelled out
certain, I will want to make sure that the clearly what one actually wants to achieve,
mission is clear and specific and can be ac- and the players in the region need to have
complished. the necessary willingness to bring about a so-
lution. They can be supported by the Quar-
Situation in the Middle East/Syria tet, and international unified opinion can be
Q. Madam Chancellor, Mr. President, set up through the Quartet.
concerning the Middle East and the revival But I think the main task, really, is to push
of the Quartet, did you consider to enlarge matters along, to give a support to Prime
the mandate of the Quartet? And there have Minister Siniora to develop a truly sovereign
been talks in Europe about including Leb- Lebanon. I think Syria needs to be ggi ven a
anon problems, maybe even talks to Syria and push there. And Syria, I think looking at, for
broadening the mandate of this, since last example, the efforts made by the European
summer during the conflict of the northern Union, looking at the fact that the Foreign
border between Israel and southern Leb- Minister of Germany went there to talk to
anon, you learned that all these problems are them, Syria has been given a lot of opportuni-
interlinked. ties. Unfortunately, they have allowed those