For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 20, 2005
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Briefing Room
3:18 P.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody. The President was
pleased to welcome European Union Council President Juncker and
Commission President Barroso and High Representative Solana to the
White House today. They had a very good discussion about our
relationship between Europe and the United States. This was an
opportunity to talk about how we can continue to work in partnership to
spread freedom and democracy, advance prosperity and strengthen our
common security, as well. And you all had a readout from them earlier
today at their press availability -- I'm here to take whatever other
questions you have on the day.
Q Have you released all the information and documents on Bolton
that you're going to release at this point?
MR. McCLELLAN: I appreciate the question, Steve. The President,
first of all, as you heard him say, believes that John Bolton should
have an up or down vote on the floor of the United States Senate. The
Senate is moving forward this evening on the nomination. John Bolton
is someone who has the support of a majority of the United States
Senate. We have important work at the United Nations that we're
working to accomplish. The American people want to see the United
Nations reformed and become a more effective organization. We have put
forward proposals for moving forward for on comprehensive reform, and
it's important that we get our ambassador in place so that he can help
advance reform at the United Nations and make it work more
effectively.
In terms of the efforts with the United States Senate, I think it's
become very clear that the Democratic leadership is not interested in
more information -- all they're interested in is simply blocking his
nomination and obstructing progress on reform at the United Nations,
because John Bolton is the one who will be leading our efforts to move
forward on reform at the United Nations.
Senator Roberts last week came forward with a very reasonable
compromise, put it to the Democratic leadership -- particularly the
ones who have already voted against John Bolton, but said that they
wanted additional information. Senator Roberts provided them with
additional information, but it appears that the Democrats want to keep
expanding the universe and moving the goalpost. They're just simply
not interested in more information; they're interested in simply
stalling this nomination. This is a very important position and it's
time for John Bolton to receive an up or down vote on the floor of the
Senate.
I would also point out that the initial information that Democrats
said they were concerned about were certain classified, highly
classified intercepts. And that information was provided to the
chairman and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee,
that's the appropriate channel to provide that information. Senator
Rockefeller, himself, was able to see that information. He provided a
letter to the Foreign Relations Committee, which was hearing the Bolton
confirmation. And Senator Rockefeller, himself, said there was nothing
improper about these requests. We would hope that there are some
Democrats -- additional Democrats that recognize that there has been a
reasonable effort made to accommodate some of the concerns and allow
this vote to go forward on the floor of the United States Senate.
Q What is the answer to Steve's question? I mean, Steve asked
you whether there would be any more documents released. What have you
decided?
MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to work in good faith to address any
concerns, but it's clear that the Democratic leadership isn't
interested in more information; they're only interested in blocking his
nomination.
Q So you won't be releasing any more documents?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there has been more information that has been
provided to the Democratic leadership, and now yet again they move the
goal post, Bill.
Q They continue to ask for more. So the question is --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, they continue to expand the universe of their
request for information.
Q All right. So the question is, have you concluded that it's
fruitless to offer them any more --
MR. McCLELLAN: And I think -- what I'm trying to tell you is,
obviously, we stay in contact with members of Congress all the time,
and we have continued to work in good faith to address those concerns,
but it's becoming clear that all they want to do is keep moving the
ball.
Q So no more.
Q But you haven't ruled out giving them more?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I just answered your question.
Go ahead, Jessica.
Q Scott, today the President said that he sees progress in Iraq,
and that the strategy is working. But William Webster, Major General
on the ground there, has said the U.S. is not even close to breaking
the back of the insurgents, and Hagel and McCain have both accused the
White House of misleading the American public about the status of the
war. What's the evidence --
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's exactly what they said.
Q That's not the exact quote, but that's the implication, that
they're losing, not winning --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think Senator McCain talked about the importance
of not cutting and running, and the importance of completing the
mission.
Q He said, specifically, that time and again we've been told
that we're facing a turning point, and people should be told that this
is hard, this is long, and it's going to be tough and take years.
MR. McCLELLAN: And maybe you haven't been following the President
lately, but he's talked about -- he's continued to update the American
people about the progress that we're making in Iraq. He's continued to
talk about the dangers and difficulties that exist on the ground and
the dangers and difficulties that remain. The President has talked
about how democracy is hard; it takes time to build a democracy and for
it to take hold. The President has talked about the importance of
continuing to train and equip the Iraqi security forces. So I think
the President has continually kept the American people informed about
the progress we're making, as well as the dangers that remain. And
he's also talked about our strategy for moving forward.
Now, it's important to continue to keep the American people
updated. This is, as you heard the President say earlier, something
that he thinks about every single day and is focused on every single
day because we do have troops in harm's way, and all of us want to see
those troops come home. The way to bring those troops home is to
complete the mission. And part of completing that mission is training
and equipping Iraqi security forces so that they can provide for their
own defense, and they can address the security threats that they face
in the future themselves. And that's exactly what we are working to
do.
Now, it's really a two-track strategy. The first part of it is
staying on the offensive militarily and working with Iraqi forces. The
second part of it is continuing to support the Iraqi people as they
move forward on the political front. The Iraqi people time and again
have defied the terrorists and defied those regime elements who want to
derail the transition to democracy. Every step of the way they have
shown that they are committed to a democratic future. From just about
a year ago when sovereignty was transferred, they established an
interim government, they drafted a transitional law, they held free
elections, where eight and a half million voters showed up. And
they're moving forward on drafting a constitution now, so we have --
Q But what accounts for the --
MR. McCLELLAN: -- great optimism in the Iraqi people to continue
moving forward on the political front and meeting their political
objectives. That's an important part of defeating the terrorists who
recognize that this is the central front in the war on terrorism.
Q Hagel specifically said that the President is disconnected
from reality on Iraq.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me just say, first, that the President
gets his information from the commanders and generals who are on the
ground in Iraq, and he is fully confident that those leaders are firmly
rooted in reality. He is regularly updated by his commanders and his
generals on the ground; as he indicated earlier today, he spoke with
General Abizaid; he's going to be talking with General Casey later this
week. He is regularly kept up to date on the progress being made on
the ground by his commanders, and they're the ones who have the best
sense of what is happening on the ground and the progress that's being
made.
We're also making important progress to train and equip the Iraqi
security forces so that they can defend their country. There are now
some 168,000 Iraqi forces that have been trained and equipped. Now,
there's different levels of readiness, and the Department of Defense
can talk to you about their levels of readiness when it comes to that.
Some have been performing better than others, and we are working to
address areas where there might be shortcomings. But they continue to
get better each week. And once they are fully capable of defending
themselves, then our troops can return home with the honor that they
deserve.
And as I said, the President is optimistic about the Iraqi people
continuing to move forward on democracy, because time and again, they
have shown their commitment to doing so. And they have defied the
skeptics and they have defied the terrorists. But he recognizes the
tremendous sacrifices being made by our troops, and he recognizes the
sacrifices being made by their families here at home. And as he said,
the best way to honor their service and sacrifice is to complete this
important mission. A free Iraq will be a powerful force for change in
a very dangerous region of the world, a region where we had hijackers
come from that killed some 3,000 innocent Americans. This is a central
front in the war on terrorism. The terrorists have made it so, and
it's important that we succeed in Iraq. And I think the American
people understand that, regardless of where they stood, prior to the
decision to go into Iraq.
Q In the event that the President doesn't get his up or down
vote on Mr. Bolton, is he likely to consider a recess appointment?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President is continuing to urge the Senate to
move forward on a up or down vote. That's what we're urging.
Go ahead.
Q Can I ask you to look ahead to tomorrow a bit, with the
Vietnamese Prime Minister's visit? There are some who are expressing
concern about his visit, in light of the President certainly promoting
democracy elsewhere in the world. Could you speak to the historic
nature of the visit, and will he be putting any specific pressure on
the Prime Minister about human rights and other reforms there?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and as he does with any leader, this is a
historic visit as you pointed out. The President looks forward to
welcoming the Prime Minister to the White House tomorrow. It was --
this occasion marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic ties with Vietnam, and it's really an opportunity to review
the strong progress we've made in our bilateral relationship and
explore ways to develop a constructive partnership for the future.
And so they -- the two leaders will use this opportunity to seek to
really deepen our joint efforts to achieve the fullest possible
accounting for Americans who remain missing from the Vietnam war. They
will also use this as an opportunity to work to address religious
freedom and human rights concerns. The United States strongly supports
Vietnam's integration into the world economic community and its bid to
join the World Trade Organization.
So the President and Prime Minister will have a chance to review
the substantial progress that has been made in the latest round of
bilateral accession negotiations and discussions and look at ways to
intensify that process. So they're -- and there are other issues that
they'll discuss, as well. But, yes, this will be an opportunity to
talk about religious freedom and human rights concerns, as well. There
are some steps that have been taken by Vietnam, but there are concerns
that remain.
Go ahead.
Q If your characterization of what the Democrats are trying to
do on Bolton is correct -- namely, that they're just going to block
this no matter what -- what does that say from the White House's
perspective about the rest of the President's agenda this year? And
what would it say, in particular, about the possibility of a Supreme
Court nomination?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's look at the facts. It's not just me
saying it, but let's look at the facts. You had a Senate leader go to
the floor last week, after checking with the Director of National
Intelligence on all the names that the Democrats had said they had
concerns about. He checked with the Director of National Intelligence,
said, were any of these names part of these intercepts, and he was
told, no, and he provided that information back to the Democratic
leadership. Yet then they come up and have another excuse -- say,
well, that's not good enough. So I think it's clear that all they're
doing is trying to block this nomination from going forward at this
point, the Democratic leadership.
Q But I guess the question is what --
MR. McCLELLAN: Now in terms of other issues, and in terms of the
agenda, we've got a lot of important work to do for the American
people, and the President is going to continue reaching out to members
who are committed to getting things done on behalf of the American
people. We are making progress on comprehensive energy legislation.
The House has acted, the Senate is moving forward this week on
comprehensive energy legislation. There are good signs regarding the
free trade agreement with the Central American nations and the
Dominican Republic. We continue to work that issue. It is an
important free trade agreement. The Congress is moving forward on
appropriations bills. So we will continue working with all those who
want to get things done.
But I think what the Bolton nomination and the blocking of it shows
us -- it's just very unfortunate. Right on the heels of an agreement
reached on judicial nominees that showed a spirit of bipartisanship and
a goodwill gesture on behalf of Republicans and Democrats alike, now
the Democratic leaders just said, we're going to throw that out the
door, instead of building upon that spirit of goodwill. And we hope
that members of Congress will step back, Democratic leaders, and
recognize that we were elected to get things done, to put aside
partisan differences, and focus on ways we can work together to
accomplish big priorities for the American people. And that's what the
President will continue doing.
Q Has the President given up on working with the Democratic
leadership in the Senate?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are a number -- I think that there are
Democrats outside the leadership that recognize the importance of
working together to get things done, and that's why we'll continue
reaching out to those Democrats who want to get things done. But the
American people are tired of the partisan bickering and the
obstructionist tactics that have been employed by the Democratic
leadership. I think the American people expect better, and we hope
that they will get it.
Go ahead.
Q I actually had a question on another topic, but to follow up
on Dick -- first of all, I think Senator Roberts offered seven names,
and the Democrats were asking for, like, 36 names.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, remember the initial request was five, Dana.
And then Senator Roberts, not knowing what names what they were talking
about, did something that made a lot of sense, he went and looked at
the Democrat minority report, and he took every name that was in that
report -- there were seven altogether -- and went to the Director of
National Intelligence and said, are any of these part of these
intercepts. And he was told no.
Q But they say that they want and need this information and that
after that, that the nomination will go through, the votes are there,
they admit that. You say, no, you're not going to get it. Why is it
that it's the Democrats who are ruining the spirit of bipartisanship --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, look at the facts.
Q -- and why isn't it that the White House -- I mean, you're at
a complete stalemate here, why isn't --
MR. McCLELLAN: Dana, what I just pointed out -- have you pointed
out to viewers that Senator Rockefeller, himself, got to look at this
information and said that there is nothing improper about this
request?
Q I think he --
MR. McCLELLAN: Have you pointed out that Senator Roberts went
forward and looked at all the seven names that concerns have been
raised about, checked them with the Director of National Intelligence
and none of them were part of those intercepts? I think -- I'll trust
the American people, because I think when they know the facts, they can
judge it for themselves.
Q Okay, one other quick --
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure.
Q Porter Goss said in Time Magazine that he has an excellent
idea where Osama bin Laden is, and that perhaps the problem is that
sanctuaries -- that sovereign nations are giving sanctuary to Osama bin
Laden. First of all, does the President have an excellent idea of
where he is? And --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think what -- okay, go ahead, I'm sorry, finish
your question.
Q And then the second question is, -- is he complaining about --
it sounds like he's complaining about Pakistan.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think what the Director is referring to was that
he has an excellent idea of what area he may be in. If we knew exactly
where Osama bin Laden was, we would go get him. I can assure you of
that.
In terms of the cooperation with Pakistan, we have good cooperation
with Pakistan in the global war on terrorism. We appreciate all that
they're doing to help us track down al Qaeda leaders and Taliban
remnants, particularly along that border region with Afghanistan. And
so we appreciate the work that they're doing.
Q So do you share his concern that perhaps sovereign nations are
giving him sanctuary?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I'll let him talk more if he wants to expand
on that.
Go ahead -- Goyal, you're up.
Q Scott, two questions. One, in (inaudible), the President
today at the press conference questioned my (inaudible) question that
at the naval base in Cuba, where we have all these prisoners, or I
should call them terrorists, when we release them, that they come back
on the street. That's what my question is. Also, always I've been
saying that many of them have been released but they come back on the
streets and kill again, and all the same people, like -- dozens of them
were sent back to Pakistan, but they came back on the streets. That's
what --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think it's a real concern --
Q Well, why are you releasing them? And also, at the time, why
don't we treat them the way they have treated innocent people -- killed
thousands of them, millions are living in fear today.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, because -- the reason we treat them the way
we do is because the United States stands for some very important
values, and we believe in upholding our laws and setting -- sending a
clear message to the rest of the world that not only do we work to
promote freedom and democracy and rule of law, but we uphold it here at
home. And our men and women in the military do an outstanding job
adhering to those standards and those values and those laws, and we
appreciate the job that they do.
In terms of what you're referencing, I think that our belief is
that about a dozen or so detainees that have been released from
Guantanamo Bay have actually returned to the battlefield, and we've
either recaptured them or otherwise dealt with them, namely killing
them on the battlefield when they were again attacking our forces. And
so it is an issue that we're always looking at. The reason people are
at Guantanamo Bay is because they are dangerous individuals. And so
we're always looking at their disposition and how to deal with them
through the legal process. There are, as the President pointed out, I
think there are some 800 initially or so, he said, and now we're down
to 500-plus. A number of them have been returned to their country of
origin, after we have received assurances that they would look after
those individuals.
But we're always looking at how to deal with the detainees that are
there, but they are there for a reason, because they have been involved
in attacking United States or coalition forces or they otherwise seek
to do harm to the American people. And we must always take a careful
look at that.
Q At his news conference a little while ago, the President
suggested that he was waiting on the courts to make a determination as
to the legal status as to where these individuals should be tried,
civil versus military tribunals. Can you give us some sort of a status
report in terms of what the administration's process is right now for
seeking and obtaining some sort of a definitive legal status definition
that might expedite the handling of these detainees?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the latest -- let me back up. The Department
of Defense has worked through the interagency process, with the lead
being the National Security Council, in terms of establishing the
appropriate procedures for dealing with the detainees. And these are
procedures that really go beyond what even the Geneva Conventions
require. And they include the combatant status review tribunals, to
confirm that each individual is, indeed, an enemy combatant, and every
detainee at Guantanamo Bay has had such a hearing.
There are also administrative review boards that assess the
remaining potential threat and intelligence value that each detainee
has, and they are regularly looking at those detainees and evaluating
whether or not they can be released. And then, of course, we went and
set up the military commissions, where these detainees would have full
and vigorous representation by defense counsel for those who were
suspected of committing war crimes. Now the courts have ruled
regarding military commissions, and those commissions have temporarily
been suspended, pending further review by the federal courts. And
that's where it stands at this point.
Q Other than that, is there some new urgency or some new
approach to the thinking on this that is related to the din of, close
Gitmo, versus, resolve their status? Can you describe any --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, in terms -- I mean, I think in terms of
Guantanamo Bay and the necessity for it, we've addressed that over the
last couple of weeks in questions -- whether it's the Vice President or
Secretary Rumsfeld or the President, himself -- we've addressed those
issues. And no one has come forward with a better alternative. But
these are dangerous individuals, and we want to make sure that they are
not released where they can again do harm to the American people.
Q Ralph Regula, the Chairman of the House Appropriations
subcommittee that oversees funding for the Corporation of Public
Broadcasting, and himself a longtime supporter of tax dollars for the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said that funding for this
corporation had to be terminated because of deficit concerns this
year. And on June 9th, his subcommittee voted to cut out all funding
for the CPB, and then those cuts were restored by the full committee.
Does the President support ending government funding for public
broadcasting?
MR. McCLELLAN: What we have done in our budget, I believe, and
I'll go -- and I'll have to go back and double check, but I believe
we've provided level funding in the current budget. We do have
concerns about the deficit, and we need to keep our budget on track to
-- keep our economy growing and keep the budget on track to cut the
deficit in half by 2009. And that's why we outlined a very responsible
budget that held the line on spending elsewhere.
But what we did for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, I
believe, was level fund it, and I'll double check that to make sure.
Q So you're saying you disagree with Chairman Regula, that there
should be some sort of funding for public broadcasting?
MR. McCLELLAN: You can go and look at our budget, because it
spells out -- spells it out in the budget.
Q Scott?
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me go over here. I'll come back to you, Les.
Go ahead.
Q Scott, Kim Jong-il, in his four-hour meeting with the South
Korean communication minister indicated that if there were
normalization relations with the United States, he would, A, get rid of
the nuclear program and, B, get rid of the long-range and the
medium-range missiles -- that is, the Nodongs and the Taepo Dongs. Do
you see in that any contours of a possible agreement if that could be
reached and if it could be verified?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there's a process that has been set up to
address these issues. It's the six-party talks where all parties in
the region have joined with the United States and sent a very clear
message to North Korea that we want a nuclear-free peninsula. And
there have been some indications that North Korea wants to return to
the talks, but they so far have not set a date. We need to see a
date.
And in terms of what you're bringing up, we outlined a proposal to
resolve this matter. But the first thing that has to happen is for
North Korea to make a strategic decision that they are going to abandon
and dismantle their nuclear weapons programs. That's what all parties
in the region want to see happen.
Now, that proposal offers them a way to realize better relations
with the international community if they make that strategic decision.
And it outlines some very practical steps for moving forward. So what
we would like to see is for North Korea to return to the six-party
talks as soon as possible and without precondition. There are no
preconditions for returning to the talks, but the decision is for North
Korea to make, that they are willing to abandon their nuclear weapons
ambitions.
Q Kim Jong-il also indicated that talks could begin as early as
July, in his discussions with the communication minister. Would that
be feasible?
MR. McCLELLAN: We will see. They have yet to give us a date, and
it's important to get a date and a willingness not only to come back to
the talks, but a willingness to move forward in a substantive way on
the proposal that we put on the table.
Q In the news conference just now, the President was asked about
the Vice President's assertion that the insurgency is in its final
throes. He was asked if he agreed, and he didn't say anything about
it. We went around on this last week, with you, and you didn't endorse
that. Is it now the administration's view the Vice President went too
far in saying that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's talk -- I mean, I think you should look
at the context of what the Vice President was saying.
Q It's not that -- just those two words --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, not at all.
Q -- are you still behind it?
MR. McCLELLAN: In fact, he was referring to how some Zarqawi
lieutenants have been captured in Iraq. There's been great progress
made in going after the al Qaeda network in Iraq. Just last week our
military announced the capture of another top Zarqawi lieutenant, the
head of operations in Mosul, a very dangerous individual who was
responsible for a lot of death and destruction in Iraq. And so we're
continuing to make progress against what is a determined enemy.
Q So is that the last throes? I mean, do you agree with what
the Vice President said?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me tell you where things are. The
terrorists and the regime elements are desperate. They are going to be
defeated. They have no vision to offer. They have no alternative to
offer, other than destruction and chaos and killing of innocent
civilians. And they have shown that they are not able to stop the
progress on the political front. The Iraqi people time and again have
defied their desire to stop them from advancing on democracy.
Q I'm just asking if those two words -- so you're standing
behind what the Vice President said?
MR. McCLELLAN: Hold on, and I'm talking -- and look at what the
context of what the Vice President said, because you didn't point out
everything that he said.
Go ahead.
Q When the President at the briefing said that he's getting an
assessment as to how we're proceeding in Iraq, is that a new and
different kind of assessment? Or is this just part of the ongoing
assessment that --
MR. McCLELLAN: It's something he's always been getting for quite
some time. He, on a weekly basis, participates in the National
Security Council meeting on Iraq where he -- where Generals Abizaid and
Casey participate on those, as well. So that's what I was pointing to
earlier when I said that they are the ones who are updating him on the
progress on the ground, and they're in the best position to make those
assessments.
And as I said, those are assessments that are firmly rooted in
reality. They are the commanders on the ground that are seeing the
progress being made to train and equip Iraqi forces. They're also
seeing the dangers that remain and the difficulties ahead. And they're
also seeing the progress that's being made on the political front, as
well.
Q So there's no change, then, in the way -- in his involvement?
These are just part of the ongoing briefing --
MR. McCLELLAN: It's not just weekly. It's regular updates from
his commanders on the ground, also updates from his Secretary of
Defense. This is something he is regularly updated on and getting
assessments from those who are in the best position to determine the
progress being made.
Q Scott.
MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Les.
Q Senator Hagel is quoted by U.S. News & World Report as saying,
"Things aren't getting better; they're getting worse. The White House
is completely disconnected from reality. The reality is we're losing
in Iraq."
And my first question: Would you deny that Al Jazeera loves such
statements by Republican senators and Senator Durbin?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I already addressed this comment in an
earlier question.
Q Yes, I know but -- Senator John McCain, who is another
Republican, said on network television: "Too often we've been told and
the American people have been told that we're at a turning point, what
the American people should have been told is that it's a long -- it's
hard, it's tough."
And my question: Does the President suspect that Senator McCain is
angling for another "he may run with a Democrat" national rumor,
possibly with Joe Biden?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think Senator McCain has addressed those
questions.
Go ahead, Bob.
Q All right, Scott. At their joint news conference, both
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair denied the major assumptions
out of the so-called Downing Street memo. We've had other revelations,
I guess, since then. But is the President wondering how the
intelligence operatives and diplomatic operatives of the key ally in
this mission came to these assumptions, came to these conclusions?
Isn't he wondering how this happened?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think Prime Minister Blair addressed this very
issue. They were memos relating to the United Kingdom and he addressed
the issue in a news conference.
Go ahead, Ken.
Q Senator Cornyn today endorsed Governor Perry for reelection,
called him a tremendous leader for Texas, who deserves reelection in
2006. I know the administration generally supports Republican
incumbents. Will this White House be getting involved in the Texas
gubernatorial race?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, the President will not be getting involved in
the primary.
Go ahead.
And let me just say that he considers both friends.
Q As do you, I'm sure. (Laughter.)
MR. McCLELLAN: I consider one mother. (Laughter.)
Q Going back to Senator Chuck Hagel's remarks, which Les
referenced, we also have Senators Lindsey Graham, Lincoln Chafee,
McCain, as well as others in the Democratic Party, more and more
expressing concern about Iraq. Representative Walter Jones getting
together with Democrats to call for some kind of a withdrawal. It
seems as though the pressure on the administration is building from
Republicans who have concerns that the view from the White House
doesn't match the view from others on the ground. Is it time for the
White House to look at how it's talking with Republicans in Congress,
and to get them back on board?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the commanders on the ground also
brief Congress periodically on developments on the ground. So are you
saying that that's not what's happening on the ground, the assessments
that they're providing?
Q I'm saying that the --
MR. McCLELLAN: Are you questioning the commanders on the ground?
Q I'm not. I didn't mention that at all. What I was saying was
--
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's where the President gets his briefings
from.
Q What I was saying was that the senators seem to be seeing a
very different view on the ground, perhaps from their briefings from
the commanders, than the interpretation that the administration is
putting on those briefings.
MR. McCLELLAN: And what is the interpretation that the
administration is putting on?
Q The interpretation the administration is putting on is that
things are going fairly well, that training is proceeding at pace with
Iraqis, which is not what the other senators are saying, and that the
view is far more optimistic in the short-term than the views of these
senators.
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me correct you, and let me tell you what the
interpretation of the administration is, because it's based on the
assessment of the commanders on the ground in Iraq. And the President
talked about this in his radio address. He pointed out how some people
may disagree about the decision to go into Iraq, but we can all
recognize that Iraq is now a central front in the war on terrorism.
And he talked about how a free Iraq will be a powerful force for
changing a dangerous region in the world.
And we are facing a determined enemy. The stakes are high in
Iraq. They recognize how high the stakes are, and so do we. We're
fighting them in Iraq so that we don't have to fight them here at
home. The terrorists are not going to be able to defeat us or defeat
the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people have shown that they will not be --
they have shown that they are determined to defy the terrorists, and
that they're not going to let the terrorists win. They can't defeat
the coalition forces; all they can do is simply try to shake our will
and to weaken our resolve, as the President pointed out. And they
cannot. That's why it's so important that -- I mean, all they want us
to do is to retreat, and not complete the mission. That's why it's so
important that we continue to move ahead and succeed in Iraq, and
that's what we're working to do.
And the President constantly talks to the American people about the
progress that's being made, and he also talks about the determined
enemy that we're facing, and how high these stakes are in Iraq. And
it's important that we continue to support the Iraqi people, who time
and again have defied the skeptics and defied the terrorists, and said
we are going to live in freedom.
Q So is the enemy both determined and in its last throes, at the
same time?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I addressed that question earlier.
Go ahead.
Q Scott, just for the record, following up on the bin Laden
question, is the Bush doctrine -- you're either for us or against us --
still in effect?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think the President has made those views very
clear.
Q Can we conclude then that we are -- the U.S. is receiving 100
percent cooperation from the country or countries that Porter Goss
believes bin Laden is hiding in?
MR. McCLELLAN: We are receiving good cooperation from the
government of Pakistan. They are a partner in the global war on
terrorism, and they have been working with us to go after al Qaeda and
Taliban remnants. They understand the importance of staying on the
offensive and going after the terrorists to disrupt plots and prevent
them from carrying out the attacks.
President Musharraf recognizes the importance of going after those
terrorists and bringing them to justice before they can do harm. So we
appreciate the work that the government of Pakistan is doing to partner
with us in the global war on terrorism.
Go ahead, Paula.
Q Scott, was the two-month delay in the tax reform panel
recommendations due primarily to Social Security not being as far along
as he would like?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I wouldn't describe it that way. I'd say a
couple of things about it. There are a number of important priorities
that we have on the agenda right now before Congress, and that we are
working to make important progress on. We are focused on passing
comprehensive energy legislation. There is good progress being made.
We want to get that done before the August recess, so the President can
sign it into law. It's legislation that has waited long enough to be
passed, and we're hopeful that it will be passed now. We're also
working to make progress on the Central American Free Trade Agreement,
a very important free trade agreement. We're working to move forward
on a responsible piece of highway legislation. We're moving forward on
the appropriations bill. And we are also moving forward on saving and
strengthening Social Security. There are hearings that are taking
place -- Congress is working to address this.
Tax reform is a high priority for this President. The tax code is
a complicated mess and he wants to see it reformed and make it -- to
make it simpler and fairer and to ensure that it's a code that
encourages job creation and economic growth. And it's an issue that
deserves the kind of attention that is merited with something that is
this important. And that's why we suggested to the tax reform panel
that they continue their work for another couple of months, and they
accepted that recommendation. And the President extended it. And we
look forward to focusing on that once their work is complete in
September.
Q Thank you.
MR. McCLELLAN: Thank you.
END 3:54 P.M. EDT
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