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look forward to continuing the close part- nership between our two countries.

The President’s News Conference With President Jalal Talabani of the Iraqi Transitional Government September 13, 2005

President Bush. Thank you all. It’s an freedoms, including religion, assembly, con- honor to welcome the first democratically science, and expression. It calls for a fed- elected President of to the White eral system of government, which is essen- House. tial to preserving the unity of a diverse President Talabani. Thank you. nation like Iraq. It declares that all Iraqis President Bush. I’m proud to stand with are equal before the law, without regard a brave leader of the Iraqi people, a friend to gender, ethnicity, and religion. of the United States, and a testament to The Iraqi people can be proud of the the power of human freedom. draft constitution, and when an election to Mr. President, thank you for your leader- ratify that constitution is held next month, ship. Thank you for your courage. they will have a chance to vote their con- President Talabani has dedicated his life science at the polls. to the cause of liberty in Iraq. As a lawyer, As the Iraqi people continue on the path a journalist, and a political leader in north- to democracy, the enemies of freedom re- ern Iraq, he stood up to a brutal dictator, main brutal and determined. The killers in because he believes that every Iraqi de- Iraq are the followers of the same ideology serves to be free. The dictator destroyed as those who attacked America 4 years ago. Kurdish villages, ordered poison gas attacks Their vision is for an Iraq that looks like on a Kurdish city, and violently repressed Afghanistan under the Taliban, a society other religious and ethnic groups. For where freedom is crushed, girls are denied President Talabani and his fellow citizens, the day Saddam was removed from power schooling, and terrorists have a safe haven was a day of deliverance. And America will to plot attacks on America and other free always be proud that we led the armies people. of liberation. To impose their hateful vision, our en- In the past 2 years, the Iraqi people have emies know they must drive America out made their vision of their future clear. This of Iraq before the Iraqi people can secure past January, more than 8 million Iraqis their own freedom. They believe we will defied the car bombers and the assassins retreat in the face of violence, so they’re and voted in free elections. It is an inspir- committing acts of staggering brutality, ing act of unity when 80 percent of the murdering Iraqi children receiving candy elected National Assembly chose the Presi- or hospital workers treating the wounded. dent, a member of Iraq’s Kurdish minority, We have no doubt that our enemies will to lead the free nation. continue to kill. Yet we also know they In our meeting today, I congratulated the cannot achieve their aims unless we lose President on his election, and I thanked our resolve. him for his leadership on Iraq’s draft con- Today, Mr. President, I pledge that we stitution. The draft constitution is an his- will not waver, and I appreciate your same toric milestone. It protects fundamental pledge. Iraq will take its place among the

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world’s democracies. The enemies of free- It is an honor for me to stand here today dom will be defeated. as a representative of free Iraq. It is an President Talabani and I discussed our honor to present the world’s youngest de- strategy for the months ahead. America will mocracy. stand with the Iraqi people as they move In the name of Iraqi people, I say to forward with the democratic process. We’re you, Mr. President, and to the glorious seeing hopeful developments in places like American people, thank you. Thank you. Fallujah and Ramadi and Mosul, where Thank you, because you liberated us from Iraqis are registering to vote, many for the the worst kind of dictatorship. Our people first time—well, obviously, for the first suffered too much from this worst kind of time. dictatorship. The signal is mass graves with At the same time, American troops will hundred thousand of Iraqi innocent chil- stay on the offensive, alongside Iraqi secu- dren and women, young and old men. rity forces, to hunt down our common en- Thank you and thanks to the United States, emies. At this hour, American and Iraqi there are now 15 million Muslims in Af- forces are conducting joint operations to ghanistan and Iraq liberated by your coura- rout out terrorists and insurgents in Tall geous leadership and decision to liberate ‘Afar. Our objective is to defeat the en- us, Mr. President. emies of a free Iraq, and we’re working We agree with Mr. President Bush that to prepare more Iraqi forces to join the democracy is the solution to the problems fight. As Iraqis stand up, Americans will of the Middle East. Mr. President, you are stand down. And when the mission is com- a visionary, great statesman. We salute you. plete, our troops will come home with the We are grateful to you. We will never for- honor they have earned. get what you have done for our people. Tomorrow President Talabani and I will President Bush. Thank you, sir. take our seats at the United Nations in President Talabani. We have had a good New York. The session will mark the first discussion with Mr. President. We are part- time in a half-century that Iraq is rep- ners. We are proud to say openly and to resented by a freely elected government. repeat it, that we are partners of the Securing freedom in Iraq has required United States of America in fighting against great sacrifice, Mr. President. You know tyranny, terrorism, and for democracy. It that better than anybody. And there’s going is something we are not shy to say and to be difficult days ahead. Yet I have no will repeat it everywhere, here and in Iraq doubt about the impact of a democratic and the United Nations and everywhere. Iraq on the rest of the world. If Iraq be- Iraq is America’s ally in the war against comes a federal, unified democracy, people terrorism. Our soldiers are now fighting throughout the broader Middle East will side by side with your brave soldiers, now demand their own liberty. The Middle East and every day. We have captured many will become more peaceful, and America senior elements of Al Qaida. We killed and the world become more secure. many of them, and we have also many of We’re proud to call you friend, Mr. them in our prisons. President, and proud to have you as an With your support, we could create a ally in the war on terror. On behalf of society enjoying democracy for the first the American people, I want to thank you time, obviously. Now Iraq is a free country. for Iraq’s generous pledge of aid to the We have all kinds of democracy, all kinds victims of Hurricane Katrina. Welcome to of freedom of expression of parties, groups, the United States. civil society organizations—that we can say President Talabani. Thank you. Thank that our democracy is unique in the Middle you, Mr. President, for your kind remarks. East.

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Our strategy is sound. We build democ- gether with our American friends and part- racy and defend democracy. We talk about ners, we will defeat them. how we could improve our tactics. There Today, American and international pres- is progress in security in our country. The ence in Iraq is vital. The American and number of the bomb cars reduced. The international presence in Iraq is vital for places which were under the full control democracy in Iraq and in the Middle East of the terrorists are now liberated. And and also for prevent foreign interference they’re now registering their names for the in the internal affairs of Iraq. new election. We will set no timetable for withdrawal, In the areas which was known that there Mr. President. A timetable will help the was the area of Al Qaida now it became terrorists, will encourage them that they the area of Iraq. And two signals, important could defeat superpower of the world and signals appeared there in that area—the the Iraqi people. We hope that by the end people started to hate and to fight ter- of 2006, our security forces are up to the rorism. Now we have Iraqi Arab tribes, level of taking responsibility from many Sunni tribes fighting terrorism and Al American troops with complete agreement Qaida. We have also people who are in— with Americans. We don’t want to do any- [inaudible]—who are cooperating with Iraqi thing without the agreement with the forces, with American forces against ter- Americans because we don’t want to give rorism. It is a good signal that our people any signal to the terrorists that our will start to understand that terrorism is the to defeat them is weakened, or they can enemy of Iraqi people before becoming the defeat us. enemy of Americans. They are killing our civilians, our innocent children, students. We are proud that one day will come— They are destroying our mosques—church, as soon as possible, of course, we hope— everywhere, regardless of what may happen that American troops can proudly return to the people. home, and we tell them, ‘‘Thank you, dear And we are now progressing gradually. friends,’’ and you are faithful to friendship. Last year, for example, Fallujah was their Of course, we are sorry for the sacrifices capital. Now it is as Iraqi city. A year ago, of American people in Iraq, but I think Najaf was a battlefield. Najaf is a holy city a great people like America has a mission of Shiites, the Vatican of the Shiites. Now in the history. They have sacrificed hun- Najaf is being rebuilt, is free, and ruled dreds of thousands of his sons in the war, by the elected committee, elected govern- First World War, Second World War, and ment. in liberating people in—[inaudible]—in Af- There are still important security chal- ghanistan, Kurdistan. And the great leader, lenges we are not neglecting. But we are Mr. George W. Bush, is continuing the fighting Al Qaida. Now our fight in Tall same mission of the American people. We ‘Afar proved that the enemy is going to are grateful. We are grateful for American be weakened and low morale. The fighting generosity, and we honor—we honor—sac- in Tall ’Afar was easy to defeat the terror- rifices of America in Iraq—and everywhere, ists and to liberate the town. not only in Iraq. The so-called jihadists want to impose We also need our neighbors, at least oppression and dictatorship and worst kind some of them, to stop attacking Iraqi de- of society on our people. For that, they mocracy. We want them to join us in fight- are not only—so they are not only the ing against terrorism. We want our Arab enemy of Iraq, but they are the enemy brothers stopping media, at least the official of humanity, the enemy of real Islam, and media, to support terrorism. We want them the enemy of all Middle East peoples. To- to stand with us against terrorism, because

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terrorism is the enemy of all Arab and the Speaker of the House is a Sunni; and Muslim countries in the world. six ministers, among them, two main posts, But we will proceed, and we will remem- the Minister of Defense and Minister of ber those who helped us in our struggle Industry. to establish a democratic Iraq. And you are It means that we are anxious to have first, those people who supported us for all Iraqis united and to solve all our prob- this noble mission. lems through dialog. We are calling all There is, in Iraq, political progress. We Iraqis to come to participate in the demo- are taking the gun out of Iraqi politics for cratic process and to say what they want, the first time. Iraqis are—speaking to each and they are free to decide the Govern- other in peaceful dialog, not with arms. The ment—decide the , the majority of Iraqis are committed to political Prime Minister, the ministers, and they are process. Iraq is a diverse country. They are able to say what they want through demo- mostly settling their differences peacefully. cratic process. They can say their slogans We have agreed a draft constitution. Of and demands. course, it is not perfect document, but I This, of course, constitution is not per- think it is one of the best constitutions in fect, but it can be amended in the future, the Middle East. Of course, we didn’t solve if the Iraqi people—[inaudible]—want this. all problems; we have some problems. We But now, compared with others, we are are still suffering from many problems. But proud to have such a kind of constitution. we are achieving progress on all fields, eco- Some of our brothers, Sunni Arabs, are nomic, trade, education, political life. And under the threat of terrorism. We will try we hope that we will remain having the our best to liberate them from terrorism support of the United States, and yourself, and from the violence. Mr. President, and other friends in Arab To those in America, in other countries, world and in Europe. still ask of war of liberation in Iraq, if it It is clear that we are a young democ- was right—the right decision, I say, ‘‘Please, racy, but our draft constitution has a bill please come to Iraq to visit the mass of rights, ensures the equality of all Iraqis graves, to see what happened to the Iraqi before the law regardless of their gender, people and to see what now going on in creed, religion, or ethnicity. It enshrines Iraq.’’ To those who talk of stability, I say, separation of powers and involves many ‘‘Saddam imposed the stability of the mass checks and balances on the exercise of graves.’’ To the terrorists, I say, ‘‘You will power. It is the best constitution in the never win. Freedom will win in Iraq.’’ entire region, as we claim. We hope it will Thank you, Mr. President. be correct. President Bush. Good job. Thank you. We are reaching out to some other Iraqi A couple of questions. Two a side. Nedra citizens who were not able to participate [Nedra Pickler, Associated Press]. in the election. I mean our Arab Sunni brothers. We tried and we involved with U.S. Response to Disasters and Terrorist them in the process. When the results of Attacks the election was announced, the two main Q. Mr. President, given what happened lists of alliance, the Kurdistan Alliance and with Katrina, shouldn’t Americans be con- the United Front of Iraq Shiite Alliance, cerned if their Government isn’t prepared we got 238 votes, and the Assembly was to respond to another disaster or even a 275. But nevertheless, we tried to bring terrorist attack? our Sunni Arabs to the Government to par- President Bush. Katrina exposed serious ticipate. We elected a Vice President, an problems in our response capability at all Arab Sunni; two Deputy Prime Ministers; levels of government. And to the extent

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that the Federal Government didn’t fully President Talabani. May I answer? do its job right, I take responsibility. I want President Bush. Please, yes. You might to know what went right and what went want to try it English. [Laughter] wrong. I want to know how to better co- President Talabani. Well, I say it in Ara- operate with State and local government, bic because the question was in . to be able to answer that very question that you asked: Are we capable of dealing [President Talabani began in Arabic, and with a severe attack or another severe no translation was provided.] storm? And that’s a very important ques- President Bush. Oops. [Laughter] tion. And it’s in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on and— [President Talabani finished his answer in so that we can better respond. Arabic, and no translation was provided.] One thing for certain, having been down there three times and have seen how hard President Bush. I’m not sure if I agree people are working, I’m not going to de- or not, but—[laughter]—Ambassador did fend the process going in, but I am going speak strongly about because he un- to defend the people who are on the front- derstands that the Syrian Government can line of saving lives. Those Coast Guard kids do a lot more to prevent the flow of foreign pulling people out of the—out of the floods fighters into Iraq. These people are coming are—did heroic work. The first-responders from Syria into Iraq and killing a lot of on the ground, whether they be State folks innocent people. They’re killing—they’re or local folks, did everything they could. trying to kill our folks as well. And so, There’s a lot of people that are—have done of course, he’s speaking strongly about that. a lot of hard work to save lives. And the Syrian leader must understand, And so I want to know what went right we take his lack of action seriously. And and what went wrong, to address those. the Government is going to become more But I also want people in America to un- and more isolated as a result of two things, derstand how hard people are working to one, not being cooperative with the Iraqi save lives down there in—not only New Government in terms of securing Iraq, and Orleans but surrounding parishes and along two, not being fully transparent about what the gulf coast. they did in Lebanon. Mr. President, you want to call on some- And so we’re going to work with our body? friends. And this is a subject of conversa- tion, of course, I’ll have with allies in places [At this point, a question was asked and like New York and other times I commu- answered in Arabic, and no translation was nicate with our allies, that Syria must be provided. The reporter then continued in a focus of getting them to change their English.] behavior, particularly as it regards to de- Syria mocracy and trying to prevent democracies Q. If I may, Mr. President, it’s been from emerging. a scathing attack from top officials of your Toby [Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters]. administration on Syria yesterday for allow- ing foreign fighters to cross the border. We ’s Nuclear Program heard yesterday from Ambassador Q. Mr. President, do you believe at this Khalilzad. Is this an escalation on the pres- point that Iran will be referred to the U.N. sure that you’re putting on Syria? And what Security Council to face possible sanctions more can you do when you say that all over its nuclear program? And how will options are open? you convince reluctant members like China President Bush. Thank you. that this is the way forward?

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President Bush. There is still an IAEA applaud the Germans and the French and process to go forward. And we will work the British for sticking together in devel- with our Ambassador at the IAEA, Ambas- oping a common message to the Iranians. sador Schulte, to continue to press forward And now we’ll see how the Iranians re- with a full disclosure about Iranian inten- spond, here on their visit to the United tions so that then the Security Council can States. make a—determine the right policy to go Final question, Mr. President. forward. Q. Mr. President, I hope you will excuse I will bring the subject up with leaders me, since you’ve never had Kurdish—spo- whom I’ll be meeting with today and to- ken Kurdish, I put my question in Kurdish. morrow and later on this week. I will be speaking candidly about Iran with the—Hu [The question was asked in Kurdish, and Jintao, as well as with President Putin, for no translation was provided.] example. Just had a conversation with Tony President Talabani. With your permis- Blair, and the subject came up. sion, Mr. President, he’s from America and It is very important for the world to un- his voice, American voice in Kurdish—I derstand that Iran with a nuclear weapon must answer in Kurdish. will be incredibly destabilizing. And there- President Bush. Yes. Answer his ques- fore, we must work together to prevent tion—perfect. them from having the wherewithal to de- [President Talabani answered in Kurdish, velop a nuclear weapon. It should be a and no translation was provided.] warning to all of us that they have—in the past, didn’t fully disclose their programs, President Bush. On that cheery note, the their programs aimed at helping them de- press conference is over. [Laughter] velop a weapon. They have insisted that Thank you, Mr. President. Good job. they have a civilian nuclear program, and I thought a rational approach to that would NOTE: The President’s news conference be to allow them to receive enriched ura- began at 11:35 a.m. in the East Room at the nium from a third party under the guise White House. In his remarks, he referred to of international inspections—that will en- former President of Iraq; able them to have civilian nuclear power U.S. Ambassador to Iraq ; without learning how to make a bomb. President Bashar al-Asad of Syria; U.S. Am- Some of us are wondering why they need bassador to the International Atomic Energy civilian nuclear power anyway. They’re Agency Gregory Schulte; President Hu awash with hydrocarbons. Nevertheless, it’s Jintao of China; President Vladimir Putin of a right of a government to want to have Russia; and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the a civilian nuclear program. And—but there United Kingdom. President Talabani re- ought to be guidelines in which they be ferred to Deputy President Ghazi al-Ujayl al- allowed to have that civilian nuclear pro- Yawr, Deputy Prime Minister Abid Mutlaq gram. And one such guideline would be Hamud al-Jabburi, Minister of Defense in such a way that they don’t gain the ex- Sadun al-Dulaymi, and Minister of Industry pertise necessary to be able to enrich. and Minerals Usama al-Najafi of the Iraqi This is a subject of grave concern, and Transitional Government; and Speaker of the it’s something that we’re spending a lot of Iraqi Transitional National Assembly Hajim time on in this administration. I want to al-Hassani.

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Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Hu Jintao of China in New York City September 13, 2005

President Bush. I am pleased to welcome but also contributes to peace, stability, and President Hu back to the United States. development in the world. Our economic I’ve been looking forward to this meeting. relationship and trade is not only an impor- We’ve got a lot to discuss. We will, of tant component of our bilateral relationship course, discuss areas of interest, like eco- as a whole but also represents a major driv- nomic matters. We will discuss North ing force behind the furtherance of this Korea and Iran. I look forward to a discus- relationship. sion about making sure we work together We need to see the fact that mutually to deal with a potential pandemic in avian beneficially and win-win cooperation is the flu. mainstream of our relationship. At the same We’ll talk about—I will bring up human time, there’s no denial that as our bilateral rights. Most importantly, I view this visit trade develops so fast and to such a large as an opportunity to continue a dialog in scale, it is inevitable that we may have dealing with a very important relationship some frictions. for the United States and the world. What I would like to express here is that So I welcome you, Mr. President. China does not pursue a huge trade surplus President Hu. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to meet with President in its trade with the United States. And Bush in New York. To begin with, I would we are willing to work with the United like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese States to take effective measures to increase Government and the Chinese people, our China’s import from the United States and deepest sympathy to the American Govern- work hard to gradually address the trade ment and people for the human loss and imbalances in the two-way trade in the fur- property loss inflicted by Hurricane Katrina ther expansion of our trading ties and eco- in the Southern American States. nomic cooperation. President Bush. Thank you. At the same time, China will continue President Hu. May the American people to step up its efforts to protect intellectual overcome the disaster and rebuild their properties, and we will certainly enhance beautiful homes at an early date. our efforts in fighting all kinds of violations As things stand now, the China-U.S. rela- in this regard. And we are going to protect tionship, on the whole, has been developing the legitimate rights and interests of all quite well. The two sides have stayed in international intellectual property rights close touch and communication, and the owners, including those in the United two sides have also enjoyed effective co- States. ordination and cooperation in a wide range The proper handling of the Taiwan ques- of important areas and on a number of tion holds the key to the sound and the important issues, including counterter- steady growth of the China-U.S. relation- rorism, nonproliferation, affairs related to ship. President Bush has, on various occa- the United Nations, Asia-Pacific affairs, as sions, stated his commitment to the ‘‘one well as boosting global and regional eco- China’’ policy, the three Sino-U.S. joint nomic growth. communiques, and opposition to so-called Facts have proven that a sound and Taiwan independence, which I highly ap- steadily growing China-U.S. relationship not preciate. I hope that the United States will only serves the interests of our two peoples join the Chinese side in safeguarding peace

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