Jan. 6 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2008

The President. We’ll be fine. Olmert and former Prime Minister Ariel Ms. Levi. Thank you. Sharon of Israel; and President Mahmud Ahmadi-nejad of Iran. The transcript was re- NOTE: The interview was taped at 4:05 p.m. leased by the Office of the Press Secretary in the Map Room at the White House for on January 6. Portions of this interview could later broadcast. In his remarks, the President not be verified because the tape was incom- referred to President Mahmoud Abbas of the plete. Palestinian Authority; Prime Minister Ehud

Interview With Hisham Bourar of Alhurra Television January 4, 2008

President’s Upcoming Visit to the Middle the first thing I can do is to make sure East there’s a sincere desire on the parts of Mr. Bourar. Thank you, Mr. President, President Abbas and Prime Minister for taking the time to do this interview Olmert to achieve an agreement. I believe on Alhurra TV. Big trip to the Middle that desire exists. The Annapolis conference East—what are your objectives, and why was a success because they wanted it to now? be a success. And it’s to give them con- The President. Now because I believe fidence and to encourage them to come that it’s possible to advance the Annapolis up with the—what a state will look like, agenda; now because I believe this is going the—define that state so that people there to be an—that it will be a chance to be in the region can have hope that this kind effective on my trip. I am going to talk— of a long-time conflict will finally come to advance three things: one, the vision of two an end. And the first step is the definition states, Palestine and Israel, living side by of a state. side in peace; two, to convince our friends I can press when there needs to be and allies in the region that it is in their pressed. I can hold hands when there interest to support the peace process; and needs to be—hold hands. And so I’m— three is to remind people that the United I will go to encourage them to stay focused States is committed to helping secure the on the big picture. There’s going to be all kinds of distractions, and people will region, that we have a active presence in be trying to throw up roadblocks, and peo- the Middle East, and that presence is not ple will be trying to cause these gentlemen going to wane. It’s a—that we’re committed to—not to—to lose sight of what’s possible. to helping people realize—deal with the And my job is to help them keep a vision threats and the problems of the 21st cen- on what is possible. tury. Palestinian State President’s Role in the Peace Process Mr. Bourar. Do you still believe that Mr. Bourar. What can you do personally the—your vision of a Palestinian state can to press both sides, the Israelis and the be achieved before you leave office? Palestinians, to reach an agreement this The President. I think the outlines, the year? definition of a state can be achieved. The The President. Yes. Well, first of all, the implementation of a state will be subject agreement—they must decide they want to to a roadmap. In other words, there’s a HEARING reach agreement. In other words—and so lot of work that has to be done. Palestinian with

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security forces have to be reformed—which Well, the rocket program still exists. As we’re helping with, by the way. The entre- you know, they say they had—only for civil- preneurial class of people has to be encour- ian purposes, they’re learning to enrich. aged with new capital. The institutions of Well, if you can learn to enrich for civilian government need to be strengthened. purposes, you can easily transfer that And so the state will come into being, knowledge for military purposes. And subject to—but the first step is to—here’s therefore, Iran is a threat. And so that will what a state will look like. And I believe be my message. we can get that done by the time I leave And my other message will be, we’ve office. got a strategy to deal with it, and that is to prevent them from learning how to en- Middle East Peace Process rich. And I’ll explain to them the different Mr. Bourar. Will you be asking Gulf types of sanctions and international efforts countries, including Saudi Arabia, to nor- we’re making and how they can help as malize relations with Israel? well. The President. I’ll be reminding the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, that in Syria order for this to be successful, in order Mr. Bourar. Recent visits to Damascus for this process to work, there has to be by U.S. lawmakers, like a recent one by strong support for both the Palestinians and Senator Arlen Specter, a Republican, and the Israelis in the neighborhood. And that’s Senator Kennedy: Do they help or under- why the Annapolis conference—another mine your position toward Syria? reason it was an important conference, be- The President. That’s an interesting ques- cause in that room were the—my friend, tion. I don’t know. But President Asad the King of Saudi Arabia, kindly sent his must understand that if he wants better Foreign Minister to that Annapolis meeting. relations with the United States—and I thought it was a strong signal. And so frankly better relations in the region—the both sides are going to need to know that first thing he’s got to do is stop interfering they’ll have support from the neighborhood. in the Lebanese Presidential process. And Iran I would hope that those representatives Mr. Bourar. Recently, there has been sent that message to President Asad. some rapprochement between Gulf coun- I don’t know how he interprets these tries and Iran. Do you feel that the last meetings, but one thing he can’t be mis- NIE report makes it difficult for you to taken about is the position of the U.S. Gov- convince these countries that Iran still ernment, the White House. And our posi- poses a threat to national security? tion is, is that you can have better relations, The President. Yes. I’m sure this subject a better way forward with the United will come up, and I will remind them that States, but you have got to get out of Leb- the NIE said that, one, Iran had a military anon, in terms of the Presidential elections, covert program. They suspended the pro- and stop harboring Hamas, stop letting gram. I will also remind them that a regime suiciders go into Iraq. And you—there’s a that once had a program could easily start better way forward. the program up again, and that the key ingredients to having a weapons program Lebanon is, one, the capacity to enrich uranium; sec- Mr. Bourar. Speaking of Lebanon, what ondly, the ability to take that uranium and could the United States do to break the make a bomb; and thirdly, the ability to current stalemate which left the country HEARING deliver the uranium—the bomb by rockets. without a President? with

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The President. Yes. We’re making it aw- view of that, the people who only prey on fully clear to—publicly and privately—that hopelessness. That’s what I would hope. the—Sleiman, who was selected by the— I would hope that they would say, Presi- by a lot of the players there inside Leb- dent Bush respects my religion and has anon, is the right choice; if that’s what they great love for the human being and believes want, that’s who we support—and that the in human dignity. I know my image can obstacle to that Presidency going forward be different at times. I had to make some is Syria. tough choices on war and peace. On the So I’ll be spending some time there in other hand, I hope people are now begin- the Middle East discussing this very subject ning to see the emergence of a free Iraq, because a free Lebanon is in the interests based upon a modern Constitution, is part of everybody in the region. And there’s a of my vision for achieving peace that we lot of common ground with the U.S. posi- all want. tion, and there—like the Saudis and other Mr. Bourar. Thank you, sir. Thank you nations agree that we ought to have a free very much. Lebanon, free of Syrian influence. The President. Yes, sir. Mr. Bourar. Thank you. President’s Legacy The President. Happy New Year. Mr. Bourar. Last question, Mr. Presi- Mr. Bourar. Happy New Year to you. dent. How do you think people in the Mid- The President. Thank you. dle East will remember you? The President. I hope they remember me NOTE: The interview was taped at 4:22 p.m. as the guy who was willing to fight extrem- in the Map Room at the White House for ists who murdered the innocent to achieve later broadcast. In his remarks, the President political objectives and, at the same time, referred to President Mahmoud Abbas of the had great faith in the people, the average Palestinian Authority; Prime Minister Ehud citizen of the Middle East, to self-govern; Olmert of Israel; King Abdallah bin Abd al- that the Middle East has got a fantastic Aziz Al Saud and Minister of Foreign Affairs future, and that I admire the great tradi- Saud al-Faysal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of tions of the Middle East and believe that Saudi Arabia; President Bashar al-Asad of the average man can succeed mightily; that Syria; and Gen. Michel Sleiman, com- societies are best served when they respond mander, Lebanese Armed Forces. The tran- to the will of people, and that we must script was released by the Office of the Press reject the extremists who have a different Secretary on January 6.

Interview With Nadia Bilbassy Charters of Al Arabiya Television January 4, 2008

Middle East Peace Process Would you request from Prime Minister Ms. Bilbassy Charters. Mr. President, Olmert a freeze on the settlements? thank you very much for your time, as al- The President. I think the major obstacle ways, and thank you for the interview. to peace is going to be the politics of both The President. Thank you. Palestinians and Israelis trying to take ad- Ms. Bilbassy Charters. The major obsta- vantage of the difficult work that these two cle to peace is the settlement activities. leaders are going to have to do to define HEARING a state; that’s what I think. I think that with

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