Administration of George W. Bush, 2005 / Sept. 13 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 Iraq 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 1421 VerDate Nov 24 2008 15:10 May 27, 2009 Jkt 206693 PO 00000 Frm 00253 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\206693A.010 206693A cprice-sewell on PROD1PC72 with HEARING Sept. 13 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2005 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. 1422 VerDate Nov 24 2008 15:10 May 27, 2009 Jkt 206693 PO 00000 Frm 00254 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\206693A.010 206693A cprice-sewell on PROD1PC72 with HEARING Administration of George W. Bush, 2005 / Sept. 13 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.