Press Briefing Tony Snow 07/06/06 (VIDEO)

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House or Tony Snow and VIDEO, or White House Press Office and Prime Minister Harper, or Mexico, and Zal Khalilzad, or G8 and North Korea or Russia and China or six-party talks and United Nations or Larry King and Kim Jong-il or G8 summit,

Press Briefing by Tony Snow, FULL STREAMING VIDEO. James S. Brady Briefing Room 1:00 P.M. MR. SNOW: This is good. Good to see you all. I'll try to keep this brief,

because I do want to make it for the meeting with our Ambassador to Iraq in a few minutes.

Obviously, the President is engaged in vigorous outreach to a number of leaders on the issues of concern. And he had a good meeting with Prime Minister Harper, as you got to see and we all got to sing "Happy Birthday," as well. So, questions. Wow. (Laughter.) This is going to be shorter than I thought. (Laughter.)

Go ahead.

Q The Mexican elections, the Prime Minister mentioned them in his press conference with President Bush. I wondered if you can give more details about it.

MR. SNOW: He simply made the point that he supports the electoral process in Mexico, which is transparent, and therefore, he is willing to work with whomever emerges as the winner in the contest.

Q Has he received the news that they are ready to declare a winner?

MR. SNOW: Has it been officially declared? I thought it was to be --

Q Yes.

MR. SNOW: And who was the winner?

Q Calderón --

MR. SNOW: Well, both leaders had expressed a willingness, because you know the numbers have been bouncing around. So what you've told me, and I'm embarrassed to say, is news to me. I'm sure that there will be congratulations expressed on both sides quite soon.

Right now, just to give you a sense of the President's schedule, he went straight from the press briefing with the Prime Minister -- they're in a working lunch. And as soon as that's over, he'll be meeting in the Oval Office with Zal Khalilzad.

Q Why a news conference in Chicago tomorrow? What's that about?

MR. SNOW: Keeping you happy. (Laughter.)

Q He can do that here.

MR. SNOW: No, it's -- you know, the President actually -- the President, you may recall, where was -- was it Laredo? Was it Laredo? I'm trying to remember which of the stops where --

Q Laredo.

MR. SNOW: -- he did a press conference there. The President likes going into a place -- and I think you're going to see a little bit more of this -- likes to go in and spend a little bit of time there, talk to local leaders, also build some events around a central theme -- in this case, it's the economy and also the competitiveness initiative. And one of the other things is to do a press availability, and this will be a press availability, obviously, for local and national press.

Q Tony, I just want to clarify that. Local reporters and national --

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q Have you gotten a readout on what's happened between Solana and Larajani?

MR. SNOW: No. We'll try to provide whatever guidance -- probably later in the day, we'll have an NSC readout. It may also -- I don't know if that's going to fit neatly into the G8 briefing, but we'll try to figure out some way. Frankly, with the press of events, some of those things are a little slow in coming, and my apologies.

Q Tony, there are some reports suggesting that North Korea may be within days of preparing to launch another long-range missile. What is the White House understanding? There are all kinds of reports flying around.

MR. SNOW: Nobody really has -- I mean, look, even before the launches in that less than 24-hour period, nobody knew precisely what was going to happen. I mean, one of the problems in dealing with North Korea is you've got a society that doesn't communicate with the rest of the world, and, as the President pointed out in the press conference, simply decided to launch, after specific requests from all the other parties in the six-party talks, and after direct, diplomatic discussions with other parties. So we don't know what's going to happen. What we hope is that there are no further launches.

It's -- again, let me reiterate a point I made earlier, which is, if the government of North Korea thinks that it's going to derive some sort of benefit from doing this, it's wrong. And there is -- all parties involved are agreed upon that point.

Q Just one quick follow-up. When the President was saying earlier that stressing diplomacy will take some time --

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q -- was that a reference, in part, to Russia and China seeming to be reluctant?

MR. SNOW: No, because, you know, what they're not reluctant -- they are not reluctant about the central theme, which is to figure out how to make the North Koreans stop. And I think -- I don't want to get too much behind the scenes on the diplomacy, but I think you'll find out in time that some of it's been mischaracterized, and I'm not going to go any further than that. But here's -- the most important thing is, everybody shares the goal not only of having a -- making sure that there is no nuclear proliferation, they want a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula. They want the North Koreans to abide by previous promises to set aside and shut down their nuclear weapon-building program, and furthermore, to cease with missile launches. That's the specific desire -- and to return to the six-party talks.

They return to the six-party talks, they behave, and they do it in a way that's credible, then, all of a sudden, other options become available not only to the leader, but also to the rest of the country.

And the President made a powerful and important point when he talked about the fact that you have North Koreans, by some estimates, 2 million or more, who have starved to death. And you've got a humanitarian crisis within that country, a deeply closed society, and those people deserve better.

Q Tony, one week ago the President said in the East Room that a missile launch, a test firing would be unacceptable.

MR. SNOW: It still is.

Q China is now, at least publicly, saying that they're not for harsh sanctions against North Korea --

MR. SNOW: Well, again, Brett --

Q -- saying that they fear that the regime could crumble and that causes a refugee problem for them.

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q Barring China's support, what are the tools that you could punish North Korea --

MR. SNOW: Brett, there are many tools. And already you've seen the Japanese, for instance, proceeding in their own way in saying, no port access and no travel available. But I'm not going to lay out for your the full options because -- neither am I go to start engaging in public negotiations. The important point that the President made and others made is that you act as a unit. And don't -- I would caution against drawing any firm conclusions until this process is over. Some people are making points publicly, but at the same point -- at the same time, there are discussions going on, vigorous discussions in the region. Chris Hill, for all I know is now in Beijing. He is certainly on his way. That's his first stop as he visits the leaders in the other capitals. And all options are still alive, and we're going to have to see which option the five parties in the six-party talks believe are going to be effective in getting the North Koreans to cease and desist and to return to the negotiating table.

So rather than trying to get into the jousting about what the Chinese may be saying, or what a Russian official -- let's just wait and see what happens. I think that's the most important thing. They're going to do as a unit what they think is going to be most effective in achieving the desired result.

Q If I could follow, if the first test firing was unacceptable, what's the potential second test firing?

MR. SNOW: Well, look, we've had seven firings. They're all unacceptable, each and every one of them. Let's deal with that if and when it happens. I really -- it's one of these things. Remember -- poor Ivan, I was beating up on him last week for asking me hypothetical questions.

Q -- three times, you said. (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: Well, I told you I was never going to answer your question. As it turned out, I never did. (Laughter.) But the fact is, let's see what happens. And if it comes to that eventuality, we'll give you a response.

Q But following on Ed, intelligence is indicating that they have other Taepodong-2s that potentially they could put up on the pad --

MR. SNOW: That is correct. Well, I don't know -- you may have more intelligence than I. The reports that I've

-- the public reports that I've seen say that there may be an attempt to get one launch ready. I don't know if that's true, or not. But again, the smart thing, if the North Koreans really do -- if they really think they're going to get any benefit out of it, they're just absolutely wrong. And I think that they're receiving that word not only from the United States, but from the Japanese and the Chinese. The Chinese have sent their top diplomat to Pyongyang, as I mentioned this morning. People are making the message as clear as possible to the regime. We're going to find out if the regime is going to listen.

Q Tony --

MR. SNOW: Right now, keep it all on North Korea. If it's not on North Korea --

Q Tony, who is helping North Korea to develop this missile technology? And also, do you think the six-party talks are a failure? Because at least China is a failure because China has failed in the six-party talks because --

MR. SNOW: Okay, the idea the people engaged in diplomacy -- the failure comes on the part of the government of North Korea. And if you want to talk about a failed state, here's a state where its people are starving, where its infrastructure is decrepit, where you've got a leader who is completely isolated from the rest of the world, where, as Prime Minister Harper ably put it, wants to be a threat, and is -- that is a failure. That's what a failure is.

What you're going to have are people trying to speak reason to a government and to say, you need to abide by your past promises. And if you do, good things are going to happen. That's how diplomacy works, and it is not a snap. When a diplomatic initiative is not met with the proper response, it is not the failure of the people who behaved reasonably, it's the failure of the people who behaved unreasonably. And I think it is clear to say that the government of North Korea behaved unreasonably.

Q If I could follow, do you think the United Nations is doing enough to correct this -- from North Korea? What is the international community doing --

MR. SNOW: Again, they're talking. This is -- everybody -- it's like you guys want to do diplomacy with an egg timer. As the President said, it requires patience and persistence here. You've got a lot of people who have a lot of ideas about how best to proceed. And it is worth going ahead and trying to measure different alternatives and debate them out. That's what they're doing in the United Nations, and that's what our diplomats are doing in the region. And I can guarantee you, everybody has the same goal: They don't want to see further launches; they don't want to see a nuclear Korean Peninsula; and they're going to do everything they can to protect it.

You've got to keep in mind that the people with the greatest vested interest in this are the people who live in the neighborhood. So they're not going to pursue policies that they don't think are going to be effective. And at this point, I know it's fun to try to sort of play the chess game about who's going to say what, but very smart, determined, dedicated and interested minds are trying to apply themselves to the business of trying to get this resolved peacefully.

Q Will the President have anything new and pithy to say on Larry King tonight in the prepared statement of sorts? And will he be returning to the White House from Chicago, or going to Camp David?

MR. SNOW: You mean is he going to say, thank you, Larry, and pull out a sheet and clear his throat and deliver a statement?

Q Well, the President, although perhaps not as well-spoken as you, is capable of speaking --

MR. SNOW: Yes. No, he's not going to do a prepared statement. I mean, I think this is keyed off the President's birthday, and obviously, Larry will ask whatever he wants. But as somebody who had done interviews of this sort and been in the business, look, the last thing any interviewer wants is for somebody to come on and just recite stuff. And so you're going to have the President and the First Lady --

Q I didn't mean that -- sometimes a question is a means to come up with, if you will, a prepared answer. Even though it doesn't sound like one. I'm just asking --

MR. SNOW: Well, far be it for me -- (laughter.) I don't know. I don't have any clue.

Q What's he going to do, though?

MR. SNOW: Talk to the President. I think the President is going to this because he wants to do an interview with Larry King -- he and the First Lady are going to talk to Larry King. And so now what we're doing is providing a wonderful commercial for Mr. King's broadcast.

We still have North Korea -- Connie, do you have a North Korea question?

Q I do. Tony, what is the timetable by which the President would like the five nations to come to an agreement on sanctions? And is he concerned that as this debate goes on, the disagreements embolden the North Koreans?

MR. SNOW: If the North Koreans want to be emboldened by deepening their failure, that's their business. But I'm not sure that it makes sense to describe what North Korea

-- I mean, I don't know what you mean by embolden. You mean the fact that people are debating how to make them stop will make them bolder?

I'm sure that's something that one takes into account. On the other hand, the North Koreans have to assess the other alternative, which is, if they continue down this road, what does it mean? The Japanese have already signaled some pretty clear intentions at least to take some preliminary steps. I don't know what the Chinese are telling them. The Chinese now have, as I said, dispatched the top diplomat to the region.

It's important, again, to say that while there are unilateral steps the nations that have direct diplomatic ties with the North Koreans may take, the most important thing is what the group together is going to do. There is a certain sense of urgency in getting it done. There are no timetables on this, and the last thing that anybody wants to do --

Q -- weeks, not months?

MR. SNOW: We're just talking as long as it takes. And the last thing anybody wants is to let the North Koreans think -- and one of the assumptions in your question is are we going to let them drive the bus? And the answer is, no.

Q (inaudible) -- mentioned yesterday, any kind of sanctions against North Korea will be regarded as an act of war. Therefore, North Korea will take full-scale counter-measures against North Korea. What will be your comment on that?

MR. SNOW: North Korea will take countermeasures against North Korea?

Q Against the -- I mean, United States, or any of the five?

MR. SNOW: I would characterize that as an act of rhetoric.

Q Yes, Tony. Two questions.

MR. SNOW: First, is that North Korea?

Q Yes, the first is North Korea.

MR. SNOW: Okay, we will divide the first and let the second die a crib death. Go ahead. (Laughter.)

Q Before North Korea launched its missiles on July 4th, the President said the U.S. would attempt to shoot down any missiles headed towards U.S. territory, but it was civil -- but it was Cold War policy of launch on warning that kept the uneasy peace between the Soviet Union and U.S. for 40 years. And my question, has the U.S. abandoned its launch on warning policy?

MR. SNOW: I'm not going to get into the vagaries of --

Q -- if I could finish. Is it not a signal of weakness to our enemies, many of them stateless terrorists, to suggest the U.S. will absorb a first strike before retaliating with their own nuclear weapons?

MR. SNOW: That's one of the all time great preposterous questions. (Laughter.)

Q Coming from the network. And I don't think it's preposterous.

MR. SNOW: Well, memo to boss is, send the weak stuff back. No, look, I do think it's preposterous. And it's one of these things where this is something that has not come into play, and I'm not going to -- the United States reserves all options to defend itself. And I am going to go no further than that.

Q Can I come back?

MR. SNOW: I hope so. We'll see.

Q Do current military obligations in any way limit or restrict potential U.S. responses to North Korea?

MR. SNOW: Not that I'm aware of, but that's probably better posed to the Pentagon, which would have -- it's not a question that I can give you an informed answer to.

Q Doesn't the White House operate under some parameters of what can be done, given --

MR. SNOW: I'm sure they do, but again, I'm not sitting around in the war-planning sessions should their be any such things, and I'm not aware of any. So everybody, relax, stand down. So I mean, I honestly don't know how to answer your question. I really do think that's one -- the President, as Commander-in-Chief, as you know, delegates considerable authority to his commanders. And, yes, there are rules and parameters. I just can't help you on it. I mean if you want a quick answer to it, give Eric Ruff a ring over at the Pentagon, and he may be able to give you something more precise. I just don't want to mislead you.

Q Tony, can you expand on the President's statement today that Kim Jong-il is going to be less of a threat, the more he is isolated? Some experts say that with a leader as unstable as he is, if he's backed to a wall, he could do just about anything.

MR. SNOW: Well, this gets into the tea leaf reading about is he sane or is he not, and I'm afraid I can't answer it. There is also this -- you've heard, Brett -- a lot of people think, well the theory -- and the Wall Street Journal has this as an editorial -- is that in the past, by behaving badly, he has received certain benefits and emoluments. The only thing I can say, again, is that if that's what he thinks, he's miscalculated in this case. But it is notoriously difficult to read his mind, and therefore, I really don't want to try to engage in scenario building based on that.

Obviously, anybody -- let me put it this way -- I think the President made the point is that you plan for the worst and hope for the best. So when you're thinking through scenarios, you think through every possible scenario, how you coordinate and respond. But for me to start running through those, I don't think is appropriate right here.

Q Somebody must be advising him from outside, or helping him to go to pick a fight with the international community in this time of --

MR. SNOW: I'm not sure that's the case. I mean, I'm really not sure, Goyal. And the other thing is -- one of the other dangers here is that North Korea -- again, North Korea, with these launches, is trying to provoke. It's trying to get people to panic. It's trying to get people to respond. It's trying to get people to say that the government is a threat, and by golly, what we need to do is to appease them. And that is simply not the way the international community has responded.

One of the results of extended diplomacy on the part of this administration has been to bring together people who, in the past, were afraid -- or I shouldn't say afraid -- who were more reluctant to challenge -- what are you guys doing -- who are a bit reluctant to go ahead and push the North Koreans. And I think what you now see is concerted pressure from everybody in the neighborhood to do so.

Q Can I ask a domestic question --

MR. SNOW: Well, first, I promised -- Kevin, you got one?

Q Yeah, a North Korea question. I just want to make sure I'm clear. Essentially, it doesn't matter how many tests or missiles they send up, the American stance is going to be the same diplomatically in that we're going to keep trying to encourage them to go to the six-party talks --

MR. SNOW: No, I think. No, no. No, I don't want you to get the sense that it doesn't matter how many missiles they send off. Each one matters. The other thing is, it does take time to assess what's going on. The President talked a little bit, as I mentioned, in the past couple of days -- you take a look at the telemetry. What can you conclude based on what seems to have been a designed flight path. And when you have something that's up for 42 seconds, in the case of the Taepodong-2, it takes time to figure that out.

You may recall the Taepodong-1 launch back in 1998, we didn't even know it was a three-stager for some time. It is a fairly complex business to try to do the research. And I guarantee you, the Russians are doing the same thing, and the Chinese are doing the same, and the Japanese, and the South Koreans. Everybody is trying right now to take a look at the data, and it takes longer to assemble than we might like, but it's going to take time.

Each and every launch is unacceptable. And, again, you do not take them lightly. And I think what's become clear is that the North Koreans, at least so far, have been perfectly happy to defy all of their neighbors in doing this. And I think that it's probably going to add to the resolve for getting this done right and getting it done quickly.

Q One other question, Tony?

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q Hamas has threatened to murder that 19-year-old Israeli corporal that they captured. In the even that they do and Israel retaliates by hanging one or more Hamas leaders, the President will not condemn Israel, will he, since murdering of nine confederate POWs by General Custer in 1864 was stopped by Colonel Mosbey's hanging eight of Custer's command? There is a precedent for stopping the murder of prisoners of war in the United States. If Israel follows that same thing, they will not be condemned by the President, will they?

MR. SNOW: I amend my characterization of your earlier question. (Laughter.)

Q You are evading the question. You are evading the question, and you know it.

MR. SNOW: Why didn't you just -- you decided upon specific means of retaliation, Lester. (Laughter.)

Connie?

Q On the New York ruling on same-sex marriage, does the President have a reaction to that?

MR. SNOW: Not that I'm aware of. And I have not heard any conversation about it, so we'll get back to you later on it. I mean, the President's position on marriage has been consistent and clear.

Q And this one, I don't know if anyone could answer this, but it seems outrageous -- I mean, I'm sorry Ken Lay died, sorry for his family, but I don't understand why the creditors can't somehow sue the estate, just because he died. There's nothing the White House can do to help those poor people out?

MR. SNOW: As I said yesterday also, when it comes to legal matters, the White House, we give duly constituted legal authorities who do their work, and we will allow the court system to process in whatever way, to probate the estate as it sees fit. I am not going to just --

Q The slate is wiped clean because he died.

MR. SNOW: Well, I can't help you with that.

Q Would you be kind enough to amplify, if you know more travel plans, could you say that the President, after the Chicago trip is going to go out and see more of the country?

MR. SNOW: Yes.

Q How often will he try and do this?

MR. SNOW: It really won't -- I mean, you know how it works. We tend to give week-ahead views, and I'm not going to go too far ahead on the schedule. But you will notice it. I mean, it's not going to be like every week there's going to be such an event. But you're going to see some times where the President goes out, spends a bit of time in a place, talks with the leaders, drills into the issues, listens to what they have to say, builds trips generally around one topic -- in this case, job growth and job development and economic development. And in this case also, since tomorrow is a so-called 'jobs day' -- that is, the economic data being released -- it provides a time that is appropriate for doing it.

Q And if I may quickly follow up, when you talk about your desire to get questions from local press, does that mean format-wise, there will actually be questions that the President will deliberately say -- call on local press?

MR. SNOW: Yes. I think we're going to mix it up.

Q I want to ask a question that I asked yesterday. How is civil rights the cornerstone of this administration?

MR. SNOW: The President has always talked about civil rights as a cornerstone in a number of ways. It is clear that in this nation, there have been people who have been left behind, that there was long history of discrimination in this nation that has been a stain, that American people have to work together to figure out not merely how to blot the stain, but how to heal the wounds. And the President has tried to reach out with faith-based initiatives. He's tried to do it by talking about not only No Child Left Behind, but also initiatives to allow people the choice to go to the best available schools.

And I think the way you try to deal with civil rights is to try to create an atmosphere in which people can lay aside old prejudices and also try to remove that debris, because that is debris that stands between us and a better future. And you do that in a number of ways. You do that by building a stronger economy that can offer jobs to more. You do it by trying to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to be educated and trained in such a way as to take full advantage of it. You try to do that by doing family initiatives, because in many poor neighborhoods in this country there is one feature that stands out, and that is single-parent households where people toil heroically, but there is a difference -- and to try to rebuild families safe and whole.

It's important, when you talk about crime, that somebody can walk the streets without having to worry about random acts of violence and shooting. In other words, civil rights is an extension of common sense, which is, in common sense, what you want to do is to build a society where young men and women have the opportunity to grow up in safe neighborhoods, attend good schools, be embraced by parents who love them and whose love they can count upon, and to do it in a way to know that they are not going to be victimized because of their race, because of their skin color, and because of their background.

Civil rights is built around a whole series of programs, and they extend those same benefits to everybody. But for those who have never had them before, it is the hope that that is going to help transform their lives. If you talk about -- there are job training programs. There are reconstruction programs. There are business grant programs. There are attempts to do targeted grants. We're going to be seeing some of this, as well. And that's how you build civil rights.

In many ways, the infrastructure that says bigotry is illegal has been constructed. But now comes the business of removing the barriers that still remain in the way, so the American Dream can be accessible to all.

Q Did Hurricane Katrina divert the laying of that cornerstone of civil rights?

MR. SNOW: No, I think what Hurricane Katrina did was to expose some ways -- to wake everybody up to the difficulty, not only of dealing with natural disasters, but their aftermath.

Got to go, guys. Thank you very much.

END 1:30 P.M. EDT, For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, July 6, 2006

Related: Keywords Press Briefing Scott McClellan, Tony Snow. Thursday, June 29, 2006 Press Briefing Tony Snow 06/29/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, June 06, 2006 Press Briefing Tony Snow 06/06/06 (VIDEO), Wednesday, May 31, 2006 Press Briefing Tony Snow 05/31/06 (VIDEO), Wednesday, May 17, 2006 Press Briefing Tony Snow 05/16/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, May 02, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 05/02/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 04/25/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, April 11, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 04/10/06 (VIDEO), Wednesday, April 05, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 04/04/06 (VIDEO), Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/28/06 (VIDEO), Friday, March 24, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/23/06 (VIDEO), Sunday, March 19, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/17/06 (VIDEO), Friday, March 17, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/15/06 (VIDEO), Wednesday, March 15, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/13/06 (VIDEO), Friday, March 10, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/09/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, March 07, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 03/07/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, February 28, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 02/27/06 (VIDEO), Friday, February 17, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 02/16/06 (VIDEO), Friday, February 17, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 02/14/06 (VIDEO), Tuesday, February 14, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 02/13/06 (VIDEO), Thursday, January 19, 2006 Press Briefing Scott McClellan 01/18/06 (VIDEO), Friday, December 16, 2005Press Briefing, Scott McClellan, Levee Reconstruction (VIDEO), Tuesday, December 06, 2005 Press Briefing Scott McClellan (VIDEO) 12/06/05,

President Bush, Prime Minister Harper, (VIDEO)

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House or Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Canada or North Korea and terrorist plots or NATO and NORAD or softwood lumber and Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and G8 or and Kim Jong-il

President Bush Participates in Press Availability with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, The East Room, 11:55 A.M. EDT, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, In Focus: Global Diplomacy

President George W. Bush shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Thursday, March 30, 2006 in Cancun, Mexico, in their first meeting since Harper was elected Prime Minister.

President Bush is participating in a three-day summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. White House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all. Welcome. It's been my honor to visit with Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, in the Oval Office. After this exercise in democracy, I'll be buying him lunch, where we'll continue our discussions. I'm impressed by his leadership style. I appreciate the fact that he doesn't mince words, he tells me what's on his mind and he does so in a real clear fashion.

We talked about a lot of subjects. We talked about Iran, and our joint desire to convince the Iranian regime to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions. We talked about North Korea, and I shared with him our strategy to work with five other -- four other nations to convince the North Koreans to adhere to agreements they had already reached with the world.

We talked about the war on terror, and I told the Prime Minister how pleased Americans were that the Canadian government did the hard work necessary to disrupt terrorist plots. It just goes to show how safe Canada is. When you've got a government that's active and a police force that's capable, people ought to be rest assured that Canada is on top of any plots.

I thanked the Prime Minister and the Canadian people for their involvement in Afghanistan. This is a serious foreign policy decision by the government, and it's a necessary decision, in my judgment, to help make this world a more peaceful place. It just goes to show the important role Canada can play in foreign policy. Canada has got -- has got a set of values that are extremely important for the world to see.

And I do want to thank the families of those soldiers who are in Afghanistan for supporting their loved ones. Their soldiers are doing fantastic work. I asked prior to your visit here from our military folks how they were doing; they said, great. And they're making the country proud.

I appreciate very much our discussion about Darfur. I believe that Canada and the United States can make a difference in Darfur, and should. As you know, our nation declared the situation in Darfur a genocide. We will work with the international community to bolster the AU forces that are there now. I believe they ought to be blue-helmeted, and I believe there ought to be NATO involvement with a blue-helmeted AU augmented force on the ground. The message has got to be clear to the government of Sudan, we're not going to tolerate this kind of activity.

I speak frequently with my Secretary of State on this issue, Mr. Prime Minister, to make sure that we expedite the arrival of augmented troops to save lives. I talked to Kofi Annan the other night, by the way, about this very subject. And so I appreciate your understanding and I really appreciate your working on this.

You know, we cooperate closely in our neighborhood. We just renewed the NORAD Accord, and I want to thank you for that. I remember going out -- one of the hurricanes was about to hit us here, and I remember talking to, and having dinner with a Canadian general there, and it was a -- it just reminded me of how close that our relations need to be.

We talked about trade. We have a lot of trade with Canada. It's in this nation's interest to trade with Canada. It's in, I think, the Canadian interest to trade with the United States. I'll let the Prime Minister speak to that. But it's important when you have trade to have goods and services and people flow as smoothly as possible between our two countries.

We've had some disputes in the past, trade disputes. That's what you expect when you have a lot of trade. And probably the most nettlesome trade dispute was softwood lumber. And I appreciate the Prime Minister's leadership in helping us resolve this issue. It's a tough issue. It was a tough issue for the Canadian government, it's a tough issue for us. Nevertheless, the fact that we were able to reach an accord just goes to show how trading partners can be active in trade and be willing -- and solve problems. I think this is a really important solution, and I want to thank you for that.

Needless to say, the Prime Minister expressed deep concerns about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The last time I was with him he expressed concerns. He basically was a little impatient, if I might clarify your -- it seemed like you were impatient, at least -- (laughter) -- and straightforward. Look, he said, I understand there's a law on the books; show us what's going to happen. And I understand the concerns. If you have a relationship like we have, where there's a lot of activity and a lot of people moving across the border, it makes sense for the Prime Minister of Canada to say, look, we just want to know what the rules are to determine whether or not it is compatible with our relationship.

And so I assured him that my view is, simple and easy to understand is the operative words. And we will continue our discussions about this initiative, particularly since the Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff -- who is sitting right over there, by the way -- will be joining us for lunch. Unless you don't want me to invite him. (Laughter.)

We talked about -- well, we talked about a lot of subjects, and that's what you'd expect friends to do.

Mr. Prime Minister, the floor is yours. I'm proud you're here, and thanks for coming.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, for the invitation and for the kind words. And thank you for doing something I never thought I'd see, which is have the Canadian media stand when I entered the room. But we certainly enjoy that.

(Begins to speak in French.)

(Returns to speaking English.) The United States and Canada have a strong relationship, strong and firm relationship based on the largest commerce and social interaction in the history of any two countries of the world, and we were able to discuss a wide range of bilateral and international matters where we, more often than not, share common values and common objectives.

We discussed many topics of interest to our respective countries and citizens, in particular, as the President mentioned, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The President and I agreed that the implementation of the provisions of the WHTI must not unduly hinder cross-border travel or tourism or trade. And to that end, we've tasked our officials to agree on common standards for securing alternate documents, and preferably, as soon as possible.

We discussed the critical role Canada, in particular our oil sands, can play in providing energy security. The President and I have agreed to task our officials to provide a more forward-looking approach focused on the environment, climate change, air quality and energy issues in which our governments can cooperate. We raised the issue of how regulatory cooperation could increase productivity, while helping to protect our health, safety, and environment.

We also expressed, as the President just did, our mutual satisfaction on the significant progress made on the longstanding softwood lumber dispute. Both countries have now initialed the legal text; that legal text faithfully reproduces and documents the agreements reached between our governments and various premiers on April the 27th, and I now urge all relevant parties to move forward with its implementation.

The President and I also discussed a number of important international issues, in particular our role in Afghanistan. We have 2,300 men and women on the ground as part of the Canadian forces. They're playing an important role in security and development in order to protect our national interest, rebuild Afghanistan, and ensure it never becomes again a safe haven for terrorists.

We also discussed recent developments in Iran, and we expressed our mutual concern about North Korea's latest provocative acts. We also discussed the upcoming G8 meeting in Russia, where issues like energy security, infectious diseases, education and innovation will be on the agenda. And finally, we did touch briefly on the recent Mexican election. Canada has full confidence in Mexico's institutions and processes, and I look forward very much to working with the next President of Mexico.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.

Kyl.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Do you want the United Nations to impose sanctions on North Korea? And how will you go about persuading the Russians and the Chinese to back those moves if you make them? And in addition to that, sir, what kind of threat do you think North Korea poses to world peace right now?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Non-transparent societies run by governments that aren't selected by the people are -- very difficult to tell what's going on. That's part of the problem. We're dealing with a person who was asked not to fire a rocket by the Chinese, the South Koreans, the United States, the Japanese, and the Russians, and he fired seven of them -- which then caused the Secretary of State and myself to get on the phone with our partners, and reminded them that -- of the importance of speaking with one voice.

It's to -- saying to Kim Jong-il, there is a better way forward for you than isolating yourself from the rest of the world; that there is a opportunity for you to stick to some of your agreements, and that is to verifiably disarm; and that there will be a better life than being isolated, and most importantly, a better life for your people than isolation will bring.

And so I was on the phone this morning with Hu Jintao and President Putin, and last night I talked to Prime Minister Koizumi and President Roh. And my message was that we want to solve this problem diplomatically, and the best way to solve the problem diplomatically is for all of us to be working in concert, and to send one message, and that is -- to Kim Jong-il -- that we expect you to adhere to international norms and we expect you to keep your word.

One way to send a message is through the United Nations. And the Japanese laid down a resolution which we support. But we're working with our partners to make sure we speak with one voice. Diplomacy takes a while, particularly when you're dealing with a variety of partners. And so we're spending time diplomatically making sure that voice is unified.

I was pleased from the responses I got from the leaders. They, like me, were -- are concerned, concerned about a person who doesn't seem to really care about what others say. And so we're working it, working it hard. And it's -- and by the way, an effective policy is one which is not just the United States trying to solve problems. So I spent time talking to the Canadian Prime Minister about it. I mean, Canada is a -- should be, and must be, an active participant in helping deal with problems.

He brought up Haiti, for example, in the Oval Office. Canada has made a significant contribution to stability in Haiti in the past. And it's an important -- my only point is, is that we will continue to work with others to deal with problems that crop up.

Q How much of a threat to the world --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, you know, Dick, I think that -- let's put it this way -- he's going to pose less of a threat the more isolated he becomes and the more we work together. And as I mentioned to you, it's hard to tell. This is a society in which there's very little freedom, including freedom of the press. There's not a lot of light shining in there.

And so we take his statements very seriously. He's kind of declared himself to be a nuclear power. We obviously watch very carefully his testings. We're trying to make sure, by the way, that the missile that he fired wasn't headed for Canada. We don't know, for a fact, where it was headed. But, for example, one thing that Stephen and I talked about is he could be seemingly firing a missile at the United States, say, at -- I don't know, this is all speculation -- but could be headed toward the Northwest of our country, and it wouldn't take much for it to get off course, and end somewhere where he may not have intended.

My only point is, is that we will work very closely on these matters together. It's in our interests that we send a clear message to the leader of North Korea.

Q Christian St. Pierre, Radio Canada. Happy birthday, sir.

PRESIDENT BUSH: It's amazing, the first birthday greeting I got from the press came from the Canadian press. (Laughter.) Thank you, I am grateful. You're not 60 years old, are you? (Laughter.) Well, let me just say this -- it's a lot younger than you think.

Q President Bush --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Sure.

Q My question is about the security at the border. On the passport issue, you seems very open. But there is a deadline of 2008.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes.

Q Is there any chance of getting a -- of dealing? And, Mr. Harper, can you comment in French and English, please?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you. We are responding to congressional law. And I -- let me reinterpret your -- is your question, is there flexibility in the law, basically? Yes, I think that if Congress decides there needs to be flexibility, there will flexibility. Interestingly enough, the Senate passed -- made its intention clear to extend deadlines. That hasn't happened in the House yet. And so we are operating in the executive branch under the idea that nothing will change, and therefore, we need to get to the Canadian government as quickly as possible our definition of what a reasonable policy is. If Congress decides to be flexible, we, obviously, will be flexible.

But the reason we're dealing with this issue is because the legislative branch put this into law, put the need to have these kind of documents into law. And as I told Chertoff, who is responsible for implementing the law, that I would like this, to the extent the law allows, for there to be a lot of flexibility and simplicity.

As the governor of Texas, I'm used to a border situation where hundreds of thousands of people crossed every day. See, we -- on our southern border, there are a lot of Mexican citizens who come into the United States and work on a daily basis and then go back home. It happens a lot. And therefore, I fully understand the need for there to be simplicity in the documentation. It needs to be easy for somebody who is known and a person that is -- makes a living on the other side of the border. There's -- a lot of kids go to college in, like, El Paso, Texas, and they're living in Mexico, so they've got to go back and forth on a regular basis. So I'm familiar with this issue a lot, and I really do emphasize the need for us to be mindful of what a onerous program could mean to good relations, as well as facilitation of trade.

I can remember Stephen's concerns about the effect this initiative might have on conventions, for example, in Canada. He brought up today an interesting example of Little League teams playing baseball in Manitoba. And so, in other words, there's a lot of just daily commerce that we've got to be mindful about -- not just trade, but the movement of people. And we are, we are.

And so to answer your question, if the Congress provides flexibility, of course, we will work with the Canadian government to extend deadlines. If the Congress says, no, this is what our intent is, we will work with the Canadian government to make the law work.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER: (Answers in French.)

(Continues in English) We're on two tracks here. We've indicated we want to cooperate. We understand this is a congressional law the administration has to put into place. We're prepared to cooperate to make it work as smoothly and effectively as possible. We need more information, and we've been pressing for that for some time, and we'll continue to do so.

At the same time, our other track is obviously to encourage some reexamination of the law. The Senate has recently passed an amendment that would delay this process by a year and a half. We have some indications from some quarters of the House of Representatives, some will there to consider the same thing.

As I say, we -- and I just want to emphasize -- we in Canada share the United States' security concerns and objectives. I think as you all know, recently with events in Toronto it's been brought home to all of us that we face exactly the same kind of security threats, and are defending exactly the same kinds of values. And I would hate to see a law go into place that has the effect of not just limiting and endangering trade or tourism, but endangering all those thousands of social interactions that occur across our border every day, and are the reason why Canada and the United States have the strongest relationship of any two countries, not just on the planet, but in the history of mankind.

And I would just urge the Congress to think carefully, that if the fight for security ends up meaning that the United States becomes more closed to its friends, then the terrorists have won. And I don't think either of us want that. So we're prepared to cooperate and also urge the Congress to apply some flexibility in reaching their objectives of security.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you.

Jim Axelrod.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Kim Jong-il has been described as quirky, as odd. A member of your administration yesterday compared him to an unloved child looking for attention. And I'm wondering if you agree with that assessment. Does he pose --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Who was that person? (Laughter.)

Q Does he pose -- come to the booth, sir, I'll tell you who it was. (Laughter.) Does he pose any particular unique problems to deal with? And do you feel that he's looking, for instance, at what's been offered to the Iranians by the world community in terms of incentives, and saying, I'd like a little of that for myself?

PRESIDENT BUSH: It's hard for me to tell you what's on his mind. He lives in a very closed society. It's unlike our societies where we have press conferences and people are entitled to ask questions, and there's all kinds of discussions out of administrations and people saying this, saying that, and the other. This is a very closed society.

We do know there's a lot of concentration camps. We do know that people are starving. As a matter of fact, our nation has tried to help feed the hungry. But what we don't know is his intentions. And so I think we've got to plan for the worst and hope for the best. And planning for the worst means to make sure that we continue to work with friends and allies, as well as those who've agreed to be a part of the six-party talks, to continue to send a unified message.

We've also got a very strong Proliferation Security Initiative, because one of the threats that can emanate from a closed society, particularly one that claims to have nuclear weapons, is proliferation. One of the real dangers we face is weapons of mass destruction in the hands of people who would like to continue to hurt us -- hurt the United States or hurt Canada, or anybody who has the courage to stand up and embrace freedom, see? That's the big threat.

And so we don't know, Jim, about his intentions, but we take -- we're planning. And so one of the things we've done -- and I thank Canada's contribution -- is for there to be a very strong initiative to prevent proliferation, through what we call the Proliferation Security Initiative. And it's an important initiative. And so it's a way to say, we're not going to allow you to threaten us; we're not going to allow you to --.

The rocket -- as I say, I'm not exactly sure what the azimuth was of the rocket. We've got our people still analyzing that. But, for example, we didn't -- we don't know what was on the rocket, we don't know where the rocket was headed. It would have been helpful, of course, had he said, here's what we're going to do, here's our intentions, here's what -- we want to work with you, we want to explain it. Who knows -- send a satellite -- who knows what his intention was.

But that's not the way he decided to deal with it. He just decided to say -- to start firing; he fired seven of them. And we take this seriously. We take -- and we all should take threats seriously. That's one of the lessons of September the 11th, is that what takes place in other parts of the world can come home to hurt the American people. See, a failed government in Afghanistan enabled plotters and planners to train and them come and kill 3,000 of our citizens. And so it used to be that's it's okay if something were happening from afar, oceans could protect us. I presume that's how some in Canada used to feel. The lesson of September the 11th is, is that we're vulnerable, and therefore, we've got to deal with each threat.

I've assured the American people and assured our friends and allies we want to deal with threats diplomatically. The best way to deal with threats diplomatically is to encourage others to be a part of the process. And that's what we're doing. That's why we've got the six-party talks.

And one of the keys in the six-party talks is for all the nations to send clear messages to Kim Jong-il. That's why I was on the phone this morning, saying as clearly as I could to our fellow partners, four other leaders, to say, let's send a common message that you won't be rewarded for ignoring the world, and that you'll be isolated if you continue to do this, and yet, there's a way forward.

See, I care deeply about the people in North Korea. I truly do. It breaks my heart to know that young children are literally starving to death. And I wish -- I just wish at some point in time there was an openness in that society where we could help save lives. I'm also realistic enough to realize what weapons of mass destruction could mean in the world in which we live.

And so we're working this issue hard. We're working the Iranian issue hard. Steve and I talked about a strategy going into the G8 session. I talked to President Putin this morning abut making sure that not only do we send messages to the North Koreans, but that our strategy will work with Iran.

And it's just really important for the American President to see the world the way it is, not the way we would hope it would be, and to deal with threats, and to do so in a way that will achieve results. And it takes a while. I mean, these threats didn't arise overnight, and these problems won't be solved overnight. But we've got strategies in place to deal with them.

And one of the reasons why it's important to have Steve here is so we can talk about how we can work together to deal with it. And they're not just threats to our security that normal people think of. HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa is a threat to our security in the long run. That's why I'm proud to report the United States took the lead on setting up the Global Fund, as well as bilateral programs to help save people's lives. I think it's in our interests. I also happen to believe in the admonition, "to whom much is given, much is required."

And so, we've got a robust foreign policy on a lot of fronts, and I intend to keep it that way. And I'm confident that what we're doing is going to make this world a better place. And I'm proud to have allies like Steve who understand the stakes of the 21st century.

Q Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, before I ask you a question, I'm just curious what you think of that belt buckle the Prime Minister gave you as a birthday gift, and are you wearing it?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I hadn't seen it yet. (Laughter.) Oh, Lee, you gave it away. (Laughter.)

Q Mr. President, on a serious note, in light of the North Korea missile test, and the fact that North Korea could launch another series of missiles at any minute, did you ask Canada to reconsider joining in the Ballistic Missile Defense Shield?

And, Prime Minister, do you still think it's wrong and not in Canada's interest to join the BMD? And when you're responding, could you do it in French and English, please?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Anyway, thanks for the belt buckle in advance. (Laughter.)

PRIME MINISTER HARPER: No problem at all.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Looking forward to getting it.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER: Figure if you're going to be 60, you should get something.

PRESIDENT BUSH: That's right. Just hope the belt fits. (Laughter.)

No, I didn't bring it up, because I figured if he was interested, he would tell me. I did explain to him, however, that we will continue to build a robust system, because I think it's in -- I know it's in our interest to make sure that we're never in a position where somebody can blackmail us.

So we'll continue to invest and spend. And since this issue first came up, we've made a lot of progress on how to -- towards having an effective system. And it's in our interest that we continue to work along these lines.

But, no, my attitude was -- this is a -- this was a particularly difficult political issue inside Canada, and my relationship is such that if Stephen thought it was of importance, he would have told me what's on his mind. Now, maybe he's going to bring it up over lunch, but he didn't bring it up earlier.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER: Let me just begin by saying --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Interesting question, though.

PRIME MINISTER HARPER: Let me just begin by saying that -- first of all, the question was asked earlier, I think, is North Korea a threat. I don't think the issue is whether North Korea is a threat. North Korea clearly wants to be a threat. And I think -- I just want to repeat what the President has said -- given that that's a society of the kind of nature it is, I think this should concern us immensely, and the fact that it is prepared to arm itself and prepared to threaten to use such armaments I think it is something that we should be gravely concerned about, as was said earlier.

Missiles that are fired in the direction of the United States constitute a threat to Canada. That's one of the reasons why our government renewed, on a permanent basis, the NORAD Treaty. Through NORAD we have a special relationship on air defense and we share information on these kind of matters. I think as you know, to answer your specific question, the government of Canada is not prepared to open a missile defense issue at this time, but I will say that I think it should be obvious, when we look at this kind of threat, why the United States and others would want to have a modern and flexible defense system against this kind of threat. So I think that's something, at least, our government fully understands.

(Begins to answer in French.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Welcome. Thank you for your birthday gift.

Q Mr. President, happy birthday.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, very much. Yes.

Q It's also my birthday.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Today's your birthday, too?

Q Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT BUSH: It is? Come on up. Come up, come up, come up. (Laughter.) Come on. Get up here. Anybody else have their birthday today? (Laughter.) It's your birthday? Yes, sure. It is your birthday? Come on. (Laughter.) It's amazing everybody's birthday.

(The press sings "Happy Birthday.")

PRESIDENT BUSH: Dear Richard -- he just told me he's 30 years old. (Laughter.) Happy birthday. Happy birthday.

END 12:34 P.M. EDT, For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, July 6, 2006

RELATED: Keywords, President to Welcome, Wednesday, July 05, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Saakashvili, Thursday, June 29, 2006 President Welcomes Prime Minister Koizumi (VIDEO), Wednesday, June 21, 2006 President Bush to Welcome President Mikheil Saakashvili, Wednesday, June 14, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Bachelet of Chile (VIDEO), Saturday, June 10, 2006 Bush and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark (VIDEO), Monday, June 05, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Sassou Nguesso of the Congo , Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome Prime Minister Harper of Canada, Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan, Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome President Zelaya of Honduras, Saturday, May 27, 2006 President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair (VIDEO), Friday, May 26, 2006 President Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (VIDEO), Monday, May 15, 2006 President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel Saturday, May 06, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Vázquez of Uruguay (VIDEO), Monday, April 24, 2006 President Bush to Host Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Wednesday, April 12, 2006 President Bush to Welcome German Chancellor Merkel, Wednesday, April 12, 2006 President Bush welcomes Ghana President John A. Kufuor, Wednesday, March 29, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Obasanjo of Nigeria, Thursday, March 23, 2006 President Welcomes President Sirleaf of Liberia (VIDEO), Friday, March 17, 2006 President Welcomes Irish Prime Minister Ahern (VIDEO), Saturday, February 11, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President of Poland (VIDEO), Friday, February 10, 2006 President Bush Welcomes King Abdullah (VIDEO),