Press Briefing Scott McClellan 01/18/06 (VIDEO)

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan 01/18/06, FULL STREAMING VIDEO James S. Brady Briefing Room 1:00 P.M. EST. MR. McCLELLAN: I have a few things to begin with. First of all, I want to update you on one world leader call from this morning.

The President spoke with Chancellor Merkel this morning. This was a follow-up to their meeting last week, and they discussed Iran's nuclear ambitions and the way forward with recent developments there.

Secondly, I'd like to talk a little bit about some action that the Department of Treasury is taking today against this head of the Syrian security forces. We remain deeply concerned about Syria's destablizing behavior in the Middle East and its continued support for terrorism. The regime in Syria has failed to comply with several Security Council resolutions. Today the Department of Treasury designated Assef Shawkat, pursuant to an executive order the President issued in May of '04. Among other things, this order allows the United States government to block the assets of individuals who play a role in Syria's support for terrorism.

Mr. Shawkat, as Syria's chief of military intelligence, has directly contributed to Syria's support for terrorism, including the insurgency in Iraq, Palestinian terrorist groups given shelter in Damascus, and Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon. Mr. Shawkat has also been deeply involved in Syria's ongoing interference in the destabilization of Lebanon. We are seeing democracy take firm root in Lebanon, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, and elsewhere in the region. Syria continues to be out of step with the direction the rest of the Middle East is headed.

Today's action is a significant signal that those like Mr. Shawkat, who support Syrian terrorism will be held to account. As you're well aware, we have previously designated other Syrian officials under this executive order, as well.

And finally, let me just preview a little bit about tomorrow's remarks. The President will be traveling to a small business in Sterling, Virginia, tomorrow to focus on the economy. The economy is a top priority for the President. It is because of the pro-growth policies that the President has put in place that the economy is growing strong. And we see that it is on a path to further growth. The President is continuing to talk about the strong economy that we have, and the outlook for job creation. Tomorrow he'll be doing so, and also focusing on the small business side.

In the last two months we've seen 400,000 new jobs created, 4.6 million jobs created in the past three years. The unemployment rate is down to 4.9 percent, lower than the '70s -- average of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. In Loudon County, where the President is going, the unemployment rate is 2 percent. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the number one job creator in the United States. Many of these small businesses pay taxes at the top rate, so it's important that we make the tax cuts permanent. Otherwise, we're going to hurt job growth and hurt our economy. In 2006, 25 million small business owners will get nearly $93 billion in tax relief. Entrepreneurship and small business growth is flourishing in America like never before, and we must keep our economy strong by pursuing pro-growth policies.

As I mentioned, we need to make the tax cuts permanent; we need to continue to focus on reducing health care costs; we need to focus on spending restraint. Congress is moving in the right direction and we need to continue to build upon that.

And tomorrow the audience at this event will be small business owners. The Loudon County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event, along with J.K. Moving and Storage. And the President looks forward to going there tomorrow.

And with that, I will be glad to get into questions.

Q Scott, can you just explain a little bit more about what Mr. Shawkat has done and what action the Treasury Department has taken, more specifically?

MR. McCLELLAN: Sure. Well, back in May of '04, the President issued an executive order in response to the regime's continued support for terrorism and its interference inside Lebanon, and its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and its efforts to undermine the advance of freedom and peace in Iraq. The order declared a national emergency, with respect to Syria. And it authorized the Treasury to block property of certain persons and directed other agencies to impose a ban on exports to Syria.

The Treasury previously designated the Interior Minister under this executive order. As director of the Syrian military intelligence, Mr. Shawkat has been a key architect of Syria's domination of Lebanon and a contributor to Syria's longstanding policy to support terrorism against Israel. And he is someone who has worked with terrorist organizations based in Syria, including Hezbollah and others, like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. He oversaw the Syrian security forces inside Lebanon. So those are the reasons.

Q And what specifically is the government doing, then?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?

Q I don't -- what is --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this will block any assets that he might have in U.S. banks, and it will bar any American from doing business with this individual.

Q What impact do you think that's going to have? What are his assets?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, it sends an important signal that people are going to be held to account for their behavior. I think that's what it does.

Q But does it have a significant impact on him? What kind of assets does he have?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this isn't the only way we're addressing the regime's behavior in Syria. There are a number of ways, but --

Q I understand, but I'm asking specifically, with regard to him.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Treasury can probably tell you more about it, if there are any specifics about what assets those may be, if that's what you're getting into.

Q Have you heard from the Syrian government a response?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, this was designated this morning, so it just happened a short time ago.

Q Scott, Jill Carroll from the Christian Science Monitor -- what have you got on her situation, and what is the White House trying to do to locate her and win her release?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, anytime there is an American held hostage, it is a priority for the administration. Her safe return is a priority, and that's what we all want to see. But I don't think it's helpful to get into talking about it further than that because of the sensitivity of the situation. And so I think I will leave it at that.

Q Do you have any idea where she is?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, John, I think that it would be unhelpful to get into talking more about the matter at this point.

Q Scott, can you at least say whether you think she's being held by Zarqawi's people or by a more common criminal element?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not going to go any further than what I've said.

Q There are allegations that we send people to Syria to be tortured.

MR. McCLELLAN: To Syria?

Q Yes. You've never heard of any allegation like that?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I've never heard that one. That's a new one.

Q To Syria? You haven't heard that?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's a new one.

Q Well, I can assure you it's been well-publicized.

MR. McCLELLAN: By bloggers?

Q My questions is, in the first place -- I gather you can go on to the next question. Will the President abide by the ban on torture of prisoners of war that is very specified in the military spending bill? I mean, his signing statement does not seem to go along with that.

MR. McCLELLAN: Actually, I think you ought to look at the op-ed that was issued by Robert McCallum over at the Department of Justice yesterday -- it was in USA Today -- and he walked through this. I mean, the signing statement is consistent --

Q Will the President abide by -- that's all you've got to say, yes or no.

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, he is fully committed to following the law. It's also been our policy, but the President has made it very clear that we are a nation that abides by our laws and our values, and that we do not torture.

Q We haven't --

MR. McCLELLAN: If people have, then they've been held to account, Helen. And that's the difference between us and others.

Q Do you think everybody is a free-lancer who has been torturing?

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, I reject that wholeheartedly -- the President made it clear that we do not torture. If people engage in that kind of activity, they are held to account --

Q It's been proved otherwise.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and we have held people to account for engaging in the mistreatment of detainees. And the world has seen that we are someone that takes the treatment of prisoners very seriously --

Q What did we see in the Abu Ghraib pictures, photographs? Should we not believe our own eyes?

MR. McCLELLAN: And look at what has happened. People that were engaged in that kind of activity are being brought to justice. They've been held to account; there have been steps taken to prevent something like that from happening again. Our military goes out of the way to treat detainees humanely. That stands in stark contrast to the terrorists who target innocent civilians and --

Q That's not the question. The question is that this happened and the higher-ups knew about it.

Q Scott, can you respond to the human rights report that came out today saying "the U.S. government's use of offensive torture and inhumane treatment played the largest role in undermining Washington's ability to promote human rights; in the course of 2005 it became indisputable that U.S. mistreatment of detainees reflected not a failure of training, discipline, or oversight, but a deliberate policy choice"?

MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't seen the report. I have seen news accounts of it. It appears that the report is based more on a political agenda than on facts. The United States of America does more than any country in the world to advance freedom and promote human rights. Our focus should be on those who are denying people human dignity and who are violating human rights.

The President, just earlier today, met with several individuals who had been victims of the brutal, oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein. These individuals talked about the torture that they saw or the torture that was carried out on them. Some of these individuals talked about being beaten for hours on end by cables and sticks. One individual talked about how a political prisoner was ordered executed by the regime leader known as Chemical Ali. He was in a lineup of prisoners, and Chemical Ali heard that he had spoken out against the regime and he said -- and this was the words of the person in this meeting -- "cut his head off." And that was the last they ever saw of that individual.

Q You say you haven't seen the report, so how do you know it's based on politics and not on fact?

MR. McCLELLAN: I've seen the reports, the news coverage of the reports, and it specifically references some -- or talks in negative terms about some of our efforts in Iraq. And so I think it's clear from some of the news coverage that it's based more on a political agenda than on facts, because if you look at the facts, the United States is leading the way when it comes to promoting human rights and promoting human dignity. And we will continue to do so.

The United States of America has helped to liberate 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq. These are individuals that lived under brutal, oppressive regimes. Remember the Taliban that denied rights to women and would execute people at random. Remember the regime of Saddam Hussein, a regime that gassed his own people, that is responsible for grave atrocities. That regime is now being held to account. The leaders of that regime are being brought to justice by the Iraqi people.

Q What about the timing of the meeting today? Does it have any coordination with the release of the human rights report?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, this was something we've been looking at scheduling for a while, and he's met with previous victims of the regime, as well.

Q Scott, are you saying that talk in negative terms about the administration is inherently political? Anybody who says negative things about the administration --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I didn't say that; you said that.

Q No, you just said --

MR. McCLELLAN: I described it the way -- what I said is based on the news accounts -- because the focus ought to be on those regimes that are engaged in torture and that are violating people's human rights. This administration speaks out all across the world for human dignity and human rights, and advancing human rights.

Q You said you knew it was political because it spoke in negative terms about the administration.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the characterizations I saw in the news reports clearly reflect what I said.

Q Scott, why wouldn't you take a look -- why don't you know what's in this report now? Wouldn't it be in the administration's interest to get -- to gauge what the rest of the world --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think it was just released today.

Q -- earlier today.

MR. McCLELLAN: I've been in meetings with the President focused on talking about the progress that's been made in Iraq three years after it was in the grip of a brutal dictator that had systematically engaged in torture of his own people, and hearing from victims of that regime.

Q Does it not create a challenge for this administration in terms of credibility to have an organization that's coming out and essentially --

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, look at what we have done and look at what we are doing. We are leading the way when it comes to promoting human rights and human dignity, and we will continue to do so. In other words, I reject wholeheartedly the suggestions.

And to go back to Peter's question, where does it point out facts? I mean, it seems to imply things that don't back up with facts -- in the news reports, at least.

Q Are you denying everything in the report?

Q Scott, two questions. One, as far as going back to yesterday's question about Pakistan. Now the reports are saying that at least 12 terrorists were killed in that attack and some villagers had a dinner party for the terrorists, including the number two al Qaeda man of Osama bin Laden, but just minutes before the attack, somebody tipped off the number two man not to go to the dinner party, which he cancelled, sending his deputies. So that means, how the President feel that somebody in that area is not with the U.S. --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm very aware of the news reports. We talked about this at length yesterday. I really don't have anything to add to what I said yesterday other than what I said, which was Pakistan is a valued ally in the global war on terrorism. There are al Qaeda leaders who continue to want to do harm to the civilized world and to kill innocent civilians, whether it be in Pakistan or in Afghanistan or America, and we will continue to pursue them and bring them to justice. We are making important progress, but this is a war that continues.

Q And going back on the human rights report which I'm talking about yesterday -- issued by Human Rights Watch -- what they are calling that gross human rights violation in Asia, including China -- the report is calling that U.S. administration or President Bush, they are calling on that they should do more to bring full democracy in those countries where military dictators are.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, supporting the advance of democracy and freedom is a way to ensure human rights, because under democracies there is equality for all people, people have a voice in their future and they're able to choose their governments, as opposed to being under the rule of a regime or a government that engages in torture. And we have an annual report that we put out listing violators of human rights. And that's where the focus should be; that's where we keep the focus, on those who are abusing human rights.

Q Any particular significance of the timing of the Shawkat ruling today? Why now?

MR. McCLELLAN: As far as I know, Treasury was ready to move forward on this designation based on the information that I described to you. I think they can probably provide you any more specific information. But it's Syria's continued destabilizing behavior in the regime, and this individual's involvement in supporting terrorism and supporting interference within Lebanon. We stand with the people of Lebanon who want to chart their own future.

Q And insofar as you haven't seen the Human Rights Watch report, are you suggesting that it has no value in terms of a public discourse, and an international service in terms of advocacy for human rights?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm rejecting the description of the United States.

Q Scott, last week Andrew Card gave a speech to the Chamber across the street --

MR. McCLELLAN: Let me finish up on that thought -- because I think when a group like this makes some of these assertions, it diminishes the effectiveness of that organization. The United States is a leader when it comes to advancing freedom and promoting democracy. And we will continue to be. We are the leader.

Q Last week Andrew Card gave a speech to the U.S. Chamber, and he previewed the President's State of the Union address, in that he said that the President's discretionary budget would have some serious belt-tightening. I was wondering if you can tell us -- conservative Republicans are very skeptical, your base, that this administration can do any real belt-tightening at all. Will this belt-tightening be along the lines of the last budget, or will it be more aggressive?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, look at what we've done, first of all, in terms of slowing the growth in discretionary spending. In this last budget we were able to enact a cut in nonsecurity discretionary spending. The budget we proposed was the most disciplined budget since the Reagan administration. Congress has also acted on some of the mandatory savings, as well. It's important that we continue to move forward in a fiscally responsible way to keep our economy growing. We need to continue to pursue pro-growth policies -- that will keep revenues coming in. And we also need to exercise spending restraint. That's what the President is committed to doing; that's what we have been doing in our budgets. We are engaged in a war on terrorism and we will continue to make sure that our troops have everything they need to complete the mission and carry out that war. But we also must look at other areas of the budget and find ways to reduce spending.

And so that's what the President is committed to doing in his budget that he will be releasing in early February. And building upon that, we urge Congress to move forward on the mandatory savings that both chambers have passed -- $40 billion in mandatory savings -- we urge them to get that passed so that he can sign it into law. That's significant. It has been several years since Congress has addressed the mandatory side of the equation, as well. And when we're talking about the long-term problems facing our budget, it's the mandatory side that we need to look at, the entitlement programs. And the President has led the way when it comes to addressing those entitlement programs. We need to modernize those programs and reform them. And we've taken some steps and we will continue to speak out about doing that.

Q Are you indicating that you might reach out and grab that third rail of Social Security again?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that the President has already indicated where we are on that, and he's made it clear that he's never going to give up, in terms of pursuing reform of Social Security, because we don't want to burden future generations, our children and grandchildren, with the debt that will come if we don't address it. And the sooner we address it, the better. But I think Congress has shown an unwillingness to move forward on it at this point. But the President will never give up talking about it and fighting to reform Social Security.

Q But the President hasn't made a Social Security proposal, so to that extent he --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we laid out some clear ideas. But we've got to continue to move forward on spending restraint, and that means addressing the entitlement side, as well.

Q Scott, Russia, the United States and the European Union refuse to reopen talks with Iran. Saudi Arabian King Abdullah wants to resume and refrain from taking Iran's nuclear program to the United Nations. Will there be new talks, and if the U.N. isn't an option, what is?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this is about trust in the -- trust when it comes to the regime in Iran. They have shown that they cannot be trusted. For two decades they hid their nuclear activities from the international community. They have continued to fail to comply with their safeguard obligations. They have failed to adhere to the Paris agreement. They have shown that they are not interested in negotiating in good faith.

Iran can't have it both ways. They can't say they want to engage in negotiations, and then continue to thumb their nose at the international community. And that's what they are doing by pursuing their nuclear activities. And so the Europeans, who were negotiating in good faith with the regime in Iran, are now looking to refer the matter to the Security Council, and we support those efforts very strongly. We have said for some time that their non-compliance needs to be referred to the Security Council.

And so we're in discussions with the Europeans, with Russia, with China, with others, about how to move forward. And there will be a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in early February to look at referring the matter to the Security Council. But I think we're long past the point of talk. We expect action from the regime in Iran, and the only action they have shown has run contrary to the demands of the international community. They have continued to pursue uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. They have failed to comply with their international obligations. And the international community is fed up with it. The patience of the international community has worn thin.

Q The Secretary of the Army says the Army has increased its advertising budget by 65 percent, has put more recruiters on the job, and is doubling the bonus for some enlistees to $40,000, all this in an effort to get new recruits. Is the President concerned that the Army may not have the soldiers to handle any future conflicts while engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan?

MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't had a chance to look at the briefing that was earlier today over at the Pentagon -- there was a briefing on these matters. I think I'd leave the description to the way the Pentagon described it, leave it to them. But, obviously, that's an important priority and I think they've been taking steps to continue to build upon their retention and recruiting efforts. And I know from past discussions that the retention efforts have been very high, that people are continuing to re-enlist and serve longer tours. I know that that's been discussed in the past. And they've also been working to make sure the recruiting goals are being met, as well. We have an all-volunteer force, and the President greatly appreciates all those who volunteer to serve and defend America and he strongly supports the all-volunteer force.

Q Scott, a two-part. There's been extensive reporting of a homosexual group, Soulforce, calling on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual and trans-gender Americans to be the first in line at this year's White House Easter Egg Roll on April 17th, as a way to show the nation their so-called families. And my question: Will the President take any measures to prevent these activists from using this non-political event as a way to push their agenda on the rest of us?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this event is a time to celebrate Easter and to have a good family celebration here at the White House. And in terms of any other details about it, I think it's still a few months off, so we'll talk about it as we get closer. I've seen a couple of reports about it; I don't know how extensive that reporting has been. But this has been a family event for a long time and the President always looks forward to this event.

Q Page one of yesterday's Washington Times reported that more than 200 suspected incursions of what are thought to be Mexican soldiers along our border with Mexico. And my question: Does the President believe there is no problem here, or does he believe and intend to enforce the protection of our borders?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President has made a strong commitment to enforcing our borders and taking additional steps to do so. I don't know the specific reports you're referring to, it might be something better referred to the border security. I haven't looked into those specific reports, Les -- but I haven't looked into those specific reports.

Q The Consumer Price Index report this morning showed that there was virtually no threat of inflation at the end of last year. Now, given that, how confident are you that the monetary policy will remain pro-growth, given that there's a leadership change coming up?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we've got a great Chairman that's going to be heading up the Federal Reserve and building upon the great work that Chairman Greenspan has done. We have great confidence in the Federal Reserve to address monetary policy. And you pointed out that core consumer inflation remains low, that it is contained. That was in the latest numbers that came out today. There is still concern about energy prices. We are concerned about high energy prices. They're still too high. And that's something that the President is committed to addressing.

We have taken a number of steps to address the root causes of high energy prices. We were able to, last year, pass an important piece of legislation that puts in place a comprehensive energy strategy to help us reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. And we need to build upon that. There are additional steps that we can take, and the President will be talking more about that as a way to keep our economy growing strong.

Q Scott, are you aware if anyone in the White House, including the President, got an invitation -- (inaudible) -- next Monday -- it's the same -- when they torture and brainwash people in the Chinese labor camps.

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not aware of any such invitation.

Q I'm asking because I noted that when the show was in Toronto last week, a member of the -- a Canadian elected official was there -- (inaudible) -- that's why I'm asking.

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not aware of any invitation. You might check with the State dept.

Go ahead, Connie.

Q Thank you. Just to follow up on my friend Sarah's excellent question on Iran. Just to clarify, does the U.S. accept nuclear power on the part of Iran, especially an arrangement with Russia, but not nuclear arms?

MR. McCLELLAN: This is not -- and Secretary Rice talked about this earlier today -- it's not an issue of their rights, it's an issue of trust. The regime in Iran has shown that it can't be trusted. They need to provide confidence to the international community that they are not developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program. We have already expressed our support for the efforts of Russia to help address some of these issues and to provide an objective guarantee that would be in place. This is about the trust -- this is about trust in the regime in Iran, and they have shown that they cannot be trusted by their actions.

Q I understand that, but if there is a trust arrangement that can be worked out for nuclear energy --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think we've already indicated that, Connie.

Q Scott, just quickly back to Abramoff. Can you give any more specificity on those meetings, when they were, years, times?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, this is sticking with our past policy. We're not going to engage in a fishing expedition.

Q Not even years? I mean, you're talking about --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the Hanukkah receptions were back in 2001 and 2002.

Q Okay, you talked about the Hanukkah receptions. Can you talk about the staff-level meetings and what years those were, or --

MR. McCLELLAN: No --

Q And why would you tell us the Hanukkah --

MR. McCLELLAN: I did a check for you all, to provide you that information. But we're not going to engage in a fishing expedition. I know that there are some that want to do that. But I don't see any reason to do so.

Q Can you explain why you wouldn't want it out there?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this has been in keeping with past practice, in terms of what -- in similar incidents. In terms of why we wouldn't want what out there?

Q Why wouldn't you want to just clear up who these meetings were with, who was there, who wasn't --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think there are some people that are insinuating things based on no evidence whatsoever. I said if you have a specific issue of concern, then we'll be glad to take a look into that. But no one has brought anything like that to my attention.

Q You could clear up all the insinuation that you say is going on?

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, people are insinuating things based on no evidence whatsoever. And remember, this is a gentleman who contributed, either through himself or through his clients, to both Democrats and Republicans. This was not --

Q Not many Democrats.

MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, there's significant amount, if you look at some of the media reports, that has been contributed by his clients to Democrats.

Q Far more Republicans.

Q One more on Iran. Did Chancellor Merkel report to the President on her conservation with President Putin about Iran?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'll leave it at what I said, in terms of the readout of the call.

Q Who is insinuating, Scott, and what are they insinuating?

MR. McCLELLAN: Peter, go ahead.

Q On Shawkat, you said -- you talked about Lebanon, but you also mentioned that you contributed to the insurgency in Iraq. Can you elaborate on that at all, what he --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I didn't say he did, I was referring to the executive order that referenced that. I mean, the regime -- I didn't say him, specifically.* His activity, I was specifically talking about his support for terrorism and involvement with terrorist organizations and his overseeing of the -- of Syria's interference within Lebanon, meaning the security forces. But if you look back at the executive order, it includes that category, as well. And we certainly talked about those issues in the past.

Q Scott, who is insinuating anything about Abramoff, and what are they insinuating? In our requests that say --

MR. McCLELLAN: Some that want to engage in partisan politics. I'm not saying you.

Q Thank you.

END 1:30 P.M. EST *Correction: I did indicate he contributed to the insurgency in my opening statement. My apologies. If we can elaborate further, we will post it.

For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, January 18, 2006

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State Department Podcast, Text 01/17/05

Daily Press Briefing, Sean McCormack, Spokesman, Washington, DC, January 17, 2006

MR. MCCORMACK: Good afternoon, everybody. I have one brief opening statement for you, then we can get right into questions.

Secretary Rice was deeply saddened by the January 15th passing of the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah. The Secretary extends her condolences and deep sympathies to the government and the people of Kuwait. Vice President Cheney will be visiting Kuwait later today to express his condolences to the Amir-designate of Kuwait and to senior Kuwaiti Government officials.

Sheikh Jabir was a steadfast friend of the United States and led his country through its darkest hour during Saddam Hussein's brutal invasion and occupation. A close bond developed between Kuwait and the United States during the 1991 liberation and continues to be just as strong today. Under the Amir's leadership, ties between Kuwait and the United States grew to be deep and robust. Kuwait has been a vital partner in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and in the global war on terror. The Amir demonstrated his commitment to democratic government by overseeing elections and reestablishing Kuwait's parliament after the 1991 liberation and by succeeding last May in granting full political rights to Kuwaiti women.

The United States will miss Sheikh Jabir's leadership and friendship, while we know that his successors will uphold his proud legacy.

And with that, I'd be happy to take your questions.

QUESTION: Unless there's something on this, could I ask you about Pakistan and what conversations you might be having with the Pakistan Government about these raids? And can you authenticate reports of four terrorists being killed?

MR. MCCORMACK: On this, Barry, I know that these same questions were asked over at the White House. I don't have any particular information to offer on these news reports. I would add only that Pakistan continues to be a valuable ally in the war against terror, that President Musharraf and the United States understand the threat posed by al-Qaida and its affiliates, and it is steadfast in standing with the United States as well as other countries in fighting this global war on terror.

The United States clearly values innocent human life and that is why we're fighting the war on terror, Barry, is because we are acting against those who would take innocent lives in the name of hatred. And I would just say that acts of terror are not justified by any political cause. These are individuals that have tried to assassinate President Musharraf twice, that have -- are responsible for the deaths of many Pakistani citizens. So we will continue to work with President Musharraf and the Pakistani Government in fighting the global war on terror.

QUESTION: Maybe an unreported third time. The implication is that Pakistan is alongside you in the war on terror. You must have some sort of a green light to go after terrorists even along the border on the Pakistan side because terrorists don't normally introduce themselves at cocktail parties. You (inaudible) anything about that. Is there at least a -- what should I say? -- an all-encompassing, a (inaudible) until it's revoked authority for the United States to pursue terrorists inside the Pakistan border?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, Barry, first of all, just let me say that our diplomats around the world are deployed in areas such as the Afghan frontier in Provincial Reconstruction Teams. They are deployed along the front lines of this global war on terror. So this idea somehow the U.S. -- perpetuating this idea that somehow the U.S. State Department is only interested in going to cocktail parties, I want to disabuse you of. I know that you know that well, but there are other people out there that might not understand that.

Second of all, Barry, I don't talk about what sort of rules of engagement or operations our military or our government has in the war on terrorism. I can only say -- I will only tell you that Pakistan is a steadfast ally in that war on terrorism and they understand that -- President Musharraf understands that the greatest threat to Pakistan and to Pakistan's democratic and more prosperous future are these terrorists, are al-Qaida, are the Taliban militants that threaten the stability of Pakistan. So we are working very closely with President Musharraf and the Pakistani Government in fighting this war.

Saul.

QUESTION: How is the public diplomacy reaction going? The Administration here has recognized that, in the past, it hasn't been agile enough responding to issues to get the U.S. message out to improve the image. Here was, if you like, a little boiling point where we've got the protests in Pakistan, people -- the Pakistanis complaining about U.S. behavior. What have you done? Can you take us through, since it started, what have you done to help the diplomacy?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, the Secretary yesterday has answered some questions on this very matter -- or day before yesterday on her trip to Liberia. I'm here talking about it today. I can't tell you what the Embassy is doing. I'm sure that they're engaging with the media in Pakistan on this matter.

I understand that there are some who are protesting in Pakistan. Again, I can't speak to the numbers in those protests, but what I can tell you is that in our interactions with Pakistani authorities that we continue to have very good meetings on a variety of topics, including fighting the war on terrorism. So I would emphasize and underline to you that the atmosphere of cooperation and good relations continues throughout all of these meetings.

And as for any questions that arise from the media or others on this matter, we do our best to try to address these concerns. But I would just, again, point out that the greatest threat to the Pakistani people and to a more democratic, more prosperous Pakistan that -- is the terrorists. They are the ones that are threatening the advances that President Musharraf has made in Pakistan over the past several years. So we're going to work with President Musharraf to fight those forces that would try to undermine and stop the progress that has been made in Pakistan.

QUESTION: Can I ask -- can I --

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't know. Saul, do you yield the floor?

QUESTION: Yeah, I'd like to. Well, why not? (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Sean, can I follow up on that? In any battlefield situation, there is bound to be mistakes. My question is: Is the United States investigating at all to see if this was yet a mistake in targeting or intelligence; and (b) if it has turned out to be a mistake, will you make that public and try to counter this bad publicity you're getting?

MR. MCCORMACK: Peter, I've said it earlier in this briefing and Scott McClellan has said it over at the White House. I don’t have any particular information on these news reports. I know the questions that have arisen concerning these news reports, but I just don't have anything for you on it.

Charlie.

QUESTION: Sean, I mean, what about the Karen Hughes operation, Under Secretary Hughes? Are you doing anything to counter the demonstrations that have been spawned by the attack? You don't want to talk about the attack itself. You have this Rapid Response Team. Is anything being done? Is this subject for the --

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I understand that there are some demonstrations that have occurred in Pakistan. I don't know whether those will continue and, again, I can't speak to how large these demonstrations are. My impression is that they're not of the magnitude that we have seen in the past in Pakistan.

Again, as for the public diplomacy, we try to be as forthcoming as we possibly can in answering questions. Sometimes there are questions for which we can't provide information from the podium. And all we can do in this case is to continue to reach out to the Pakistani people, help them understand what it is that we are doing in fighting the war on terrorism, and also to underline for them what a good friend America is. And that means coming to the aid of the Pakistani people in the time of need.

Our efforts to assist the Pakistani people in the wake of the terrible earthquake that the Pakistani people suffered are ongoing. Those efforts are ongoing. We continue to engage with the CEOs that Karen Hughes went with over to Pakistan. While they were in Pakistan, they pledged to raise money on behalf of the Pakistani people for relief and reconstruction. The world has come together to pledge assistance and money for the Pakistani people as they work to get their lives together in the affected areas.

So those are the things that we continue to do, Charlie. We continue to talk about America as a good friend and ally and that comes -- that is true in many different respects, whether that is working with Pakistani forces to address the terror threats that threaten not only the United States but the Pakistani people as well, all the way to helping the Pakistani people in their time of need. So that's what we're going to continue to be doing.

QUESTION: What about the families of the innocent people who were killed? Even if some al-Qaida people were there, even if you don't want to talk about the incident itself, obviously some innocents were killed. Are you doing anything to address that?

MR. MCCORMACK: Charlie, I have seen the same news reports you have seen. I can't speak to the particulars or the facts concerning what we have seen in the news reports on television. Concerning these -- the particulars of these incidents, these news reports, I just don't have anything further to add.

QUESTION: A follow-up on that, please. But the Pakistani Prime Minister himself has said that this raid is -- I think the term he used was inadmissible. I mean, do you deny that there is a certain amount of chagrin within the Pakistani Government over this issue?

MR. MCCORMACK: Peter, I don't have anything else for you on this.

QUESTION: Has the Secretary --

QUESTION: I had a follow-up on this. Or maybe I won't be --

MR. MCCORMACK: Please.

QUESTION: The response -- the public diplomacy response doesn't appear to be that robust. Now, I understand that you're saying you don't have all the details of what the Embassy did, but the Secretary on another continent, perhaps in another time zone, off-camera making comments and then most other people from the podium saying, well, we can't really talk about this, it doesn't give the impression that you're on a counteroffensive. The image in Pakistan over this issue is being tainted and we had been led to believe that now Under Secretary Hughes had organized these crisis response teams, that we're going to react really quickly and it wouldn't just be reactive, it would be proactive. But all that you're outlining doesn't seem to make it to that level. Is it because you think the protests actually aren't that big a deal, that this isn't that big a problem, so you haven't needed to activate such a response?

MR. MCCORMACK: Karen Hughes has worked very hard in the Department to work on reshaping the bureaucratic structures in our public diplomacy efforts. She has worked to help change the attitude, as you have talked about, with respect to public diplomacy, and our people engaged in public diplomacy are very active around the world, including in Pakistan. And certainly, we react as we believe is appropriate with respect to different situations. With respect to this situation, again, I've gone over and over again. I don't have anything to add with respect to the particulars of these news reports.

Libby.

QUESTION: It wasn't the judgment of the State Department that these -- I think Saul said this, but that these protests weren't to the magnitude where we needed to have a huge counteroffensive?

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, I have -- again, I have addressed the issue as best I can.

QUESTION: Am I right, isn't Under Secretary Burns supposed to be out there pretty soon?

MR. MCCORMACK: He's going to -- he's on his way to India, I know. I think he's going to Sri Lanka as well. I think he's going to be stopping in Pakistan.

QUESTION: That would be high-level contact. The Secretary hasn't been on the phone, that you know of?

MR. MCCORMACK: No, no.

QUESTION: Okay. I thought Pakistan was a sure stop. If it isn't, could you --

MR. MCCORMACK: I believe it is. I just don't have a schedule in front of me, Barry.

QUESTION: Sure.

MR. MCCORMACK: I believe that that's right. Yeah.

QUESTION: Just as a point of information, can I ask, has the United States Government received an official protest from the Pakistani Government on this incident?

MR. MCCORMACK: I'm not aware of one.

Elise.

QUESTION: New topic?

MR. MCCORMACK: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: I have some questions about Latin America, specifically if you could reiterate what the U.S. policy is towards the growing leftist movement in Latin America. Does that concern you in any way?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, you've heard the Secretary say many times -- many, many times over -- that we are ready to work with any democratically elected government regardless of where they fit on the political spectrum, whether that's left of center, right down the middle or right of center. So we congratulate the new Chilean President on her -- President-elect on her recent election. We look forward to working with her. And as for the other elections in the hemisphere, for instance, in Bolivia, Assistant Secretary Shannon attended[1] the inauguration of the President of Bolivia. Our ambassador’s met with the President of Bolivia.

We are ready to work with governments throughout the hemisphere on a positive agenda that is based on the further spread of democracy, on good governance and of the spread of free trade. Those are our principles that we -- that form the foundation of our policy for the hemisphere. We're willing to work with governments across the political spectrum in the hemisphere on that agenda.

And what is important, regardless of whether you're left of center or right of center in your political orientation, is how you govern. Once politicians are elected, they need to govern in a democratic manner. That is for us what is most important in working with these governments. And those governments that adhere to the principles of democracy, that govern in a democratic manner, that reflect the will of their people for a better way of life, the governments that work to bring prosperity to those people through expanding trade opportunities, expanding business opportunities, are governments with which we are going to have much more a set of common interests and those relationships are going to be broader and deeper.

Now, of course, that doesn't mean for those countries where the intersection of interests is not as great that we're not going to work with them. Of course, we are. We will, of course, try to underline with them the importance of good governance, the expansion of democracy and the expansion of free trade. But the decisions about how they govern are going to be up to them. We're not dictating a program to the countries of the region or the governments of the region. How they govern is going to be up to them and we hope reflects the will of the people who elected them.

So we're fully prepared and I would expect that we will work very well with the President-elect of Chile.

QUESTION: Do you see this as a kind of anti -- do you see the -- you don't see the growing leftist movement as kind of an anti-U.S. movement in response to claims that the U.S. neglected the region in the first administration?

MR. MCCORMACK: No, not at all. You know, I'm not a political historian of the region, but I think that it is fair to say, if you go back through history, go back through the history of any particular region in terms of democracy, you're going to see cycles, political cycles, whether those are sub-country-specific, country-specific or they're a bit wider throughout a region. So you're going to see political cycles come and go.

But what is important to us is, again, as I said, not whether this is a so-called leftist government or a right-of-center government but it's a democratic government that governs democratically. That is what's important. The Secretary has outlined this. The President has talked about this. He talked about it at the Mar del Plata. So this is the foundation of our policy for the hemisphere. It's a positive agenda and we look forward to working with all democratically elected governments throughout the hemisphere.

QUESTION: One more. Does it concern you that China has a growing influence and is strengthening ties with countries in the region, specifically ones that you have a more antagonistic relationship with?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, we have -- with respect to the Chinese, we have emphasized the importance that China become a stakeholder in the international system. They have acceded to the WTO. They are expanding their trade relationships throughout the world, whether that's in South America or Africa or Europe.

What we encourage is good, transparent, respectful relationships between countries, whether that's between China and countries in South America and Latin America or anywhere else. So that's what we would expect. We hope that China acts as a responsible stakeholder in its relationships around the world, and that includes in South America.

QUESTION: Not too long ago and over a long stretch of time, people standing where you are standing would say with great pride that every country in the hemisphere is democratic with the exception of Cuba. I haven't heard this in a while, and if I understand what you're saying, I think you're saying some of these countries have to prove that they're democratic.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, there's a difference between elections, Barry, and governing democratically. You know, just because you have an election does not necessarily meet the threshold for whether or not you're governing democratically. That is what -- that is then our emphasis, as you go back to the Monterrey consensus, way back in the first administration, talking about these very principles: the principles of good governance, of transparency, of fighting corruption.

So that's where our emphasis is. We have -- there has been a shift, Barry, where we have, throughout the hemisphere, seen democratic elections throughout the hemisphere, which is not something you could say 20 years ago. You can say that now. Our emphasis now in working with these governments in the region is to go the next step, and that is working on those principles of good governance, fighting corruption, transparency, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and all of those things that we understand and know here as the underpinnings of free, democratic societies.

Janine.

QUESTION: New subject?

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: Do you have any comments on Acting Premier Ehud Olmert's comments today saying that Israel can't live with an Iranian nuclear bomb?

MR. MCCORMACK: I think that we all -- I haven't seen those comments, Janine. But the concerns about Iran's nuclear weapon are not limited to Israel, the United States or any single country. We have seen that. Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is -- would be a destabilizing event for the Middle East region, as well as the rest of the world. That is why we and others are working so hard on a diplomatic solution to see that Iran does not -- is not able to master the critical technologies that would allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon, the material for a nuclear weapon and a nuclear weapon.

QUESTION: Do you expect this to come up tomorrow at the Secretary's meeting with Shimon Peres -- the Iranian issue?

MR. MCCORMACK: I expect that if it -- that she'll be ready to talk about it if it does.

QUESTION: Could I try --

MR. MCCORMACK: Let's move around a little bit, Barry.

Yes.

QUESTION: What is your reading of the meeting yesterday of the EU-3 and Russia, China, and you -- and the U.S.? Are you satisfied with your outcome?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think we're satisfied in the respect that all the parties agree that Iran's behavior has crossed the line and that they need to suspend their enrichment activities, that they cannot be allowed to obtain and master that technology and that technique. As for -- and the EU-3 has called for an IAEA emergency Board of Governors meeting on February 2nd or 3rd. We support that and we'll see what happens at the Board of Governors meeting.

Now, with respect to the referral to the Security Council and what that referral says and once you get to the Security Council what happens there, those are going to be matters for further discussion. I think you should view this meeting here as an informal meeting, yet the beginning of this new diplomatic phase, a more intensive diplomatic phase in addressing the issue of Iran's referral to the Security Council.

QUESTION: But Germany said that the discussions were difficult. Apparently, UK said that there was no consensus. So they are not that --

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I'm not sure they said no consensus. I think that what they pointed to was there are still some discussions, follow-up discussions, that need to be had concerning the step going from the IAEA to the Security Council. Again, we believe that we have the votes for referral to the Security Council and we believe that that is the action the IAEA is going to take when they meet in February.

QUESTION: The Russians --

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, whether or not the Russians vote with the rest of the world is up to them. That I will refer you to Russian officials and Chinese officials or any other particular country about how they may vote at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting. But this is -- we do know that Russian officials are quite concerned about Iranian behavior. They have put out a proposal to the Iranians about how to address the issue of having a civilian -- a peaceful civilian nuclear capability that the Iranians say they want, while also meeting the just demands of the international community for objective guarantees so that the international community can be comfortable that Iran will not develop those critical pathway technologies that would allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon.

So I would only say that over the coming days and weeks, you're going to see a lot of discussion. There's going to be a lot of intensive diplomacy that occurs between now and that meeting. Under Secretary Burns is going to be continuing on to India as well as Sri Lanka, two members of the IAEA Board of Governors. Under Secretary Bob Joseph is in Vienna today for consultations with representatives from fellow board member countries. He is going to be also going on to Moscow and Tokyo as well. He may have some additional stops. We'll try to keep you updated on those.

So that's part -- those are also part of the efforts. The Secretary, I would expect,is going to be working the phones on this issue. So stay tuned. There is going to be a lot of activity between now and the beginning of February on this issue.

Peter.

QUESTION: Can I follow up? Mohamed ElBaradei held a secret meeting -- well, held a meeting with the Iranian negotiator over the weekend and it was obvious they're trying to lobby to head off action in the United Nations Security Council. The question is: Does the United States feel it would be inappropriate at this time for anybody to have talks with the Iranians until it goes to the Security Council or is that a process that could --

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, of course, you want to try to continue to encourage the Iranians to engage in a diplomatic solution to this issue. That's the goal of this exercise. That's what we are trying to achieve. The problem is that the Iranians want to have it both ways. They want to, on one hand, say, well, we're going to continue our enrichment activities so we can get better at it and eventually build a nuclear weapon; while on the other hand, yes, we will continue -- we would like to have some discussions with you about how not to do that. Well, that doesn't seem to me to be a very good deal. Those things, as a matter of fact, are mutually exclusive.

You have to, in order to convey some sense of good faith in this, which they have not to date with their obfuscation, their hiding of the program, their refusal to answer the IAEA's questions, their refusal to engage the EU-3 in good faith in their negotiations -- and we just -- we haven't seen. So again, we all agree, and we all agree coming out of this London meeting, that Iran has to end its enrichment activities. They have to suspend their enrichment activities and that's -- thus far, we have not seen the Iranians willing to do that. As a matter of fact, they went the other way just last week. They broke the seals after saying that they would.

So at this point, I don't think that we see anything that indicates the Iranians are willing to engage in a serious diplomatic process that would lead to the solution that I talked about: the international community having objective guarantees that it would not -- that it could not obtain a nuclear weapon. That's why we're headed to the Security Council right now because of Iran's refusal to do that. The onus is on the Iranians. It's not on the EU-3 or the United States or anybody else to come up with some other neat proposal for them to consider. This is -- it is on the Iranians now to take actions as the Secretary -- you heard from the Secretary last week.

QUESTION: Just a follow-up to be clear on that. So the Iranians are seeking negotiations at this point. Is it your position that there should not be --

MR. MCCORMACK: I'm not sure that they're seeking negotiations.

QUESTION: Well, they're asking the Brits and the Brits said it would be --

MR. MCCORMACK: But this is -- look, this is -- you know, what they're engaged in is firing up a lot of chaff. They've started up their diplomatic fog machine here.

QUESTION: So my question is, short of any specific show of good faith by the Iranians, is the position maybe there should not be substantial negotiations until they make that gesture; as you said, the ball is in their court?

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, they haven't done anything to indicate that they are ready to negotiate or engage in a diplomatic process in good faith. The EU-3 called their effort as having been at a dead end because of the Iranians. So the onus is on the Iranians. We'll see what they do. We are going to continue with our -- working in concert with our international partners on this issue on the diplomatic track. And like I said before, we're headed to the Security Council.

QUESTION: Entirely different subject.

MR. MCCORMACK: Is there any more on this?

QUESTION: Still on Iran.

MR. MCCORMACK: Okay. Saul has Iran and we'll come back.

QUESTION: You said it was more likely than ever that there would be a Security Council referral. Since then, have the chances gone up, down?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, that was before the EU-3 came out with their pronouncement that their negotiating process had come to an end. Right now we have -- what are the facts we have before us? We have now an IAEA emergency Board of Governors meeting at the beginning of February in a couple of weeks. And we believe at that point, there will be a vote for a referral to the Security Council. Iran has already been found in noncompliance with its NPT, Nonproliferation Treaty, obligations. And we would expect the next step after the Board of Governors meeting would be, next stop, New York.

QUESTION: One more. As far as you know, have the Iranians said that they will reconsider the Russian proposal? I know that there were some reports of that.

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah. Talk is cheap. Yeah, they've -- again, we've seen a lot of -- you know, we've seen a lot of talk from the Iranians. Again, this is sort of what I refer to as their diplomatic fog machine that they're starting up.

Yes, Barry.

QUESTION: Let me try this quickly. There are reports in California -- I don't know if you're aware of them -- that in the last nine years or so some 200 or more Mexican military people have crossed into the U.S.?

MR. MCCORMACK: Haven't seen those reports, Barry.

QUESTION: I was just going to ask you if the U.S. has talked to the Mexican Government. This would be a Homeland Security issue, but diplomacy would belong here. So has the U.S. talked to the Mexican Government about such reports?

MR. MCCORMACK: I'll have to check into that for you, Barry.

QUESTION: Can I have another one on Iran, if I could? A quick fact check.

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: You said that the Secretary's going to be hitting the phones. With whom has she spoken to?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, there was -- she talked to -- I'll refer to the -- let's see, over the weekend -- let me get you a full list. Let me get you a full list on this.

QUESTION: Okay. What about since the EU met? Has she talked to anybody today specifically on Iran issue?

MR. MCCORMACK: She talked to Foreign Secretary Straw this morning.

Okay. Anything else on Iran?

MR. MCCORMACK: Okay, Saul.

QUESTION: Change of subject.

MR. MCCORMACK: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: Thank you. Can you confirm The Washington Post editorial that there was a trade mission from Egypt deliberately dis-invited to send the Egyptian Government a message that they're not making enough progress towards democracy?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, in terms of trade missions, the United States Trade Representative is the authority that would meet with foreign trade delegations and they would govern the --scheduling those visits, so I think that they're probably the most appropriate place in the government to ask those questions about timing, the particular timing of any delegation's visit.

I would say only that we have been working closely with the Egyptian Government on the issues of democratic and economic reform. We have been trying to encourage democratic and economic reforms. We have seen some progress in those areas. We have been working with them on -- in the area of trade. Just last year, we worked with the Egyptian Government and the Israeli Government to set up a QIZ. It's a trade zone that has been quite successful.

So we will continue to engage the Egyptian Government on issues of economic reform and of trade and, of course, on the political front, we will as well. So we are going to be addressing this whole series of issues across our relationship with Egypt that's a very broad and deep relationship that we have with them, and I would expect the discussions about democratic and economic reform, as well as our trade ties with the Egyptian Government, including a free trade agreement, will continue.

QUESTION: Can I follow up on --

QUESTION: While the USTR has been -- is obviously the point of call for the specific trade issue, this building has been the main point regarding pushing the democracy agenda with Egypt. So I wonder, is a part of the reporting true that the Bush Administration is dissatisfied with where they -- how far along they are on the democratic path and therefore taken a decision to send a signal that you're not doing it right, whether it was through dis-inviting them in a trade mission or some other way?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, after the most recent round of elections, you know that we expressed our serious concern about Egypt's commitment to democratic reform. We think that democratic reforms, economic reforms go hand in hand, as we talked about a little bit earlier, concerning this hemisphere. We believe that these things are interlocked: democratic reforms, good governance, going hand in hand with the expansion of economic opportunities and the expansion of trade are very important to the freedom agenda that the President has outlined in his First Inaugural.

So we're going to be working with Egypt on that whole range of issues. We believe that economic reforms are important. We believe that democratic reform -- continuing democratic reforms are very important. We expressed some serious concerns about -- in the wake of the results of the last election, some of the things that we saw, about reforms on the democratic front. So we'll continue -- certainly continue our dialogue with the Egyptian Government on these issues and we'll keep you updated on how discussions with respect to our free trade agreement progress.

QUESTION: Well, can I follow up? At the same time, when the President and the Secretary talked in the beginning about the democracy agenda and that U.S. relationships are going to be governed with countries depending on their commitment to kind of democracy, rule of law, human rights and things like that, are we seeing a decision by the Administration to put that policy in effect? Is Egypt at the point now where its relationship is -- where the relationship with the U.S. is, at this point, being affected because of its lack of commitment to some of these reforms that you've (inaudible)?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, when the President and the Secretary talked about -- and have talked about the freedom agenda, what they have -- and the President specifically mentioned Egypt in the Second Inaugural Address. He called upon the Egyptian Government to lead in the spread of democracy in the region, just as they led the way in negotiating a peace with Israel.

Also part of that Inaugural, and the Secretary has subsequently spoken about this as well, is the idea that in order to have the best possible relationship that you can with the United States, to have the broadest, deepest relationship with the United States, that's going to depend on this intersection of interests. Of course, we're going to continue to have a good, broad and deep relationship with Egypt. The trajectory of that relationship, of course, will depend upon the continuing intersection of interests between the United States and Egypt.

I expect that the trajectory is going to remain on a good course. Are there issues? Sure, and we've talked to the Egyptian Government about that. In order to -- so it gets back to the basic principle. In order to realize the best possible relationship with the United States, then we would expect that the Egyptian Government would continue along the pathway to democratic and economic reform. We have seen steps towards that goal. They have made promises in that regard. President Mubarak has talked about, during his presidential campaign, changes that he promised to make and we would hope that President Mubarak follows through on the promises that he made in his election campaign. So we'll see how these events unfold.

Again, we have an excellent relationship with Egypt. We have a number of mutual interests. We have a great interest in the advance of the democratic and economic reform efforts in Egypt, and those discussions and that focus will certainly continue in the months and years ahead.

QUESTION: Right. But to go on what you just said, is it right now with Egypt the broadest and deepest it could be based on its actions in terms of this trajectory of commitment to democratic reform?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, again, I think that there are always issues that we can work on. We talked about our serious concerns regarding the recent election. While Egypt has made great strides on the front of opening up the political process in Egypt to other parties, there is still a long way to go and we're going to work with them on that. Ultimately, these are decisions that are going to have to be made by the Egyptian Government and the Egyptian people; we can't dictate this -- dictate changes to them. They themselves are going to have to make those decisions. We can encourage change, but ultimately they are the ones that are going to have to make these decisions.

Joel.

QUESTION: Yesterday, following Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's inauguration in Liberia, how critical is it now to move Charles Taylor to trial and is this viewed by the Administration as unfinished business?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, the Secretary talked a little bit about this with reporters on the plane ride over. You know we believe that Charles Taylor should end up before a tribunal for what he has done and we know that President Johnson is going to be working very hard on this issue. She understands the importance of coming to closure on what was a very dark period in Liberia's history. And I expect that she is going to be consulting with other interested parties on this matter, the President of Nigeria as well as others. So we look forward to working with her and other parties in the region to see that Charles Taylor faces justice for what he has done.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Two questions for South America. I just wanted to know what the stand of the State Department is on the DEA corruption allegations.

MR. MCCORMACK: I'm sorry, I'm not aware of what you're talking about.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. MCCORMACK: We can talk afterwards and see if we can get something for you.

QUESTION: Okay, and another question? If there any stand on the Department of State on drug -- Rodrigo Alvarez turning himself in Miami?

MR. MCCORMACK: 0 for 2. We'll have to follow up with you. Yeah. Good questions. I just don't have the information here.

Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: It's about South America as well. On Thursday, Presidents of Argentina and Venezuela are going to meet with President Lula in Brazil. Some analysts say that this meeting of three Latin presidents is seen of concern by the U.S. Others say that it is -- that U.S. could see Brazil as a mediator in the region. Is Brazil a mediator in the region for the U.S.?

MR. MCCORMACK: No. We work very well with each of those governments individually. President Bush has a great relationship with President Lula. He has a great deal of respect for President Lula. The Secretary has a terrific working relationship with her counterpart, Foreign Minister Amorim. So again, this idea that somehow the world is divided into left and right is not how we approach it.

You know, political scientists may look at it that way, but what we're focusing on is not the political platform of any particular candidate, but how it is -- how the election unfolds that elects those people and how they govern. Do they govern democratically? Do they adhere to the principles of democracy? Do they adhere in governing in a manner consistent with their constitution? Do they promote expansion of free trade or do they promote greater prosperity for their own people?

That's how we look at it. We're not looking at it as left or right or the fact that somebody has to mediate in between a right-of-center government and a left-of-center government; not at all.
We've made it very clear, over and over again -- the Secretary has talked about this -- that we're ready and open and certainly willing to work with democratically elected governments from across the political spectrum.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) what's the evaluation in the region? How are they acting -- these governments?

MR. MCCORMACK: How are they acting?

QUESTION: Yeah.

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't have any particular information on this meeting or the agenda for this meeting. I think the question is better put to them -- the agenda of their meeting. We have great relationships with each of those three governments independent of one another and I expect those to continue, inasmuch -- let me add -- inasmuch as those governments share the commitment to the promotion of democracy and good governance throughout the hemisphere, then certainly we support that agenda. But you know, I can't speak to what in particular they're going to be talking about.

QUESTION: Do you have an update on the sales from -- Brazilian aircraft to Venezuela?

MR. MCCORMACK: No. No update for you.

Yes, sir. This gentleman right here, right in the middle. Yes, you. Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: American Institute in Taipei -- in Taiwan -- and Taipei office director, Mr. Doug Paal, has announced his resignation. I wonder do you have anything on who is going to take over and when? And secondly, do you have any comment on his -- I mean, Dr. Paal's performance?

MR. MCCORMACK: He did a great job. He did an outstanding job. He was there for three and half years and we thank him very much for his service. We don't have the name of his successor for you at this point. The Deputy Director David Keegan will serve as the acting director of the American Institute in Taiwan until a new director is named and arrives in Taipei.

Okay.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:34 p.m.)

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President to nominate ten appoint four individuals and designate one

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate ten individuals, appoint four individuals and designate one individual to serve in his Administration. He also recess appointed two individuals:

The President intends to nominate Richard A. Boucher, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs. Ambassador Boucher is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister. He most recently served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs at the Department of State. Prior to this, he served as the United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Ambassador Boucher served as U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus and Consul General in Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Principal Officer in Shanghai, China. Ambassador Boucher received his bachelor's degree from Tufts University.

The President intends to nominate Tyler D. Duvall, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of Transportation (Transportation Policy). Mr. Duvall currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. Prior to this, he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. Earlier in his career, Mr. Duvall was a business and finance associate at Hogan & Hartson LLP. Mr. Duvall received his bachelor's degree from Washington & Lee University and his JD from the University of Virginia.

The President intends to nominate Preston M. Geren, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of the Army. Mr. Geren currently serves as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. Prior to this, he served as Acting Secretary of the Air Force and as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. Earlier in his career, Mr. Geren served as a Member of the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Geren received his bachelor's degree and JD from the University of Texas at Austin.

The President intends to nominate James B. Gulliford, of Missouri, to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Gulliford currently serves as Regional Administrator for Region 7 at the Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to this, he served as Director for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gulliford served as Director for the Iowa Department of Soil Conservation. Mr. Gulliford received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Iowa State University.

The President intends to nominate Roger Shane Karr, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of Transportation (Governmental Affairs). Mr. Karr currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Department of Transportation. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Governmental Affairs. He also served as Manager for Regulatory Affairs for the American Association of Airport Executives. Earlier in his career, Mr. Karr served as Legislative Assistant for American Airlines. Mr. Karr received his bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University and his master's degree from Temple University. He went on to receive his JD from Georgetown University.

The President intends to nominate Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the Department of Transportation. Ms. Nason currently serves as Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Governmental Affairs. Prior to this, she served as Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Congressional Affairs for the United States Customs Service. Ms. Nason also served as Communications Director and Counsel to Representative Porter J. Goss. Earlier in her career, she served as Governmental Affairs Counsel at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Ms. Nason received her bachelor's degree from the American University and her JD from Case Western Reserve.

The President intends to nominate David L. Norquist, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Norquist currently serves as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Budget and Appropriations Affairs). Prior to this, he served as Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), as well as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Financial Management). Earlier in his career, Mr. Norquist served on the professional staff of the House Appropriations Committee. Mr. Norquist received his bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of Michigan. He went on to receive a second master's degree from Georgetown University.

The President intends to nominate David C. Sanborn, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation. Mr. Sanborn currently serves as Director of Operations for Europe and Latin America at DP World. Prior to this, he served as Senior Vice President for North America Service Delivery at CMA-CGM (America) LLC. Mr. Sanborn also served as Vice President for Network-Operations for American President Lines, Pte. Ltd. Earlier in his career, he served as Director for Operations for Sea-Land Service, Inc. Mr. Sanborn is a retired Lieutenant Junior Grade for the United States Naval Reserve. He received his bachelor's degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

The President intends to nominate James S. Simpson, of New York, to be Federal Transit Administrator at the Department of Transportation. Mr. Simpson is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Victory Worldwide Transportation. Prior to this, he was the company's Vice President. Earlier in his career, Mr. Simpson served as a Commissioner of the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Mr. Simpson received his bachelor's degree from St. John's University.

The President intends to nominate Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be United States Alternate Governor of the International Monetary Fund, for the remainder of a five-year term expiring October 4, 2009.

The President intends to appoint John N. Etchart, of Montana, to be a Member of the Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum. The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the Board of Governors of the United Service Organization, Incorporated (USO), for terms of three years:

Valencia Campbell, of Maryland

Raymond Paul Caldiero, of Connecticut

James T. Dyke, Jr., of South Carolina

The President intends to designate David L. Dunn, of Texas, to be Acting Under Secretary of Education.

The President recess appointed C. Boyden Gray, of the District of Columbia, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the Rank and Status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

The President recess appointed Dennis P. Walsh, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board.

# # # For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, January 17, 2006 Personnel Announcement

more at President Bush or White House or Nominations and Foreign Service or Transportation Policy and Army or Senate and Environmental Protection Agency or Federal Transit

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First Lady After Liberia Inauguration

	Mrs. Laura Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attend the inauguration of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Monrovia, Liberia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2006. President Sirleaf is Africa's first female elected head of state.
	Mrs. Laura Bush, center, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left-foreground, congratulate Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Monrovia, Liberia, at her inauguration Monday, Jan. 16, 2006. President Sirleaf is Africa's first female elected head of state.

MORE GALLERY White House photos by Shealah Craighead. Press Briefing by the First Lady After Liberia Inauguration, Aboard Plane, 4:20 P.M. (Local)

MRS. BUSH: Well, we had a very exciting day. The inauguration of the President of Liberia was everything I hoped it would be. I loved her inaugural address. I thought what she said about corruption, for instance, was very important to her country; what she said about being the President of all the people was important. And I thought it was really sweet when she told the children of Liberia that she loved them. I liked that a lot, I thought it was really a very wonderful day, and I'm proud to have been the one to get to go with Dr. Rice to represent the United States at President Johnson-Sirleaf's inauguration.

Q Speaking of Dr. Rice, what did you think of the cheer that went up? I mean, you have all these heads of states, heads of delegations, dignitaries, and Condoleezza Rice's name comes up, and a big cheer. What did you think of that?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I think the people of Liberia are very, very proud of Dr. Rice. As all of you know, Liberia was started by freed slaves, African Americans founded Liberia. And if you looked at the program -- I don't know if you saw the program of the inauguration, but with the list of all of their former presidents, their first several presidents were born in the United States, starting about 1840*, I think, was when Liberia was founded.

So I think they feel a special fondness for the United States, and I think they feel a very special pride for Dr. Rice.

Q Did you have any opportunity to talk with President Johnson-Sirleaf?

MRS. BUSH: Very little. We got to meet twice. When we first came in, we went over and paid our respects to her, and then at the very end, she stopped by and spoke again. I got to tell her that I was impressed with her inaugural address, that I liked it a lot. I also told her when we first paid our respects to her before the inauguration that I brought the very best wishes of the American people to her, and of the President, of course, to her.

I want to encourage the American people to keep an interest in Liberia after this inauguration. I hope that her goals that she outlined in her inaugural address are goals that can be met. And I know they can be if the international community, and particularly the United States, stands with the people of Liberia.

Q Do you have any reaction to what we saw on the way in?

MRS. BUSH: Well, we saw a lot of really very interesting things on the way in. I rode in with the Ambassador, so I saw the rubber plantation. I don't know if you smelled the smell when we first got off, but it's the smell of latex, processing latex. And that's a natural resource that Liberia has, that hopefully they'll be able to rebuild their economy and rebuild the rubber plantation and the latex processing plants, now that the civil war is over, now that they have a fair and free election and a new President.

They have a lot of natural resources. I don't know if you also noticed the banana palms and the coconut palms that are natural there. They get about 200 inches of rain a year.

So they have the chance to be an agricultural -- really, for the whole continent of Africa, a real agricultural headquarters. And so I hope they'll be able to do that.

Q -- symbolic of your whole trip here, empowering women. I talked to a first lady who's a friend before I came, and he thought maybe this -- he sort of used the words "international feminism" is a theme for your --

MRS. BUSH: Well, I thought it was very interesting in her address that she spoke to the women of Africa -- the women of Liberia, the women of Africa and the women of the world is what she said in her address. And I liked that. I think women around the world are watching and they're proud of her. But you're right, women's empowerment, girls' education is a centerpiece of this trip, because all of us know that educated girls lead much more successful lives. They can be better mothers for their children, they can make wiser and more informed decisions for their children's health, as well as for their children's education.

Plus they can contribute to the economy. And in Liberia, the farmers traditionally were women. And now, because of! the 14 years of civil war, a lot of women are no longer on their land that they farmed before, but hopefully they'll be able to go back to their own properties and start that again.

Q Speaking of civil war, and also now that you've seen some of the country and some of the devastation that that civil war caused, do you think it's time for Charles Taylor to be brought to war crimes trial?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I know that the President of Liberia will work to do what's best for Liberia, and also to bring Charles Taylor to justice. This is a time of reconciliation right now in Liberia with her inauguration following the contested -- very contested election. And so I assume, and I think, that she will work to bring him to justice.

Q Mrs. Bush, did you give any special message from the President?

MRS. BUSH: Yes, I just gave her the very best wishes from the President when I spoke to her and told her that we would stand with the people of Liberia and that I'm really honored to have the chance to be the one that got to come along with Dr. Rice to her inauguration.

Q Did you invite her to Washington again?

MRS. BUSH: No, but I'm sure she will be soon.

Q Not to diminish what you've done, what you're doing in the states, but this is your fifth foreign trip -- you've had four in this term, the second term. Do you sense that your legacy may (inaudible) foreign countries?

MRS. BUSH: Actually, I think that what happened to me really happened also to the other people in the United States, and that is after September 11th, when we all looked at Afghanistan and saw the oppression of women there, it awakened a lot of people to the plight of women around the world. As we look more and more at AIDS and what we can do in the United States to help alleviate AIDS suffering around the world, we realize more and more that girls' education is a key part of it.

So I don't -- although education has always been what I'm interested in for my whole life, I didn't expect, really, when George was elected, that I would be interested in education worldwide like I am. But it's just turned out, under the circumstances of what we've lived through in our country for the last few years that it's a really important piece that the United States can help worldwide with.

END 4:28 P.M. (Local) *1847

For Immediate Release, Office of the First Lady, January 16, 2006

more at Laura Bush and White House or Condoleezza Rice and Liberian or Monrovia and Liberia or Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Africa

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President Welcomes Belgian Prime Minister

President Welcomes Belgian Prime Minister to the White House, The Oval Office In Focus: Global Diplomacy 10:02 A.M. EST

President George W. Bush breaks out in laughter as he listens to Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt Tuesday, January 17, 2006, during the Prime Minister's visit to the Oval Office. White House photo by Paul Morse.

PRESIDENT BUSH: You're probably wondering what the Prime Minister is sharing with me. First of all, welcome. We're talking mountain biking -- actually, he's talking about the Tour de France. He's a huge advocate and a follower of the bike scene around the world. He's also an avid mountain biker. And one of these days he and I are going to ride; he's going to give me a lesson on how to ride a mountain bike.

First of all, welcome. Thanks for the wide-ranging discussion. I've been honored to know Guy for a long period of time. We have got a close relationship. And we talked about the importance of transatlantic relations, about how it's important for the United States to work with the European Union to reach common objectives and to help work together to make this world a more peaceful place and a better place for people.

We talked about bilateral relations, and the Prime Minister brought up an antiquated tax treaty that he believes needs to be looked at by our government in order to facilitate trade between Belgium and the United States.

We talked about Africa; in particular, the Congo. And I want to thank you for your leadership, Mr. Prime Minister, on this very important issue. I told the Prime Minister my government would work very closely with the Belgium government to help the people of the Congo realize their full potential.

We had a wide-ranging discussion, as to be expected among friends, and it's been my honor to welcome him here and I'm glad you're here.

PRIME MINISTER VERHOFSTADT: Well, we had, in fact, a very good and intense discussion -- not only about biking, that was only at the end, the biking, in the search of who can be the successor of Lance Armstrong. (Laughter.) We have not made a final choice on who can be the successor.

But we had a very good, I think, discussion about transatlantic relationship. I'm very pleased that since our last meeting we have started with this transatlantic informal meetings in New York and in Brussels. And it improves, I think, the relationship, the transatlantic relationship.

There is certainly a lot of work still to do, and I think that common point of view and a common policy of the U.S. and of Europe on issues like the Middle East, like Iran, is certainly absolutely necessary and can improve this transatlantic relationship.

And we also discussed the need to have more reflection on future of North Atlantic Alliance; on the relationship between European defense and North Atlantic Alliance, and maybe we can develop a number of initiatives with Belgium in Brussels on that issues.

About the Congo, it's very clear that we have to help. The transition period is at this moment successful. We hope for elections in April, a second round in June. But we have already discussed what after these elections. The international community has to continue to help and to seek good governance in the Congo and in Central Africa.

So that were, in any way, the most important elements, and then at the end, in fact, we shall start a negotiation with the American administration to have a new tax treatment between Belgium and the U.S., to avoid double taxation in the future.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Good job. Thanks, Guy. Appreciate you.

END 10:06 A.M. EST, For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, January 17, 2006

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