President Bush Holds Press Conference Following the G8 Summit
Press Conference of the President After G8 Summit
International Media Center
Savannah, Georgia
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. We just
completed a very successful summit. The nations of the G8 are united
in our desire to help bring stability and democracy to Iraq. We came
together to support reform in the broader Middle East. We pledged to
work together to build a more secure, peaceful and prosperous world.
Laura and I thank the citizens of this part of our country. This
was a successful summit because the people here made it successful by
being so warm and gracious. The Southern hospitality was strong. The
citizens of Sea Island, and Brunswick and Savannah, as well as people
from around Georgia, we're just really great, and we thank them. All
the leaders with whom we talked asked me to express my appreciation to
the people of this part of the world.
I also thank the world leaders and their staffs who traveled so far
to come here. I especially want to thank the leaders for their kind
words of condolence for President Ronald Reagan. Laura and I look
forward to paying our respect to President Reagan tonight at the
Capitol, and we look toward -- forward to our visit with Nancy and the
Reagan family at the Blair House tonight.
Ronald Reagan was a great man, an historic leader, and a national
treasure. I'm honored to speak tomorrow at the memorial service on
behalf of a grateful nation.
This year's G8 Summit came at a crucial time. Our nations face a
grave threat to our common security. We also face a moment of
opportunity to undermine the appeal of terror by supporting the advance
of liberty and prosperity throughout the world, especially in the
broader Middle East. The momentum of freedom there is building. A
free Iraq is rising in the heart of that vital region.
Across the Middle East, a consensus is emerging on the need for
change. In Alexandria, Istanbul, the Dead Sea, Sona and Aqaba,
political, civil society and business leaders have met to discuss
modernization and reform, and have issued stirring calls for political,
economic and social change. The nations of the G8 recognize our
special responsibility to help the people of the Middle East achieve
the progress they seek. And here at Sea Island, we pledged that our
nations will help further the causes of freedom and reform to help an
increasing number of people join in the progress of our times.
I appreciate the support of the G8 nations for the new United
Nations Security Council resolution that expresses international
support for Iraq's interim government and lays out a clear path to
Iraqi democracy. The Iraqi people can know that the world stands with
them in their quest for a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future.
And the enemies of freedom in that nation know that they are opposed by
the might and resolve of free nations.
We're grateful to the new President of the Iraqi interim
government, President al-Yawar, for making the trip to Sea Island. I
had a really good visit with him. He shared his thinking on the need
to improve security, to make progress toward national elections no
later than January of next year.
The nations of the G8 are committed to the success of Iraq's
government, to the defeat of its enemies, and to the future of Iraq as
a free and democratic state. The defeat of terror worldwide and the
success of freedom in Iraq are the challenges of the moment. The
spread of freedom throughout the broader Middle East is the imperative
of our age.
This year, G8 nations and Turkey have united around a common agenda
to use the energies and resources of our nations to support the
momentum of freedom in the nations of the Middle East and North
Africa. Working with leaders from the region, we have established the
Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with nations of the
broader Middle East. This partnership will seek to advance the
universal values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of law,
economic opportunity and social justice.
We've also agreed to establish a Forum for the Future, which will
bring together senior government officials from the Middle East with
their G8 counterparts, and also, regional business and civil society
leaders with corresponding leaders from G8 nations. In the forum,
leaders will discuss ideas that can help the nations of the Middle East
create jobs, increase access to capital, improve literacy and
education, protect human rights, and make progress toward democracy.
Reform must reflect the needs and realities of each country and be
driven by the desires of the people. We have obligation to support
them in their search for a freer, more prosperous future. We will meet
the obligation.
I thank the many leaders from the Middle East who came to the
summit to describe their goals for their nations, and who pledge their
support for this project. The people of the broader Middle East yearn
for democratic change, and their leaders understand and support the
need for reform.
I also thank the spouses of the G8 leaders and prominent women from
the region who met to explore ways in which all of our nations can
improve education and expand opportunities for women in the broader
Middle East. I want to thank Laura for hosting that important meeting,
and for all that she has done over the past three years on behalf of
the women and girls of the broader Middle East.
At this summit, we also agreed to take new action to stop the
spread of weapons of mass destruction. Within the recent addition --
with the recent addition of Russia, all G8 member nations now
participate in the Proliferation Security Initiative, which is designed
to stop the trade in deadly weapons, and the means to make and deliver
them.
Seven new donor nations have agreed to contribute funds to the
global partnership to reduce and secure dangerous weapons and
materials. We will expand the partnership's cooperation to address
proliferation threats beyond the nations of the former Soviet Union.
G8 nations have agreed to my proposal to establish a special
committee within the International Atomic Energy Agency that will focus
intensively on safeguards and verification. We're calling on all
nations to sign and implement the additional protocol which will expand
the IAEA's ability to inspect nuclear activities and facilities. We
agreed that over the next year, our nations will not initiate any new
transfers of uranium enrichment and reprocessing technology to
additional nations, as we work toward a permanent means to keep these
materials out of the hands of outlaw nations seeking nuclear weapons.
And the G8 agreed for the first time to take concrete steps to expand
national and international capabilities to prevent, protect, and
respond to attacks with biological weapons.
Finally, we moved forward on our common efforts to make the world
not only safer, but better. We launched a new effort to train and
equip 75,000 peacekeepers over the next five years to help bring
stability and security to troubled regions, with an initial focus on
the continent of Africa.
We established the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, to accelerate the
efforts of scientists to defeat HIV/AIDS. We pledged to break the
cycle of famine in the Horn of Africa. We met with the heads of
government from six African nations to discuss their ongoing work to
improve health care, institute reform and build prosperity for their
peoples, as reflected in their commitment to the New Partnership for
Africa's Development.
Over the long-term, trade is the most certain path to lasting
prosperity. Free and fair trade is the key engine of growth in the
world. And as with spur growth in our own countries, we must continue
to reduce the trade barriers that are an obstacle to growth in the
developing world.
G8 nations reaffirmed our commitment to the success of the Doha
Round of WTO trade negotiations. We directed our trade ministers to
take action to get the negotiations back on track toward a successful
conclusion.
The past several days have been full and productive. We've taken
up many important tasks, and now we'll translate our consensus into
action. The United States looks forward to fulfilling the commitments
we made at Sea Island. And the nations of the G8 will stand together
to advance the values of freedom and peace and human dignity.
I'll be glad to take a couple of questions. Tom.
Q Mr. President, you emphasized earlier today that Iraq needs
help. But where, specifically, do you see this help coming from?
Despite a U.N. resolution and despite the harmony here at the summit,
no one else has stepped forward offering more debt relief or more
troops. Doesn't it appear that the American face will be on the
security of Iraq for a long time to come? So where --
THE PRESIDENT: No, it doesn't appear that way. There will be an
Iraqi face on the security of Iraq. The Iraqis will secure their own
country. And we are there to help them do so. And we had great
discussions today about how to help Iraq.
Tom, the resolution just got passed. I know we live in a world
where everything is supposed to happen yesterday, but it doesn't work
that way. And we're waiting for the Iraqi government to assess the
situation and make requests to the free world. We'll respond to their
requests when sovereignty is fully transferred. That's the definition
of full sovereignty. You see, when a government is fully sovereign,
they then make requests on behalf of their people.
And the response here at the G8 has been very encouraging. In
other words, the G8 leaders have said, we'll wait for their requests
and see if we can't help. But just let me make the point again: Most
of the security in Iraq will be provided by Iraqis, and we are there to
help them
Steve.
Q Thanks, Mr. President. President Chirac said yesterday that
NATO should not intervene in Iraq. Is that what you were proposing?
Is a common ground possible before the Turkey summit?
THE PRESIDENT: I suggested to the leaders of the G8 that we listen
to the needs of the Iraqi leadership. And if they ask for more
training, for example, a good organization to provide that training
would be NATO. As I said, I think in your presence, as a matter of
fact, I don't expect more troops from NATO to be offered up. That's an
unrealistic expectation. Nobody is suggesting that. What we are
suggesting is for NATO, perhaps, to help train. Now, that would come
at the request of the Iraqi government. And I found a common spirit of
wanting to help Iraq progress and become a peaceful country. People
understand the stakes involved here. But democracy in the heart of the
Middle East is going to be a -- an important change for that region,
that troubled region.
And I understand some in the world say, this country can't be free
and self-governing. Well, I disagree. I strongly believe it will be
free and prosperous. And they need our help, and they'll have our
help. And when they're free and prosperous, it will serve as a symbol,
an example of that which is possible for other countries and other
people.
See, I believe free societies best meet the aspirations of the
people living in those societies. And we look forward to helping Iraq
achieve that -- the dream of being at peace and free, and a county in
which the people are able to express their opinions.
Sanger.
Q Mr. President, the Justice Department issued an advisory
opinion last year declaring that as Commander-in-Chief you have the
authority to order any kind of interrogation techniques that are
necessary to pursue the war on terror. Were you aware of this advisory
opinion? Do you agree with it? And did you issue any such
authorization at any time?
THE PRESIDENT: No, the authorization I issued, David, was that
anything we did would conform to U.S. law and would be consistent with
international treaty obligations. That's the message I gave our
people.
Q Have you seen the memos?
THE PRESIDENT: I can't remember if I've seen the memo or not, but
I gave those instructions.
John, yes.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, I wanted to ask you about this
Libyan plot to assassinate Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. My
understanding of it is that it came to the White House's attention in
early April. The White House officials do believe that Qadhafi had
some kind of involvement in it. I'm wondering if you could confirm
that. Also, have you sent any kind of a message to Qadhafi about it?
And what does it say about his intentions to truly renounce terrorism
and rejoin the community of nations?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I appreciate that question. What I can tell
you is, is that we're going to make sure we fully understand the
veracity of the plot line. And so we're looking into it, is the best
way I can tell you. And when we find out the facts, we will deal with
them accordingly.
Q Was there any kind of message sent to him, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't talk to Colonel Qadhafi. I have sent a
message to him, that if he honors his commitments to resist terror and
to fully disclose and disarm his weapons programs, we will begin a
process of normalization, which we have done. We have begun that
process. And now there's -- we will make sure he honors his
commitment.
John.
Q Mr. President, thank you. In the past, and here at this
summit, you have made crystal-clear how important this Middle East
initiative is to you. And yet, key U.S. allies in the region, like
Egypt, like Saudi Arabia, like Kuwait, refuse to send representatives
to engage in the discussions. Do you take that as a personal slap,
sir?
THE PRESIDENT: No. (Laughter.) Okay, I'll give your question
more answer. (Laughter.) This initiative is not important for me,
it's important for the people of the region. That's what's important,
for the people of the region to have a chance to live in a free
society. And, obviously, I believe it's possible that there will be
free, self-governing countries in this vital part of the world. And so
do others, including the leaders that came and spoke to us.
And look, I fully understand -- look, there was some concern when
the initiative was first proposed that this was America trying to make
the world look like America. It's not going to happen. I fully
understand that a free society in the Middle East is going to reflect
the culture and traditions of the people in that country, not America.
I also understand it takes a while to adopt the habits of a
democratic society and a free society. After all, it took our own
country a while. You might remember the period of the Articles of
Confederation. You do remember the period of the Articles --
(laughter.) It just took us a while. It's not easy work. It's hard
work. But we believe it is necessary work, because free societies are
peaceful societies. The best way to defeat terror is to speak to the
aspirations and hopes of women and men.
And so I understand, John, that there's a certain nervousness about
whether or not people can adapt the institutions of freedom. But they
shouldn't be nervous. They ought to welcome reform.
And you mentioned my friend, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He
and I have discussed reform before. He understands the need to reform
-- it's not going to -- you know, it's not going to meet the
expectations of every American. But nevertheless, he understands the
need to speak to the hopes and aspirations of his people.
And so it was a very positive meeting yesterday. And the statement
ought to be very positive.
I had a very interesting moment when the Minister of -- I think
that her title is Minister of Displaced Persons in Iraq. She came with
the President's delegation. And she took me aside, and said, "You must
understand, Mr. President, when you speak about reform in the Middle
East, there are a lot of brave people who hear your words." And I
shared that with my counterparts at the G8, that people hear our
words. Because, you know -- and they're anxious that we honor what we
say because they want to be free, they want to be free people.
Let's see here. Let's make sure we get fair -- Jimmy Angle. Where
are you? No show. John.
Q Mr. President --
THE PRESIDENT: -- it's very kind of me to call upon your network,
even though the guy's name here, who was supposed to be here, didn't
show. (Laughter.) I haven't seen you in a while. Why are you
covering Congress and not the White House?
Q Well, I'm glad to be here, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good. (Laughter.)
Q Returning to the question of torture, if you knew a person was
in U.S. custody and had specific information about an imminent
terrorist attack that could kill hundreds or even thousands of
Americans, would you authorize the use of any means necessary to get
that information and to save those lives?
THE PRESIDENT: Jonathan, what I've authorized is that we stay
within U.S. law.
Gregory.
Q Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President. I was struck by
something you said that it's the Iraqis who are going to be primarily
responsible for their own security.
THE PRESIDENT: Correct.
Q How is that the case when you have said repeatedly that the
terrorists and the killers in Iraq understand the stakes of this
particular time, and that they're only going to intensify their
insurgency? I mean, isn't the reality that --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, go ahead.
Q Haven't you said that?
THE PRESIDENT: I have said that. No, I wasn't -- I was just kind
of -- I'm trying to get to where your question is leading.
Q Well, I guess I'm challenging the notion --
THE PRESIDENT: I should not anticipate, I'm sorry.
Q Okay, no, what I'm trying to do is challenge the notion that
it's Iraqis who are going to be primarily responsible for their
security when we've come through a period where, as you've noted, many
of them are running away from their posts, they're not adequately
trained. Isn't the reality that the United States is still very much
alone in Iraq, going forward, even after the handover, in terms of
securing the country?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, David, there is a coalition on
the ground in Iraq. If you're here to ask Prime Minister Blair a
question, I would hope you wouldn't ask the question, do you think
America is alone in Iraq. He's got a lot of troops in Iraq, and other
nations have troops in Iraq, all aiming to help the Iraqi people. But
the long-term solution is going to be for the Iraqi people to secure
their own country, David. That's the only way this country is going to
evolve into a prosperous, free society.
And I believe the full transfer of sovereignty is going to -- will
help the Iraqis understand the stakes. They will be responsible. It's
their responsibility. We are there to help. And, yes, the main
security will be provided by the Iraqi citizens. It's -- that's --
that's the duty of a government, is to train and equip and provide
police and army to protect their people from people who are willing to
kill innocent life.
Now, look, I fully concede, and have publicly, that I think things
are still going to be tough there. The transfer of sovereignty isn't
going to stop Zarqawi, an al Qaeda associate, who, by the way, was in
Baghdad prior to our arrival and still operates in the country. He's
willing to kill innocent life. His desire is to kill anybody in his
way, to try to shake the confidence of the Iraqi citizens, as well as
the citizens of the free world. He operates. And we're there to help
the Iraqi citizens find him and bring him to justice. No question it's
still going to be dangerous.
But the solution for Iraqi security is going to be provided by the
Iraqis. That's what Prime Minister Allawi has said so clearly. I
haven't met the Prime Minister yet, but he sounds like a very strong,
courageous individual, who says, look, we want -- we want your help,
but it's our responsibility to secure our country. And we're there to
help.
Let's see here, I'm trying to curry favor with everybody, of
course. (Laughter.)
Q -- in the back.
THE PRESIDENT: I will in a minute, hold on for a second. Dick.
Yes, Dick. Sorry. I just got some -- I've got some mandatories I've
got to call on here. (Laughter.) See, I have to live with these
people, I don't have to live with you. (Laughter.)
Q Thank you for that, Mr. President.
Q In that case, can I ask you another one?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, exactly, Roberts. (Laughter.)
Q Given -- given recent developments in the CIA leak case,
particularly Vice President Cheney's discussions with the
investigators, do you still stand by what you said several months ago,
a suggestion that it might be difficult to identify anybody who leaked
the agent's name?
THE PRESIDENT: That's up to --
Q And, and, do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to
have done so?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find
the facts.
Q My final point would be -- or question would be, has Vice
President Cheney assured you --
THE PRESIDENT: It's up to the --
Q -- subsequent to his conversations with them, that nobody --
THE PRESIDENT: I haven't talked to the Vice President about this
matter, and I suggest -- recently -- and I suggest you talk to the U.S.
Attorney about that.
Hold on for a minute. I'm kind of observing for a second. I've
got to call on the Texas newspaper. Hillman.
Q Yes, Mr. President. In the wake of the U.N. resolution this
week and the discussions here at Sea Island, what can you tell the
American people about when U.S. troops might be coming home from Iraq
in large numbers?
THE PRESIDENT: When the job is done.
Judy.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, since President Reagan's
death, there seems to be new momentum behind efforts to rename the
Pentagon for him, or to put his image on American currency. Do you
support either of those?
THE PRESIDENT: Judy, look, I am -- I am going to Washington to pay
honor to Mrs. Reagan and her family. I'll give a speech tomorrow, and
then I will reflect on further ways to honor a great President.
Lakely.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Many in this country and around the
world believe that the United Nations involvement in Iraq is necessary
because the way you've conducted the war in Iraq is illegitimate and
has lowered the moral standing of the United States around the world.
However, one could also argue that the United Nations has moral
authority problems of its own with the oil-for-food scandal in Iraq,
for instance. How do you respond to those who think that the United
Nations has greater moral standing in the world than the United
States? Or do you think the United States maybe is held to a higher
standard than the United Nations?
THE PRESIDENT: I think the United States is a strong,
compassionate nation. And as President of a strong, compassionate
nation, I'll do what it takes to defend us. We're at war. We're at
war with an enemy who killed thousands of our citizens on September the
11th, 2001. And since that time, they've killed hundreds elsewhere.
They're killers, and I have an obligation to defend our country.
And the war on terror is a different kind of war. It requires
international cooperation to fight it. And there's excellent
international cooperation in the war against terror. There's
excellence -- there's excellent intelligence-sharing, not only with
nations in the G8, but nations throughout the world. There's excellent
law enforcement operations -- joint operations. We have got special
forces from Europe side-by-side with special forces in the United
States in remote regions of Afghanistan trying to find remnants of the
Taliban and al Qaeda. There's substantial cooperation.
And that's the reason I went to the United Nations, to encourage
cooperation. Plus, I wanted the United Nations to be a body that had
the respect of the world, and when it said something, it meant it.
And so I went and took the case of Iraq to the United Nations. We
got a unanimous United Nations Security Council resolution. It said,
Mr. Saddam Hussein, disclose your weapons programs; if you don't, face
serious consequences. In my judgment, when a body or a person says,
face serious consequences, you'd better mean it; otherwise future words
ring hollow, and it would have made it less likely that international
cooperation would have been effective in the war on terror.
So that's why I went to the United Nations. I have respect for the
United Nations. I was pleased with the U.N. Security Council
resolution at the United Nations. It had a positive effect on the
Iraqi people to hear the world speak. It also had a practical effect
on allowing world leaders to go to their parliaments, and say, the U.N.
has spoken; therefore, let us continue missions. And I think it's a
positive -- I think it's a positive development when the U.N. is able
to work together. And we are working together. We're working together
a lot, on a lot of fronts. And that's what's going to have to continue
to happen as we fight the war on terror.
Let me say it again: There's an enemy which lurks out there that
is willing to kill on a moment's notice. They're trying to shake the
world's confidence. They want us to retreat. They want us to
surrender. They want us to say, you win, we'll leave regions of the
country. And so long as I'm the President of the United States, we'll
be determined and firm and committed to fighting this enemy, for the
good of all free people, so people can grow up without fear.
All right, I'm going to do a little something here. Clive, BBC.
Where are you, Clive?
Q He's not here, but I'll -- (laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: You qualify. (Laughter.) It's about -- you've
been to almost all my press conferences, and you've never asked a
question.
Q Well, thank you very much, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Where is Clive?
Q Back here, sir. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Back where? Clive, I'm sorry.
Q Sorry, Clive. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: There's a surrogate Clive here. (Laughter.)
Q Mr. President, I wanted to return to the question of torture.
What we've learned from these memos this week is that the Department of
Justice lawyers and the Pentagon lawyers have essentially worked out a
way that U.S. officials can torture detainees without running afoul of
the law. So when you say that you want the U.S. to adhere to
international and U.S. laws, that's not very comforting. This is a
moral question: Is torture ever justified?
THE PRESIDENT: Look, I'm going to say it one more time. If I --
maybe -- maybe I can be more clear. The instructions went out to our
people to adhere to law. That ought to comfort you. We're a nation of
law. We adhere to laws. We have laws on the books. You might look at
those laws, and that might provide comfort for you. And those were
the instructions out of -- from me to the government.
All right, Al Hurra. Good, thank you for coming.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. You do have now the personal gun of
Saddam Hussein. Are you willing to give it to President al-Yawar as a
symbolic gift, or are you keeping it? (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: What she's referring to is a -- members of a Delta
team came to see me in the Oval Office and brought with me -- these
were the people that found Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, hiding
in a hole. And, by the way, let me remind everybody about Saddam
Hussein, just in case we all forget. There were mass graves under his
leadership. There were torture chambers. Saddam Hussein -- if you --
we had seven people come to my office. Perhaps the foreign press
didn't see this story. Seven people came to my -- they had their hands
cut off because the Iraqi currency had devalued. And Saddam Hussein
needed somebody to blame, so he blamed small merchants. And their
hands were chopped off, their right hand.
Fortunately, a documentary film maker went to Baghdad and filmed
the -- filmed these seven men. And their story was picked up around
the nation, particularly in Houston, Texas, where a person named Marvin
Zindler, who runs a foundation, took great sympathy and flew them over
and had new hands put on. The latest prosthesis were put on their hand
-- were put on their arms. And their hands worked. I remember the guy
signing "God Bless America" with his new hand in the Oval Office.
So this is the person. So needless to say, our people were
thrilled to have captured him. And in his lap was several weapons.
One of them was a pistol. And they brought it to me. It's now the
property of the U.S. government. And I am -- I am -- it -- I'm
grateful for their bravery. I'm also grateful that that part of the
mission was accomplished, for the good of the Iraqi people.
Deans. This is your area, right?
Q Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Thank you so much.
THE PRESIDENT: Is any local press here, at all, by the way? Any
local? Okay.
Q Mr. President, a year ago in Evian, there was an expectation
that in the ensuing months, weapons such as chemical or biological
weapons, would be found in Iraq. I wonder if you can share with the
American people your conclusions, based on what you've learned over the
past 15 months, sir, as to whether those weapons were -- existed and
they were hidden, were they destroyed, were they somehow spirited out
of the country, or perhaps they weren't there before the war, and
whether you had a chance to share this with your G8 partners.
THE PRESIDENT: Right, no -- Bob, it's a good question. I don't
know -- I haven't reached a final conclusion yet because the inspectors
-- inspection teams aren't back yet. I do know that Saddam Hussein had
the capacity to make weapons. I do know he's a dangerous person. I
know he used weapons against his own people and against the
neighborhood. But we'll wait until Charlie gets back with the final
report, and then I'll be glad to report.
Local man, thanks.
Q Mr. President, Sonny Dixon, WTOC in Savannah. I'm a native of
this region, by the way. Stating the obvious, begging the indulgence
of these fine people, this has been a terrific undertaking for our
region of the country. We appreciate your words regarding
hospitality. But in terms of logistics, facilities, and security, your
observations on this G8 Summit.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. First, I want to thank the local
citizens for putting up with all the security. I was riding my bike
down the road in Sea Island and a lady was just driving along the road,
very happy, and the next thing she knows, some friendly agents were
heading right in her way. (Laughter.) And she, of course, pulled
over, and I zoomed by. I felt like stopping to tell her, thanks, I
apologize for the inconvenience.
I also had the honor of going by and thanking the -- the local,
state, and federal folks who provided the security at the airport over
there on St. Simons Island. The cooperation was fantastic. The local
sheriffs and police chiefs need to be commended, and so do their
people, for working so well with the state and federal people.
It -- look, this is -- we made the right choice to come down here
for this summit. The people were just spectacular. And I'll tell you,
I generally don't put words in a foreign leader's mouth, but today,
Jacques Chirac said the food was great. (Laughter.) And so, of
course, I told the chefs. And they recognize that it's a heck of a lot
better to hear the food is great from Jacques Chirac than George W.
Bush. (Laughter.) But it's really good.
Thank you for asking that, because it's been a spectacular success,
primarily because the people are so wonderful down here.
Let's see here -- Andre Sitov, from Itar-Tass. Andre, good to see
you. How are you?
Q Doing great.
THE PRESIDENT: That's good.
Q G8s are supposed to be about informal contacts between
leaders, so I wanted to ask you, sir, how do policy differences that
sometimes happen between you and your foreign partners, how do they
affect your personal relationship with those leaders? Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Well, we go to different corners of the room
and we face the wall -- no. (Laughter.) Look, there is -- we're
united by values. We're united by common values. And therefore, it's
a -- it's a easy place to start conversations. And it's to be expected
that nations don't always agree on every issue. But we do agree in the
power of free societies; we do agree on a free press. We don't
necessarily agree with everything the free press writes, but we agree
on a free press. We agree with free religions. There's great
agreement.
And so, therefore, it's -- this is a -- it facilitates good and
healthy conversation. And, look, there was obviously a disagreement
over whether or not we enforced the demands of the U.N. I fully
understand that. But now that's past. And I know there's great
speculation about the relationship between the United States and
France. Let's face it. Most people say, the United States and the
world differ. No, it's the United States and France, that's where the
focus generally is. And as Jacques Chirac said yesterday, relations
with the United States are excellent. He's right.
That doesn't mean we agree every time we speak. But nevertheless,
we've got very good relations. And I appreciate my working
relationship with him.
And so the meetings are very cordial. And you probably want me to
say something about Vladimir Putin. Yes, well, it's because you --
I've always had good relations with Vladimir, ever since the first time
I met him. You remember where I met him first?
Q Slovenia.
THE PRESIDENT: Very good. Very good. (Laughter.) That's
impressive. But he's a -- he is a person who's got opinions, and I
admire strong opinions. I like courageous leaders, people who express
their opinions. It's -- to me, it's hard to have a good meeting with
somebody if you always wonder what their opinion is. And you kind of
leave feeling somewhat empty. That's not how you get things done, as
far as I'm concerned. When you sit around the table, you say what's on
your mind, you know, here's what I think, what do you think? And if
there's a difference, try to explain the differences, and try to find
common ground to work together.
We've got too much to do in a world beset by terror, poverty and
disease, to allow a policy difference to prevent us from working
together. And that's why these G8 summits are meaningful and
worthwhile. And that's why I'm really glad to have been the host here
in Georgia.
Putting the hook on me? Okay. Listen, we're off to Washington.
I've got a -- I've got the -- I will be paying tribute to President
Reagan here in about an hour and a half or so, and then will be
visiting with Mrs. Reagan at the Blair House. I appreciate your
understanding for the need for us, whoever is traveling with me, to get
moving, so that we can be on time for a solemn night, and a day of
remembrance tomorrow for a magnificent world leader.