Text 1282, 119 rader
Skriven 2005-08-22 23:33:18 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0508225) for Mon, 2005 Aug 22
====================================================
===========================================================================
Press Gaggle with Trent Duffy
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 22, 2005

Press Gaggle with Trent Duffy
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Salt Lake City, Utah



9:41 A.M. MDT

MR. DUFFY: All right. The President had his regular briefings on board
here. And we're en route to the VFW, where he will make remarks to the
national convention. This is his third address to the VFW Annual National
Convention. The first was in Milwaukee in 2001, the second was in
Cincinnati, last year, 2004. You all know about the VFW and their mission.

Senator Hatch is on board with us. Other notables in the audience will
include Secretary Nicholson of the Veterans Affairs Department, Congressman
Jim Matheson, and Congressman Chris Cannon. The governor will be there,
John Huntsman of Utah, and also Governor Kempthorne of Idaho will be in, as
well.

Q Who is that, who is going to be there?

MR. DUFFY: Chris Cannon, from Utah. I'll give you a quick sort of summary
of his remarks. The President will, obviously, talk about why we must
continue the fight in the war on terrorism, and he'll also start out with a
tribute to the great gains that the current veterans have made for freedom
and securing our country in past conflicts. He'll talk about why we must
remember the troops who left America's shores but did not live to make the
journey home, and how we can never forget their courage and their
sacrifice.

He'll talk about how the older generation of veterans, as I said, helped to
secure the country, and we have a new generation of men and women serving
overseas right now, and why it's important to be supportive of our current
troops in the war on terrorism, and that we have a three-front strategy in
the war on terror, which is, again, first to protect the homeland through
activities like boosting homeland security spending, shoring up our
borders, and giving law enforcement the tools to protect us from terrorism
like the Patriot Act; secondly, to take the fight to the terrorists
overseas, so that they do not attack us here at home; and thirdly, to
spread hope and freedom across the Middle East and across the world so that
peaceful nations do not attack each other.

He will discuss about how freedom is spreading in the Middle East and
Palestine and in -- excuse me, the Palestinian territories. And he will
discuss the current Gaza withdrawal disengagement plan that the U.S.
supports. So look for that.

That's a quick summary of his remarks. And then he leaves and we overnight
in Idaho. That's what I have on his schedule.

Q Will he talk about the Iraqi constitution efforts at all?

MR. DUFFY: Yes. He'll talk about how we're hopeful that the Iraqis will
continue to make process on their constitution. We've seen the news
reports, and the President is monitoring the developments there closely.
He's been briefed on them this morning by his national security team. Dr.
Crouch is on board, who provided the briefing. So, obviously, he speaks at
approximately -- I think it's 9:00 p.m. Baghdad time. So we're monitoring
the events very closely, and very hopeful that they will have a
constitution.

Q Who was --

MR. DUFFY: Dr. J.D. Crouch is his Deputy National Security Advisor.

Q Why are you hopeful that they will have a constitution? Because last I
checked, there was still a lot of disagreements.

MR. DUFFY: Well, we're hopeful. They're still working. The Kurds, the
Sunnis, the Shia are all there. They're gathered and they are working hard.
The United States embassy is involved and is assisting, at their request.
And that's where things stand. We're hopeful, and they're still at the
table.

Q Is the White House concerned about the protests that are planned in Salt
Lake City today?

MR. DUFFY: The President addressed that directly. He can understand that
people don't share his view that we must win the war on terror, and we
cannot retreat and cut and run from terrorists, but he just has a different
view. He believes it would be a fundamental mistake right now for us to cut
and run in the face of terrorism, because if we've learned anything,
especially from the 9/11 Commission Report, it is that to continue to
retreat after the Cole, after Beirut and Somalia is to only empower
terrorists and to give them more recruiting tools as they try to identify
ways to harm Americans.

So he believes that people have a fundamental right to express their views.
That's one of the reasons we're fighting this war on terrorism, to protect
our fundamental rights. But at the same time, he disagrees strongly.

Q Cindy Sheehan's group is airing commercials in Utah, again asking the
President to meet with her. And there's going to be protests planned. Is
the President -- does he know about these protests, about these commercials
at all, and does he have any response?

MR. DUFFY: No. I don't have any -- there are people along the side of the
road wherever the President goes, supporters and others. So the President
is certainly aware. But, again, he believes that Americans, obviously, have
a right to express their views. That's part of being American. That's one
of the things we're fighting for.

Anything further? Thanks.

END 9:47 A.M. MDT
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050822-5.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)