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Skriven 2005-11-02 23:33:44 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (051102a) for Wed, 2005 Nov 2
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Press Briefing with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 2, 2005

Press Briefing with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

Press Briefing
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˙˙˙˙˙In Focus: 2005 Summit of the Americas

3:00 P.M. EST

MR. HADLEY: Good afternoon. Tomorrow the President and Mrs. Bush will
depart for Argentina, where the President will participate in the 4th
Summit of the Americas. The President and Mrs. Bush will make subsequent
visits to Brazil and Panama.

At the summit, the President will join 33 other democratically elected
leaders in the Western Hemisphere to address common 21st century
challenges. In particular the summit will focus on creating job
opportunities especially for the hemisphere's poor, creating conditions to
achieve sustained economic growth through greater trade and development,
fighting poverty, and strengthening democratic governance and institutions.

The President was pleased to accept President Lula's invitation to visit
Brazil. This is a return visit for President Lula's visit to Washington in
June of 2003. Brazil, obviously, is an important regional and global
democratic partner of the United States, and the two countries have a
shared commitment to democratic principles.

The President is also looking forward to his visit to Panama, a strategic
partner of the United States. We share with the Panamanians the goal of
creating a hemisphere that is democratic, secure and prosperous.

Let me outline briefly the President's schedule, and then I'll be happy to
take some questions. As I noted earlier, the President and Mrs. Bush will
depart Washington tomorrow, Thursday, November 3rd, for Mar del Plata,
Argentina.

On Friday, November 4, the President will meet in the morning with the
leaders of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the
Dominican Republic. The leaders will discuss the recently approved Central
American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.

The President will then meet with the host of the Summit of the Americas,
President Kirchner of Argentina. The two Presidents will participate in a
joint press availability after the meeting. On the conclusion of the press
availability, the President will then meet jointly with the leaders of
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. And that will be followed by a
bilateral meeting with President Lagos of Chile.

On Friday afternoon, the President will participate in the opening ceremony
of the summit, followed by a group photo and the first plenary session.
That evening, the President and Mrs. Bush will join other summit leaders
for a formal dinner.

On Saturday, November 5, the President will begin the day by participating
in the 2nd and 3rd plenary sessions, followed by a closing ceremony and
lunch for the heads of state and government.

After lunch, the President and Mrs. Bush will depart Argentina for
Brasilia, Brazil.

On Sunday, November 6, the President will have breakfast with Brazilian
business leaders, followed by a roundtable with young Brazilian leaders
from a variety of walks of life. The President will then meet and have
lunch with President Lula. After lunch, the President will deliver remarks
at the Blue Tree Park Hotel. His remarks will focus on democracy and its
link to economic growth.

After his remarks, the President and Mrs. Bush will depart Brazil for
Panama City, Panama.

On Monday, November 7, the President will begin by meeting with President
Torrijos. After their meeting, both Presidents will participate in a joint
press availability. Later in the morning, the President and Mrs. Bush will
participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Corozal American Cemetery.
There are nearly 5,200 people interred at that cemetery, individuals who
served either in the U.S. Armed Forces or contributed to the construction,
operation, and maintenance of the Panama Canal.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the President and Mrs. Bush will tour
the Miraflores Locks, the first set of locks on the Pacific entrance to the
Panama Canal. The President will then participate in a roundtable on
Panama's future, followed by lunch with President Torrijos. Prior to
departure, the President will join Panamanian youths to talk a little
baseball.

The President and Mrs. Bush will depart Panama on Monday morning, arriving
back at the White House that evening. If the schedule changes, we will,
obviously, notify you through the press office. And I'd be pleased to take
any questions.

Steve, please.

Q What's the U.S. position on Hugo Chavez using oil revenues to make
friends in the region, while at the same time talking about having a
nuclear reactor built in his country?

MR. HADLEY: Well, he's raised the issue of the nuclear reactor in a number
of different forms and with a number of different countries. So far he
hasn't done very well in terms of getting any takers, and I think that's
because people recognize that it would be problematic for Chavez to be in
the nuclear business, if you will.

In terms of his efforts to gain favor and support by using his oil
revenues, he's made a number of different proposals. So far they haven't
gotten a lot of traction. There are a lot of business and technical reasons
for that. I think the thing that's important, though, is to look at what is
going on within his country. And one of the concerns we have is both
economically what is happening to Venezuela, which at a time of record high
oil prices, one would expect to see a lot of progress against poverty and a
lot of increased prosperity. We're not seeing that. We're actually seeing
some deterioration in the economy. And also, of course, we're concerned
about what Chavez is -- the status of democracy within his country. So we
have -- we, obviously, have these concerns.

Q Why is his economy deteriorating like that?

MR. HADLEY: That's a good question, and it has to do in some sense by his
own stewardship, his attitude towards foreign investment, his attitude
towards private property. There's obviously been some confiscation of
property and the like. But, look, this -- I think the thing I want to say
is this trip, this summit is not about Hugo Chavez. I mean, you ask me
these questions -- we've had some longstanding concerns about the policy
for his government. This is not new news.

The purpose of the summit is for democratically elected leaders to get
together and reaffirm the fact that there is really a shared vision for the
hemisphere that is based on democracy and free markets and free trade as
the best way to get the benefits of those principles down to enhance the
prosperity and the livelihoods of the people of the hemisphere.

There's a common commitment to those principles, and the message the
President will bring is there's time to convert that commitment into
concrete action, to take the kinds of steps that will enhance the
well-being of the hemisphere, and that is good government, fighting
corruption, investing in people in terms of education and health care, and
then using the power of free markets, free trade and private investment to
really enhance prosperity.

That's the focus of this trip; that's the focus of this summit. It's, for
the President, an opportunity to engage with the hemisphere and reaffirm
the common commitment to that vision. And that's why the President is
going, and that's what he hopes to accomplish while he's there.

Q Can I ask you a quick one on another subject? Why does the administration
feel it's necessary to maintain a network of secret detention centers
around the world, out of sight of the Congress and the American people, and
out of reach of American law and values?

MR. HADLEY: There have been some press reports this morning that have
touched on that subject. And as you can appreciate, they raise some issues
about possible intelligence operations. And as you know, we don't talk
about intelligence operations from this podium.

Q Don't they also raise issue of our values and our reputation in the
world?

MR. HADLEY: Right, and I think the President has been pretty clear on that,
that while we have to do what we -- do what is necessary to defend the
country against terrorists attacks and to win the war on terror, the
President has been very clear that we're going to do that in a way that is
consistent with our values. And that is why he's been very clear that the
United States will not torture. The United States will conduct its
activities in compliance with law and international obligations.

And in some of the issues involving detainees and the like, as you know,
where there have been allegations that people have not met the standard the
President has set, there have been investigations, and they have been of
two forms. There are over a dozen investigations that have been done in the
Department of Defense to find out what has been going on. Two things have
happened as a result. There have been revisions of procedures and practices
to ensure that the standard the President set is met; and then there have
been investigations, prosecutions, and people punished for the failure to
meet those standards. So we think that, consistent with the President's
guidance, we are both protecting the country against the terrorists and
doing it in a way that is consistent with our values and principles.

Q If I could just press you on that, how do those self-correcting
mechanisms that affirm our values and our laws, how do they work if the
sites are secret to begin with?

MR. HADLEY: Well, the fact that they are secret, assuming there are such
sites, does not mean that simply because something is -- and some people
say that the test of your principles are what you do when no one is
looking. And the President has insisted that whether it is in the public,
or is in the private, the same principles will apply, and the same
principles will be respected. And to the extent people do not meet up,
measure up to those principles, there will be accountability and
responsibility.

Q Can we go back to what you were talking about with a nuclear reactor in
Venezuela? You said it might be problematic. That wasn't what the President
said yesterday. In fact, he said, maybe it makes sense to have a nuclear
reactor there. Can you expand a little bit on why that might be
problematic, and why the President didn't bring those concerns up
yesterday?

MR. HADLEY: I didn't hear it the same way you did. I mean, look, this is
something that President Chavez has pursued with a number of his neighbors.
It's not a matter of -- he hasn't asked us for it. Obviously, our view, of
course, has been well-expressed, and it's not particular to Chavez, that
nuclear power is a very useful way, in a way that is economically sound and
environmentally sound, to deal with energy challenges. That's the position
of the administration; that's the position of the President.

Obviously, there are also proliferation risks associated with nuclear
power. That's one of the things we have concerns about with respect to the
Iranian program. And we would expect that any kind of nuclear power
program, for any country, would be done in such a way to respect those
proliferation concerns. That's all I was trying to say. That's the
framework in which we view.

Nuclear power programs, peaceful nuclear power programs, are something in
which the President obviously has been very clear and he supports. On the
other hand, we are also very clear on the issue of proliferation, that we
want to make sure that nuclear power is handled in a responsible way and
does not contribute to concerns about proliferation and ultimate nuclear
weapons. That's the framework in which we look at it, and that's the
framework we would hope other people look at it.

In terms of Chavez approaching his neighbors, that's obviously an issue
that -- with he and his neighbors. It is interesting that while there have
been press reports, it is an issue that is still in debate and there's been
some concern.

Q But can I follow up on something he also said yesterday?

MR. HADLEY: Sure.

Q He said that -- he acknowledged that the FTAA has stalled. And I'm
wondering if you consider that it's completely dead, or if there will be
efforts to revive it in Argentina?

MR. HADLEY: It's still something we'll work on. Obviously, it has not moved
as quickly as we would have liked. And that's one of the things the
President will talk with President Lula, because the United States and
Brazil, in some sense, are co-leading that effort.

But I think the point the President made, which is the right one, is, we
have a bold free trade agenda, and it's something we pursue on a bilateral
basis, on a regional basis, and in terms of a global basis. And we pursue
all three of those at once. Obviously, we would like to move forward on the
FTAA. It has not moved as quickly as we would like. And the President was
pointing out there, of course, is another opportunity which also ought to
be a priority, and will be a priority in the President's conversations with
President Lula and the other leaders, which is the opportunity at the end
of 2006 to conclude the Doha Round.

The President has made some bold proposals in the area of eliminating
agricultural tariffs and trade-distorting subsidies. He's challenged the
Europeans to join us in that effort, because if we can make progress on the
agricultural issues, then we can go to other countries and say, we need,
now, progress and freer trade in terms of services and non-agricultural
industrial products. And the result of that will be greater trade, not only
among the parties to Doha, but, of course, one of the great beneficiaries
will be the less developed countries who can use the opening of markets,
particularly for agricultural products, to enhance their own economy.

So as I said, we're -- the President has a bold free trade agenda. We
pursue it bilaterally, regionally, and on international basis. And Doha is
an important opportunity, and the President will be talking to people about
it during this trip.

Q Follow-up.

MR. HADLEY: Can we limit it to one follow-up? Because I want to try and get
-- I'd like to get through everybody if I could. It would be a first, but
-- sir.

Q On September 9th, 2002, you met in Washington with Nicolo Pollari, the
head of the Italian Intelligence Agency, SISMI. According to the Italian
daily, La Republica, Mr. Pollari came to the meeting to discuss an alleged
attempt by Iraq to purchase uranium from Niger. Is that claim false?

MR. HADLEY: We'd looked at this issue. We had both looked at our
documentary record -- I have -- we have talked -- I've searched my own
recollection; we have also talked to other people on the NSC staff at the
time who might have a recollection of that meeting. I can tell you what
that canvassing has unearthed. There was a meeting in Washington on that
date. I did attend a meeting with him. It was, so far as we can tell from
our records, about less than 15 minutes. It was a courtesy call. Nobody
participating in that meeting or asked about that meeting has any
recollection of a discussion of natural uranium, or any recollection of any
documents being passed. And that's also my recollection. I have very little
recollection of the meeting, but I have no recollection there was any of
that discussion, or that there was any passing of documents. Nor does
anybody else who may have participated in that meeting. That's where we
are.

Q Can you say what you did discuss with Mr. Pollari?

MR. HADLEY: I told you I have very little recollection of the meeting, and
it was in the order of a courtesy call, getting to know a person who is
going to be a colleague going forward. And you can tell that from the
relative briefness of the meeting. And I think what the Italian authorities
have said is very consistent with what I just said.

Q This is the President's first foreign trip since your counterpart in the
Vice President's office was indicted on charges stemming from the outing of
a CIA agent and his alleged lying about it to federal prosecutors. I wonder
if you can tell us how that impacts U.S. credibility abroad, and the
ability of the administration to press its foreign policy initiatives in
international fora like this summit?

MR. HADLEY: Look, the President -- sorry, let me begin again. Scooter Libby
is a fine person and he has served the President and the Vice President
well. There is now an indictment, and he is entitled to the benefit of the
presumption of innocence.

At President, in any administration, makes foreign policy, and it's
particularly true in this administration, the President makes foreign
policy. And it is the President who is going on this trip, and he will be
bringing his foreign policy with him and will be talking about it with
countries in the region. So we who staff him are privileged to do so, but
there have been staff changes before; I'm sure, in the normal course, with
attrition, there will be staff changes in the future. What matters is the
President's foreign policy continues to go forward, because he continues to
carry it forward. And that will be the case, and that's what people will
see in this upcoming summit.

Q Was there any consideration given to meeting with President Fox, a
bilateral meeting? If so, why didn't that happen? And will immigration and
border issues sometime, somehow, come up in the discussions on the
sideline, with Mexico?

MR. HADLEY: There's a limited time on these things to do bilaterals, and a
lot of considerations go into who you do a bilateral with and when --
things like when was the last time the President had an opportunity to sit
down with the person; is the President going to have an opportunity in the
future to sit down with the person. You sort of take all of that. Are there
issues that need to be worked on a more urgent basis. You sort of put all
of that in the mix, coming up with a decision about who you have a
bilateral with, or not. I wouldn't put much stock in it, since it does
reflect the kind of considerations I described.

The issue of immigration, obviously, is an issue that's on the minds of the
President. As you know, he's been talking about some proposals he has in
mind to try and strengthen the border to the south, but also to pursue some
kind of temporary worker program. There's been discussions about that. But
I think the focus of the summit, which is really going to drive the agenda,
is this issue of jobs -- jobs, and the issue of that is the way it can
alleviate poverty and advance economic well-being. And I think that's going
to be the issues that are going to dominate the summit.

Argentina is the host; Argentina has taken a strong hand in forming the
agenda, and we will, obviously, want to support that. And the President
will make a contribution on those topics.

Q The President is going to meet with President Kirchner. Would you tell us
which are the issues the President would like to discuss with him?

MR. HADLEY: Well, we'll see when the two men get together. There's a lot of
staff memos saying, Mr. President, you should raise this, that, and the
other, but in the end of day, these are two strong leaders and they will
talk about what they want to talk about. There's a lot of talk about -- in
terms of Argentina. People forget Argentina is the one non-NATO ally in the
hemisphere. We do very good work with Argentina in terms of
counterterrorism, counternarcotics. They are with us in the war on terror.
There are a lot of issues that can be addressed. And the other course is
the main focus of the summit, which will be talking about how we can work
together, Argentina and the United States, to advance a common agenda of
democracy, free markets, and alleviating poverty. And I think that will
probably be the focus of their discussions.

Q -- free trade?

MR. HADLEY: I'm sure that will be -- the issue of trade, obviously, as I
mentioned before is going to be a subject, I think, at all the stops.

Q Have you or any member of your staff met with Italian intelligence
officials elsewhere, outside the White House, or at any other time, when
the question of Niger and uranium was discussed? And if not, can you tell
us how the fake documents came into the possession of the U.S.?

MR. HADLEY: I would, obviously, in answering a question like that, want to
check records and all the rest. I can tell you my recollection. My
recollection is, no, not here, not anyplace else. I asked that question on
the documents to refresh my own recollection. My understanding is that they
came to the State Department after the NIE of October 2002. But again, I
don't want to mislead you; that's the answer I got from a staff person a
few minutes ago to refresh my memory.

There is -- suffice to say they didn't come to me -- they didn't come to
the NSC. And we can try and get a more precise answer. But my understanding
is that they came to the State Department. They were then shared with the
CIA, and I think it's pretty much in the public record as to what happened
with respect to those documents.

Q Came via -- how did they come to the State Department?

MR. HADLEY: We can try and get you an answer on that. I mean, I think this
is actually quite out in the public record, but let me see if we can get an
answer for you on that.

Q Do you have a readout on the President's conversation with Prince Charles
and whether the subject of Islam came up?

MR. HADLEY: I have not talked to the President since he had lunch with His
Royal Highness, so I don't know the answer.

Q Is the President going to be carrying with him any financial packages
that he might be offering to the -- at the summit that would help the
economies of the countries involved?

MR. HADLEY: Well, obviously, there's ongoing assistance that we provide. I
think the big focus of this, and the big opportunity to enhance prosperity
in the region, of course, is the trade agenda, because, as you know,
through free trade and private investments, the leverage you get in terms
of economic growth and enhancing prosperity really dwarfs the impact of
specific aid programs. So I think the President will focus on the big
opportunity which we have to contribute to prosperity, which is advancing
the trade agenda, bilaterally, regionally, and also with respect to the
Doha Round, which is, as you've heard the President on this, he believes is
an enormous opportunity to try and advance the well-being of the hemisphere
and the globe as a whole.

Q Do you know -- President's speech on democracy -- as you know, a lot of
the democracies in South America have -- they have not delivered the
economic prosperity that people had hoped a decade or so ago. Is he going
to address that in his speech? Is he going to acknowledge that there's been
some failures here?

MR. HADLEY: I think what you'll hear him say is what the facts show, that
there has been -- the commitment to these principles has resulted in fairly
sustained economic growth. That's the good news, expansion of GDP and the
like. But it is also the case that poverty levels in many of these
countries are unacceptably high. And one of the things he will be talking
about is what are the combination of policies that can ensure that these
principles get translated into better -- more prosperity and welfare for
the people.

And I think one of the things he will bring with him is the formula that he
has developed that is reflected in the Millennium Challenge Account, that
concept. That is, we kind of know what the formula is that works. It is
good government, non-corrupt government, investing in people in terms of
health care and education, and then being open to the power of free trade,
free markets, and private investment. That's the formula that works. And
one of the things he will do is to talk with his counterparts in the
hemisphere about how we can take these principles and turn them into
practical measures that will, in fact, not only enhance growth, but also
will reduce poverty and result in a better life for the people in the
hemisphere, because that's -- these are the right principles, but they need
to be turned into action. And the vehicle of that are the kinds of
principles and programs I mentioned.

Q Can I follow up on a leak investigation question? You worked very closely
with Scooter Libby for almost five years. He vanished on Friday -- he was
gone. How has that affected your job and changed what you do? I mean, you
obviously worked very closely with him on foreign policy, hand-in-hand.

MR. HADLEY: He -- as I said, he's a --

Q I mean, you, specifically, the substance of what you do every day.

MR. HADLEY: I worked with Scooter very closely. He served the President
well, he served the Vice President well, and I will miss him as a colleague
and as a friend. He -- the Vice President has appointed David Addington to
be his Chief of Staff and John Hannah to be his National Security Advisor.
These are people that I have had the privilege of working with over the
last four or five years -- David Addington in a prior incarnation. These
are people who I know well, who are very capable at their jobs, and who
will step forward and serve the Vice President in the way he needs to be
served. And I look forward to working with them as colleagues.

Q I'm from Russia, so obviously I'm interested in your recent -- to Russia
and the development in the cooperation with Russia. Basically to focus on
the subject of this briefing, though, I may ask you whether you cooperate
with the Russians in dealing with some of the -- in the Latin America? The
Cubans, for instance, or maybe the Venezuelans that we've just heard
references to. And also, if you could say anything about today's meeting
between the Vice President and the visiting Ukranian Prime Minister, since
you work so closely with the Vice President's office?

MR. HADLEY: I did not sit in on the meeting with the Vice President. I
generally don't sit in on his meetings. And I have not -- members of our
staff usually do -- and I have not received a report from them about how
the meeting went.

We have a lot of issues with respect to Russia, issues with respect to the
war on terror, and proliferation and all the rest. We have had occasion to
talk about other issues with respect to the hemisphere, but those issues
were not the subject of my recent trip.

Q The U.S. agenda seems to be quite different from the Latin American
agenda. -- to improve relations with Latin America in the Summit of the
Americas, any unofficial initiatives to improve relations with Venezuela?

MR. HADLEY: Well, I think the agenda actually is pretty well shared, in
terms of the objectives -- democracy, freedom, economic prosperity, and
alleviating poverty and advancing the welfare of the people of Latin
America. That's a terrific agenda. And it is going to be the subject of the
conversations the President has. And the President believes there's some
opportunities to move that agenda forward in the way that I've described.
And that's what he'll be talking to the leaders of the country about.

Q I'm sorry to bring up the unpleasant fact that the last President who
went to Panama was in 1992, the first President Bush, and the meeting ended
badly when there were street demonstrations. Now street demonstrations have
been announced again in Panama, and in Brazil, and in Argentina. And I
wonder if concern about that has been part of your planning for this trip?

MR. HADLEY: Not concern -- particularly with respect to big meetings like
the Summit of the Americas, we have learned to expect that big meetings
tend sometimes to attract big crowds of demonstrators. The issues vary.
Sometimes it's issues about globalization, issues about large international
financial institutions, and sometimes bilateral issues such as activities
in Iraq. This has become a feature of the landscape. So I think it's not a
surprise. And I don't think it's going to get in the way of the
conversations among the leaders and the addressing of the agenda that I
just described. I think the President is enthusiastic about going and about
sitting down with the leaders of these countries, and working what he
believes is a very bold agenda to work together to advance the cause of
prosperity in the hemisphere.

MR. JONES: We have time for one last question.

MR. HADLEY: Yes, ma'am, last question.

Q Actually, I have a question about the next visit to Asia, and especially
China. You know the Hong Kong Chief Executive visited the White House last
week, and right now -- inaudible -- What is your comment on the political
reform in Hong Kong, both in Hong Kong and mainland China?

MR. HADLEY: Well, we will have an opportunity to talk about this more going
to the trip to Asia. The President, obviously, as you know, has a broad
commitment to the advance of freedom and democracy, for all the reasons
you've heard him say; that it is over the long-term what human beings
deserve and expect, and it is the route in the end to stability and
prosperity and the success of a society. Those are the principles that he's
articulated. And that's a message that he's -- he takes everywhere he goes.

Thank you very much.

END 3:28 P.M. EST
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