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Skriven 2007-08-15 23:31:58 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0708151) for Wed, 2007 Aug 15
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Press Gaggle by Dana Perino
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 15, 2007

Press Gaggle by Dana Perino Crawford Middle School Crawford, Texas

˙˙Press Briefings


11:06 A.M. CDT

MS. PERINO: Good morning. The President today had his normal briefings. He
also did some tree cutting this morning, and then either -- I think is
right now on a bike ride. Today I want to start off by saying that we join
with the Iraqis who are grieving after yesterday's suicide bombings. We
condemn the barbaric attacks on the innocent Iraqi citizens who lost their
lives, and for the hundreds who were wounded. It's difficult for those of
us who live in peace and freedom to understand what possesses people to
take a suicide truck bomb and blow it up in the middle of a highly
populated area. This is an enemy that has no heart, they have no
conscience, and what they are trying to do is break our will and the will
of the Iraqi people.

But it has the opposite effect. And we are determined, more than ever, to
stand with the Iraqis and support them as they work to protect their young
democracy from being attacked by a determined enemy. I would remind you
that the President said back in January that even if the surge was
successful in pushing back al Qaeda, and providing security in the capital
so that the political process could move forward, that suicide bombings
wouldn't necessarily go away. This is a tactic where they use $100 bombs to
blow up very expensive equipment, or as we saw yesterday, take 200 lives
and wound 300 people.

What I would like to do is make sure that you take a look at Brigadier
General Kevin Bergner's briefing from Baghdad today. It's available online.
He provides an update on the surge, and he has updates on the three fronts
-- political, military and economic. One that I would point you to is on
the security side, is one example where the Iraqi security forces being in
the lead were able to show some progress over previous years.

On the pilgrimage last week, that is the same pilgrimage where two years
ago there was a rumor of a suicide bomber, and it caused a stampede, in
which thousands of people ran to a bridge and the bridge collapsed, and
over 1,000 people died. Last year snipers attacked pilgrims there, and
about 30 people died. This year there was not one incidence of violence,
and the Iraqi security forces were in the lead. He also has other examples
on the political and military fronts, and economic fronts, as well, in
terms of money getting to the provinces, so that they can pay for the
services that they need. So I would point you to that online.

I'd be happy to take other questions.

Q Dana, is the administration going to name Iran's military, or elements of
it, a terrorist organization?

MS. PERINO: I know that there's a lot of interest in that subject, given
this morning's stories in The Washington Post and The New York Times. It
would be inappropriate for me to comment on any possible actions that may
or may not be taken. I would point you to the State and Treasury
Departments for anything further. If any actions were going to be taken, it
would be done out of those agencies.

Q Would it not be a presidential decision?

MS. PERINO: On those designations, as you might have known from the past,
those come from Treasury and the State Department. While the President --
hypothetically, if there were to be anything to happen, he doesn't have to
actually take any action. Of course he's informed of any such discussions
whenever such designations would be made, but I have nothing concrete for
you now, and I would point you to Sean McCormack, he's briefing in about 20
minutes out of D.C.

Q Can you say if it's under consideration?

MS. PERINO: I cannot.

Q Does the U.S. believe the United Nations Security Council is dragging its
feet on further sanctions against Iran?

MS. PERINO: I'll let the State Department characterize that. I think that
we all have known that this is gradual work, slow work, and we have been
working with the P5 plus one to make sure that Iran is held to account. And
they have an opportunity to come forward. And we would like Iran to behave
in a way that the rest of the world could embrace them. Unfortunately for
the people of Iran, they continue to defy the international community.

Q Is there a sense in the administration, Dana, that sanctions already in
place and other financial restrictions are having an impact on the regime
in Iran?

MS. PERINO: I believe so. I'm not an expert in that. I think that the
Treasury Department has made comments on that in the past. Stuart Levey
might be somebody that you all should try to talk to; Molly Millerwise is
his press aide.

Olivier.

Q Dana, there's a report out today that the September Iraq report will be
written by the White House, and not by Ambassador Crocker and General
Petraeus. Is that accurate?

MS. PERINO: Well, let me remind you of a couple of things. The Congress
asked for these reports from the President; they asked for the President to
report to the Congress. And so the July 15th report will be no different to
the September 15th report, in terms of how that works. And the President
has said that he's going to take the recommendations from General Petraeus
and Ambassador Crocker, and then he will consult further before deciding on
any possible next course of action.

Q Dana, there's a report of a U.S. military offensive underway in the Tora
Bora region of Afghanistan. Do you have anything on that?

MS. PERINO: That is the first I've heard of that. I wouldn't be surprised,
since we are taking the fight to the enemy, but I'd have to refer you to
the NATO forces there about that.

Q So the President hasn't been briefed on this?

MS. PERINO: On what?

Q On the operations in the Tora Bora region.

MS. PERINO: It is the first I have heard of it. Whether or not the
President -- if there is an operation ongoing, I can assure you that the
President is advised about those things. And he got his normal briefings
yesterday and today, and he keeps in close contact with DOD.

Q Dana, the promotions -- or the appointments that were announced this
morning, three of those are domestic policy. Are those in any way an
attempt to spread around the responsibilities from Karl Rove? Are these --

MS. PERINO: No, no, they're separate, they're separate. One of the things
that happened last week before Congress left was Tevi Troy, who was the
Domestic Policy Council Deputy, he was named -- finally confirmed as the
Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, which meant we needed to
fill his position and then -- with Jess Sharp, who is now going to take
that position, and then people fill in under that, as well. But it's not a
part of Karl Rove's operation.

Mike.

Q Why would the President decide not to announce Secretary Rumsfeld's
resignation until two days after he received the letter of resignation from
the Defense Secretary?

MS. PERINO: I actually have never seen that letter myself. I would need to
go back and look at that. I know that one of the things that the President
wanted to avoid was the appearance of trying to make this a political
decision. And that was very important to him, and I think that the American
people can appreciate not playing politics with such an important decision.

Q Not commenting on the substance of the reports about the Revolutionary
Guard being possibly declared a terrorist organization, can you talk with
us about what the White House accused the Revolutionary Guard of doing in
the realms of terrorist --

MS. PERINO: Look, I think it's no secret that Iran is a state sponsor of
terror. They have been designated as a state sponsor of terror for a long
time. And I would refer you to reports from Department of Defense and the
multinational forces in Iraq talking about weapons that are coming into
Iraq that are used to kill our men and women in uniform, as well as
innocent Iraqis.

Rutenberg.

Q Dana, just to clarify on Iran and kind of the last couple days of
reports, the administration still -- this is still a fully diplomatic
effort? You're going to get a lot of questions about military action. Where
is the focus -- the focus is now completely still diplomatically? What do
you say to those --

MS. PERINO: I'm sorry, I can barely hear you.

Q What do you say to those who might see this as a preparation for some
sort of military anything with Iran?

MS. PERINO: Yes, all of our efforts are focused on the diplomatic actions
that we are working through, in terms of the United Nations Security
Council. Military action is not being contemplated. As the President has
said, no President should ever take that option off the table. But
diplomacy is what we are aiming towards, and what we are working on in
terms of the Security Council. And regarding these stories this morning, as
I said, I'm not commenting on them, but there's nothing in those stories
that would lead -- I don't see how anyone could be led to believe that that
is a military action. That's diplomacy, as well.

Q And to follow, so when the President said there will be a price to pay,
or there will be consequences, is that kind of a diplomatic reference? Or
what kind of price is to pay or consequences is he referring to?

MS. PERINO: I'm sorry, when did the President say that?

Q He said this in the last press conference, on Thursday.

MS. PERINO: At the press conference? Yes, he's talking about diplomacy. And
I think one of the things that he said is that it's really unfortunate for
the Iranian people, who have a very proud culture, a proud history. They
want to be a part of the international community. They want to be able to
trade with other countries. And unfortunately, their government is just
stamping all of that out. And I think what the President says, that the
consequence is further isolation.

All right, thanks.

END 11:15 A.M. CDT
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