访谈录 2008-01-22&01-24, 被禁播的布什访谈 -3

Mr. President, I know your time is tight. Can I move you onto, em, to Europe? Are you satisfied that you are getting enough help in Iraq from European countries? You have come together, you are more friendly now. But they are not really stepping up to the plate with help, are they?

Well I think, first of all, most of Europe supported the decision in Iraq. If, really, what you were talking about is France, isn't it? And ,and they didn’t agree with my decision; they did vote for the UN Security Council resolution that said disclose disarm 1 or face serious consequences. We just had a difference of opinion about when you say something do you mean it? And, but, nevertheless, no doubt in my mind. President Chirac would like to see a free and democratic and whole Iraq emerge. And it’s the same in Afghanistan. They’ve been very helpful in Afghanistan. They are willing to forgive death in Iraq. But most European countries are very supportive, even very, you know, participating in the reconstruction 2 of Iraq.

And how do you see the handover going? The next few weeks are going to be crucial. Can democracy really flourish with the violence that’s going on? A hundred Iraqis dead today Mr. President.

Yeah. I don’t like death either. I mean, you keep emphasizing the death and I don’t blame you. But all that goes to show as the nature of the enemy. These people are willing to kill innocent people. They are willing to slaughter 3 innocent people to stop the advance of freedom and so the free world has to make a choice. Do we cower 4 in the face of terror? Or do we lead in the face of terror? And I’m gonna lead in the face of terror. We will not let these terrorists dash the hopes and ambitions of the people of Iraq. There is some kind of attitude that says ‘oh gosh, the terrorists attack. Let’s let the Iraqis suffer more.’ We are not gonna let them suffer more. We are gonna work with them. And I’m most proud of this fellow, prime minister Alavi, he’s strong and he’s tough. He says to me, ‘Mr. President. Don’t leave our country. Help us secure our country so we can be free.’

Indeed, Mr. President, just to get back to that. Can I just turn to the Middle East (Sure.) and you will, be discussing at the EU summit and the idea of bringing democracy to the broader Middle East. (Right.) Is that something that really should start though with the solving of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis?

Well I think, first of all, you’ve got a democracy in Turkey. You’ve got a democracy emerging in Afghanistan. You’ve got a democracy in Pakistan. I ..

But shouldn’t that be on the top of the list? ..

Please, please, please remember, ok, it will be better if you let me finish my answers, and then, and then you can follow up if you don’t mind. And what I’m telling you is that democracy can emerge at the same time. That the democracy can emerge in the Palestinian states. I’m the first American president to have called for the establishment of a Palestinian state. The first one to do so. Because I believe that it’s in the Palestinian people’s interests. I believe it’s in the Israel’s interests. And yes, we are working but we can do more than,you know, one thing at a time. And we are working on the roadmap with the Quartet to advance the process down the road. Like Iraq, the Palestinian and the Israeli issue is gonna require good security measures.

And if it more even handed this from America?

And we are working on security measures, in America, I’m the first president to ever have called for a Palestinian state. That’s, to me, sounds like a reasonable balanced approach, and, but I will not allow terrorists to determine the fate, as best as I can, to determine the fate of people who wanna be free.

Mr. President, thank you very much for talking to us.

You are welcome.