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Press Conference by the President 10/17/07 (Iran and Russia)
— Wednesday, October 17, 2007 —
 Q Good morning, Mr. President, thank you. I don't know if you saw the picture on the front page of one of the papers this morning of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Vladimir Putin. THE PRESIDENT: I did. Q It looked like they were getting along pretty well. And they are among -- THE PRESIDENT: Surprised they weren't kind of fighting each other on the front page of the paper? No, man, come on. Q It looked like they were enjoying each other's company. And I'm wondering, since they were leaders of five Caspian Sea region nations that have now declared each country will not be used as a base to attack the other, A, what do you make of their growing relationship? B, does it complicate what the United States can do in the region? And C, would you characterize that arrangement as some sort of Caspian Sea Truman Doctrine or something like that? THE PRESIDENT: You know, I -- I think it's hard to judge how their conversations went from a picture. Generally leaders don't like to be photographed scowling at each other or making bad gestures at each other. So I'm not surprised that there was a nice picture of them walking along. I try to make sure that when I'm with foreign leaders, there's a pretty picture of the two of us walking down the colonnades, or something like that, to send a good message. Q Are you saying it's not so warm? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don't know yet. What I'm about to tell you is, is that I'm looking forward to getting President Putin's readout from the meeting. I think one of the -- the thing I'm interested in is whether or not he continues to harbor the same concerns that I do. And I say "continues" because when we were in Australia, he reconfirmed to me that it is -- he recognized it's not in the world's interest for Iran to have the capacity to make a nuclear weapon. And they have been very supportive in the United Nations. And we're working with them on a potential third resolution. So that's where my concerns -- I don't worry about the pictures. I understand why they meet. I am -- will continue to work with Russia, as well as other nations, to keep a focused effort on sending Iran a message that you will remain isolated if you continue your nuclear weapons ambitions. Q But this declaration doesn't speak to that, Mr. President. This declaration doesn't suggest isolation for Iran. Just the opposite, that Russia and Iran are going to do business. THE PRESIDENT: Well, we'll find out, see. You're trying to get me to interpret the meeting based upon a news story or a picture. I'd rather spend some time with Vladimir Putin finding out exactly what went on. Thank you. Q Let's stay with the nuclear -- here. When North Korea tested a nuclear device, you said that any proliferation would be a grave threat to the U.S., and North Korea would be responsible for the consequences. Are you denying that North Korea has any role in the suspected nuclear -- THE PRESIDENT: See, you're trying to pull a Gregory. Q Yes, I am. Ahmadinejad | Iran | North Korea | Nuclear Arms | President Bush Labels: Ahmadinejad, Iran, North Korea, Nuclear Arms, President Bush, Presidential Press Conference, Putin, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 5:10 PM  White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 10/9/07 (Nuclear Arms in the Middle East) — Tuesday, October 09, 2007 — MS. PERINO: Helen. Q -- White House has a driving interest in keeping nuclear arms out of Iran. I'd like to ask you, does any country in the Middle East have nuclear arms? MS. PERINO: Oh, I would leave it to those countries to announce whether they do or not. I think that there's public information about that, Helen. Q No, no, no, I want to know if the White House knows that there -- what do you mean? They're not going to announce it. MS. PERINO: I'm not prepared to say anything beyond what has been publicly stated -- Q You don't know whether any other country in the Middle East has nuclear arms? MS. PERINO: Helen, I will let those countries speak for themselves. Q Or do you refuse to say? MS. PERINO: I'll just refuse to say it. Dana Perino | Helen | Iran | Middle East | Nuclear Arms | Press Briefing | White House Press Corps Labels: Dana Perino, Helen, Iran, Middle East, Nuclear Arms, Press Briefing, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:46 PM Press Gaggle by National Security Advisor Steve Hadley 9/24/07 (President's Speech to the UN) — Monday, September 24, 2007 — Q Will the President talk about Iran in his speech? MR. HADLEY: A little bit, but it won't be a major focus. But I'd like to not get into more what will be in or not in the speech. We've given you a sense of sort of the framework and the thematic, and I'd like to save the rest of it for the President tomorrow. Q Do you have any reaction to the theme of what Ahmadinejad has been saying today; essentially that, why should we go to war, there is no war in the offing, we're not walking towards war with the United States? Are those comments in any way helpful? MR. HADLEY: Look, what would be helpful is for Iranian officials to give some direction so that they would stop the movement of equipment into Iraq, and training people in Iraq who are killing innocent Iraqis, Iraqi security forces and our kids. What would be helpful is if Iran would get out of the business of supporting terror, and agree to what's been offered to them: to suspend their enrichments capability so we can sit down and negotiate a resolution to the nuclear issue, that would give the Iranian people an opportunity for a truly peaceful civil nuclear program, and reassure the international community they're not trying to find a nuclear weapon. And it would be nice for this regime to give their people more of an opportunity to participate in government. I mean, look -- it would be nice for this regime to take some concrete steps to address the agenda, that not only the United States has, but really the whole international community has with the government of Iran. Thanks a lot. Labels: Ahmadinejad, Iran, President Bush, Press Gaggle, Sanctions, Stephen Hadley, United Nations, White House Press Corps
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:13 PM
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