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 Strong Letter To Follow - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 5/26/09 — Wednesday, May 27, 2009 —  MR. GIBBS: Jake.Q If I could, just a quick question about North Korea. What is the administration's goal, other than some sort of piece of paper from the United Nations expressing disappointment with the nuclear bomb going off? What does the administration want to have happen concretely in terms of action? MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think that the Security Council is currently meeting. I think they're likely to discuss next steps as far as that goes. Let me, though, address the initial part of your question. I think the uniform and unified international criticism that we've seen since the reports of this testing demonstrate the outrage that countries around the world have for these actions. I think North Korea continues to deepen its isolation from the international community and continues, as we've said all along, to take steps in the wrong direction. Q I'm sorry, but you didn't actually answer my question. MR. GIBBS: Well, I just said that obviously I think the Security Council is involved in some of these discussions -- Q You don't want to tip your hand as to what you -- MR. GIBBS: I don't want to get in -- Q -- guys would like? MR. GIBBS: Yes. North Korea | Nuclear Arms | Obama Administration | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | United Nations | White House Press Corps Labels: North Korea, Nuclear Arms, Obama Administration, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, United Nations, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 3:55:00 PM  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 >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 5:10:00 PM White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino 10/9/07 (Nuclear Arms in the Middle East) — Tuesday, October 09, 2007 — 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 >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 8:46:00 PM
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