DITTO.
Bush: Iran trying to wait us out. Get us to look the other way. But we're firmly committed to send a common signal to the Iran regime. Important for Iranian people to understand we respect their history and traditions and to worship freely.
?: Iran pres will be in same building in UN as you; you want message to Iranian people. Isn't this an opportunity to show them you respect thier leader and meet face to face with him.
Bush: No. I'm not going to meet with him. I made it clear we'll sit with Iranians when they suspend their enrichment program.
?: You've said during war in Iraq that the relationship between Saddam and Zarkowi and AQ and Senate Intel Report says there was no relationship and CIA knew this and knew it last fall. Why did you say it and why do you still say it.
Bush: Saddam was a state sponsor of terror and that Zarkowi was in Iraq. He had been wounded in Afghanistan and had gone to Iraq for treatment and ordered the killing of a US citizen in Jordan. I never said tehre was an operational relationship. The broader point was why we removed Saddam from power. He was dangerous. I hope people aren't trying to re-write history. He paid suicide bomber families.
Never have I said Saddam gave orders with regard to 9/11. I saw a threat with Saddam as did the UN and Congress.
Dave Gregory?: (President says he looks beautiful today)
Critics say if a CIA officer or soldier were captured in Iraq or NK and roughed up and their government said they were interrogated in accordance with our reading of the GC and then put on trial and convicted of secret evidence we couldn't see, what would you think?
Bush: If the nations adopted the standards within the Detainne Detention Act, the world would be a better place . We're setting high standards, not ambiguous standards.
If our professionals don't have clear guidelines within the law, the program isn't going forward. Young interrogators won't violate the law. American people have to understand this program won't go forward if there are vague standards like Common Article 3 from the GC. You can't ask young professional on the front line to violate law.
We can bring up example after example, but that's the bottom line. Maybe some in Congress don't think the program is important. I think it's vital and need to make sure our professionals who conduct interrogations to find out who is coming to this country and I have to give them clear law. That's the most important law.
The program isn't going forward....you can give a hypothetical about NK or anyone but the program isn't going forward without clarity in the law.
OMG he is on point .... This is the CINC.... tauting DEMS to call for a stop to the program.
DUH other countries do torture... what are they talking about... like everyone else applies some standard???