Posted on 06/16/2008 6:33:24 PM PDT by snugs
The President and First Lady continued their visit to United Kingdom today spending part of the day in London and then travelling to Northern Ireland before departing for Washington.
There were some serious meetings where the Presdent was assure that Britain would continue their support and in fact would increase troops in Afganistan.
The relationship between Gordon Brown and the President seemed more relaxed than at any of their previous meeting.
On a lighter level the President and First Lady visited an integrated primary school in Belfast and the First Lady also visited the British Museum earlier in the day with Sarah Brown (I will post photos of these tomorrow when I get home).
Pray for President Bush -- Day 2833
QUOTE OF THE DAY
President Bush Participates in Joint Press Availability with United Kingdom Prime Minister Brown
Foreign & Commonwealth Office Building -- Lacarno Treaty Room
London, England
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. And I thank you very much for your friendship, thank you for your hospitality. This is -- this has been a good trip. By the way, some are speculating this is my last trip. Let them speculate. Who knows? (Laughter.) But it's been a -- we had a great dinner last night. I want to thank you and Sarah. And thanks for calling together the historians. It's a -- you know, Great Britain has produced great historians. And I am -- I love reading a lot of their works, and it was so kind of you to have them over. And the food was good, too. (Laughter.)
And also we had a great visit yesterday. Laura and I went to see Her Majesty, the Queen. I thank her for her hospitality. And then yesterday at the embassy, thanks to our Ambassador, I had the opportunity to speak to some of your soldiers. And I was -- listened to their stories of courage and bravery and sacrifice, and it was so -- really touching. And I really appreciate the British people supporting the people who wear the uniform. And I am looking forward to going to Northern Ireland this evening. You've taken the lead. We're just pleased to help. And hopefully this visit will help keep the process moving.
First thing about Gordon Brown, he's tough on terror, and I appreciate it -- and so should the people of Great Britain and the world. He fully understands that while some want to say that the terrorist threat is gone or there's nothing to worry about, it is something to worry about. And he was -- you were tested early in your Prime Ministership. You dealt with the challenge. And I appreciate your continued focus and your understanding that we've got to work together to protect our people, and your understanding that freedom is transformative, and the ultimate way to succeed against these extremists who use murder as a way to achieve their political objectives is to marginalize them through the advance of liberty.
And that's what we're doing in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. And it is tough work. It's hard to take a society that had been ravished [sic] by brutality and convince people to take the risk necessary to work for civil society and freedom for women and to educate their children. But I believe it's necessary work, for the sake of peace and for our security. And I believe it's in the moral interests of comfortable nations to help others realize the blessings of liberty. Oh, for some that sounds like hopeless idealism; for those of us involved with making public policy necessary to protect our people, it is the only realistic way to guarantee the peace for our people.
And so you've been strong on Afghanistan and Iraq, and I appreciate it. But more importantly, the people of Afghanistan and Iraq appreciate it. The march to democracy is never smooth. We've had our own history. America is viewed as a great democracy; just remember, many of our citizens were enslaved for a long period of time before we finally got it right.
But it's in our interests to help these folks. It's in our interests little girls go to school in Afghanistan. It's in our interests that there be free elections in Iraq. And it's in our interests that we help these governments survive. And it's taken sacrifice from our people, I understand that. The fundamental question of history is going to look back on it, is did we understand the duty that we've been called to do, to protect ourselves and hope others? And this Prime Minister has understood the duty.
No, I know there's a lot of discussion here in the British press about, well, you know, is there going to be enough troops, or not enough troops, and all that business; is he trying to distance this, that and the other -- it's just typical. But I just want to remind you that he has left more troops in Iraq than initially anticipated. And like me, we'll be making our decisions based upon the conditions on the ground, the recommendation of our commanders, without an artificial timetable set by politics.
I thank you for your troop announcement today in Afghanistan, as well. Then you issued a strong statement on Iran. It was a clear statement, and it was a strong statement, and it was a necessary statement, because the free world has an obligation to work together in concert to prevent the Iranians from having the know-how to develop a nuclear weapon. And now is the time to work together to get it done, and I appreciate your statement. Hopefully the Iranian leadership will take a different position then the one they've taken in the past, which is basically, who cares what the free world says, we're going to -- we'll go our own way. And now has faced -- they face serious isolation, and the people who are suffering are the Iranian people. We have no qualms with the Iranian people. As a matter of fact, we want the Iranian people to thrive. It's in our interests that there be a hopeful society. It's their government who has denied them their rightful place in the world.
And so I want to thank you very much for working hard to, you know, to help keep this coalition together to provide pressure necessary so we can solve the problem diplomatically. That's my first choice. Iranians must understand all options are on the table, however.
Thank you for your strong words on Zimbabwe. And I -- you know, you obviously are emotional on the subject and I don't blame you, because the people of Zimbabwe have suffered under Mugabe leadership, and we will work with you to ensure these good folks have free and fair elections to the extent -- best extent possible, which obviously Mr. Mugabe does not want to have.
We talked about Darfur. We talked about Burma. I strongly support your health care worker initiative. I'm looking forward to going to the G8 to articulate that. And we expect the people of the G8 -- the leaders of the G8 countries to fulfill their obligations, because last year we met and we had a -- we discussed a lot of issues, including HIV/AIDS and malaria on the continent of Africa, and they all came forth and said, we'll match the United States -- except most nations haven't matched the United States to date except for Great Britain, and they haven't done their part in matching the United States.
And so my message at the G8 is: Looking forward to working with you; thanks for coming to the meeting -- just remember, there are people needlessly dying on the continent of Africa today, and we expect you to be more than pledge-makers. We expect you to be check-writers for humanitarian reasons.
We did talk about energy and Doha. I'm concerned about Doha. I'm concerned that while we're making some progress on the agricultural side, that nations such as Brazil and India and China are not making corresponding openings on manufacturing and service -- and the service sector on their part. And in order to have a successful round, which I believe is essential -- and so does Gordon -- to fight off protectionism and help poor nations develop, that now is the time to get a Doha Round completed. And in order to do so, there has to be more movement on the manufacturing and service sector so there can be a fair and equitable deal.
Finally, we talked about global climate change and briefed Gordon on our strategy for the major economies meeting to hopefully reach an international goal for 2050 that will have intermediate strategies that are binding on each nation within the U.N. framework. And the reason why I believe this is the right approach to take, that unless China and India are a part of a binding international agreement -- and the United States -- then we will not have effective policy in dealing with climate change. It might make us all feel good, but the results won't be satisfactory. And so hopefully in Seoul, South Korea coming up there will be a major economy meeting agreement on a long-term goal with binding commitments.
Mr. Prime Minister, all in all, it's been a great meeting. Thank you for the conversation and thank you for your friendship.
PRIME MINISTER BROWN: Thank you.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY 
President Bush and first lady Laura Bush walk together after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 16, 2008, in Washington
President Bush waves after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 16, 2008, in Washington
Northern Ireland photos
Hi,
President George W. Bush, right, is greeted by Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, as he arrives at 10 Downing Street in London Monday, June 16, 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, poses with US President George W. Bush, on the doorstep of his official residence at !0 Downing Street in central London, prior to their meeting, Monday June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush waves to members of the media on the doorstep of Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official residence at !0 Downing Street in central London, prior to their meeting, Monday June 16, 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, walks up the stairs with US President George W. Bush, right, inside the residence at 10 Downing Street in central London, Monday, June 16, 2008
That last one is a keeper.
President George W. Bush (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown shake hands inside 10 Downing Street in London June 16, 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, sits down with US President George W. Bush, left, inside the residence at 10 Downing Street in central London, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, right, is seen in the shadow behind, with Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, as the leaders leave 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush, and Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, look down as they leave 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, emerge into the sunlight as the leaders leave 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 16, 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) and U.S. President George W. Bush leave 10 Downing Street in central London June 16, 2008.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, and US President George W. Bush, front right, walk out of !0 Downing Street in central London, following their meeting and before Bush's departure, Monday June 16, 2008.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, and US President George W. Bush, walk out of 10 Downing Street in central London, following their meeting and before Bush's departure, Monday June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, centre right, walks across Downing Street in London with Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, left, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, walk to their podiums for the start of their joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush gestures during his joint news conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building, in London Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, left, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, during their joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building in London, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, left, puts his hand on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's arm during their joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon shake hands following their joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building Monday June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush, left, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, walk out together following their joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building, Monday June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush walk from Marine One to Air Force One at London's Heathrow Airport, June 16, 2008, on their way to Northern Ireland
President George W. Bush boards Air Force One departing London for Belfast, Monday, June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush wave from the steps of Air Force One as they depart from London's Heathrow Airport for Northern Ireland June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush (L) and first lady Laura Bush arrive at RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland June 16, 2008.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown (R) and his wife Sarah (C) prepare to greet U.S. President George W. Bush upon his arrival at RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush, right, is greeted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, center, and his wife Sarah Brown on Monday, June 16, 2008, at RAF Aldergrove as he arrives in Northern Ireland for a visit to nearby Belfast.
President George W. Bush (C) sits with Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson (R) and Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness before their meeting at Stormont Castle in Belfast, June 16, 2008
From left, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness, U.S. President George W. Bush, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pose for a photograph at Stormont Castle in Belfast, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, 2nd right, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowan, left, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson, 2nd left, and Martin McGuinness Deputy First Minister, centre, at Stormont Castle, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday, June 16, 2008. U.S. President George W. Bush has greeted the Protestant and Catholic leaders of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government during a trip to salute a major peacemaking success.
President George W. Bush, center, walks with First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson, left, and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness, at Stormont Castle on Mondin Belfast, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, center, speaks to reporters as he is joined by First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson, left, and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness at Stormont Castle in Belfast, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush, center, First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson, left, and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness, right, speak to reporters at Stormont Castle in Belfast, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush with his wife Laura visit Loughview integrated primary school, as he ends his visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush speaks with children taking part in a plant growing project named "The Mighty Bush" during his visit to the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush shows off a plant named "The Mighty Bush" which he had bought with two pounds ($4) from students taking part in a botanical project at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush shows off a plant named "The Mighty Bush" which he had bought with two pounds ($4) from students taking part in a botanical project at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush are pictured with children taking part in a botanical project during his visit to the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush (2nd R) and First Lady Laura Bush (2nd L) pose with school children at Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Bush headed home on a high note Monday after a week-long farewell tour of Europe, concluding with a trip to Britain where he welcomed renewed support on Afghanistan and Iran
President George W. Bush meets members of the PeacePlayers international Basketball Group at Loughview integrated primary school, as he ends his visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday June 16, 2008
President Bush attempts to spin a ball on one finger as he plays basketball with students at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008. The school has integrated Catholic and Protestant children into one learning environment.
President George W. Bush spins the ball around his waist during a game of basketball with students at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush attempts a shot during a game of basketball with students at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008.
President George W. Bush reacts after missing a basket during a visit to Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Monday, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush reacts as another attempt at sinking a basket fails during a game of basketball with students at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008
President George W. Bush shoots a basketball during his visit to Lough View Integrated Primary School on Monday, June 16, 2008 in Belfast
President George W. Bush watches as a girl makes a shot attempt during a game of basketball with students at the Lough View Integrated Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 16, 2008
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