QUOTE OF THE DAY
President Bush Meets with Senior State Department Officials on Iraq
United States Department of State
Washington, D.C.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I just had a briefing with senior policy advisors here at the State Department. I want to thank you for your hospitality, Madam Secretary.
We talked about a lot of things. We talked about what's taking place on the ground in Iraq, particularly from the perspective of the State Department. I must tell you, there are some fantastic, brave souls who are heading PRTs, provincial reconstruction teams. These are our civilian components on the ground there in Iraq. And we got a briefing from Baghdad with one of our PRT leaders here in Washington about the challenges and the tasks to help this Iraqi government get a country that can sustain and govern and defend itself.
No question in my mind, there are some very brave State Department officials who are engaged in this really important endeavor. And I want to thank them and their families. I appreciate the advice I got from those folks in the field. And that advice is an important part, an important component of putting together a new way forward in Iraq. Like most Americans, this administration wants to succeed in Iraq, because we understand success in Iraq would help protect the United States in the long run.
We also talked about the neighborhood, the countries that surround Iraq and the responsibilities that they have to help this young Iraqi democracy survive. We believe that most of the countries understand that a mainstream society, a society that is a functioning democracy, is in their interests. And it's up to us to help focus their attentions and focus their efforts on helping the Iraqis succeed.
I appreciate so very much the Iraqi leadership taking the lead in its neighborhood. After all, one of the things we're trying to do is help this government get on its feet so it can govern and it can conduct its own foreign policy. But the role of America is to help this young democracy survive.
I'm looking forward to continuing my deliberations
PHOTO OF THE DAY
President George W. Bush stands with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Vice President Dick Cheney as he speaks to the media following a meeting Monday, Dec. 11, 2006, with senior U.S. Department of State officials on Iraq at the State Department in Washington, D.C. White House photo by Eric Draper
PHOTO OF YESTERDAY
President Bush and first lady Laura Bush , pose for pictures in front of a Christmas tree with elves, front left to right, Mary Elliott Aderholt, Molly Shapiro, Gillian Aiken and Lindsay Pulliam, before the start of the taping of the twenty-fifth annual Christmas in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006
Dose going up - please wait for all clear before posting or reposting any photos or graphics
Rummy and Sean in Iraq coming up on H&C....FYI
hello everyone!
Thanks, snugs :)
I love it!
Good evening, snugs and everybody!!!
Hi, Snugs!
That pic of the President and First Lady with the little elves is tooooo cute! Saving that one, for sure!
Plese excuse my language, but it breaks my heart to see what the effing liberals have done to this good man!
Hi snugs, thanks for posting the Dose. Love the pictures.
The interview with Rummy was very good. A great man who did a great job. He knows how the game is played and said so. The impromptu "town hall" meeting Sean did with the troops was so good. They, too, know the score, and said so. God bless them all.