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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/07/20080704-1.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 4, 2008

“Roundtable Interview of the President by Foreign Print Media”
Roosevelt Room

White House News
G8 Summit 2008

July 2, 2008
12:46 P.M. EDT

SNIPPET - QUOTE:

Q Last question on Iraq. What is your evaluation about where Iraq is now? Do you think now if the U.S. can afford to withdraw more troops from Iraq, or will you leave that decision to the next administration? What is your assessment on war on terror in general, during your two terms?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. Let me make sure I get — this is the old three-part question and I’m about to be 62 years old, so — (laughter.) By the way, I will be celebrating my birthday on Japanese soil; that’s interesting.

Q Congratulations.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, come to the party. It’s not going to be much of a party; it’s only 62.

Let’s see, Iraq and troops. Okay. First of all, there was — the people have — okay, you got to have benchmarks. I think there was 15 benchmarks — 18 benchmarks. And one way to evaluate progress is to measure what’s actually happened to what was expected, and the progress is undeniable. What happened was security was such that the politics and the economics could move forward. And for a period of time, that was not the case. That’s why we sent more troops in. The combat brigades of the surge will finally come home. The last one will be home in July. So we are in a policy of return on success.

I will listen to General Petraeus when he returns in September as to whether or not we can achieve our objective with fewer troops. That’s up to our commanders. In other words, I’m not going to run a poll during the political season, or any time, to determine what’s the best policy. The policy is determined by the considered judgment of our commanders. And my hope is the next President will have that same standard. That’s going to be up to that person to make the right judgments.

In terms of the war on terror, step one is to recognize we’re at war. Some in our country don’t believe we’re at war. If you don’t believe we’re at war, that this is a simple law enforcement matter, then what you do is you wait until something happens and then react. You know, law enforcement is there is an action, there’s a crime, and then there — law enforcement acts.

In war, what you do is you prevent the enemy from hitting in the first place. That’s why Iraq and Afghanistan are very important theaters in the war on terror. People — some think these are separate wars. It’s the same war — against ideologues who murder the innocent to achieve their political objectives. These are just different fronts in the same war.

And, you know, I am not surprised that a lethal enemy pushes back through the use of their indiscriminate violence to stop the advance of free societies, because this is an ideological war. When they see freedom on the march, it frightens them and it worries them, to the point where they kill innocent people to try to shake the will of the people in that country, and to shake the will of those trying to help them.

And so, one, we’ve taken on the enemy. And two, we’ve had good success against al Qaeda. The first and second person is still alive, but the number three person in al Qaeda has had a dangerous existence — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, al-Libi, a series of leaders. And we are pressuring them today and we’ll keep pressuring them. And my hope is whoever the next President understands this is a war and that we can’t relax, and that there’s an enemy that wants to do free people harm, and that we have an obligation as free societies to keep the pressure, not only for our own security, but for the security of others.

This is back to this man’s question down here about, why should we care about Afghanistan. The answer is, is because safe haven is a risk. But there’s also another answer. That’s one of the great lessons of our relationship. You know, I marvel at the fact, and I talk about it a lot to the American people of the irony about Prime Minister Koizumi and my relationship. It’s a great testament to our respective countries and the transformative power of liberty that my dad fought the Japanese, and his son sits at the peace table with the Japanese leaders in a spirit of respect and friendship and common values.

Anyway, thank you. Enjoyed it.

Q Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT: Very good questions.

Q Thank you very much, sir.

END 1:40 P.M. EDT