Jan. 14, 2007
Transcript: Bush Interview
President Spoke to 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley At Camp David
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Bush, Pelley At Camp David
Only On The Web: More of President Bush's talk with Scott Pelley, walking the grounds of Camp David and discussing Bush's popularity and how he stays in touch with the average American.
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President George W. Bush, speaking to Scott Pelley in the Laurel Cabin at Camp David. (CBS)
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PELLEY: Fair to say there are not enough American troops on the ground to provide security for Iraq?
BUSH: Let’s let the historians work it out. But there's not enough troops on the ground right now to provide security for Iraq, and that's why I made the decision I made.
PELLEY: Do you think you owe the Iraqi people an apology for not doing a better job?
BUSH: That we didn't do a better job or they didn't do a better job?
PELLEY: Well, that the United States did not do a better job in providing security after the invasion.
BUSH: Not at all. I am proud of the efforts we did. We liberated that country from a tyrant. I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude, and I believe most Iraqis express that. I mean, the people understand that we've endured great sacrifice to help them. That's the problem here in America. They wonder whether or not there is a gratitude level that's significant enough in Iraq.
PELLEY: Americans wonder whether . . .
BUSH: Yeah, they wonder whether or not the Iraqis are willing to do hard work necessary to get this democratic experience to survive. That's what they want.
PELLEY: You are gambling a lot, Mr. President, on the [Iraqi] Prime Minister [Nouri] al-Maliki. Why do you think that's a gamble worth making?
BUSH: Scott, I'm actually counting on the unity government of which Maliki is the head. Prime Minister Maliki and others who I talk to in the government understand that our patience is not unlimited.
PELLEY: Let’s be blunt. You're a plain speaker. Let's be blunt. What have you told Maliki he has to do?
BUSH: I told him it's time to get going. He's got to provide the troops he said he would provide inside Baghdad and we'll help him, and that's why I've called for more troops. I said: when our guys get moving along with yours, you can't get on the phone for political reasons and stop the troops from going after killers. What they'd do is, we're going after this killer, and they say, well he's, for political reasons, don't. Killer is a killer. And we expect them to go after both Shia and Sunni murderers in order to provide the security for Baghdad. We expect them to have local elections. And I expect them to do the political work necessary to help reconcile this country. But the problem is, is that the sectarian violence in Baghdad started getting out of control so they fell behind the power curve, and we need to help them get their forces in place, embed with their forces, go alongside their forces and get control of the security situation in Baghdad. And that's why I have problems with these plans to say, well, get out of Baghdad. You know, we've got people in Congress, good people, saying need to withdraw. Now's not the time to withdraw. Now's the time to help them get a hold of the situation.
PELLEY: Is Muqtada al-Sadr an enemy of the United States?
BUSH: Anybody who murders innocent people or frustrating the ambitions of the Iraqi people and the United States.
PELLEY: I was on the battlefield in Najaf when al-Sadr's people killed your United States Marines.
BUSH: Right. And we killed them, as you recall.
PELLEY: Is Muqtada al-Sadr an enemy of the United States?
BUSH: If he is ordering his people to kill Americans, he is.
PELLEY: Without al-Sadr, there's no Maliki government.
BUSH: Well, Mr. Maliki has said publicly that militia, including Jaysh al-Mahdi, will either put down their arms or will be dealt with by Iraqi and US forces. And we're gonna hold them to it.
PELLEY: You don't fear that al-Sadr's actually running the show?
BUSH: He may wanna be but, no, I don't think he is.
PELLEY: Did you see the video of Saddam Hussein's . . .
BUSH: I saw some of it.
PELLEY: . . . execution?
BUSH: Yeah.
PELLEY: What did you think when you saw that?
BUSH: I thought it was discouraging. You know, obviously could have handled this thing a lot better. And I knew it'd be, you know, one of those incidents where it would call into doubt . . . it would create further skepticism. You know, it's important that-- that chapter of Iraqi history be closed. They could have handled it a lot better.
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See all 129 CommentsI'd like answers to the following questions?
* How do you explain cutting taxes during war time? (I'm not allowed to write hot checks, but apparently, it must be okay for you).
* Why do you get rid of everyone that disagrees with you? You've just replaced the Generals on the ground again.
* Why not send your daughters? You don't mind sending everyone else's children.
* All volunteer service? Doesn't sound volunteer to me when service men and women are not allowed to get out.
* And not caring about your legacy? You're willing to keep this war going until the end of your term so someone else will be stuck with cleaning up your mess.
Do the American people a big favor and resign. The United States cannot afford another two years of your decisions!
And don't get me started on how safe we are with the invasion by illegal aliens. With the perks we give them, where do I sign up to become illegal.
Disgusted in Colorado.
As for Bush saying "That would mean that they're not willing to support a plan that I believe will work and solve the situation.", why would they believe it will work.
His plans so far have failed in Iraq and Afghanistan to a degree, so why should people believe he has a plan that would work?
His comment that "I wondered what went wrong, because you can't conduct this war on terror unless you've got good intelligence. And so the first thing I did was I put a commission together to take a good, hard look at what did go."
Bush chose to ignore any information that he didn't agree with - like the enriched uranium from Africa.
He also chose to ignore others coming forward with information that went against his claims prior to the invasion.
Bush is a man not to be trusted.
Great questions.
How many years did we live in the fog of the cold war, when the truth about Soviet capability was clear in the pictures and intelligence gathered by U2 flights, etc. OUR GOVERNMENT KNEW THEY POSED LITTLE OR NO THREAT TO US-JUST LIKE NORTH KOREA, IRAN, SYRIA, etc. These countries only target us because we are #1, and we hold all the keys including the keys to sanctions, enough nuclear fire-power to destroy all of them in a few hours, and WHAT THEY ARE REALLY AFTER a larger piece of the global economic pie SEE NIKITA KRUSCHEV-USSR . You and many other people have been punked into being afraid of your own shadow!
And, its working just like it did in the 50's 60's and 70's. The military-industrial-petroleum complex is reaping unprecedented profits and revenues.
Wake-up-if we really wanted the situation in Iraq to improve, we'd put at least a division or two on the borders with each of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran, and make a 2 mile wide Free-Fire Zone all the way around Iraq. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. If you're caught in the buffer zone, you're target practice for our artillery, bombers, infantry, etc.
"I'd say, first of all, to him, "You've made terrible choices for your people. You've isolated your nation. You've taken a nation of proud and honorable people, and you've made your country the pariah of the world."
Sounds like he's talking about himself.
"He's more worried about protecting the country he loves and I thank God everyday for a leader like that!"
Really? Then why has he virtually abandoned the search for Bin Laden - the man who leads the group behind 9/11?
He only went after Saddam to get brownie points from his dad.
And now he's created a situation that is more dangerous to Americans than Saddam ever was.
Perhaps you should thank him for handing over Iraq to the Iranians and for bringing terrorists to Iraq so they can learn their trade and then bring it to America.
If you loved this country, you would not support GW Bush.
How did this guy get elected? Because we are all too busy trying to make a living, survive the destruction of the American family unit and every other assault on our sanity, morality, and sense of fairness (see the Duke Lacrosse misprosecution), to learn anything more about our politicians than what we are force fed in those commercials that only come around during election time.
And, if Apple and Microsoft have their way, we will all drop out (of any meaningful communication with one another), and tune in (to iPods, Xbox 360:, and email-like communications like this).
How about being at least marginally courteous and offer meaningful suggestions that will discourage the enemy and assist our troops in their admirable attempts to bring order out of chaos and to estblish an Iraqi democracy, albeit fledging, that can only help stablize the Middle East. The free Western World simply cannot permit the murderers to win.
Well, GW Bush, Cheney said it before the invasion and after the invasion.
And there are still plenty of Republican supporters who continue to believe it.
First, I have to ask if any of you have been to either Iraq or Afghanistan. Or any third-world country for that matter. Do you read history...do you have any idea what's at stake? Have you read the Fatwa against all Jews and Christians put forth by Bin Laden and others...it's in the 9/11 commission report...read it. My husband and has been in this from the beginning and has been to Iraq more times than I can count. The people fighting this war are volunteers and they are a hell of a lot more honorable than you. They see this as an extremely important fight and they risk their lives for the safety of you and your family everyday. They do it willingly and with honor because they feel it's the right thing to do. I'm not saying everything has gone as planned in Iraq and I'm not debating that we need to change our course, I'm trying to point out that the people inside and outside the military are working day and night to help the Iraqi people create a country for themselves and it just emboldens the enemy to see our country in-fighting. In fact, tearing us apart is key part of their strategy...unfortunately, it's working...ie Kennedy getting up and saying he'll refuse to fund the surge...the further we come apart, the closer they know they are to winning. What's really scary is that they are a lot more patient than we are. Al Qaeda planned the 9/11 attacks for years, I'm sure they can hold out until we turn tail in Iraq.
More to come...
Answers:
How do you explain cutting taxes during war time? (I'm not allowed to write hot checks, but apparently, it must be okay for you). -- Basic economics...cutting taxes builds the private sector and thus increases the revenue base forcing corps. and individuals to pay taxes on more income which increases the tax revenues without raising taxes. And tax revenues have increased...July 18, 2005 "US corporate tax revenues soar
Simon Briault
The federal US tax authorities have increased the amount of corporate tax collected by more than 40%. The US government released figures last week that show overall tax revenues were also up by almost 15%.
Tax Revenues Rise Above Predictions
All Things Considered, July 10, 2006 %u2022 Higher-than-expected tax revenues in the United States are expected to make a dent in the federal deficit, according to early reports.
According to The New York Times, corporate taxes, individual taxes on stock-market profits and taxes on executive bonuses are mostly responsible for the high tax revenues. The White House has credited the gains to its policies, noting fast-rising tax revenues.
Office of Management and Budget director Rob Portman tells the Washington Times that compared to last year, tax revenues are up more than 10 percent. And the deficit for the first three quarters of this fiscal year was about $208 billion. That's down from almost $250 billion during the first three quarters last year.
* Why do you get rid of everyone that disagrees with you? You've just replaced the Generals on the ground again. --The Generals who are getting "replaced" have been scheduled to leave for months...it was announced a long time ago within military circles. The media chooses to delete that detail. They've been over there working and away from their families for two years; it's their time to rotate home.
* Why not send your daughters? You don't mind sending everyone else's children. --Bush didn't "send" anyone's child who didn't volunteer to be in the military. It's precisely why we have such a highly trained military...they aren't drafted in with no training; they come because they want to.
* All volunteer service? Doesn't sound volunteer to me when service men and women are not allowed to get out. It's called a stop-loss. I'm honestly not sure if it's still in effect, but when it was, it was to keep specific specialty area, like Special Forces soldiers from getting out when we really needed those specialties. My husband is SF and I know it's not under a stop-loss anymore.
* And not caring about your legacy? You're willing to keep this war going until the end of your term so someone else will be stuck with cleaning up your mess. I don't think Bush wants that. It's funny too because, Clinton didn't seem to be worried about not dealing with the perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole Bombing, the African Embassy bombings and the bombing of our military facility in Saudi Arabia. I guess since it pretty much didn't affect us on our soil it wasn't really important. Maybe if he'd responded adequately to all of those incidents we wouldn't have had 9/11. He had opportunities to get Bin Laden and didn't because it wouldn't have been "popular" to do so. And lord knows he didn't want to be unpopular. And he was the most honest guy around...
I hope for the sake of our country that we can all join together as one voice committed to success in Iraq so they can have peace and our soldiers can leave a stable nation who can take care of itself. Otherwise, we're in big trouble.
Ugh...are you vapid? Just because you don't hear about Bin Ladin doesn't mean we aren't looking for him constantly. But, I'm sure the New York Times will leak some more information that will make it impossible for us to find him.
And get a tissue, there's something of Bush's on your nose.
"Everybody was wrong on weapons of mass destruction."
Revisionist history, ala Karl Rove.
See the link...this is why we fight. Open your eyes.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-06-06-canada-terrorism_x.htm?csp=34
In the past we have been a benevolent bully. The world tended to listen to us because they knew we had the ability and might to back up anything we say. We've now become the bully on the block. I wonder how we'd feel if another country invaded us and said it was for our own good and they know what's best for us. We have been complicit in destroying Iraq and it's civilian population. Halliburton is under investigation concerning the money they were given to rebuild Iraq.
Mr. Bush had no plan when he invaded Iraq and that is a terrible disservice to our military. I noticed he didn't mention any of the recommendations that the Iraq study group came up with in his speech. I have the utmost respect for the military. I believe they have been put in a terrible position by Mr. Bush.
http://www.solroed-gym.dk/billed/images/grosz%20s40.jpg
We went to Iraq because the intelligence available at the time led many around the world (including democrats) to believe they had weapons of mass destruction. They were given chance after chance to provide full disclosure and did not. The threat that Iraq would develop and sell chemical weapons to terrorists was real at the time. He gassed his own people.
War is hell...and I think in the end if the Iraqis step and and take their country back from the insurgents and learn to work together toward their common goals, they'll be thankful Saddam is gone.
more...
But...he sure doesn't seem to be the brightest crayon in the box.
It seems possible to that he's itching to get into it also with Iran. A further war which would undoubtedly require a draft.
Clearly the war now is being run by the president's dictate and not by the people's will. That is as much concern to me as to whether or not we lose the war. It seemed silly to me. The prsident says--failure is not an option, but defeat is always an option in any war.
And he said:
"the temptation is gonna find scapegoats. Well, if the people want a scapegoat, they got one right here in me 'cause it's my decisions."
But these are not his decisions alone. My country, as I knew it, was a representative democracy.
Lol, many many of are going the other way. And I for one wont tolerate this country not to be a democracy. My blood will run out in the street first.
I'd like that teh executive ddin't over power the representationla part of the United States.
The executive without the balance of power is not the America I knew. It sold fashioned tyranny.
Just....a very clever and quiet one
We made the same mistake in Vietnam.
Yeah--but its doubly ridiculous now. I mean we already knew all this, and we've let it happen anyway...
...and its my fault and the next guys as much as it is the president's, I think
Dannelle3 -- It may be an inconvenience for you to have a passport, but as long as terrorists are entering our borders via any means possible, I have no issues with passports. I have to have one now in order to go to the Caribbean. It's a small price to pay to help avoid another 9/11.
Canada is famous for letting refugees, imigrants, etc into our country because apparently we're a compassionate country yet your country won't let some caucasion mother with four teenagers and who has no criminal record into your country without offical documents. That's Bush for you. He's going to screw with all your minds and you're all paranoid as it is.
and how GREAT of Pelley to say the Democrats have NO PLAN, also! WHAT THE FK? Is this guy with Fox News?
ggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
I won't even get into Bush's lies, of course he had revenge in mind going after Saddam, there was NO other reason to go into Iraq!
sheesh.......
GOD Almighty help this country be more knowledgeable.
That's a classic argument and one I've heard often. But's it's false. I'm also a mother and was marked for search many times at the airport when my baby was in a carrier. I have no problem with this precisely BECAUSE I'm the least likely person to be a terrorist.
Using your logic...all it would take is one caucasion woman with four kids to join their cause or one old woman/man. If those folks weren't searched, that's who they'd try to recruit. May sound far-fetched, but I'm not willing to take the risk. I'd rather be inconvenienced for five minutes.
I agree, we all as Americans have to take some of the blame. Until Americans start taking an active role in the process were doomed to having a government "of the money", "by the money" and "for the money". Our govenment is bought and paid for and not by it's citizens.
Until we look deeper into the candidates (like checking out their voting record) backgrounds, farther than their name, we'll be electing the same type of people to represent us (by us, I mean corporate America).
I have a feeling I'm on the opposite side of the political spectrum from you, but I agree that everyone should be educated about the candidates we're electing.
Noone, Democrat or Republican, should be beholden to any interests...corporate or otherwise. Unfortunately, they all seem to be.
It didn't even occur to me that you were a redneck. You're right, it's awful that we have to change our lives because of crazy people who want to strap on bombs and kill us. But, this is the reality and I'm happy to have a few extra security checks if it means stopping attacks.
In fact, a terrorist was caught on the border in 1999 north of Seattle (I think) precisely because a border guard was doing HER job.
Look at it a different way...you said it was silly for them to check you because you're a caucasion woman with four kids. But, we aren't allowed to profile, so they have to randomly check people. How would you feel if you were an Arab and you were stopped everywhere, even if you had lived in America for 20 years. That's what could happen on the other extreme.
The answer is Money
I have to say I don't share your feelings toward GB, but you have the right to feel that way. I think he's been vilified by the press for years and perception is reality and they got what they wanted...to bring him down. They've done everything they can to make him look bad...your feelings tell me they've succeeded.
He has met with widows in our unit and they were moved by his compassion toward them. Despite what you think, he's a good man and has a lot of feeling for the sacrifices soldiers and their families are making. I'm not sure how you can compare him to a man like Hitler who gassed millions or Saddam who did terrible things to his own people, including gassing the Kurds.
Bush doesn't want to control the world...we're one of the few countries in history that actually goes in and helps other countries, pays to rebuild their infrastructure and leaves. We're not trying to get more land, we're trying to give these people hope and a future so they won't want to strap on a bomb.
It may be a bold strategy and it may fail, but the middle east is a serious issue and it's been getting worse for years...Taliban in Afghanistan, Hamas, Hezbollah, the list goes on. The free world has to step up or the problem will snowball...if one of these terrorist groups is able to secure a nuclear weapon, then we'll all be in a terrible mess. The problem is not going to just go away.
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