For Immediate Release
May 13, 2005
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
12:18 P.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody. I have nothing to begin
with today, I will be glad to go to your questions.
Q We now have protests in Gaza, following protests in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, of these allegations that U.S. military
personnel desecrated the Koran, including flushing one down a toilet.
White House response to these protests? What would you say to these
people who have taken to the streets?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Secretary Rice spoke to this issue yesterday
and I think made our views very clear. One of the values that we hold
most dearly here in the United States is religious freedom and the
ability of people to be able to worship freely. As Secretary Rice made
clear yesterday, disrespect for the holy Koran is something that the
United States will never tolerate.
Now, in terms of the allegation that was made, that's something we
take very seriously, too. And the Department of Defense is looking
into it. I would also point out, though, that for these detainees at
Guantanamo Bay, they are provided the opportunity to worship freely,
including being given copies of the Koran so that they may worship
freely.
And we want Muslims around the world to know that we share and
understand the concerns that they have. We are also saddened about the
loss of life because of these demonstrations turning violent. And we
would call on all our friends, as Secretary Rice did yesterday, to
reject the incitement to violence by those who would mischaracterize
the views and the values of the United States of America, because
freedom of religion is one of the values we hold very dearly in this
country.
Q Has the President been told about these protests? Is he aware
of them?
MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely, and he's spoken with Secretary Rice
about them, as well. And you heard from Secretary Rice yesterday --
she was speaking on behalf of the administration.
Q Scott, as you know, the Pentagon has announced that it's
closing 33 military bases, realigning 29. There are a lot of people
who have come forward and said it's going to be very difficult on their
communities economically. What is the White House providing in terms
of assistance? And does the President have any particular message to
those who are really feeling a hardship --
MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely. Well, first of all, today's
announcement is another step in the process -- the process that was set
up by Congress, in law. And I think you heard the Department of
Defense brief on this issue earlier today, and they talked about the
importance of moving forward on this process, because we must transform
our military to meet the threats of the 21st century. We're going
through a global posture review, as well, where many troops will be
returning home. And we want to make sure that our troops, particularly
those in combat, have all the resources they need to do their job, that
they continue to have all the resources they need to do the job.
So this process is important to making sure we continue to have the
best-trained, best-equipped and best military in the world to address
the threats that we face in this day and age.
In terms of the communities, that is something that is a high
priority for the administration in this process. And we have a lot of
federal assistance that is available to the communities. There is job
training assistance available from the Department of Labor, there is
local economic adjustment assistance available through the Department
of Defense's Economic Adjustment office. And we want to do everything
we can to support the communities that might ultimately be affected by
this as they transition away from a military base into other reuse or
economic opportunities. The Department of Commerce has assistance that
they can provide to help with economic recovery.
So the people that are affected in the communities are a high
priority for this administration, and that's why we want to make sure
that they understand all the resources that are available at the
federal level.
Look, I'm from a town -- Austin, Texas -- that has gone through a
base closing, and it was Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin. I had
some friends that were part of the Air Force and worked at Bergstrom.
And Austin was able to take advantage of federal assistance and
transition that base into its international airport. And so they have
made the adjustment. There are many cities that have been able to
adjust and are doing quite well from an economic perspective, since the
transition -- and Austin is one of those.
Q Scott, I'd like to ask you about Bolton. Does the President
believe he will be approved at this point? Are the votes there?
MR. McCLELLAN: We are confident that John Bolton will be confirmed
by the United States Senate. We believe there is a majority of the
Senate that agrees with the President, that John Bolton is exactly the
person we need at the United Nations during this critical time of
reform.
Q Does he, the President, consider it a defeat, however, that
after his own personal lobbying of Senator Voinovich and the White
House efforts with even other Republicans, that such a rare step was
taken to vote him out of committee without recommendation -- I think
the third time in 22 years -- does he not see that as a defeat, one?
And, two, what does it say about the President's relationship with
Congress right now? A Republican-controlled Congress.
MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, I think the President has a good
relationship with Congress. We've made a lot of progress in just over
a hundred days. We've seen the Congress move forward and pass a budget
resolution, or adopt a budget resolution that reflects the priorities
that we outlined and keeps us on track to cut the deficit in half.
We've seen the Congress move forward and pass common sense bankruptcy
reform. They've moved forward and passed class action reform, lawsuit
reform. That was an important part of our efforts to stop lawsuit
abuse. And one piece of legislation that was a priority for this
administration. They moved forward and passed the supplemental, so
that we can make sure that our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq have the
resources they need to do the job and to make sure that we're able to
continue to accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi and Afghan
forces to take over. So Congress has accomplished many things in just
a short amount of time of this Congress.
We're also making progress on the energy legislation. The House
passed comprehensive energy legislation --
Q Sounds a little bit like a filibuster, Scott. What about the
--
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think you asked me a question about the
relationship with --
Q But you know what I'm asking about. Does he consider this a
defeat? This is a rare step that a Republican-controlled committee
voted out. A defeat or not?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm coming to that question, but you asked me a
three-part question --
Q No, I asked you a two-part --
MR. McCLELLAN: -- and I want to address your question about
relations with Congress. And the President has great relations with
the congressional leadership and we appreciate the progress they've
made in a short amount of time and we look forward to continuing to
work with them to meet our nation's highest priorities, such as Social
Security reform and passing the comprehensive energy bill.
In terms of the question of the Bolton nomination, look, the
President had a good conversation with the Senator the other day. We
respect his decision, but there are many others who agree that the
President appointed exactly the kind of person that we need up at the
United Nations during this time when they're moving forward on reform.
John Bolton is a strong voice for reform at a time when reform is
needed at the United Nations.
There are many who have worked very closely with him, who are
highly respected, and give him very high marks -- those range from
Secretary Baker, to Secretary Eagleburger, to former Attorney General
Meese, to former United Nations Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick. There
are many who know John Bolton well and know that he will do a great job
at the United Nations.
Q Does the President agree with his Secretary of State when
Secretary Rice said that Bolton, if approved, would need to be
supervised at the U.N.?
MR. McCLELLAN: A couple of things on that. One, you ought to
direct that question to the Department of State, because I'm not sure
that they would characterize that exactly the way it was characterized
by others. So I think you ought to ask the Department of State about
it. But Secretary Rice --
Q But this is the White House, you could set us straight here.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm glad you brought that up. Secretary Rice is
another person who believes strongly that John Bolton is the right
person at the right time to be at the United Nations. And, again, I'm
not going to work off media reports, but in terms of --
Q Did she not say that? I mean, I assume the White House knows
whether she said it or not.
MR. McCLELLAN: You can talk to Department of State about that.
They're briefing here very shortly, and I'm sure they'd be glad to
respond to it.
Q Does the President believe he needs to be supervised?
MR. McCLELLAN: But anytime --
Q Just answer that question for us.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- you have ambassadors, ambassadors report to the
President through the Secretary of State. That's just the process
that's set up. And when you have an ambassador at the United Nations,
I think it's long worked that way, that the ambassador reports through
the Secretary of State to the President of the United States.
Q But does this guy, with his temperamental history, does he
need to be supervised?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't agree that that's an accurate
characterization, in the first place.
Q You're not saying, "no"?
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, you ought to talk to Department of State,
and I'm sure they'd be glad to respond to that. So I don't think you
should take --
Q He's the President's pick.
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think you should take it as that.
Q I don't think foisting it upon the Department of State is what
you --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, look, if you want to keep trying to jump in
here, that's fine, but I'm going to keep moving on to other questions,
David.
Go ahead.
Q Well, we're staying on Bolton for a while. California Senator
Barbara Boxer has put a hold on Mr. Bolton's nomination, saying she
wants to see the classified documents from State and the NSA relative
to the intercepts regarding Syria and Cuba. Any willingness on the
administration's behalf to comply with her demand for documents --
MR. McCLELLAN: The administration has been very responsive to the
needs of the Senate to make sure that they have the information they
need to do their job. I think that this is more just a delaying tactic
just to try to draw this out. The Senate needs to move forward on this
nomination so that he can get in there and start getting about the
important work that needs to be done. And I would hope the Democrats
wouldn't try to play politics with this nomination.
Q So you'll deny her request for those classified documents?
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, we've been very responsive to make sure that
Congress has the information they need to do their job. And we have
done that throughout this process.
Q If I could follow up, then. You said a minute ago that you
respect Senator Voinovich's decision --
MR. McCLELLAN: I pointed out a couple weeks ago, too, that there's
a difference between information they need to do their job and people
just going on fishing expeditions. But the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee had the information they needed to do their job.
Q A moment ago you said that the administration respects the
decision of Senator Voinovich to vote as he did yesterday. But Senator
Voinovich went beyond just voting to send the nomination to the floor,
he then attacked Mr. Bolton pretty vociferously, offering up what some
would say is a good example of Republican criticism and turn up in
Democratic ads not too far from now. Do you respect what he said,
then, and the criticism that he offered as part of the Republican
caucus?
MR. McCLELLAN: I talked about this yesterday, Carl. Maybe you
missed the briefing, but we believe that these are issues that have
been addressed by John Bolton during the confirmation process. And
John Bolton is someone who has the unique experience and the passion,
and sometimes a little bluntness, that is needed to get things done at
the United Nations.
The President is interested in results. John Bolton is a
results-oriented kind of guy. Just look at his record. He was our
primary point person when it came to the President's Proliferation
Security Initiative. He worked to build a coalition of more than 60
nations coming together to stop the spread of weapons of mass
destruction. That is -- there is no higher priority than stopping the
spread of weapons of mass destruction. He was the chief negotiator for
the Moscow Treaty that is leading to the reduction of nuclear arsenals,
a significant reduction in our nuclear arsenals. He was involved in
getting Libya to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction. He is
someone who stood up and fought anti-Semitism around the world --
Q I understand that. I guess the question really comes down to
whether or not his vote enjoys the same -- the equal amount of respect
as his commentary yesterday about the President's nominee.
MR. McCLELLAN: We appreciate that he's allowing John Bolton to
receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate. That was one
thing he indicated to the President in the phone call.
Q Scott, two questions.
MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead.
Q One, recently I witnessed the meetings between India and
Pakistan in Delhi. While in Moscow, did President meet with the Prime
Minister for India, or if Prime Minister did brief him about the
India-Pakistan outcome in Delhi?
MR. McCLELLAN: They did get a chance to visit during the lunch and
they had a very good visit. And the President -- the President looks
forward to continuing to work closely with them as we move forward to
build upon what is a good relationship.
Q Second question, on the base closings. Like President said
many times, and also you said from this podium that we are a nation at
war against terrorism. Now, as far as terrorism is concerned, is going
to affect it from these base closings? And also, moving personnel from
one place to another, and also if overseas bases are going to be
affected from these base closings, and moving personnel?
MR. McCLELLAN: The Department of Defense briefed on this earlier,
so you probably want to look at their briefing. In terms of what the
recommendations were, we were aware of this process, but this is a
Department of Defense process. We did not see the list before it was
announced.
Q But as far as the White House, is the President concerned is
going to affect as far as war against terrorism is concerned?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q War against terrorism is concerned?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, that's exactly one of the points I made at the
beginning, I think the Department of Defense made, that we are in the
process of transforming our military to meet the threats of the 21st
century. And this is part of making sure that we are doing our best to
confront the threats that we face in this day and age and to make sure
that our troops who are going into combat have what they need to carry
out their job and complete their mission.
Sarah.
Q Yes, thank you. My question is related to Suzanne's and
Goyal. I take it, from what you just said, that the President has seen
the whole BRAC list.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, he did not -- like I said, the President had
not seen the list before it being announced.
Q Oh, he has not seen the list? Okay.
MR. McCLELLAN: He was aware of the process and briefed on the
general process, but he had not seen the list.
Q So -- okay. When he does, will he support the Pentagon's
desire to close the military bases?
MR. McCLELLAN: There is a -- we support the process that is going
on. The President, I think, has indicated that previously. Now there
is a process where the recommendations come first from the Department
of Defense, then they go to the Base Realignment and Closure
Commission. They will get public input, look at this. They may make
some changes to it. And then they will make the recommendation to the
President. The President will have the opportunity to accept or reject
those recommendations. If he were to reject them, then they would go
back and look at this again and report back to him. And then,
ultimately, it will go on to Congress, and Congress will have the
opportunity to accept or reject the list as a whole.
So this is a process. This is one step in the process today that
the Department -- that fulfilled the Department of Defense's role in
that process.
Go ahead, Connie. Happy birthday.
Q Thank you. How did you know that? (Laughter.)
Q I didn't get a happy birthday.
Q Where's my happy birthday? (Laughter.)
Q I've got cookies for you all afterward.
On the U.N., is the specific agenda to reduce dues in the U.N.?
And do we -- do the U.S. -- does the U.S. have an agenda which can
carry on with or without Bolton?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, does the U.S. have an agenda that can --
Q Right, for reform in --
MR. McCLELLAN: We believe John Bolton is the person that we need
at the United Nations to move forward on our efforts to reform the
United Nations. The United Nations is moving forward on some reforms.
And so this is a very important period. We want to make sure that the
United Nations is as effective as possible. And John Bolton shares the
President's commitment to making sure that it is. And so that's why
it's so important to have him there. And that's why we appreciate the
committee moving forward and sending his nomination to the floor. And
we look forward to the Senate moving forward, hopefully quickly, on his
nomination and getting him confirmed so that he can get about doing his
work.
Q What about the question of reducing U.S. dues to the U.N.? Is
that a viable option?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think actually something that John Bolton has
worked on in the past is one of those issues -- one of the issues to
make sure that that was addressed. And I don't think that's something
we've changed from any past positions that we've had. So I haven't
heard any different update on it, Connie. You might want to talk to
the Department of State. That's probably a question better related to
them.
Q Scott, how well does the President actually personally know
John Bolton? I mean, have they met frequently before this, or is it
just basically, you know, on a recommendation from other people in this
administration?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, he's met with him before in the past, and he
knows him. And he has a lot of respect for the job that he has done in
the past. And that's why he picked him, because he thought he would be
the best person for this position.
Q Does he brief him on a regular basis on North Korea and all
those issues?
MR. McCLELLAN: On a regular basis? His National Security Advisor
and Secretary of State brief him on a regular basis.
Q I have a question on something else. On Uzbekistan, do you
have any reaction to what is going on over there, on the crisis? And
have there been any high-level contacts since this erupted?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I know that the Department of State has been
in touch with our embassy there, and so they probably will be talking
more about this at their briefing, as well. We have had concerns about
human rights in Uzbekistan, but we are concerned about the outbreak of
violence, particularly by some members of a terrorist organization that
were freed from prison. And we urge both the government and the
demonstrators to exercise restraint at this time. The people of
Uzbekistan want to see a more representative and democratic government,
but that should come through peaceful means, not through violence. And
that's what our message is.
Q Scott, Senator John Kyl, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on
Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, has expressed his concern
about the threat of an electromagnetic pulse attack on the U.S. And my
first question: What is the administration's assessment of that
threat?
MR. McCLELLAN: Les, in terms of intelligence matters, I'm not
going to get into that, but we take all threats very seriously. And
that's why we've taken significant steps since September 11th to make
sure we are doing everything we can to protect the American people from
possible attacks. And the President will continue to do so. We have
-- we've moved forward and we're already addressing many of the
recommendations that the September 11th Commission put out before their
report was even final. They had some additional recommendations that
we've moved forward on, as well, and we will continue to do that.
Q In regard to your statement earlier in the briefing,
supporting the ability of people to worship freely as being very
important, the national headquarters of the Catholic League for
Religious and Civil Rights has received a news release from a
homosexual organization called Rainbow Sash which announces their
intention to go to Catholic masses and churches all over the country,
this Sunday's feast of Pentecost, to demonstrate while trying to
receive the sacrament after they have denounced Pope Benedict as a liar
and a homophobe. And my question: Surely, the White House will speak
out against this worship disruptive extremism, won't you, Scott?
MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I don't know anything about this matter, but
you have just had the opportunity to talk about it and express yourself
freely. We believe all people should be able to worship freely and
worship as they choose, and that's --
Q In other words, you would oppose this interruption of masses
on Pentecost Sunday, wouldn't you?
MR. McCLELLAN: We want to see all people have the opportunity to
worship freely and as --
Q Without being disturbed.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- they choose. And that's our position.
Q Scott, just one thing on the over-flight the other day.
MR. McCLELLAN: Hang on, hang on. I'll come back to you.
Q I have two questions on Bolton. The first one is in terms of
the Senate getting the information that they say they needed in order
to finish their investigations. You talked about possible fishing
expeditions. One of the senators made the point yesterday that they
don't work for the President; he said that they're a separate, equal
branch of government. Couldn't the administration trust and regard
these senators as responsible enough to look at the information they're
requesting, make a determination as to whether it's needed, and if it's
not needed to not use it?
MR. McCLELLAN: One of these senators who -- which senator made
that remark?
Q Senator Biden.
MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, thank you. So someone who is opposed to this
nomination.
Q But who was making the point that the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee and the Senate, itself, is separate from the executive branch
and should be treated as a co-equal.
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and there are oversight committees relating to
intelligence matters, and those oversight members are kept apprised of
intelligence matters. And there are ways to provide information as
needed to those respective members who would have the responsibility
for those matters.
Q I think their feeling was that intelligence had been shown
some of this information, as had Mr. Bolton, but that no one from
Foreign Relations had been shown this information.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, look, there are some members that want to
play politics with this nomination. We've pointed that out in the
past. They are standing in the way of reform at the United Nations.
We've got important work to do at the United Nations. This is a very
important time for the United Nations, as they are moving forward on
reform. And we need someone up there who is a results-oriented person,
who has a proven record of getting things done, and who will represent
our interest well. John Bolton is that person.
Q So that would lead me to my second question, which was on
reform.
MR. McCLELLAN: Third question.
Q Well, it was a follow-up. (Laughter.) In terms of efforts to
reform the United Nations, one of the senators -- don't remember who
-- made the point that they haven't seen anything, in terms of a plan,
what the administration would like to see done specifically with regard
to the reforms they would like to see Mr. Bolton bring about. Can you
tell us something about that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, as you're aware, Secretary Annan has put out
a report on reforms that they want to move forward on. We've been
reviewing those reforms. We've been talking with the United Nations
about some of those ideas, and we will continue to do so. This is a
process that is in the works right now. That's why it's so important
to get him there so that he can get about doing that important work.
David, you had a question.
Q I did. There was -- there's some new information about the
fly-over the other day that came to light, that, in fact, the plane had
gotten closer, within a couple of miles of the White House. Is that an
update that you've received, as well?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know which report you're referring to.
I'll be glad to look at it. I mean, I said within three miles, and
that was the report that I got. I haven't received any additional
report.
Q Could I do a follow-up on that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure.
Q Now that the dust has settled from that incident David is
talking about, has the President weighed in any more on this, regarding
the controversy of whether he should have been notified or not? Has he
looked over this and said, well, maybe I should have known about this?
I mean, are there any second thoughts now?
MR. McCLELLAN: Nothing has changed from what I said yesterday. It
all remains the same.
Go ahead, David.
Q Scott, I wondered if I could return to the FDA's decision last
year to reject an advisory committee recommendation to make the Plan B
emergency contraceptive more widely available. There are reports this
week that an evangelical doctor, David Hager, wrote a memo to the FDA
that played a role in that decision. And he has said that he was told
by the White House -- asked by the White House to serve on the FDA --
an FDA panel on reproductive drugs. He says he was called by the White
House and the White House said that, we feel there are some issues
coming up that are very critical and we want you to serve on this
panel. I'm wondering, did the White House play any role in him getting
onto this -- getting this appointment, and if so, why?
MR. McCLELLAN: I saw that report. A couple of things. First of
all, that decision is a matter for the FDA. And in terms of the
advisory panel that you're referring to, those are appointments made by
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Secretary is one who
appoints people to that advisory panel. And in terms of the reports, I
did an initial look into it, and I know no one in personnel, from my
understanding, had talked to him about it. And I'll continue to look
into it, see if there's any additional information.
Q So as far as you know, he's wrong and was not contacted by
anyone at the White House?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I just said that I was able to do an initial
check with some of our personnel team, and they had not spoken to him.
But this is an appointment by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services.
Q Scott, when you say that some members are playing politics and
want to stand in the way of U.N. reform, you're not talking about a
half-a-dozen moderates led by George Voinovich and the Republican
conference, are you?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I was referring to some of the Democratic
members.
Q Scott, would the administration like communities and energy
companies to take an aggressive look at using the soon-to-be former
military bases as refinery sites?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President did propose that as an option for
military bases that have closed, and he thinks that that could be a
good use for some of the bases that have already been closed.
Q Would he like communities to look at that as a top potential
option?
MR. McCLELLAN: He thinks they should look at it as a possibility.
It's part of his overall comprehensive plan to reduce our dependence on
foreign sources of energy, something that's at the top of the
President's agenda for continuing to build upon the great progress we
have made to get our economy growing stronger.
Q Does he have a ballpark figure on how many more refineries
would be good for us? Is it just the more the merrier, or --
MR. McCLELLAN: He put forward the proposal and we're going to
continue to move forward on it and look for opportunities to address
these important needs. And this is one need that could address an
economic need in some communities, as well as address a need for
improving our energy security. So it's a good option that should be
considered.
Q Some communities might have concerns about the environmental
impact of refineries. Is it possible to put refineries in communities
--
MR. McCLELLAN: And we would work closely with those communities on
those matters.
Q I want to follow up on the incident in Guantanamo. Do you
believe that the statement by Secretary Rice is enough, considering the
widespread demonstrations, the slogans have been used like "death to
America," in sensitive time, you're trying to win hearts and minds of
Muslims and the Arab world? Do you believe that the President should
come out and address directly the Muslim world and promise a serious
investigation into the incident, so you contain it before it becomes
another Abu Ghraib?
MR. McCLELLAN: The Department of Defense has made clear that they
are investigating it or looking into the allegation to see if there's
any truth to it. They take such allegations very seriously, so that's
why they're looking into it.
In terms of the United States, we are a nation of values that we
hold very dear, and one of those values is the ability to worship
freely and religious freedom. And that's why Secretary Rice reached
out to people in the Muslim world, and reached out to our friends
across the world and said, we ask you to help us make clear to people
that they should not resort to violence because of the people who are
inciting it that are misrepresenting the values of the United States of
America.
The detainees at this base are treated humanely. They are provided
with their needs: their clothing and food and meals and medical care.
They are provided with their needs when it comes to being able to
practice their religion, they are able to worship freely. And they are
provided with the Koran. The United States believes very strongly in
these values, and we will not tolerate any disrespect for the holy
Koran.
Thank you. Have a good weekend, everybody.
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