The President's news conference with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, June 21, 2004

The long-term solution is to promote free societies that are able to defeat the forces of pessimism, darkness, intolerance, and hatred.

Okay, a couple more questions. Yes. Let me work my way through the TV readers.

Q. On another issue, have you been-

President Bush. Which one, you or Sanger [David Sanger, New York Times]?

Q. Me. [Laughter]

President Bush. Okay.

CIA Employee Identity Disclosure Investigation

Q. On another issue, have you been called to answer questions regarding the CIA leak? And have you retained the attorney--

President Bush. You need to call--you need to talk to the counsel over there.

Yes, Elisabeth [Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times].

President's View on the Role of Religion

Q.--Ron Reagan's remarks at the former President's funeral--

President Bush. I didn't hear them.

Q. He said that politicians should not wear religious faith on their sleeve. And a lot of Republicans interpreted those remarks as being critical of you and your position on stein cell. I'd like to ask you about that.

President Bush. Whether or not a politician should wear their--I've always said I think it's very important for someone not to try to take the speck out of somebody else's eye when they may have a log in their own. In other words, I'm very mindful about saying, you know, "Oh, vote for me. I'm more religious than my neighbor." And I think it's perfectly--I think it's important for people of religion to serve. I think it is very important for people who are serving to make sure there is a separation of church and state.

Yes.

Status of Military Contractors Under Iraqi Interim Government

Q. Mr. President, questions are being raised about the legal status of U.S. military contractors in Iraq. Your administration is asking for them to be granted immunity by the incoming Iraqi government. If they aren't going to operate under Iraqi law, will they operate under U.S. civilian law or under what legal jurisdiction?

President Bush. I need to make sure I stay in touch with the lawyers on this subject. They are the ones who are raising the issue. We'll continue to work the issue.

Q. So you haven't decided yet?

President Bush. Right. Mike [Mike Allen, Washington Post].

Q. Mr. President--President Bush. Yes. I'm getting distracted over here, there seems to be some noise.

Saddam Hussein and Terrorist Connections

Q. The Vice President, who I see standing over there, said yesterday that Saddam Hussein has long-established ties to Al Qaida. As you know, this is disputed within the U.S. intelligence community. Mr. President, would you add any qualifiers to that flat statement? And what do you think is the best evidence of it?

President Bush. Zarqawi. Zarqawi is the best evidence of connection to Al Qaida affiliates and Al Qaida. He's the person who's still killing. He's the person--and remember the e-mail exchange between Al Qaida leadership and he, himself; about how to disrupt the progress toward freedom.

Saddam Hussein also had ties to terrorist organizations as well. In other words, he was affiliated with terrorism--Abu Nidal, the paying of families of suiciders to go kill innocent people. I mean, he was no doubt a destabilizing force. And we did the absolute right thing in removing him from power, and the world is better off with him not in power.