Briefer: Deputy White House Press Secretary Tony Fratto

President’s Schedule

This morning President Bush got an update from National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and also spoke to Secretary Rice on the phone. He then received his daily intelligence briefings where Georgia was also discussed.
There have been a number of calls made to foreign leader in the last 24 hours: Yesterday, President Bush made calls from Air Force One to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Lithuanian President Adamkus, and President Kaczynski of Poland. Following last night’s statement in the Rose Garden, he also spoke with Georgian President Saakashvili. This morning, President Bush talked to Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.
At 1.15 pm, the President will meet with the Coalition for Affordable American Energy. (more…)

“What cannot be undone [...] is the knowledge that North Korea has gained in their nuclear development program since 2002”, said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) at a full committee hearing on the North Korean Six-Party Talks and implementation activities. “That knowledge will always exist, and with it, the concern that a weapons program could be resumed, or the knowledge proliferated.”

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs said that cooperation with the People’s Republic of China has been very important for the talks, and has helped the nation emerge as a responsible stakeholder in the region. He went on to say that during the first two phases of negotiations, North Korea has shut down and began dismantling the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in exchange for 420,000 tons of heavy fuel oil and other energy supplies.

Hill also said that the US will continue to push the North Korean government for information on abductions of Japanese citizens, while also negotiating continued human rights reforms in response to reports of abuse.

William Tobey, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation in the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration said that the third phase of negotiations will focus on implementation of comprehensive verification and denuclearization, and that the costs of these activities would be substantially higher than the previous steps. However, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) expressed concern over the costs of the next phase, expressing a desire to discuss sharing the expenses with other 6 members of the talks.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs says that North Korea’s human rights record is abysmal, and every day that it continues is an unacceptable day of oppression. He also says that he has seen satellite images of North Korea’s extensive prison camp system, and has also seen reports of torture, forced abortion and even execution. He concludes by saying that the US remains committed to combating these injustices (:52).

 

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Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) says that the knowledge North Korea has gained from its nuclear program can never be undone, and there will always be a weapons or proliferation threat from the nation (:25).

 

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Senator John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign held a conference call on the one-year anniversary of Senator Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) declaration that he would hold diplomatic meetings with various dictators “without preconditions” once he becomes President. (more…)

 

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Briefer: Dana Perino

President’s Schedule

President Bush had his normal briefings at 8 am. At 1.30 pm he will make remarks in honor of Columbian Independence Day in the East Room of the White House. The President will highlight the need for Congress to pass the US-Columbian Free Trade Agreement. Secretaries Gutierrez and Schafer, members of Congress, and members of the diplomatic corps, will be in attendance along with another 220 guests. At 2.20 pm, the President will depart the White House en route to a Goddard-Georgia victory committee reception. He will return to the Washington later this evening.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino will brief the press at 12.30 pm today. (more…)

John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, discussed North Korean and Iranian nuclear proliferation at a banquet in the House of Representatives. Bolton described the current status of the North Korean and Iranian programs and attributed the White House’s changing policy towards North Korea and Iran to President Bush’s desire to leave a positive foreign policy legacy. He said both states have large influence in the Middle East and that making concessions to them could cause a snowball effect in the region.

Bolton lambasted President Bush’s suggestion to remove North Korea from the state sponsors of terrorism list. He said North Korea directly engages in acts of terror and should not be removed from the list simply due to its unrelated nuclear status. Bolton countered Bush’s stance by saying North Korea has not halted its uranium enrichment program and that the Bush administration is going out of its way to cast doubt on its existence.

Bolton also expressed frustration towards US-Iranian diplomacy, saying the Bush administration’s policy of not engaging in talks with Iran until Iran dismantles its nuclear program is in violation. He said the possibility of the United States placing foreign affairs officers in Tehran would show Iran that the United States will concede if given time. Bolton also added his opinion that an Obama administration would allow Iran’s quest for nuclear power to continue uninhibited.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that an agreement with North Korea cannot be finalized without verification of the elimination of all nuclear weapons and programs; the U.S. will not just trust North Korea, they will get the verification needed. She also says that any governments unsure of whether to trust the U.S. should look to Libya and the strategic choice the country made to renounce terrorism. (1:40)

 

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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks about the conflict in North Korea. She says that the United States goal is to eliminate all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and programs, and to begin achieving this goal the six parties have signed implementation agreements. (1:11)

 

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The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the United States’ policy towards Asia at the Heritage Foundation. Rice talked about the rise of Asia and how it is reshaping the world today. She explained that the United States is actually in a stronger position in Asia now than at any other time in the past. (more…)