Initial reports are encouraging. In the end of the day, it’s going to be deeds, not words, that matter.

The relationship with China is extremely complex. We have areas of very positive cooperation with China.

The president’s strategy begins with the recognition that America is at war. Protecting the American people remains the first duty of the president of the United States. The president’s strategy renews his commitment to maintain...

We all looked at the same intelligence, and most people — on the intelligence — reached the same conclusion.

will focus on his vision of a united trans-Atlantic community, working together to promote freedom and democracy, particularly in the broader Middle East.

This is not a trip where the president has to come with a deliverable or an initiative.

The stop in the Slovak Republic is a nice opportunity for the president to remind Europe and the rest of the world of the progress we’ve made together in that part of the world,

I dispute the premise, … I think most people you talk to would say our relations with Japan, Korea and China have rarely been better.

We are every month at this point been able to turn over more territory to Iraqis.

What the Congress and the companies are able to work out, we’ll support and cooperate with so long as it does not involve a summary decision by the Congress that blocks this transaction.

in a way that is consistent with our values and principles.

As part of that cooperation for our part, we comply with U.S. law. We respect the sovereignty of the countries with which we deal. And we do not move people around the world so that...

In a military operation, the command and control elements are a legitimate target.

We went from a summit that was supposed to bury the FTAA to a summit in which 34 countries actually talk in terms of enhanced trade, … I would say that is some real progress.

In terms of the Taiwan Straits [sic], obviously a conflict in the Taiwan Straits [sic], everybody loses. China loses, Taiwan loses, we lose, the area loses.

But I think one of the things we’ve all learned from that is that it is important, also, to be clear about dissenting opinions and make sure that dissenting opinions also are given visibility.

this summit, is not about Hugo Chavez.

What happens if on September 7th of 2001, we had gotten one of the hijackers and based on information associated with that arrest, believed that within four days, there’s going to be a devastating attack...

We are conducting a wide discussion with Russia on this topic (of Iran), … Our positions are similar, and we are agreed on the basic points.

I don’t think you’re going to see headline breakthroughs.

will depend on the political evolution and the security evolution.

What is really interesting is the response of the various communities in Iraq. You have seen statements from all of them condemning the violence and indicating their resolve that there needs to be calm, no...

Argentina is the host. Argentina has taken a strong hand in forming the agenda, and we will obviously want to support that. And the president will make a contribution on those topics.

The language is agreed. The vehicle by which it is going to get enacted by the Congress is still being worked.

I think it is very important for any U.S. administration to be clear that America stands on the side of freedom and democracy and respect for individual rights.

Obviously there’s an election coming up. We would like it to be free and fair. And a prerequisite of free and fair elections is that you don’t beat up opposition candidates or opposition supporters and...

We think, in the end of the day, China also faces a strategic choice: whether they are going to follow up the increasing amounts of economic freedom they’re affording to the people and whether they...

For those critics to ignore their own past statements exposes the hollowness of their current attacks.

I point out that some of the critics today believed, themselves, in 2002 that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. They stated that belief, and they voted to authorize the use of force in...

We’re making progress, but we’re not yet there.

If freedom prevails in Iraq, others in the region — including Syria and Iran — will be under greater pressure to open up their repressive political systems. And that is good news for Israel.

This is not going to get worked out before we get there, it’s not going to get worked out while we’re there. But we hope in a reasonable time afterwards to see this issue worked...

a mix of carrots and sticks, and who should the carrots come from and what should they be.

We would obviously like, and the Indians would like, to use the occasion of this [Bush] visit to reach agreement on this separation agreement, so-called. We think that would be a good thing, but it’s...

This summit is not about Hugo Chavez. We’ve had some long-standing concerns about the policy for his government. This is not news.

Everybody understands the Sunnis need to be part of this process going forward and need to be part of this government. How that will sort out and get down is obviously for the Iraqis to...

The violence seems to be diminishing. They’ve stared into the abyss a bit. I think they’ve all concluded that further violence… is not in their interests.

Suffice to say they didn’t come to me. They didn’t come to the NSC,

That’s clearly where we’re heading.

I think our judgment is: That is a credible claim. But I think that we are going to learn a lot more as the investigation goes forward.

This is actually the vehicle to bring India onto our page, in terms of proliferation policy.

We would like to get it before the trip. If we can, great. If we can’t, we’ll continue to negotiate it after the trip.

Scooter Libby is a fine person. And he served the president and the vice president well,

This is going to be an issue, you know, it’s a longstanding issue that we’ve had with China.

I can tell you my recollection. My recollection is no, not here, not anyplace else.

At this point people are comfortable that the necessary precautions are in place but this is not a risk-free undertaking.

It’s still something we’re working on. Obviously, it has not moved as quickly as we would have liked.

We must get it right.

We hope and we’ve made clear that the forces need to come out. It needs to be full and complete withdrawal. Our position is it needs to be done as soon as possible so that...

Our preference is to act through diplomacy in conjunction with friends and allies. That is our preference. That is our preference.