The merry-go-round of White House press briefings
This is the answer to one question, or rather the non-answer to a question that had to be reasked over and over.
What we put up with: Q Is the President at all worried -- is he worried at all about the legitimacy of the election that's going to be held in January in Iraq?
MR. MCCLELLAN: You heard from Prime Minister Allawi yesterday, that Prime Minister Allawi talked about how most of the country could hold elections today. There are still some ongoing security challenges that present some real difficulties for the interim government and for our coalition forces. The Prime Minister talked about his -- he came here yesterday to thank America and talk about his strategy for defeating the terrorists and defeating the Saddam loyalists who are trying to derail that transition and trying to stop the election from happening. That's the most -- as the President pointed out yesterday, the most important part of the five-point plan that we're pursuing. There's been steady progress made, but there are difficulties that remain. But Prime Minister Allawi has said he is fully committed to holding free and fair elections by the end of January.
Q That doesn't completely answer the question. The question is, is the President concerned at all about the legitimacy of the results of a January election?
MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, everybody is confident that Iraq will hold free and fair elections by the end of January. The Iraqi people, every step of the way, have risen to the challenges and met the timetables that have been set out for them. With a sovereign government, with the national conference --
Q I'm not asking whether they're going to be held or not -- I'm not asking whether they're going to be held or not.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I said there are going to be free and fair elections, I answered your question.
Q The question is the result --
MR. McCLELLAN: It will be free and fair elections, yes.
Q Is there any question -- is there any question that the President has about the legitimacy of the result of that election?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, he is confident that they will have free and fair elections by the end of January.
Q Scott, what about Don Rumsfeld? Does the President agree with Rumsfeld's assertion that even if you only had elections in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country it would be better than no elections?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think, one, Secretary Rumsfeld talked about that yesterday and he talked about it and he said it's a hypothetical. Today he talked -- continued to talk about the elections and he said that the new government is determined to defeat the terrorists and to hold elections and that every Iraqi deserves the right to vote. And he said that -- something along the lines of how the United States and the coalition and the Iraqi government intend to make sure that those elections are held on time, and that every Iraqi has the right to vote. So he has reiterated what we've all said, which is that everybody is committed to free and fair elections for the Iraqi people.
Q So you don't agree that elections that were in only three-quarters or four-fifths of the country --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's point out what Prime Minister Allawi said yesterday. I believe it was 15 of 18 provinces, he said, could hold elections today. And there continues to be steady progress in places like Najaf, in Kufa, in Samaraa, to bring stability to those areas. And he's working to address those other areas so there can be free and fair elections.
Q But let me try this again, though. Do you agree with Rumsfeld that if it were only in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country it would still be better than no elections at all?
MR. McCLELLAN: He said yesterday he was talking about a hypothetical situation. We're confident that there will be free and fair elections for the Iraqi people. And that goes back to Deb's question --
Q But you're not confident they'll be free, fair and universal?
MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, Secretary Rumsfeld said today that -- talked about how -- the importance of every Iraqi have the right to vote. So --
Q You're saying the right to vote --
Q The question is not --
MR. McCLELLAN: That's a hypothetical, and you know I don't do that.
Q The question is not whether they have the right to vote, Scott, the question is whether they're afraid to go to the polls or not, and if the vote at the end reflects only --
MR. McCLELLAN: That's not the question you asked. The question you asked -- that's not the question you asked. That's why I said that there has been steady progress to address the ongoing security challenges. Najaf now has been addressed. Kufa has been addressed. Samaraa has made -- they've made great progress in Samaraa. Fallujah, and some of the other areas there, in that area, are being addressed, too. Prime Minister Allawi talked about his strategy for addressing the security threats and for reaching out to leaders in those areas to bring about a resolution to the situation. So everybody is talking about the importance of holding free and fair elections, so that all the Iraqis have the right to vote by the end of January.
Q But are all Iraqis going to vote in January?
MR. McCLELLAN: We're confident that there will be free and fair elections. That's what --
Q All Iraqis, everywhere?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's what Secretary Rumsfeld talked about today, as well.
Q No, he's talking about -- it's a difference between a right to vote and the ability to vote. Are you saying --
MR. McCLELLAN: Free and fair elections, meaning -- is referring to that very topic you're bringing up. Everybody said there will be free and fair elections. That's what Prime Minister Allawi talked about yesterday.
Q In the whole of the country, right?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's what Prime Minister Allawi talked about yesterday.
[A few other questions get asked and not answered]
...
Q Let me try this one more time. Is the President confident that the people of Iraqi will view the election in January as a legitimate election?
MR. McCLELLAN: Deb, yes. I said -- I don't know how many times I can answer your question. You've asked it five times. You said, does he think that they -- what was your first time, and I said no, and I said he believes there will be free and fair elections. Yes, he believes there will be -- he's confident that there will be free and fair elections. I answered it, like, five times for you.
Q But is a partial election a legitimate election?
Q That's the question.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's not -- no, it will be --
Q That's my question.
MR. McCLELLAN: But that's not what anybody is talking about. They're talking about free and fair elections for the Iraqi people.
Q But three provinces short of a full deck is still three provinces short of a full deck.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, no, you're getting into hypotheticals now. That's not what Prime Minister Allawi said. He said that, already today, that many provinces could hold elections; most of Iraq could hold elections today. He talked about his strategy for continuing to address the other areas where they need to improve the security situation so that there could be free and fair elections for all the Iraqi people.
What we put up with: Q Is the President at all worried -- is he worried at all about the legitimacy of the election that's going to be held in January in Iraq?
MR. MCCLELLAN: You heard from Prime Minister Allawi yesterday, that Prime Minister Allawi talked about how most of the country could hold elections today. There are still some ongoing security challenges that present some real difficulties for the interim government and for our coalition forces. The Prime Minister talked about his -- he came here yesterday to thank America and talk about his strategy for defeating the terrorists and defeating the Saddam loyalists who are trying to derail that transition and trying to stop the election from happening. That's the most -- as the President pointed out yesterday, the most important part of the five-point plan that we're pursuing. There's been steady progress made, but there are difficulties that remain. But Prime Minister Allawi has said he is fully committed to holding free and fair elections by the end of January.
Q That doesn't completely answer the question. The question is, is the President concerned at all about the legitimacy of the results of a January election?
MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, everybody is confident that Iraq will hold free and fair elections by the end of January. The Iraqi people, every step of the way, have risen to the challenges and met the timetables that have been set out for them. With a sovereign government, with the national conference --
Q I'm not asking whether they're going to be held or not -- I'm not asking whether they're going to be held or not.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I said there are going to be free and fair elections, I answered your question.
Q The question is the result --
MR. McCLELLAN: It will be free and fair elections, yes.
Q Is there any question -- is there any question that the President has about the legitimacy of the result of that election?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, he is confident that they will have free and fair elections by the end of January.
Q Scott, what about Don Rumsfeld? Does the President agree with Rumsfeld's assertion that even if you only had elections in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country it would be better than no elections?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think, one, Secretary Rumsfeld talked about that yesterday and he talked about it and he said it's a hypothetical. Today he talked -- continued to talk about the elections and he said that the new government is determined to defeat the terrorists and to hold elections and that every Iraqi deserves the right to vote. And he said that -- something along the lines of how the United States and the coalition and the Iraqi government intend to make sure that those elections are held on time, and that every Iraqi has the right to vote. So he has reiterated what we've all said, which is that everybody is committed to free and fair elections for the Iraqi people.
Q So you don't agree that elections that were in only three-quarters or four-fifths of the country --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's point out what Prime Minister Allawi said yesterday. I believe it was 15 of 18 provinces, he said, could hold elections today. And there continues to be steady progress in places like Najaf, in Kufa, in Samaraa, to bring stability to those areas. And he's working to address those other areas so there can be free and fair elections.
Q But let me try this again, though. Do you agree with Rumsfeld that if it were only in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country it would still be better than no elections at all?
MR. McCLELLAN: He said yesterday he was talking about a hypothetical situation. We're confident that there will be free and fair elections for the Iraqi people. And that goes back to Deb's question --
Q But you're not confident they'll be free, fair and universal?
MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, Secretary Rumsfeld said today that -- talked about how -- the importance of every Iraqi have the right to vote. So --
Q You're saying the right to vote --
Q The question is not --
MR. McCLELLAN: That's a hypothetical, and you know I don't do that.
Q The question is not whether they have the right to vote, Scott, the question is whether they're afraid to go to the polls or not, and if the vote at the end reflects only --
MR. McCLELLAN: That's not the question you asked. The question you asked -- that's not the question you asked. That's why I said that there has been steady progress to address the ongoing security challenges. Najaf now has been addressed. Kufa has been addressed. Samaraa has made -- they've made great progress in Samaraa. Fallujah, and some of the other areas there, in that area, are being addressed, too. Prime Minister Allawi talked about his strategy for addressing the security threats and for reaching out to leaders in those areas to bring about a resolution to the situation. So everybody is talking about the importance of holding free and fair elections, so that all the Iraqis have the right to vote by the end of January.
Q But are all Iraqis going to vote in January?
MR. McCLELLAN: We're confident that there will be free and fair elections. That's what --
Q All Iraqis, everywhere?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's what Secretary Rumsfeld talked about today, as well.
Q No, he's talking about -- it's a difference between a right to vote and the ability to vote. Are you saying --
MR. McCLELLAN: Free and fair elections, meaning -- is referring to that very topic you're bringing up. Everybody said there will be free and fair elections. That's what Prime Minister Allawi talked about yesterday.
Q In the whole of the country, right?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's what Prime Minister Allawi talked about yesterday.
[A few other questions get asked and not answered]
...
Q Let me try this one more time. Is the President confident that the people of Iraqi will view the election in January as a legitimate election?
MR. McCLELLAN: Deb, yes. I said -- I don't know how many times I can answer your question. You've asked it five times. You said, does he think that they -- what was your first time, and I said no, and I said he believes there will be free and fair elections. Yes, he believes there will be -- he's confident that there will be free and fair elections. I answered it, like, five times for you.
Q But is a partial election a legitimate election?
Q That's the question.
MR. McCLELLAN: That's not -- no, it will be --
Q That's my question.
MR. McCLELLAN: But that's not what anybody is talking about. They're talking about free and fair elections for the Iraqi people.
Q But three provinces short of a full deck is still three provinces short of a full deck.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, no, you're getting into hypotheticals now. That's not what Prime Minister Allawi said. He said that, already today, that many provinces could hold elections; most of Iraq could hold elections today. He talked about his strategy for continuing to address the other areas where they need to improve the security situation so that there could be free and fair elections for all the Iraqi people.
posted by Solomon | 8:30 PM
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