White House Gaggle

By Scott McClellan
THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
(Van Buren, Arkansas)
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 11, 2004



PRESS GAGGLE WITH
SCOTT McCLELLAN

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Fort Smith, Arkansas

11:57 A.M. EDT

MR. McCLELLAN: Good morning. The President had his usual briefings
before we departed. Upon arrival, the Freedom Corps greeter will be Alyse
Eady, 16 year old who tutors at the Jeffrey Boys and Girls Club in Fort
Smith. She tutors six to nine year olds in reading and math.

And then the President will go to -- the President will go to
Butterfield Junior High School. It's seventh through ninth grades. And
Butterfield has achieved annual yearly progress under the No Child Left
Behind Act. The President will make remarks on the No Child Left Behind
Act. We've got a fact sheet for you. We'll give it to you momentarily, so
you have that fact sheet. Then we return back to the White House following
that event.

And I'll go straight to questions.

Q Anything back at the White House tonight?

MR. McCLELLAN: He's got some briefings when he gets back, policy
briefings.

Q Syria is what I'm asking about, Syria sanctions. When do you
expect those to happen?

MR. McCLELLAN: Very soon. We will keep you posted on any
announcement regarding the Syria Accountability Act. But I expect --

Q Do you think that might happen before we get back to the White
House?
MR. McCLELLAN: We'll get it to you --

Q That would be nice.

MR. McCLELLAN: We'll get it to you soon.

Q Any decision on the release of the prisoner photos, the new
photos?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think you should get information from the
Pentagon, in terms of what arrangements they are working on with members of
Congress to see those images. Again, the Pentagon has been looking at the
issues I mentioned yesterday. We've remained in close contact with the
Pentagon. They have to take into account issues related to the ongoing
criminal investigations and issues related to privacy concerns.

Q So the President is not going to be involved in that decision?

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, we are in close contact with the
Pentagon on these issues. The President appreciates the considerations
that the military has to take into account. No one wants to do anything
that would compromise ongoing criminal investigations. It's important that
we hold people responsible to account.

Q But is there also a need to put these things out, instead of
having them dribble out between now and the election?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that, one, you're seeing some ongoing
testimony before members of Congress. Congress has an important oversight
role to play. It's important that Congress be kept informed of these
issues. And they're having some public testimony continuing on these
matters. But the President has made it very clear that in terms of the
process moving forward, he wants it to be an open and transparent process,
so that the world knows that when allegations like this come to our -- come
to light, that America acts swiftly to bring people to justice who are
responsible for these shameful acts and move swiftly to take steps to
prevent something like this from happening again.

Q Some of the lawyers for Ms. England have said that they feel
that the President has hurt their case by saying that these soldiers will
be held accountable, et cetera, some of the comments that he's made, and
that he was out of order in making those comments. What do you think about
that?

MR. McCLELLAN: We can't comment on any individual cases. I think
the President has made his views known, that those who are responsible
should be held accountable for these shameful acts. But I can't get into
commenting on any specific cases.

Q Scott, the ICRC says that they briefed Condi Rice, among
others, in February, about some of the specific abuses we're now seeing
come to light. Is that accurate, by what you guys have seen?

MR. McCLELLAN: Actually, I think that what you're referring to is
some articles that were addressed today by Sean, where they said that they
had briefed here in January. The briefing she had in January was related
to detainees at Guantanamo Bay. That's what that was related to.

Q They said that in February there was a briefing about specific
things they had found in Iraq: hooded soldiers, people left is cells for
days, naked. Rice didn't get that kind of briefing from the ICRC?

MR. McCLELLAN: She met with some individuals in January, and again,
as Sean pointed out in some of the reports today, that briefing was focused
on Guantanamo Bay.

Q So Rice and other top administration officials --

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know anything about a February meeting. I'll
be glad to look into it.

Q Has the President been monitoring General Taguba's appearance
before the Senate Armed Services Committee today? And following up, has he
looked at the report, which is pretty much everywhere?

MR. McCLELLAN: The Taguba report -- as I mentioned last week, he was
briefed on the Taguba report -- I believe it was last week -- by his
National Security Advisor. In terms of the testimony that's going on now,
he has been briefed on some of the testimony that's going on, as we speak,
and he has watched some of it on television. We had it on in the
conference room, some of the staff was watching it, and he caught some of
it in there.

Q What was his reaction? Did he have a reaction so far that --

MR. McCLELLAN: The testimony is ongoing right now. I'll be glad to
answer your questions once they've completed their testimony. I think for
now, let's let the testimony continue.

Q Does the President consider it helpful that these publicized,
televised hearings about what was going on at Abu Ghraib is underway?

MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely. It's important to having an open and
transparent process moving forward. There are several investigations going
on. General Taguba's investigation was undertaken at the direction of
General Sanchez, if you will recall. And that's part of the -- part of the
series of investigations that are ongoing at this point. And so the
President believes it's important to keep Congress informed about these
investigations. And Congress -- I think the military recognizes the
important role the Congress has to play in these efforts, as well.

Q Did you catch any of his reaction today as he glanced at the
testimony?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he's been briefed on some of it. And, again,
the testimony's ongoing, so I think it's premature to get into reactions at
this point.

Q Is there any difference between the Vice President's reaction
to the photos we've seen --

MR. McCLELLAN: I would point out that he appreciates those military
officials going before Congress and sharing information with members of
Congress about what -- what they know.

Q Is there any difference you know of between the Vice
President's reaction to this -- to these photos in the Iraqi abuse case,
and the President's? All we've heard from the Vice President is that
people should get off Don Rumsfeld's back.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think the President and the Vice President have
expressed similar views strongly supporting Secretary Rumsfeld, who has
served very ably during times -- during times of war.

Q My question's about the President's deep revulsion to the
photos and the abuses. We haven't heard anything from --

MR. McCLELLAN: Look, you can talk to the Vice President's office,
but I am sure he --

Q They were not returning calls --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- I am sure he shares the President's sentiments and
the sentiments -- these are sentiments that the American people share, as
well.

Q Was the Vice President talking about --

MR. McCLELLAN: Because they do not represent our United States
military and the more than 200,000 people who have served very honorably in
Iraq.

Q Do you think the Vice President will do the Rush Limbaugh show
again, given his almost embrace of these photos?

MR. McCLELLAN: You can ask the -- ask those questions to the Vice
President's office. They have a -- they have a press office.

Q They're not -- they're not returning calls about this matter.
Is there a reason for that, that you know of?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think you can talk -- they talked to reporters over
the weekend about some of the Vice President's views.

Q About Rumsfeld, but not about this specific incident and any
revulsion to it, or --

MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't heard anything about that, but you're
welcome to call them.

Q On the No Child Left Behind Act, the Democrats are inevitably
going to say that you're not fully funding it. What do you say to that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Actually, the President is going to be talking about
that some in his remarks today. One of the things he'll be highlighting in
the fact sheet is -- it's in the fact sheet, as well -- is that with
passage of the fiscal year 2005 budget proposal, we would -- it would
represent a 49 percent increase for elementary and secondary education
since fiscal year 2001.

Not only are we providing historic levels of funding, but, more
importantly, we're insisting on results for that funding. We're giving --
we're giving local school districts unprecedented flexibility to implement
these reforms. These are historic reforms that say every child can learn
and succeed. And so it's important that we not only provide funding, which
we are, at historic levels, but that we insist on accountability and
results for that funding.

Q Thank you.

MR. McCLELLAN: Thank you.

Ask your question.

Q Any read on the Vice President's checkup this morning at George
Washington?

MR. McCLELLAN: It's my understanding he -- it was a very good report
that he received from his -- from the routine checkup he participated in
earlier this morning.

Q Any untoward episodes recorded?

MR. McCLELLAN: You can talk to the Vice President's office about
more specifics. My understanding is he received a very good report from
this routine check up.

Thank you.

END 12:07 P.M. EDT