Text 1013, 128 rader
Skriven 2005-05-23 23:33:10 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050523d) for Mon, 2005 May 23
====================================================
===========================================================================
Mrs. Bush's Interview in Egypt by NBC "The Today Show"
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
May 23, 2005

Mrs. Bush's Interview in Egypt by NBC, "The Today Show"
Giza Plateau, Egypt



1:27 P.M. (Local)

MRS. BUSH: Good morning, Katie.

Q I know that you faced some very emotional protestors on Sunday,
demonstrating just how high passions are in the Middle East. Were you
surprised to see how intense people felt? I know there -- reportedly at the
Dome of Rock -- the Dome of the Rock, rather, one protestor said, "You're
not welcome here. Why are you hassling Muslims?" You were met with some
pretty strong words. Were you surprised?

MRS. BUSH: Yes, but there were only -- I mean, I wouldn't say I was really
surprised. These are places of very high emotion. But there was only one or
two protestors, not a lot of protestors by any means. I was with the man
who is in charge of the Dome of the Rock, who gave the tour to me, who was
very welcoming, as were most of the people that were around.

As you know, this is a place of very high tension. The Western Wall, the
Dome of the Rock, later I met with Palestinian women -- first I had met
with some Israeli women -- and both of them, both groups said that what
they want is peace; they want to be able to live there in peace and they
want the United States to be a part of the peace process.

Q I know one of the purposes of your visit is to help quell anti-American
sentiment. You've had many discussions with many women over there -- women
and men, I'm assuming. Have you learned about why the anti-American
sentiment seems to be so strong in that part of the world?

MRS. BUSH: Well, of course, I think what's going on in Iraq, those things
lead to that. But I will say to you nearly every one of these countries
when I've visited are very dependent on the United States. They want the
friendship of the United States. They want us to be involved in whatever
way we can to help them. Each of them -- in Jordan, when I was in Jordan,
when I said earlier the people -- the Palestinian women that I met with,
the Israeli women that I met with want the United States to be involved.
And we are an example. And that's why the photographs that have come out
are so particularly damaging, because we're held to a higher standard than
other countries because of our history of democracy.

But when we look at our own history, we know that we, of course, have never
done everything right. We started off with a perfect document, but didn't
abolish slavery until almost a hundred years later; women didn't get the
right to vote until less than a hundred years ago in the United States. So
we know that we're held to a higher standard and that makes us have to work
harder, I think, to make sure that the various images we've seen in the
newspaper are the exception -- which we know they are the exception. We
know that our troops are serving with great distinction in the Middle East
and that both the Iraqis and the Afghanis want our troops to stay there as
they try to build their democracies.

Q And Mrs. Bush, when you talk about the photographs, are you referring to
the photographs from Abu Ghraib, or are you referring to the photographs
that were recently released of Saddam Hussein? Which ones in particular, or
the Newsweek item?

MRS. BUSH: Well, both. I mean either one of those, any of those I think are
damaging to our country -- all of those.

Q In your view, is the administration holding the people who are doing
these things -- and perhaps they are in the minority, as you say -- but do
you think they're being held sufficiently accountable?

MRS. BUSH: Yes, I do. There is investigations going on, the people are
being held accountable. And it's not "perhaps" in the minority, we know
it's very, very few people, a handful of people. And we know that overall
our troops are serving with distinction; they're very helpful to the people
where they are; they're building schools, they're refurbishing schools;
they're drilling well water so that villages have clean water; they're
helping both Afghanistan and Iraq as they build their countries; they're
training troops in Iraq and policemen there.

So the sad news is that the coverage is so extreme of a handful of really,
really bad cases. And the American people are sick about it. They don't
want people around the world to have the image of Americans like that,
because that's not the way Americans really are and it's certainly not the
way our troops overall serve anywhere around the world.

Q And as you say, U.S. soldiers unfortunately because this is so incendiary
have to be -- are sometimes -- not "have to be," but are sometimes held to
a higher standard.

MRS. BUSH: That's right. I think Americans are held to a higher standard.
You know, we really are, and we should know that. I think we do know that.
And as we try to promote democracy and human rights and women's rights
around the world, we have to look at ourselves, as well, and to make sure
that we're living what we're saying.

Q Seeing you in Egypt makes me think about when your husband was first
elected, you weren't very comfortable in the political spotlight -- and now
you find yourself in the Middle East campaigning for women's rights, among
other things. Are you surprised you're finding yourself in this position?
And are you enjoying it, or is it difficult?

MRS. BUSH: No, I am enjoying it. I really am enjoying it. I mean, can you
imagine being in a more beautiful site than I am right now? And later on
this afternoon, late this afternoon we're going to tour the Pyramids that
are behind me. You know, each one of these things -- to be able to go to
the Western Wall, to the Dome of the Rock, to the beautiful church at Abu
Gosh, where I was this morning, these are very, very moving and emotional
and important world sites. And we want there to be a peace here in the
Middle East so that Christians and Muslims and Jews can all be here and can
all come to these very important sites in peace with each other.

Q First Lady Laura Bush. Mrs. Bush, again, thanks so much for your time and
safe travels home.

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, Katie.

END 1:36 P.M. (Local)

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050523-13.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)