(26 Sep 2006)
1. US President George W. Bush and President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai walking together to give speech
2. Cutaway of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President:
"Some people have guessed what's in the report and have concluded that going into Iraq was a mistake; I strongly disagree. I think its naive, I think it's a mistake for people to believe that going on the offence against people that want to do harm to the American people makes us less safe."
4. Cutaway of Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President:
"But once again there is a leak out of our government, coming right down the stretch in this campaign and to, you know, to create confusion in the minds of the American people, in my judgment, is why they leaked it. And so, we're going to, I told the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) to declassify this document. You can read it for yourself. We'll stop all this speculation."
6. Wide of Bush and Karzai at the media conference
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President:
"Mr. President, as I told you in the Oval Office, our country will stand with the free people of Afghanistan. I know there are some in your country who wonder whether or not America has got the will to do the hard work necessary to help you succeed. We have got that will. And we're proud of you as a partner."
8. Various of Bush and Karzai at the media conference
STORYLINE:
US President George W. Bush disputed a national intelligence assessment by his own administration on Tuesday, describing it as "naive" and "a mistake" to think that the war with Iraq had worsened terrorism.
Speaking at a news conference in Washington with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bush said he was declassifying part of the report.
"I think it's a mistake for people to believe that going on the offence against people that want to do harm to the American people makes us less safe," added Bush
He asserted that portions of the classified document that had been leaked were done so for political purposes, referring to the upcoming November 7th midterm congressional elections.
The leaked portions suggest that the threat of terrorism has grown worse since the September 11 terror attacks and the war in Afghanistan, due in part to the war in Iraq.
Democrats have used the report to bolster their criticism of Bush's Iraq policy.
The administration has claimed only part of the report was leaked and does not tell the full story.
So Bush said he ordered parts of the document to be declassified and released to the public to "stop all this speculation."
"But once again there is a leak out of our government, coming right down the stretch in this campaign and to, you know, to create confusion in the minds of the American people, in my judgment, is why they leaked it. And so, we're going to, I told the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) to declassify this document," added Bush.
Both the chairman and the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee have urged the White House to release the material.
Bush said it is "naive" to believe the war in Iraq has made the United States less safe.
He insisted he will do "whatever it takes" to protect the US, and that the best way to do that is to defeat terrorists overseas.
On the US relationship with Afghanistan, Bush told Karzai his people need not wonder if America has the will to help them succeed.
Bush said the US has that will, to which Karzai replied "wonderful."
He says the fight in Afghanistan is part of what he calls "a global struggle".
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