The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2010

Statement by the Vice President on New Recovery Act Recipient Reports

Later today, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board will post on Recovery.gov quarterly reports required from some recipients of Recovery Act funding.  The recipient reports provide more detailed information about a portion of Recovery Act activity during the second quarter of 2010.  The Vice President issued the following statement:

“Preliminary totals provided to my office provide encouraging news about the Recovery Act recipient reports.  These reports will show over 750,000 jobs were directly funded by the Recovery Act in the most recent quarter – the highest total so far.   This record number reflects the early impact of our surge in projects across the country as part of “Recovery Summer.”

“Given that these 750,000 jobs were funded by just 17 percent of funds paid out so far – or about $80 billion, today’s reports are another indication that the Recovery Act is on-track to create or save 3.5 million jobs overall by the end of this year.   They reinforce a similar finding reported this week by independent economists Mark Zandi and Alan Blinder.

“Because these reports provide real-time data directly from the recipients themselves, they are not perfect or complete.  But, in keeping with our unprecedented commitment to transparency and accountability, the reports provide the American people with a never-before-seen look at how their taxpayer dollars are being put to work creating jobs in their community.”

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 28, 2010

Remarks of Vice President Biden at the Welcome Home Ceremony for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Iraq

Welcome Home Ceremony for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Iraq
Fort Drum, New York
Wednesday, July 28, 2010

As Prepared for Delivery—

Good afternoon and thank you all for coming. It is an honor to be back up here in the North Country, with some the Army’s finest soldiers and your outstanding leaders, Major General Terry and Sergeant Major Greca.

I want to thank my wife, Dr. Jill Biden, for introducing me today, and for all of the work she is doing on behalf of military families like yours, who are heroes in every sense of the word.

Many of you recently returned from Iraq. Before I go any further, let me just say, on behalf of the American people you have served so courageously: Welcome home! You are the best of us, the best America has. We honor you and we thank you. Welcome home.

Jill and I understand how your families must feel at a time like this. The day that our son Beau came back from a yearlong tour in Baghdad was one of the proudest of our lives.

While he was gone, we came to appreciate what the poet John Milton meant when he said: “they also serve who only stand and wait.”

Some of you are still waiting. Our troops in harm’s way—including about 900 members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team due home from Iraq in the coming days—remain, as ever, in our thoughts and prayers.

This is Fort Drum’s 25th year as home to the 10th Mountain Division.

As you know, your Division’s proud history goes back much farther. Formed at the height of World War Two, the 10th Mountain is the largest unit in the Army focused on fighting in harsh terrain, a mission epitomized by the motto: “climb to glory.” 

Your predecessors helped defeat the German Army along the snowy peaks and riverbeds of the Italian Alps.

One of them, Pfc. John D. Magrath, won a Medal of Honor for taking out three machine gun nests and several other positions before he was struck down.

Another was a young platoon leader severely wounded by enemy fire, who went on to become a great United States Senator: my friend and longtime colleague Bob Dole.

Since that time, the 10th Mountain has earned a reputation as one of the army’s most frequently deployed units, with tours in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo, and almost everywhere in between.

And today’s warriors are worthy successors to that proud legacy. Our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan—and the demands we have placed on our soldiers and their families—are unlike any that came before.

Soldiers like Jared Monti —who died while trying to rescue a wounded comrade in Afghanistan, and was later awarded the Medal of Honor—have taken their place alongside heroes who came before.

And the unforgiving battlefields where you’ve fought and bled—from the Afghan Hindu Kush to Iraq’s Triangle of Death—are as much a part of Division lore as Riva Ridge and the Po River Valley.

More than seven years ago, our military was given a mission in Iraq as complex and challenging as any it has ever attempted.

A warzone with no safe havens and no front lines. An invisible threat from explosives that turned highways into death traps. And an enemy that used suicide as a devastating weapon, requiring split-second decisions that could save soldiers’ lives or cause the death of innocents.

More than one million American service members have deployed in support of that effort.

You and your colleagues persevered and succeeded. With your help, Iraq’s leaders and security forces persevered and succeeded. And therefore those who sought to make chaos and destruction a hallmark of the new Iraq have failed.

I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. One month from now, as President Obama pledged, America’s combat mission in Iraq will end.

By August 31, from more than 145,000 troops on the ground when this Administration took office, 50,000 will remain.

Our remaining troops will focus on advising and assisting Iraqi forces, on counter-terrorism in partnership with their Iraqi colleagues, and on protecting our civilian and military personnel and facilities.

By the end of 2011, all of America’s forces will leave Iraq, and its security will be wholly in the hands of its government and its people.

I have visited Iraq many times, including four trips as Vice President, most recently for the July 4 holiday, when Jill came with me. I have seen firsthand what you have sacrificed and what you have accomplished.

You and your families have endured multiple deployments—four to Iraq and three to Afghanistan for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team alone. You have felt the strain of missing anniversaries and holidays, and even the arrival of a newborn child.

You have enabled the Iraqi people to replace a tyrant with a new constitution, a new parliament, and two national elections conducted freely, fairly, and, by-and-large, safely.

And perhaps most important, you have prepared Iraq’s security forces to safeguard their future as a sovereign, stable and self-reliant country. Now it is up to them.

All of this is critical to American interests, because a stable Iraq is important for stability in the Middle East, and because Iraq will be a valuable ally in this vitally important region for years to come.

The soldiers in this audience don’t need me to tell them how important it is for Iraq to be able to stand on its own.

As you recall, for this recent deployment, your commanders wisely defined success as enabling Iraq’s transition to autonomy.

They knew that unlike in other wars, winning would not be marked by a four-star general receiving the enemy’s surrender, but by an Iraqi jundi leading a combat patrol, and rival political factions settling their differences at the ballot box.

With that vision in mind, over the past nine months, you helped safeguard an election; transferred 13 bases to Iraqi forces; and established two new training academies that graduated more than 500 police and soldiers.

And you have now been sent home three months early, having achieved every one of your goals.

Iraqi forces now run those academies you built. After learning from—and fighting alongside—the world’s greatest military, they are in the lead. Thanks to you, they are ready to do the job long after we’re gone.

Earlier this year, an operation that Iraqis led, based on intelligence they developed, resulted in the death of the top two leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq. And over a three-month period, 32 of the top 42 al Qaeda commanders were killed or captured.

That is a major part of why Iraq is a far safer and more secure country, with violence at its lowest level in years.

Anyone who last spent time in Iraq in 2006 or 2007, would hardly recognize it. Back then, the country veered towards civil war; mass casualty bombings were daily events; and the Baghdad morgue was overwhelmed by the bodies of those executed only for their faith or ethnicity.

Although Al Qaeda and other extremists continue their efforts to disrupt Iraq’s progress, they have been unsuccessful.

Today, in an Iraq once mired in sectarian conflict, politics has broken out. Party leaders are engaged in the difficult but essential process of forming a government, not by violence and intimidation, but through negotiation.

And while challenges remain, the Iraqi people have overwhelmingly rejected the ugly face of Al Qaeda and the other violent extremists who have sought to tear their country apart.

Iraqis had to take that step themselves, and they have. But you made it possible. You gave them that chance—the chance to freely choose their own government, the chance to choose peace over violence.

Now their political leaders must fulfill their responsibility and get on with the business of governing.

As we gather today, nearly 80,000 troops have come home since 2009, including 2,700 members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team in recent weeks. We’ve moved countless tons of vehicles and equipment. Thousands of square miles of terrain and many dozens of military bases have been handed over.

This epic movement of manpower and machinery may not get the attention it deserves. But the fact that it has gone so smoothly is itself a remarkable achievement, confirming once again the old maxim that amateurs talk tactics and professionals talk logistics.

At the same time, there is another transition taking place. Rather than disengaging from Iraq, we will shift the focus to a civilian-led effort to transfer the skills and expertise that will enable Iraqis to unleash their country's great potential. 

We will pursue close cooperation in diplomacy and commerce and help Iraq reestablish its rightful role in the region and the broader community of nations.

Meanwhile, we will continue the important work of facilitating the return and reintegration of displaced Iraqis who choose to go home, while protecting those who remain in danger, a priority for us and for the international community.

President Obama began preparing for these changes before he took office.

As a candidate he vowed to responsibly end the war he would inherit. After the election, but before Inauguration Day, he sent me to Iraq and Afghanistan to assess the situations on the ground.

On his first full day on the job, he ordered a comprehensive review of our strategy in Iraq. And a month later, at Camp Lejeune, he described how we would move forward.

We have followed that plan every step of the way, and we will continue to follow it until our last troop comes home next year.

You have paid a heavy price for our success.

Each of you in this audience knows exactly what I am talking about. Before your most recent deployment, your buddy, Specialist Robert Riekhoff, re-enlisted and returned to Iraq for his third tour.

Known to most of you, and to his family, as “Bubba,” he emailed his mother almost every day he was gone, just to let her know he was okay. On March 18, no email came. While he was on guard duty in a watchtower that morning, insurgents attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. He left behind his young son Tyler, and daughter Katrina.

The most sacred obligation this government has is provide for those we send into harm’s way, and to care for the families of those who don’t return. We owe you.

That is why President Obama insisted we support the family members serving as caregivers for wounded warriors when they come home. It’s why we launched a post-9-11 G.I. Bill for military veterans that will also benefit their spouses and their children. And it is why, while we can never compensate you enough for all you have done, we increased pay for active duty service members. 

Jill and First Lady Michelle Obama are spearheading an unprecedented government-wide initiative to support military families and take every opportunity to remind our citizens of the sacrifices a small percentage of them making on behalf of us all.

Jill and I try to do our small part by hosting veterans at Thanksgiving, and spending Christmas Day at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with some of those engaged in a new and incredibly difficult fight simply to return to normal life.
 
But there is little comfort we can give to the families of the fallen angels who make their final trip home to Dover Air Force Base in my home state of Delaware. They have paid a price few of their fellow citizens can fathom.    

Ladies and gentlemen, we are at the dawn of a new era in Iraq. Our combat mission is nearly complete. As President Obama vowed at Camp Lejeune:

“[W]e will leave the Iraqi people with a hard-earned opportunity to live a better life – that is your achievement; that is the prospect that you have made possible.”

Iraqis from Basra to Erbil have also made great sacrifices to reach this moment. God-willing, and with your help, the worst of their struggles are now behind them. And it is now up to their political leaders to match the courage their citizens have shown and deserve to see in return.

The final chapters of our Iraq endeavor remain unwritten. But there is one thing we know already: the Americans that went to war in Iraq served their country as well as any generation of fighting men and women in our remarkable history.

You have climbed to glory and returned to a proud and grateful nation. Welcome home Second Brigade Combat Team. God Bless America. And God Bless all of our troops.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 22, 2010

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call to Iraqi Leaders

The Vice President spoke by phone today with Prime Minister and State of Law leader Nouri al-Maliki and with former Prime Minister and Iraqiyya leader Dr. Ayad Allawi to discuss recent developments in Iraq.  The Vice President reiterated his call for an inclusive government, noting that the United States expects all four winning Iraqi coalitions to play a meaningful role in the process of government formation and in the new government.  He expressed support for the Iraqi leaders’ efforts to form, without delay, a government that can work on behalf of the Iraqi people. The Vice President underlined the United States’ commitment to a long-term relationship with Iraq.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 22, 2010

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call to President Boris Tadic of Serbia

Vice President Biden called Serbian President Tadic today as part of the Administration’s ongoing efforts to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Europe.  The two leaders discussed the upcoming issuance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo’s declaration of independence.  The Vice President affirmed the United States’ full support for a democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo, and he reiterated the United States’ unwavering commitment to Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  He urged the Serbian government to work constructively to resolve practical issues with Kosovo to improve the lives of the people of Kosovo, Serbia, and of the region. 

The Vice President affirmed the strong and deep ties between the United States and Serbia, and he praised the bilateral cooperation between our two countries on a wide range of issues.  He commended President Tadic and the Serbian government’s actions to improve and strengthen Serbia’s relations with Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The Vice President also warmly welcomed Serbia’s ongoing commitment to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 21, 2010

Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci of Kosovo

The Vice President met today with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci as part of the Administration’s frequent consultations with our European partners on our shared agenda; among other issues, the two leaders discussed the upcoming issuance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The Vice President reaffirmed the United States’ full support for an independent, democratic, whole, and multi-ethnic Kosovo whose future lies firmly within European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. The Vice President also reiterated the United States’ firm support for Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Vice President Biden welcomed the progress that Kosovo’s government has made in carrying out essential reforms, including steps to strengthen the rule of law and successfully integrate minority communities, and he underscored the need to sustain these efforts. The Vice President commended Prime Minister Thaci for reaffirming Kosovo’s willingness to work with all of its neighbors, including Serbia, to advance stability, freedom, and prosperity for the entire region.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 20, 2010

Vice President Biden to Travel to Alabama on Thursday

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On Thursday, July 22, Vice President Biden will return to the Gulf Coast region. The Vice President will visit Theodore, Alabama, to assess efforts to counter the BP oil spill and visit with Gulf residents affected by the spill. Additional details and media logistics are forthcoming.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 20, 2010

Vice President Biden Holds Middle Class Task Force Event on Work and Family

Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force Releases Recommendations;

White House Council on Women and Girls Launches Work-Flex Event Starter Kit

WASHINGTON – Today, Vice President Joe Biden held a Middle Class Task Force event on solutions for families balancing the dual demands of work and caring for family.  The Vice President and members of the White House Middle Class Task Force and Council on Women and Girls announced recommendations from the Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force and discussed the Administration’s ongoing commitment to improving work-family balance for all Americans.

Chair of the White House Middle Class Task Force, Vice President Biden said: “Women make up nearly half of all workers on U.S. payrolls, and two-thirds of families with children are headed either by two working parents or by a single parent who works. Yet, the workplace has, for the most part, not changed to reflect these realities – and it must.  Closing the gender pay gap, helping parents keep their jobs while balancing family responsibilities, and increasing workplace flexibility – these are not only women’s issues, they are issues of middle class economic security.”

To implement President Obama’s pledge in the State of the Union address to crack down on violations of equal pay laws, the Administration created the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, bringing together the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), the Department of Labor (“DOL”), and the Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”). 

Although a number of laws exist to address equal pay enforcement, the Task Force has identified five persistent challenges in this area, made recommendations to address each challenge, and developed an action plan to implement those recommendations.  The recommendations from the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force are as follows:

1.      Improve interagency coordination and enforcement efforts to maximize effectiveness of existing authorities. 
2.      Collect data on the private workforce to better understand the scope of the pay gap and target enforcement efforts. 
3.      Undertake a public education campaign to educate employers on their obligations and employees on their rights. 
4.      Implement a strategy to improve the federal government’s role as a model employer.
5.      Work with Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
To read more about this set of recommendations and action plan, please click here. 

The White House Council on Women and Girls also announced the White House’s launch of a Work-Flex Event Starter Kit to encourage greater dialogue around workplace flexibility at the community level and bring people together to start making changes. Employees, businesses, and universities are encouraged to use the Event Starter Kit to host a discussion in their own community about how innovative workplace flexibility policies can help employees balance work and family responsibilities, while simultaneously improving employers’ bottom lines.  To view the White House’s Work-Flex Event Starter Kit, please click here. 

At the event, the Vice President was joined by Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, and Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Jacqueline Berrien.  Lilly Ledbetter, the namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act signed by President Obama to fight pay discrimination and ensure fundamental fairness to American workers, introduced the Vice President.

The Department of Justice:  Attorney General Eric Holder pledged that the Department of Justice and other enforcement agencies will coordinate and collaborate through investigations, litigation, policy guidance, data analysis, and public education efforts to make meaningful progress in closing the wage gap.  Already, the Justice Department, in conjunction with the EEOC and four of its district offices, has launched a robust and intensive pilot program to coordinate the investigation and litigation of charges against state and local government employers.  The Department is also coordinating with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to better enforce the laws that protect the civil rights of employees of federal contractors.  The Attorney General recommitted the Department of Justice to these critical efforts and to ensuring equal opportunity and equal treatment in the workplace. For more information, please visit:  http://www.justice.gov/.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:  The EEOC committed to engage in increased outreach and education to improve awareness of wage discrimination laws; evaluate wage data collection needs and current capabilities, working in concert with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to avoid duplicative data collection efforts; work with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to improve the federal government’s status as a model employer; and work with the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice to improve interagency coordination toward enforcement of our nation’s wage discrimination laws.  For more information, please visit:  http://www.eeoc.gov/. 

The Department of Labor:  Through a collaborative effort between the Departments of Labor, Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Administration will ensure strategic enforcement of pay discrimination cases. In addition to hiring nearly 200 more enforcement staff, DOL will publish an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking early next year.  The ANPRM will seek input from stakeholders on how the Equal Opportunity survey can be improved.  The Labor Department will also launch new public education efforts, including an Equal Pay Checklist, a revamping of the Equal Pay Employer Self-Audit tool, and hosting an Equal Pay Research Summit.

To address issues related to work/family balance, the Labor Department will conduct a new Family and Medical Leave Act survey in 2011.  The survey will provide needed insights into how families use leave. In addition to baseline data collection, the survey will also provide information on regulatory changes including a recent administrative interpretation of the FMLA. In 2011, DOL intends to sponsor a supplement to the American Time Use Survey.  The data collection will be designed to gather more information on parental leave, child care responsibilities, family leave insurance program usage, and other issues related to the intersection of work and family responsibilities.  Building on the White House’s Flexibility Forum, the Department will also host a series of “National Dialogue on Workplace Flexibility” forums across the country.  For more information about the U.S. Labor Department’s pay equity and workplace flexibility initiatives, please visit:  http://www.dol.gov/.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 15, 2010

Vice President Biden Hosts Conference Call with Mayors and County Officials to Discuss Recovery Act Implementation

Earlier today, the Vice President hosted a conference call with Mayors and county officials from across the country to discuss implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The following elected officials participated:

• Mayor Mike Bell (I-Toledo, OH)
• Mayor Richard J. Berry (R-Albuquerque, NM)
• Mayor Nicholas M. Mavodones, Jr. (D-Portland, ME)
• Mayor Mike McGinn (D-Seattle, WA)
• County Supervisor Valerie Brown (D- Sonoma County, CA)
• County Executive Edward P. Mangano (R-Nassau County, NY)
 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 05, 2010

Background Briefing on the Vice President's Trip to Iraq

New Embassy Compound, Baghdad, Iraq

8:29 P.M. (Local)

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you guys for hanging with us today.  It was a long day of celebration and business for the Vice President.  And as you know, we had a fantastic ceremony, the naturalization ceremony, and then a couple of important meetings today.  And once again, we’re senior administration officials.  I don’t see the AP reporter but I’ll pretend she’s here --   

Q    There’s a different one.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Oh, I’m sorry.  I know you guys register your usual thing, and I understand, but we’re going to keep this on background, okay?

Q    Okay.  Just consider it registered.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I understand.  I understand.  I do appreciate it.

So with that, I’ll turn it over to my colleague, senior administration official number one.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’m number one?  Okay.  Well, thanks for gathering here, and apologies to anyone whose dinner we interrupted.  We managed to do a five-minute speed buffet at the ambassador’s residence, so we’re feeling charged up.

Let me just describe briefly the meetings that the Vice President had today, first with the head of the Iraqiyya coalition, Mr. Allawi, and then subsequently with Prime Minister Maliki.

I’m happy to also take any questions about what happened earlier, the naturalization ceremony, his meeting with the commanders, and then lunch at the DFAC with troops that I think you all saw most of that.  But I’m happy to entertain questions about that.

In the meetings with both Mr. Allawi and Prime Minister Maliki, the Vice President really made very, very similar points.  And I think the two main ones were this:  First, to both of them, he reaffirmed our commitment to a long-term partnership with Iraq.  He made it very clear that while, as you all are witnessing, we are drawing down our military operation, we’re ending the combat mission August 31st, we’ll be down to 50,000 troops.  We’re not disengaging from Iraq.  The nature of our engagement is changing.  We’re moving from a military lead to a civilian lead.  And, in fact, as we draw down the military force, we’re ramping up our diplomatic, political and economic engagement.  And we’re working hard to bring to life the strategic framework agreement signed between our governments.

And so in both meetings, the Vice President reaffirmed that commitment.  And I think that’s something that was appreciated by both Mr. Allawi and Prime Minister Maliki.

Second, he asked them for their assessment of the status of government formation, where things were going and how they saw it.  And I don’t want to characterize the responses of either of them; that wouldn’t be appropriate.  But let me just say what the Vice President said to them about government formation.

He made it very clear that we have no candidates, we have no preferred outcomes, we have no plan.  We only have really three interests, and he expressed the same interests to both of them.  One, we believe that there should be no outside interference in the process of forming a new government in Iraq.  That goes for us, and it goes for all of Iraq’s neighbors.  Second, he expressed his conviction that the Iraqi people would like to see an inclusive government and so would we, because that is the path to stability and progress in Iraq; it’s the path to being able to resolve outstanding differences that the new government will have to contend with. 

And third, he expressed the hope that whatever the new government is, the ministries are put in the hands of people who will be effective and competent managers because, again, that’s what the Iraqi people are looking for, and also, that’s the interface with the United States in bringing the strategic framework agreement to life.

And so the effectiveness and competence of the ministries is something that’s important.  But there was no discussion of individuals.  There was no discussion of who gets what job.  There was, again, no discussion of any American plan for Iraq because there isn’t one.  And mostly the Vice President listened to both of them talk about how they saw this process moving forward.

And that was really the heart of the discussion.  The Vice President did spend some time one on one with both Mr. Allawi and Prime Minister Maliki, and we actually have not gotten a readout of those conversations, although I would say I suspect that even if we had a readout there’s not much that we would be able to convey because they were private conversations.

But let me leave it at that and then try and entertain any questions.

Q    I understand the message -- we all understand the message that there is no American plan and that we want to be helpful and we’re not dictating outcomes here.  But his meeting with Maliki was so extended.  So can you give us more of the flavor?  Was there some push there to overcome certain -- some of the residual problems?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I got a very, very, very brief readout from that.  I really didn’t get any kind of detailed readout.  And all I can tell you is, he, the Vice President, is not pushing anything.  He was in listening mode.  He was trying to learn from the Iraqis how they saw this playing out.

It’s -- all I’ll say is it’s a very -- putting this government together, coming to an agreement, is like that old Rubik’s Cube game, and aligning all the sides is difficult, but it’s up to the Iraqis to do it, and what he was trying to understand from them is how they might see aligning the sides.  And I’m not going to describe what we heard from them; it’s only appropriate for them to comment.  And he was not telling them in the least how to do it.  He was really listening, and that’s -- that was the extent of it.  But as I say, I also didn’t get a detailed readout.

Q    Is there anything to read out from the VP’s afternoon meeting, that he’s confident that this -- that the government formation could be expedited before August as some officials --

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  We didn’t talk about any particular time frame.  I think what he said yesterday very much holds after these meetings, which is that he’s confident the Iraqis will get the job done.

When, we don’t know.  But this confidence is borne out of experience, and that’s the experience of the last year and a half.  In the last year and a half, there has been what was described as crisis after crisis, and yet, in each instance, the Iraqis were able to see their way through and see their way forward.  There was first the question of the Kurds holding a referendum on their constitution, which people predicted would lead to disaster; the referendum didn’t happen.  Then there was the question of the election law and the stalemate that set in, and people said the election was never going to happen but the Iraqis worked through that.  Then there was the de-Baathification crisis.  And again, everyone was predicting gloom and doom and the sky is falling; it didn’t happen.  The Iraqis worked through that.

We were helpful.  We listened.  When they asked for advice we gave it.  But they worked through each of these problems.  And then after the election there was the whole question of actually getting to the point of certifying the election and convening the Council of Representatives.  And again, there were lots of predictions of an eternal stalemate, and again, the Iraqis worked through it.

So based on that experience, as well as the conversations that he had, I think the confidence the Vice President expressed in the Iraqis moving forward with a government holds.  But I can’t give you a time frame on that.

Q    Does he have any reaction to the suicide attack in Ramadi and the violence in Mosul today?  Was that of any unusual concern?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  We’ve seen two things, I think, in recent months.  And I discussed this at length with the Vice President, with Ambassador Hill, with General Odierno and others.  You have seen, tragically, these spectacular attacks that take place and that kill people and do damage.  But what you’re also seeing is when you look at the picture of the overall level of violence in this country and violent attacks, it has been at a historic low for the past year, and it’s stayed down.

So that’s the larger picture.  And the other important picture is that in recent months, with the Iraqi security forces in the lead, working off of intelligence that they developed, the senior leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq has been killed or captured. 

And so what we’re seeing, we think, in most cases, are efforts by al Qaeda in Iraq to show that it’s still alive and still kicking but its abilities have been vastly diminished.  And maybe the most important point of all is this:  To the extent that the objective of these violent attacks is to sow sectarian violence or to undermine confidence in the government or in the government formation process, they clearly have not succeeded.  The sectarian fuse has not been relit.  People continue to have confidence in the basic abilities of the government to deliver.  There have been obviously some questions about services with electricity, but basically we haven’t seen the kind of dangerous vacuum that many people predicted develop.

So I think that’s the big -- these attacks take place in that much larger context.

Q    Was there any indication or did the Vice President get any indication that either Dr. Allawi or the Prime Minister were willing to give up their right to be the Prime Minister or that they were ready to compromise on that, or put forward another candidate?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Again, I really can’t comment on any things the Iraqis said.  You’d have to go to them.  And again, he was in listening mode about how they saw this process playing out.  But I really can’t comment on what they said.

Q    Did the Iraqis ask for intervention from the U.S.?  I mean, I think for that minute that we were in we heard that -- Allawi at that point was saying United States is capable of siding with its friends.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I didn’t hear that comment so I’m not sure what that was in reference to.

Q    But did they ask for intervention --

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Again, I can’t comment on what they said or what they did or didn’t ask for.  I would ask them for their -- for what they said in the meetings.

Q    I mean, in general, can you say they were satisfied with the level of U.S. involvement in this process, they wanted more, or they wanted less?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Again, I think what we heard -- and I don’t want to characterize their views.  I think I can say that, generally speaking, we’ve heard from the Iraqis that we’ve been talking to that there’s a strong desire for the United States across the board to remain engaged in Iraq and to build up the partnership that’s imagined in the strategic framework agreement.  And the Vice President reaffirmed our intent to do just that.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Anybody else?  We’re good?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Exhaustion sets in.

Q    You keep us locked up in a van for enough hours --

Q    In 130-degree heat.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  It’s all part of a plot.

Q    That’s right, your diabolical plan.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  All right, thank you very much.

Q    Thank you for doing this.

Q    I just have a question.  In January when the Vice President came here, there was some kind of a briefing with the President Jalal Talabani after he met him.  Will that happen this time as well?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Oh, did they do a joint -- I can’t remember, they did a joint press statement?

Q    Yes, they did it in January.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  There’s nothing -- we don’t have --

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  No, we don’t have anything planned.

Q    What is tomorrow --

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  What do we have tomorrow?

Q    Would it be possible to have like five minutes like last time, because especially after he meets the President, just to brief on his visit or something, a couple of questions?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’ll look at tomorrow and we’ll see.  But we don’t -- we definitely do not have any joint pressers, press conferences, scheduled with any leader.  Over the process here he’s meeting with everybody and not doing something special with one or the other.

Q    Would it be possible that he himself might brief the press?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  We’ll have to see what the schedule looks like tomorrow.

Q    Because especially like -- we’re not flying back with him --

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  No, I know, but people aren’t going to interview him flying back either.  We’re all going to sleep.

Q    Is there going to be -- we’re all going to sleep -- but is there going to be any availability with the Vice President tomorrow?

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I don’t know that yet.  We don’t have one planned.

Q    Is there a particular reason why there wasn’t?  It’s a three-day trip.  Seems kind of long to not be able to talk to him at all.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Two days.

Q    It went over three days.  (Laughter.) 

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Forty-nine hours instead of 47. 

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yes, it’s slightly over.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  I mean, there’s no particular reason why except the schedule is pretty punishing in terms of everything he had to do in a short period of time.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Can I just -- I just want to add one thing, which I meant to say before, which is, it’s been very interesting to read some of the stories about the United States and Iraq, because one group of stories seem to suggest that we’re abandoning Iraq and that we’re disengaged.  Another group of stories suggests that we’re interfering too much in Iraq’s business, which suggests to me that sometimes the porridge is just right. 

And I kind of think that’s where we are.  And what we’ve heard from the Iraqis that we’ve met with, but more to the point, the Iraqis that our embassy is engaged with every single day, that our military is engaged with every single day, is that they appreciate the efforts we’re making to build a partnership.  They appreciate the fact that we’re not trying to dictate outcomes the way some of their neighbors are trying to do, and that, as I said, maybe we actually have the balance where it should be. 

And it really is this interesting phenomenon of some of the stories we see -- it’s like the blind mice with the elephant.  It depends which part of the elephant you are.  It depends who you’re talking to.

But the big picture that we’re seeing, we think, is that thus far the approach has been okay.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  And could I just add on that, I was hearing about a report today on an American outlet -- I don’t think the offending journalist is here -- where it was declared that America is leaving Iraq and Iraqis are upset about that.  And I would just suggest that if you looked around where you are at this compound and you investigated slightly the amount of effort that’s going into expanding and deepening the engagement of the United States in Iraq at the diplomatic, military, political, cultural, scientific, educational level, and stood back and accepted -- acknowledged the fact -- examined the fact that 50,000 American troops is a tremendous number of combat-capable troops, that it is preposterous to suggest that the United States is leaving Iraq or withdrawing from Iraq.

Q    See, the thing is, when you talk with Iraqi officials, they either say, like, so we’re talking about, like, let’s say a Sunni Iraqi official, or from the Iraqiyya, they say always -- they always say America is not doing enough, not interfering, but they’re not doing enough.  And the other thing is that when he talks to some other Iraqi official, they’re saying, well, American companies are not doing enough, despite --

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, there’s two separate answers.  If we could go off -- can we go off the record here?

END
8:48 P.M. (Local)

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 04, 2010

Remarks by the Vice President at a Fourth of July Reception

New Embassy Compound, Baghdad, Iraq

7:33 P.M. (Local)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador.  Let me begin by saying, Mr. President, it’s great to see you again, and all of my friends; Mr. Minister.  So many of you I’ve known for so long.

I came once again with a distinguished American delegation, because they don’t trust me alone.  (Laughter.)
Because they know I like you too much. 

Let me say to all of you before I reference our Fourth of July celebration, the first time I was here was very shortly after -- a matter of weeks after the statue of Saddam was famously pulled from its moorings.

Everything since then has changed but the heat.  (Laughter.)  As I flew into the embassy on a helicopter after landing at the airport last time I was here, it was in the evening.  And I think General Odierno was with me, and I think you were in the helicopter as well, Mr. Ambassador.  And I looked down -- and I mean this seriously -- I observed something remarkable.  There was a traffic jam.  Every road around Baghdad and coming into Baghdad was backed up bumper to bumper with automobiles.  Welcome to peace and democracy.  (Laughter.) 

But it is the most significant sign that life and commerce and celebration has returned.  And speaking of celebration, my -- our comrade in arms, our United States military, of whom I’m incredibly proud, and all the government officials and Americans that are here in Baghdad and throughout Iraq celebrate today in our country’s history because we’re so proud of what the day stands for.

As I’ve traveled around the world on our Fourth of July, many leaders of other countries assume we celebrate the Fourth of July because of our victory over the British in the Revolutionary War.  But that date occurred much later.  We celebrate the Fourth of July because of our Declaration of Independence.  It was the day that our Founders laid out and signed, literally risking their own lives, what we believed our country should stand for and what all humanity was entitled to.

They made a universal statement, applying to all mankind.  They said, “We hold these truths self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” free of any king or potentate, free of any foreign government.

The creation of the United States was a conscious, a deliberately conscious act to bring liberty and prosperity to all people in the world.

I’m not saying that we have been a perfect nation; we certainly have not.  But as my grandfather would say, in the main, over the past 234 years, we’ve abided by those principles.

That’s why I sent my son here in uniform for a year.  That’s why tens of thousands of Americans have sent their sons and daughters here for extended periods of time, because we know what you fight for.  You hold all these truths self-evident. 

But as you know better than we do -- and I see my good friend Mr. Hashimi has just walked in the door -- all of you know it requires great sacrifice and the willingness to subordinate your individual interest to the communal good.

As I said, I’ve met with all of you for many years, and hopefully you view me as I view you, as a personal friend.  I just wanted to make it clear I’m not lecturing, I’m not imparting any great wisdom that you don’t already know.  But the concept of subordinating your individual interest is fundamental to the success of any nation.  And it’s enshrined in the immortal words of a famous American revolutionary leader who said, “United we stand; divided we fall.” 

The American people stand with you, stand united with you, at a time when a new Iraq has been born.  Over the past several years, you’ve made extraordinary progress, and you’ve had extraordinary sacrifices you’ve made.  These sacrifices have been both public and personal. 

Some of you have lost your brothers.  Some of you have lost your sisters.  Some of you have lost family.  It’s the responsibility, it seems to be now of all of us, but primarily all of you assembled here, to honor those sacrifices and honor the public trust that was awarded to all of you in the elections you just held.

You should not -- and I’m sure you will not -- let any state, from the United States to any state in the region, dictate what will become of you all.

So my plea to you is, finish what you started -- a truly legitimate and representative government that meets the needs and aspirations of all Iraqi people.

To the extent you continue that quest, we will stand with you -- not telling you what to do, but stand with you in doing what you need help doing if you ask us.

I hope you know we’ve kept our commitment so far, and on August 31st, we will change our military mission by drawing closer to all of you, not further apart.

We will still have 50,000 of our sons and daughters who can shoot straight, who can work with you, but they will be in reserve.  You, your military, has acquired the capacity to lead your country.

As we enter this new relationship, I want to reiterate -- and I can speak and I do speak for the President of the United States -- our commitment to you will not disappear on August 31st; it will grow stronger.  As you continue to stand up and build your democracy, we’ll be there with you economically, politically, socially, science, education.  I’ve been put in charge of our government’s effort to unite all the elements of our government, from the Department of Education to the Department of Commerce to the Department of Science and Technology -- to work with you if you want us to.

America has no hidden agenda.  We have nothing more than to want you to grow as an independent, prosperous democracy.  That will benefit our interest more than anything that else could happen in the region.

What I’m about to say is the only thing that may border on sounding like I am lecturing.  In my humble opinion, in order for you to achieve your goals, you must have all communities’ voices represented in this new government -- proportionately.

Iraqiyya, State of Law, Iraqi National Alliance, the Kurdistan Alliance -- all are going to have to play a meaningful role in this new government for it to work, in my humble opinion. 

As a piece of American history, when our Founders did it, when they signed that Declaration, many of them did not even like one another.  (Laughter.)  You think I’m joking; I’m not. 

So I’ll end by repeating what I said to the press when I arrived:  I’m absolutely confident you will do it, because I’ve met so many of you.  There’s so much talent here.  And what I’ve watched grow is an Iraqi interest before a sectarian interest; an Iraqi interest before a regional interest; a national interest that I believe is real.

So Godspeed in your effort, and may God bless you all.

END
7:50 P.M. (Local)