English subtitles for clip: File:President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron at the White House.webm

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President Obama:
Good afternoon, everybody.

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Please have a seat.

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It is my great pleasure to
welcome Prime Minister Cameron

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on his first visit to the
White House as Prime Minister.

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We have just concluded some
excellent discussions --

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including whether the beers from
our hometowns that we exchanged

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are best served warm or cold.

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My understanding is, is that the
Prime Minister enjoyed our 312

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beer and we may
send him some more.

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I thought the beer we got
was excellent -- but I did

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drink it cold.

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(laughter)

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Mr. Prime Minister, we
can never say it enough.

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The United States and
the United Kingdom enjoy

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a truly special relationship.

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We celebrate a common heritage.

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We cherish common values.

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And we speak a common
language -- most of the time.

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We honor the sacrifices of
our brave men and women in

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uniform who have served
together, bled together,

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and even lay at rest together.

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Above all, our alliance
thrives because it advances

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our common interests.

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Whether it's preventing the
spread of nuclear weapons or

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securing vulnerable
nuclear materials,

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thwarting terrorist attacks,
or confronting climate change,

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or promoting global economic
growth and development,

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when the United States and the
United Kingdom stand together,

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our people -- and people around
the world -- are more secure and

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they are more prosperous.

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In short, the United States has
no closer ally and no stronger

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partner than Great Britain.

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And I appreciate the opportunity
to renew our relationship with

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my partner, Prime
Minister Cameron.

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In his campaign, David was known
for his extensive town halls

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discussions with voters
-- "Cameron Direct."

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And that's the same spirit
that we had here today.

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I appreciate David's
steady leadership and

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his pragmatic approach.

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And just as he's off to an
energetic start at home,

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I think we've had a brilliant
start as partners who see

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eye-to-eye on virtually
every challenge before us.

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Great Britain is one of our
largest trading partners,

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and we're committed to long-term
sustainable growth that keeps

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the global economy growing
and puts our people to work.

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I told David that my
administration is working hard

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with the Senate to move forward
as soon as possible with our

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defense trade treaty with the
U.K., which will be good for our

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workers and our troops
in both our countries.

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We reaffirmed our
commitment to fiscal

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responsibility and reform.

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David's government is making
some courageous decisions,

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and I've set a goal of cutting
our deficit in half by 2013.

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Tomorrow, I'll sign into law the
toughest financial reforms since

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the aftermath of the
Great Depression.

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And I commend David for his
leadership in Europe to rebuild

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confidence in the
financial sector.

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Together, we're determined
to make sure the financial

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catastrophe that we are emerging
from never happens again.

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We discussed the Middle East,
where both our governments are

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working to encourage Israelis
and Palestinians to move to

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direct talks as
soon as possible.

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We discussed the continuing
threat posed by Iran's

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nuclear program.

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On this we are united: The
Iranian government must fulfill

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its international obligations.

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The new sanctions imposed
by the U.N. Security Council,

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the United States, and
other countries are putting

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unprecedented pressure
on the Iranian government.

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And I thanked David for Great
Britain's efforts to ensure

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strong European Union
sanctions in the coming days.

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Along with our
P5-plus-1 partners,

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we remain committed to
a diplomatic solution.

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But the Iranian government must
understand that the path of

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defiance will only bring more
pressure and more isolation.

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Finally, much of our discussion
focused on Afghanistan.

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After the United States,
Great Britain is the largest

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contributor of combat
forces in Afghanistan,

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and British troops and civilians
have served and sacrificed in

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some of the most dangerous
parts of the country.

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This is not an easy fight.

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But it is a necessary one.

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Terrorists trained in
Afghanistan and the tribal

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regions along the Pakistani
border have killed innocent

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civilians in both
of our countries.

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And an even wider insurgency in
Afghanistan would mean an even

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larger safe haven for al Qaeda
and its terrorist affiliates to

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plan their next attack.

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And we are not going
to let that happen.

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We have the right strategy.

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We're going to break
the Taliban's momentum.

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We're going to build Afghan
capacity so Afghans can take

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responsibility for their future.

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And we're going to deepen
regional cooperation,

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including with Pakistan.

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Today's historic Kabul
Conference is another

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major step forward.

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The Afghan government presented
-- and its international

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partners unanimously endorsed
-- concrete plans to implement

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President Karzai's commitments
to improve security,

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economic growth, governance, and
the delivery of basic services.

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The Afghan government presented
its peace and reconciliation

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plan -- which the United
States firmly supports.

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Agreement was reached on a
plan in which responsibility

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for security in Afghan
provinces will transition

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to Afghan security forces.

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In addition, Afghanistan and
Pakistan reached a historic

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agreement to increase economic
opportunity for people on both

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sides of the border.

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So these are all
important achievements,

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and they go a long way toward
helping create the conditions

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needed for Afghans to assume
greater responsibility

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for their country.

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Indeed, over the coming year,
Afghans will begin to take the

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lead in security, and in July of
next year will begin to transfer

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-- we will begin the
transfer some of our

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forces out of Afghanistan.

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And the Kabul Conference
shows that the Afghan -- that

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Afghanistan has the support of
the international community,

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including the United States,
which will remain a long-term

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partner for the security and
progress of the Afghan people.

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As we go forward, we want to
honor our fallen warriors with

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the respect and gratitude that
they deserve -- whether it's

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here at Dover, or in the small
British town of Wootton Bassett,

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where people line the streets in
a solemn tribute that represents

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the best of the
British character.

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With pride in their service and
determination to carry on their

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work for a safer world, I am
confident that we can be worthy

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of their sacrifice.

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And I am confident that
with my partner and friend,

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David Cameron, the special
relationship between our

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countries will only grow
stronger in the years to come.

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Mr. Prime Minister.

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Prime Minister Cameron:
Well, first of all, can I
thank you, Mr. President,

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for welcoming me so warmly
to the White House today.

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Thank you for the meeting,
for the lunch that we had,

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and also for the tour
of part of your home.

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I have to say, I was most
impressed by how tidy your

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children's bedrooms were.

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(laughter)

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And I think if the President of
the United States can get his

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children to tidy their bedrooms,
then the British Prime Minister,

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it's about time --

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President Obama:
You can do it.

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Prime Minister Cameron:
-- he did exactly the same thing.

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(laughter)

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President Obama:
You have to give
them some notice,

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that's the only thing.

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(laughter)

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Prime Minister Cameron:
Right. Well, they've got notice --

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President Obama:
Tell them the Prime
Minister is coming.

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(laughter)

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Prime Minister Cameron:
They should be in bed by now,

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but if they're not
they have notice.

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(laughter)

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I think we did have a very
valuable opportunity today

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to discuss in real depth a
strong and a shared agenda

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on Afghanistan, on global
economic recovery,

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and on the Middle East.

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And this relationship
isn't just, as you put it,

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an extraordinary
special relationship.

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To me, it is also an absolutely
essential relationship if we are

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going to deliver the
security and the prosperity

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that our people need.

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And I thought again today in our
discussions just how closely

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aligned our interests are on all
of the issues that we discussed.

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First, on Afghanistan,
there is no clearer,

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no more tangible illustration
of Britain and America standing

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shoulder to shoulder in our
national interest than this

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mission that we are
engaged in together.

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We have British troops working
to an American commander in

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Helmand, and we have American
troops working to a British

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commander in Kandahar.

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Today, President Obama and
I took stock of progress

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in this vital year.

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We reaffirmed our commitment
to the overall strategy.

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A key part of that is training
the Afghan national army and

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police so they can provide
security for their country

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and our troops can come home.

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We also agreed on the need to
reinvigorate the political

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strategy for Afghanistan.

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Insurgencies tend not
to be defeated by

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military means alone.

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There must also be
political settlement.

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And to those people
currently fighting,

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if they give up violence, if
they cut themselves off from

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al Qaeda, if they accept the
basic tenets of the Afghan

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constitution, they can
have a future in a

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peaceful Afghanistan.

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There is real progress.

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Last weekend, the first
Afghan-led military operation

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took place successfully
in Helmand,

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Afghans defending themselves.

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And today, as Barack
has just said,

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for the first time in decades,
the government of Afghanistan

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has hosted an international
conference on its own soil.

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Over 40 foreign ministers and
80 delegations assembled in

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Kabul to monitor progress
and drive forward the

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international strategy.

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That is a real achievement,
and we should congratulate

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President Karzai on it.

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President Obama and I also
discussed the economy.

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We're both taking action
that our countries need.

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Our destination is a
strong and stable growth,

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a sustained economic recovery,
and a reformed financial system

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that will never again be open
to the abuses of the past.

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We are confident that the right
steps were taken at the Toronto

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G20 summit to help achieve that.

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The Middle East was the third
area that we focused on today.

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We both want a secure, peaceful
and stable Middle East.

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And that means two things:
First, as Barack has just said,

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Iran must give up its
pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

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We urge the Iranian regime
to resume negotiations

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with the international
community without delay.

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It's not too late
for it to do so.

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America and Britain,
with our partners,

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stand ready to negotiate,
and to do so in good faith.

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But in the absence
of a willing partner,

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we will implement with vigor the
sanctions package agreed by the

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United Nations Security Council,
and in Europe we will be taking

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further steps as well.

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Second, we desperately need
a two-state solution between

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Israel and the Palestinians
that provides security,

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justice and hope.

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As we were discussing
over lunch,

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it is time for direct talks,
not least because it is time

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for each, Israel and
Palestine, to test the

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seriousness of the other.

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On BP, which we
discussed at some length,

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I completely understand
the anger that exists

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right across America.

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The oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico is a catastrophe

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-- for the environment, for the
fishing industry, for tourism.

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I've been absolutely
clear about that.

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And like President Obama, I've
also been clear that it is BP's

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role to cap the leak,
to clean up the mess,

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and to pay appropriate
compensation.

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I'm in regular touch with
senior management at BP,

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and the President is, too,
to make sure that happens.

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And the progress that's been
made to cap the leak is a step

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in the right direction.

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Equally, of course, BP is an
important company to both the

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British and the
American economies.

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Thousands of jobs on both sides
of the Atlantic depend on it.

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So it's in the interest of both
our countries, as we agreed,

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that it remains a strong and
stable company for the future.

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And that's something
we discussed today.

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And let us not confuse the oil
spill with the Libyan bomber.

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I've been absolutely clear about
this right from the start,

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and in our meeting we had what
we call a "violent agreement,"

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00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:57,070
which is that releasing
the Lockerbie bomber,

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00:11:57,066 --> 00:12:01,196
a mass murderer of 270 people,
the largest act of terrorism

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00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:05,200
ever committed in the United
Kingdom, was completely wrong.

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He showed his victims
no compassion.

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They were not allowed to
die in their beds at home,

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surrounded by their families.

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So in my view, neither should
that callous killer have been

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given that luxury.

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00:12:16,867 --> 00:12:18,737
That wasn't a
decision taken by BP;

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it was a decision taken
by the Scottish government.

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We have to accept that under
the laws of my country,

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where power on certain issues
is devolved to Scotland,

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00:12:26,834 --> 00:12:29,204
this was a decision for
the Scottish Executive,

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a decision that they took.

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I know that Senator
Kerry's committee is

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looking into these issues.

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My government will
engage constructively

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with those hearings.

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And, indeed, my foreign
secretary has already set

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out the government's position.

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So let me thank you again,
Barack, for hosting me today.

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While at the World Cup, our
teams could only manage

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a score draw.

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I believe our relationship
can be a win-win.

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And, yes, I did enjoy drinking
the 312 beer -- cold -- during

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the World Cup.

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00:12:57,433 --> 00:12:58,763
(laughter)

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I enjoyed it so much that when I
watched Germany beat Argentina,

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I actually cheered for Germany.

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That's something that's a big
admission for a British person

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00:13:05,934 --> 00:13:07,604
to make, so the beer is
obviously very effective.

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(laughter)

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00:13:08,533 --> 00:13:11,703
But what you -- what you
said, Barack, though,

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about British and American
soldiers fighting together,

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00:13:16,667 --> 00:13:19,597
sometimes dying together,
serving together,

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00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:20,930
is absolutely right.

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00:13:20,934 --> 00:13:24,304
And we should never forget that
-- whether it's on the beaches

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of Normandy, whether it's
in Korea, whether in Iraq,

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or whether now in Afghanistan.

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00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,270
Our relationship is one that
has an incredibly rich history.

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00:13:34,266 --> 00:13:37,966
It is based on ties of
culture and history and,

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00:13:37,967 --> 00:13:40,067
yes, emotion, too.

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00:13:40,066 --> 00:13:43,436
But for all those things, I
think it has also an incredibly

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strong future that is based on
results -- results of a positive

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00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,800
partnership of working together,
agreeing where we agree;

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00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,630
when we have disagreements,
working through them and

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coming to a fair conclusion.

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00:13:55,667 --> 00:13:58,667
It's a partnership that I
profoundly want to make work

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00:13:58,667 --> 00:14:01,767
as well as it possibly can
in the years that I'm Prime

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00:14:01,767 --> 00:14:05,137
Minister of Britain and with you
as President of the United States.

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00:14:05,133 --> 00:14:07,103
So thank you again for
welcoming me here today.

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00:14:07,100 --> 00:14:08,630
President Obama:
Thank you, David.

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00:14:08,633 --> 00:14:11,033
With that, we're going
to take a few questions.

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00:14:11,033 --> 00:14:16,363
And I'm going to start with
Mimi Hall of USA Today.

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00:14:16,367 --> 00:14:19,737
The Press:
Thank you, Mr. President
and Mr. Prime Minister.

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00:14:19,734 --> 00:14:23,464
I wanted to ask you a
little bit more about BP.

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00:14:23,467 --> 00:14:25,637
You mentioned, Mr.
Prime Minister,

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00:14:25,633 --> 00:14:28,463
your decision to
cooperate, et cetera,

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00:14:28,467 --> 00:14:31,067
but you said we shouldn't
confuse the two.

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00:14:31,066 --> 00:14:33,566
Have you flatly ruled
out opening a government

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00:14:33,567 --> 00:14:37,697
investigation into the
events around the release

312
00:14:37,700 --> 00:14:38,830
of the bomber?

313
00:14:38,834 --> 00:14:43,064
And, President Obama, how do
you feel about a congressional

314
00:14:43,066 --> 00:14:44,336
investigation into this?

315
00:14:44,333 --> 00:14:46,733
Would you like to
see that happen,

316
00:14:46,734 --> 00:14:49,164
or do you think that
confuses the two events?

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00:14:49,166 --> 00:14:56,036
President Obama:
Well, why don't I start off
and I'll throw it over to David.

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00:14:56,033 --> 00:15:01,463
I think all of us here in the
United States were surprised,

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00:15:01,467 --> 00:15:05,697
disappointed, and angry
about the release of the

320
00:15:05,700 --> 00:15:07,370
Lockerbie bomber.

321
00:15:07,367 --> 00:15:12,437
And my administration expressed
very clearly our objections

322
00:15:12,433 --> 00:15:16,433
prior to the decision being
made and subsequent to the

323
00:15:16,433 --> 00:15:18,803
decision being made.

324
00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:23,730
So we welcome any additional
information that will give

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00:15:23,734 --> 00:15:27,434
us insights and a better
understanding of why the

326
00:15:27,433 --> 00:15:28,933
decision was made.

327
00:15:28,934 --> 00:15:34,304
But I think that the key thing
to understand here is that we've

328
00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:39,270
got a British Prime Minister
who shares our anger over the

329
00:15:39,266 --> 00:15:49,036
decision, who also objects
to how it played out.

330
00:15:49,033 --> 00:15:54,163
And so I'm fully supportive of
Prime Minister Cameron's efforts

331
00:15:54,166 --> 00:15:57,766
to gain a better understanding
of it, to clarify it.

332
00:15:57,767 --> 00:16:01,337
But the bottom line is, is
that we all disagreed with it.

333
00:16:01,333 --> 00:16:02,763
It was a bad decision.

334
00:16:02,767 --> 00:16:09,697
And going forward, that has
to inform how we approach our

335
00:16:09,700 --> 00:16:12,830
relationship with respect to
counterterrorism generally.

336
00:16:12,834 --> 00:16:15,104
Now, one of the things that I
want to emphasize that I think

337
00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:19,870
may get lost in this current
debate is the extraordinarily

338
00:16:19,867 --> 00:16:22,797
strong ties between our two
countries when it comes to

339
00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:24,470
fighting terrorism.

340
00:16:24,467 --> 00:16:30,097
We probably have the best
coordination and cooperation of

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00:16:30,100 --> 00:16:32,170
any two countries in the world.

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00:16:32,166 --> 00:16:38,866
And those relationships are
vital and they keep people safe

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00:16:38,867 --> 00:16:40,837
on both sides of the Atlantic.

344
00:16:40,834 --> 00:16:46,704
And I want to make sure that
even as we may express concern

345
00:16:46,700 --> 00:16:49,830
about what happened with
respect to the release of this

346
00:16:49,834 --> 00:16:54,764
particular individual, that we
stay focused on the cooperation

347
00:16:54,767 --> 00:16:57,737
that currently exists and
build on that cooperation,

348
00:16:57,734 --> 00:17:03,264
to make sure that there is no
diminution of our joint efforts

349
00:17:03,266 --> 00:17:05,936
to make sure that the kinds
of attacks that happened over

350
00:17:05,934 --> 00:17:09,434
Lockerbie do not happen again.

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00:17:09,433 --> 00:17:11,963
Prime Minister Cameron:
Well, I agree with actually
what's been said about the

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00:17:11,967 --> 00:17:13,737
importance of the
security cooperation --

353
00:17:13,734 --> 00:17:15,334
something we discussed today.

354
00:17:15,333 --> 00:17:20,103
On Megrahi, look, I'm not
standing here today and saying

355
00:17:20,100 --> 00:17:23,270
it was a bad decision to release
Megrahi because I'm here.

356
00:17:23,266 --> 00:17:25,366
I said this a year
ago, at the time,

357
00:17:25,367 --> 00:17:27,137
that it was a bad decision.

358
00:17:27,133 --> 00:17:28,433
It shouldn't have been made.

359
00:17:28,433 --> 00:17:30,903
The British government, as well,
should have been clear that it

360
00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:33,900
was a bad decision, rather
than going along with it.

361
00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:35,670
I took that very clear view.

362
00:17:35,667 --> 00:17:37,767
This was the biggest mass
murderer in British history

363
00:17:37,767 --> 00:17:41,397
and there was no business
in letting him out of prison.

364
00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,870
In terms of an inquiry, there
has been an inquiry by the

365
00:17:44,867 --> 00:17:48,397
Scottish Parliament into the
way the decision was made.

366
00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,270
The British government -- the
last British government --

367
00:17:50,266 --> 00:17:53,636
released a whole heap of
information about this decision.

368
00:17:53,633 --> 00:17:56,433
But I've asked the Cabinet
Secretary today to go back

369
00:17:56,433 --> 00:17:59,133
through all of the paperwork
and see if more needs to be

370
00:17:59,133 --> 00:18:02,333
published about the
background to this decision.

371
00:18:02,333 --> 00:18:05,233
But in terms of an inquiry,
I'm not currently minded that

372
00:18:05,233 --> 00:18:09,433
we need to have a U.K.-based
inquiry on this -- partly for

373
00:18:09,433 --> 00:18:12,463
this reason: I don't need an
inquiry to tell me what was

374
00:18:12,467 --> 00:18:13,497
a bad decision.

375
00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:14,700
It was a bad decision.

376
00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:18,030
And if you like, the big fact
that's changed over the year

377
00:18:18,033 --> 00:18:20,433
that makes it an even worse
decision is the fact that,

378
00:18:20,433 --> 00:18:23,463
of course, Megrahi is still
free, at liberty, in Libya,

379
00:18:23,467 --> 00:18:25,967
rather than serving the
prison sentence in Scotland,

380
00:18:25,967 --> 00:18:27,297
as he should be doing.

381
00:18:27,300 --> 00:18:28,370
So that's what
we're going to do,

382
00:18:28,367 --> 00:18:29,737
is go back over
this information,

383
00:18:29,734 --> 00:18:31,804
see if more needs to be
published, and of course,

384
00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,170
in terms of the
congressional hearing,

385
00:18:35,166 --> 00:18:41,866
make sure that proper
cooperation is extended to it.

386
00:18:41,867 --> 00:18:49,437
Right. I think, James Landale.

387
00:18:49,433 --> 00:18:51,833
The Press:
Just to stay on that
subject, if we may.

388
00:18:51,834 --> 00:18:53,764
Mr. Prime Minister,
first of all,

389
00:18:53,767 --> 00:18:56,397
would you be prepared to
talk to your predecessors,

390
00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,630
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, to
get there agreements to release

391
00:18:59,633 --> 00:19:04,233
any documents if they are
relevant to the paper search

392
00:19:04,233 --> 00:19:06,133
that the Cabinet
Secretary will undergo?

393
00:19:06,133 --> 00:19:10,003
And, Mr. President, can I ask
you -- the Prime Minister says

394
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,130
he opposes an inquiry.

395
00:19:12,133 --> 00:19:14,603
Hillary Clinton has
demanded an inquiry.

396
00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:16,830
Where do you stand?

397
00:19:16,834 --> 00:19:19,864
Prime Minister Cameron:
Well, first of all,
on the documents,

398
00:19:19,867 --> 00:19:22,337
the proper process here is that
the Cabinet Secretary should

399
00:19:22,333 --> 00:19:28,203
look back over this decision and
the circumstances surrounding it

400
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,470
should identify those documents
that should be published.

401
00:19:30,467 --> 00:19:34,567
It should be right that
ministers in the previous

402
00:19:34,567 --> 00:19:36,567
government should be
consulted about the

403
00:19:36,567 --> 00:19:38,167
publication of those documents.

404
00:19:38,166 --> 00:19:41,336
And, of course, we will
consult with them over that.

405
00:19:41,333 --> 00:19:44,933
But in my view, there is
absolutely no harm to be done

406
00:19:44,934 --> 00:19:49,134
in giving the fullest possible
explanation of the circumstances

407
00:19:49,133 --> 00:19:50,203
surrounding this decision.

408
00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,070
I think the key thing, though,
to remember is that in the end

409
00:19:53,066 --> 00:19:56,566
it was a decision by
the Scottish Executive.

410
00:19:56,567 --> 00:19:58,497
On the issue of an
inquiry, as I said,

411
00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:01,230
I'm not currently minded to
hold an inquiry because I think

412
00:20:01,233 --> 00:20:04,133
publishing this information,
combined with the inquiry that

413
00:20:04,133 --> 00:20:07,003
has already been, will give
people the certainty that they

414
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,530
need about the circumstances
surrounding this decision.

415
00:20:10,533 --> 00:20:13,263
But the key thing is to get
the information out there

416
00:20:13,266 --> 00:20:14,296
so people can see.

417
00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:16,700
But I don't think there's
any great mystery here.

418
00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:19,800
There was a decision taken by
the Scottish Executive -- in

419
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,530
my view, a wholly wrong
and misguided decision,

420
00:20:22,533 --> 00:20:24,803
a bad decision, but the
decision nonetheless.

421
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:25,970
That's what happened.

422
00:20:25,967 --> 00:20:28,897
And I don't think we need an
extra inquiry to tell us that

423
00:20:28,900 --> 00:20:29,770
that's what happened.

424
00:20:29,767 --> 00:20:32,937
But the information, as I said,
will be gone over and published,

425
00:20:32,934 --> 00:20:34,004
as appropriate.

426
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,970
And of course, I'll
be consulting with

427
00:20:35,967 --> 00:20:38,037
previous ministers
and prime ministers,

428
00:20:38,033 --> 00:20:40,663
as you should do
in the normal way.

429
00:20:40,667 --> 00:20:45,367
President Obama:
I think the simple answer is
we should have all the facts;

430
00:20:45,367 --> 00:20:47,237
they should be laid out there.

431
00:20:47,233 --> 00:20:51,103
And I have confidence that Prime
Minister Cameron's government

432
00:20:51,100 --> 00:20:55,770
will be cooperative in making
sure that the facts are there.

433
00:20:55,767 --> 00:20:58,337
That will not negate
the fact that,

434
00:20:58,333 --> 00:21:03,263
as the Prime Minister indicated,
it was a very poor decision and

435
00:21:03,266 --> 00:21:08,596
one that not only ran
contrary to, I think,

436
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:10,800
how we should be
treating terrorists,

437
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:15,530
but also didn't reflect the
incredible pain that the

438
00:21:15,533 --> 00:21:18,563
families who were affected
still suffer to this day.

439
00:21:18,567 --> 00:21:21,167
And my administration is in
regular contact with these

440
00:21:21,166 --> 00:21:27,036
families, and this was a
heartbreaking decision for

441
00:21:27,033 --> 00:21:30,633
them that reopened a
whole host of new wounds.

442
00:21:30,633 --> 00:21:36,503
So my expectation is, is that
the facts will be out there and,

443
00:21:36,500 --> 00:21:40,230
as David indicated,
with all the facts out,

444
00:21:40,233 --> 00:21:43,163
I think we're going to be back
to where we are right now,

445
00:21:43,166 --> 00:21:48,836
which it was a decision that
should not have been made and

446
00:21:48,834 --> 00:21:52,634
one that we should learn
from going forward.

447
00:21:52,633 --> 00:21:57,203
Laura Meckler.

448
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,400
The Press:
Thank you.

449
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,500
Mr. President, in your opening
statement you referred to the

450
00:22:02,500 --> 00:22:06,570
fact that the British government
has been taking some very tough

451
00:22:06,567 --> 00:22:09,137
steps towards -- to get
their budget in order,

452
00:22:09,133 --> 00:22:12,503
and you said you had committed
to cut the deficit in half.

453
00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:16,430
Could you talk about whether you
think that those decisions are

454
00:22:16,433 --> 00:22:18,533
going to be -- the decisions
that they're making there are

455
00:22:18,533 --> 00:22:20,663
going to be needed to
be made here on a similar

456
00:22:20,667 --> 00:22:22,937
level beyond pledges?

457
00:22:22,934 --> 00:22:26,234
And, Mr. Prime Minister,
specifically could you address

458
00:22:26,233 --> 00:22:31,733
the matter of what role BP had
in lobbying for the release of

459
00:22:31,734 --> 00:22:34,804
this man, and whether an inquiry
or the review that you're

460
00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,170
planning is going to look
at that specific question?

461
00:22:37,166 --> 00:22:40,966
Thank you.

462
00:22:40,967 --> 00:22:48,297
President Obama:
When I came into office
in January of 2009,

463
00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:52,730
I was very clear at the time,
even before we knew the severity

464
00:22:52,734 --> 00:22:57,934
of the recession that
we would experience,

465
00:22:57,934 --> 00:23:03,834
that we have a structural
deficit that is unsustainable,

466
00:23:03,834 --> 00:23:07,204
and that for our long-term
growth and prosperity we are

467
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,930
going to have to get
a handle on that.

468
00:23:09,934 --> 00:23:12,134
I talked about that
during my campaign.

469
00:23:12,133 --> 00:23:15,863
I talked about it in the
days after I was elected.

470
00:23:15,867 --> 00:23:20,137
I talked about it after
I had been sworn in.

471
00:23:20,133 --> 00:23:23,263
We had an emergency
situation on our hands,

472
00:23:23,266 --> 00:23:27,396
and so the entire world,
working through the G20,

473
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:32,830
coordinated in making sure
that we filled this huge

474
00:23:32,834 --> 00:23:34,764
drop-off in demand.

475
00:23:34,767 --> 00:23:37,437
We got the economy
growing again.

476
00:23:37,433 --> 00:23:39,363
And we had to take
a number of steps,

477
00:23:39,367 --> 00:23:41,697
some of which were
unpopular and that, yes,

478
00:23:41,700 --> 00:23:44,430
added to the short-term deficit.

479
00:23:44,433 --> 00:23:47,933
What I also said at the time was
we are then going to make sure,

480
00:23:47,934 --> 00:23:52,504
number one, that we pay down
whatever additional deficit had

481
00:23:52,500 --> 00:23:56,930
been added as a consequence of
the Recovery Act and other steps

482
00:23:56,934 --> 00:23:59,334
that we had to take last year.

483
00:23:59,333 --> 00:24:00,803
But then we're still going
to have to go back and deal

484
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,000
with these long-term
structural deficits.

485
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:09,300
And, in fact, in the first
G20 visit that I made,

486
00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:14,870
in April to England, I was very
clear to the rest of the world

487
00:24:14,867 --> 00:24:19,967
that what they cannot rely on
is an economic model in which

488
00:24:19,967 --> 00:24:23,437
the United States borrows
-- consumers in the United

489
00:24:23,433 --> 00:24:25,263
States borrow, we take
out home equity loans,

490
00:24:25,266 --> 00:24:27,836
we run up credit cards
to purchase goods from

491
00:24:27,834 --> 00:24:28,634
all around the world.

492
00:24:28,633 --> 00:24:33,333
We cannot alone be the
economic engine for the

493
00:24:33,333 --> 00:24:35,063
rest of the world's growth.

494
00:24:35,066 --> 00:24:38,696
So that rebalancing ended
up being a central part of

495
00:24:38,700 --> 00:24:42,300
our long-term strategy
working with the G20.

496
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:47,770
Now, what we've done is we've
initiated a freeze on our

497
00:24:47,767 --> 00:24:49,967
domestic discretionary budget.

498
00:24:49,967 --> 00:24:54,767
We are on the path to cutting
our deficits in half.

499
00:24:54,767 --> 00:24:57,767
We have put forward a fiscal
commission that is then going

500
00:24:57,767 --> 00:24:59,397
to examine how do we
deal with these broader

501
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,200
structural deficits?

502
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:02,930
So this isn't just
an empty promise.

503
00:25:02,934 --> 00:25:05,434
We've already started taking
steps to deal with it,

504
00:25:05,433 --> 00:25:08,833
and we're going to be
very aggressive in how

505
00:25:08,834 --> 00:25:09,504
we deal with it.

506
00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:14,400
Now, our two countries are in
slightly different situations.

507
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,000
Their financial situation
is slightly different;

508
00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:23,400
their levels of debt relative
to GDP are somewhat higher.

509
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:27,170
And as David and I discussed
when we saw each other in

510
00:25:27,166 --> 00:25:30,196
Toronto, the goal
here is the same,

511
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,500
and we're all moving
in the same direction.

512
00:25:32,500 --> 00:25:35,900
But there's going to be
differentiation based on the

513
00:25:35,900 --> 00:25:38,070
different circumstances of
different countries in terms

514
00:25:38,066 --> 00:25:41,636
of how they approach it
tactically and at what pace.

515
00:25:41,633 --> 00:25:51,063
But I can assure you this, that
my administration is squarely

516
00:25:51,066 --> 00:25:54,636
committed not just to dealing
with the short-term deficit and

517
00:25:54,633 --> 00:25:57,903
debt -- which in some ways is
the least troubling aspect of

518
00:25:57,900 --> 00:26:01,830
this problem -- what we're going
to have to tackle are some big

519
00:26:01,834 --> 00:26:05,334
structural reforms that
are going to be tough.

520
00:26:05,333 --> 00:26:06,733
And they're going to be that
much tougher because we're

521
00:26:06,734 --> 00:26:09,604
coming out of a
recession as we do it.

522
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:15,100
But I think that as we continue
to see economic growth,

523
00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:19,970
as we continue to see the
economy heal from last year that

524
00:26:19,967 --> 00:26:23,897
the American people are going to
want to approach this problem in

525
00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:25,470
a serious, realistic way.

526
00:26:25,467 --> 00:26:27,537
We owe it for the
next generation.

527
00:26:27,533 --> 00:26:30,533
And my hope is, is that we're
going to end up getting a

528
00:26:30,533 --> 00:26:36,063
bipartisan solution to this
thing that is realistic.

529
00:26:36,066 --> 00:26:38,236
And one concern that I have
obviously is the politics

530
00:26:38,233 --> 00:26:40,203
of deficits and debt.

531
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,270
When I announced that I was in
favor of this fiscal commission,

532
00:26:44,266 --> 00:26:49,666
at the time I had a number of
Republicans who were cosponsors

533
00:26:49,667 --> 00:26:52,937
of the legislation who suddenly
reversed themselves because --

534
00:26:52,934 --> 00:26:55,204
I suppose -- I supported it.

535
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,270
And, fortunately,
what I've seen so far,

536
00:26:58,266 --> 00:27:01,236
all the reports from the fiscal
commission is that people are

537
00:27:01,233 --> 00:27:02,733
serious about this.

538
00:27:02,734 --> 00:27:05,034
Both Republicans and Democrats
on the commission are taking

539
00:27:05,033 --> 00:27:06,903
their task seriously.

540
00:27:06,900 --> 00:27:09,070
I think it's going
to be a good report,

541
00:27:09,066 --> 00:27:10,966
but is still going to
require some tough choices,

542
00:27:10,967 --> 00:27:16,297
and we're committing to pursuing
those tough choices after we get

543
00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:18,400
that report.

544
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,730
Prime Minister Cameron:
Thank you. You asked
about the role of BP.

545
00:27:21,734 --> 00:27:25,234
I mean, the role of BP and any
lobbying they might have done is

546
00:27:25,233 --> 00:27:27,763
an issue for BP and an
issue that they should

547
00:27:27,767 --> 00:27:29,567
explain themselves.

548
00:27:29,567 --> 00:27:31,837
I mean, the decision to
release Megrahi, though,

549
00:27:31,834 --> 00:27:34,504
was a decision made by
the Scottish government,

550
00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:37,670
and I haven't seen anything
to suggest that the Scottish

551
00:27:37,667 --> 00:27:40,867
government were in
any way swayed by BP.

552
00:27:40,867 --> 00:27:44,267
They were swayed by their
considerations about the need

553
00:27:44,266 --> 00:27:46,866
to release him on compassionate
grounds -- grounds that I think

554
00:27:46,867 --> 00:27:47,967
were completely wrong.

555
00:27:47,967 --> 00:27:50,867
I don't think it's right to
show compassion to a mass

556
00:27:50,867 --> 00:27:51,797
murderer like that.

557
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:52,870
I think it was wrong.

558
00:27:52,867 --> 00:27:57,067
But it's a matter
for BP to answer what

559
00:27:57,066 --> 00:27:58,396
activities they undertook.

560
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,030
But the Scottish government made
its decision and has explained

561
00:28:01,033 --> 00:28:02,733
its decision on many
occasions and I'm sure

562
00:28:02,734 --> 00:28:04,964
will explain it again.

563
00:28:04,967 --> 00:28:10,167
I'm very keen that we are clear
here that BP should, rightly,

564
00:28:10,166 --> 00:28:13,396
be blamed for what has
happened in the Gulf,

565
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,770
and have real responsibilities
to cap the well,

566
00:28:15,767 --> 00:28:18,767
to clean up the spill, to pay
compensation -- all of which

567
00:28:18,767 --> 00:28:21,167
they are getting on with,
including putting aside the 20

568
00:28:21,166 --> 00:28:25,196
billion pounds in the escrow
account -- $20 billion -- sorry.

569
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,700
I think they've made good
progress on that and further

570
00:28:27,700 --> 00:28:29,100
progress needs to be made.

571
00:28:29,100 --> 00:28:31,730
I think it's important to
separate that from the decision

572
00:28:31,734 --> 00:28:33,534
to release al-Megrahi,
which, as I say,

573
00:28:33,533 --> 00:28:36,063
was a decision made by the
Scottish government and,

574
00:28:36,066 --> 00:28:39,666
as so far has been shown in
investigations by the Scottish

575
00:28:39,667 --> 00:28:42,667
parliament, was a decision which
I wholly disagree with but,

576
00:28:42,667 --> 00:28:46,997
nonetheless, was taken
in an appropriate way.

577
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:53,930
I think we have a
question from Tom Bradby.

578
00:28:53,934 --> 00:28:55,664
The Press:
Mr. President, Tom
Bradby, ITV News.

579
00:28:55,667 --> 00:28:58,097
Quite a lot of people
in the U.K. feel that

580
00:28:58,100 --> 00:29:01,100
your determination as a country
to continue to push for the

581
00:29:01,100 --> 00:29:05,270
extradition of computer hacker
and Asperger's sufferer, Gary

582
00:29:05,266 --> 00:29:08,996
McKinnon is disproportionate
and somewhat harsh.

583
00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:11,570
Do you think it is time now
to consider some leniency

584
00:29:11,567 --> 00:29:12,867
in this case?

585
00:29:12,867 --> 00:29:14,937
And, Prime Minister, you've
expressed very strong views

586
00:29:14,934 --> 00:29:17,234
on this matter, suggesting
that Mr. McKinnon shouldn't

587
00:29:17,233 --> 00:29:17,863
be extradited.

588
00:29:17,867 --> 00:29:20,937
Your Deputy Prime Minister has
expressed even stronger views.

589
00:29:20,934 --> 00:29:22,664
Did you discuss that
with the President today?

590
00:29:22,667 --> 00:29:26,297
And if not, would now be a good
moment to share your views with

591
00:29:26,300 --> 00:29:28,230
us once again?

592
00:29:28,233 --> 00:29:29,203
Prime Minister Cameron:
Shall I go?

593
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,000
President Obama:
Please, go ahead.

594
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,270
Prime Minister Cameron:
It is something that we
discussed in our meeting.

595
00:29:35,266 --> 00:29:39,166
I mean, clearly there's a
discussion going on between

596
00:29:39,166 --> 00:29:40,766
the British and the
Americans about this,

597
00:29:40,767 --> 00:29:44,237
and I don't want to
prejudice those discussions.

598
00:29:44,233 --> 00:29:50,103
We completely understand that
Gary McKinnon stands accused of

599
00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:55,330
a very important and significant
crime in terms of hacking into

600
00:29:55,333 --> 00:29:56,603
vital databases.

601
00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,130
And nobody denies that that
is an important crime that

602
00:29:59,133 --> 00:30:00,733
has to be considered.

603
00:30:00,734 --> 00:30:03,304
But I have had
conversations with the U.S.

604
00:30:03,300 --> 00:30:06,670
ambassador, as well as raising
it today with the President,

605
00:30:06,667 --> 00:30:11,737
about this issue, and I hope
a way through can be found.

606
00:30:11,734 --> 00:30:17,304
President Obama:
Well, one of the things that
David and I discussed was the

607
00:30:17,300 --> 00:30:21,670
increasing challenge that we're
going to face as a consequence

608
00:30:21,667 --> 00:30:25,537
of the Internet and the need
for us to cooperate extensively

609
00:30:25,533 --> 00:30:31,263
on issues of cyber security.

610
00:30:31,266 --> 00:30:36,596
We had a brief discussion about
the fact that although there may

611
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:41,800
still be efforts to send in
spies and try to obtain state

612
00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,730
secrets through traditional
Cold War methods,

613
00:30:44,734 --> 00:30:46,704
the truth of the
matter is these days,

614
00:30:46,700 --> 00:30:49,000
where we're going to see
enormous vulnerability when

615
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,900
it comes to information is
going to be through these

616
00:30:52,900 --> 00:31:01,030
kind of breaches in our
information systems.

617
00:31:01,033 --> 00:31:03,033
So we take this very seriously.

618
00:31:03,033 --> 00:31:06,633
And I know that the British
government does, as well.

619
00:31:06,633 --> 00:31:11,833
Beyond that, one of the
traditions we have is the

620
00:31:11,834 --> 00:31:15,064
President doesn't get
involved in decisions

621
00:31:15,066 --> 00:31:18,836
around prosecutions,
extradition matters.

622
00:31:18,834 --> 00:31:21,364
So what I expect is that my
team will follow the law,

623
00:31:21,367 --> 00:31:25,337
but they will also coordinate
closely with what we've just

624
00:31:25,333 --> 00:31:32,103
stated is an ally that is
unparalleled in terms of our

625
00:31:32,100 --> 00:31:33,470
cooperative relationship.

626
00:31:33,467 --> 00:31:36,937
And I trust that this will
get resolved in a way that

627
00:31:36,934 --> 00:31:39,334
underscores the
seriousness of the issue,

628
00:31:39,333 --> 00:31:44,803
but also underscores the fact
that we work together and we can

629
00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,100
find an appropriate solution.

630
00:31:48,100 --> 00:31:48,730
All right?

631
00:31:48,734 --> 00:31:50,104
Thank you very much, everybody.

632
00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:51,330
Prime Minister Cameron:
Thank you very much.