Excerpt Bush, Merkel press conference. (Lies, nonsense highlighted)

Q But, Mr. President, is it right to say that you have much more a multilateral approach towards the solutions of the problems of the world than you had maybe two years ago?

And the question to both of you: How much patience do you have with Iran? When is the time when diplomacy doesn't work anymore? And do you think that the Chinese and Russian government is doing enough in the Iran crisis?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I felt I was pretty multilateral the first four years of my administration. After all, I went to the United Nations on the Iraq issue and on the Afghanistan issue, and said, we got a problem; let's work together to solve it. I would like to remind you that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 was unanimously approved by 15 nations, and the declaration was, disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. And in the case of -- in that case, the tyrant didn't disclose and so he faced serious consequences. (Iraq war illegal, says Annan)

I happen to be the kind of person that when somebody says something (Approving this resolution does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable.) they better mean what they say. ("The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.") And although some nations didn't agree with that , there was a multilateral effort in Iraq from the get-go, and there's been a multilateral effort since the fall of Saddam Hussein. And it's important for the multilateral effort to continue because democracies are the great alternative to the tyrannies espoused by cold-blooded killers, such as al Qaeda.

Now, on Iran, what the Iranian regime must understand is that we will continue to work together to solve this problem diplomatically, which means they will continue to be isolated. And what the Iranian people must understand is that we respect their heritage and respect their traditions, respect their potential, but it's their government that has made the decisions that are denying them a bright future. And so we'll continue to work very closely together.

And finally, I don't feel comfortable answering your hypothetical question as to --

Q China and Russia?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Oh, excuse me, that's not hypothetical. I thought you were saying, how long. Yes, well, that falls in the hypothetical category.

China and Russia, we working hard with them. My last visit with the Chinese President was in Sydney, Australia, and I told him the top of my agenda is Iran. And I fully understand that China has got energy needs, but a sure way to disrupt energy supply not only in Iran and the Middle East, if the Iranians were to develop a nuclear weapon and decided to do something with it. And so, therefore, now is the time to solve the problem.

And I had a good talk with Vladimir Putin on the very same subject. He understands that a nuclear-armed Iran will be dangerous to his security and the security of the world. And no responsible leader wants the Iranians to be able to threaten world peace.

CHANCELLOR MERKEL: (As translated.) Well, the next diplomatic step, after all, has already been devised, has already been envisaged, and is there to be taken, as it were. But for this next diplomatic step to work we obviously then again will need the engagement, we will need the support of both China and Russia. And let me say that I am deeply convinced that if the Security -- if the United Nations Security Council were then to announce sanctions, that this would be the clearest message that you can get, that you can send, and the clearest message that you can convey to Iran, irrespective of the possibilities, obviously, of individual countries also sending that clear message, European countries, as well. But I think at least that is true for me, at the center of all of our efforts has to be sanctions that will then be called by the United Nations Security Council.

Let me say also that I'm deeply convinced that the diplomatic possibilities have not yet been exhausted, diplomatic possibilities are there; that we can solve this by using diplomatic means, and also we want to solve this by diplomatic means.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Steven Lee Myers. Would that be you?

Q Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Step forth, Steven Lee.

Q I wanted to follow up a bit on Pakistan, if I may.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Sure.

Q Are you at all concerned that General Musharraf may not live up to the promises that you said he's made to you? And are you concerned, as Secretary Gates suggested yesterday, that the distraction, the internal turmoil in Pakistan is actually -- or could have an effect on the effort in Afghanistan? Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, Steven Lee. I take a person for his word until otherwise. I think that's what you have to do. When somebody says this is what they're going to do, then you give them a chance to do it. I can tell you this, that President Musharraf, right after the attacks on September the 11th, made a decision, and the decision was to stand with the United States against the extremists inside Pakistan. In other words, he was given an option: Are you with us, or are you not with us? And he made a clear decision to be with us, and he's acted on that advice.

I want to remind you that if you're the chief operating officer of al Qaeda, you haven't had a good experience...

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