NEWSWEEK: What was your mission here? Alberto Gonzales: I’d wanted to meet the [Justice Department] folks here. We have a strong contingent here. The rule of law mission here is very, very important. Also wanted to meet U.S. soldiers to say thank you personally. And then finally of course to meet with my counterparts in the Iraqi government to talk about issues that are important—the chief justice, the interior minister, the minister of human rights.
Was there a change in attitude or a sense of urgency from the Iraqi officials since your last visit? I don’t know if I would characterize it as urgency. But more of a commitment, a sense that progress is being made. Obviously there are some serious challenges that remain. We know that. What the government is trying to do here is very difficult. And it takes time.
Was there anything in particular Iraqi officials asked you for? I think that as always the needs will be met for training. I think looking forward there will be a greater need for greater intelligence sharing. We obviously continue to have a role in providing security. We obviously continue to have a role in helping investigations.
Did it seem like Iraqi officials were optimistic about how things are going with the Baghdad security plan? I had a briefing when I got here from General Petraeus. I would say that that briefing was optimistic. Again, not to say that serious challenges still don’t remain.
One of the things the Ministry of Interior here is criticized for is the treatment of detainees. Did that come up in your discussions? Our country gets criticized about that, too. Scrutiny about, say the issue of Guantanamo, and what we’re doing there. And so I spoke about the importance of just making sure that as people are detained here in this country that they’re dealt with humanely. That they’re treated fairly. These are very, very difficult issues. They’re issues that we wrestle with in our own country. And we have tremendous resources and a tremendous history in these kinds of issues. And yet they’re issues that we still struggle with today. So the fact that these are issues that Iraqi officials are struggling with is not surprising at all.
One of the issues some Sunni politicians have raised here is to get a widespread release for detainees as a step toward reconciliation. Did that come up in your discussions? That did not come up.
As the White House counsel you pushed for broader interrogation tactics to be used. Would you still… I’m not sure I would characterize it that way. I disagree with that characterization but get to your question.
Would you still push for that? Is that an issue that came up in your discussions today? It did not come up. What I would push for is doing everything that is lawful in order to protect the national security of our country. My job is to provide to the policy makers and president what the box is in terms of what is permitted under the law. And then the policy makers have to decide where within that box they want to go. And they may decide they don’t want to go to the boundaries of the box or not. … I would submit to you that we’re dealing with a new kind of enemy and a new kind of war. This president feels compelled to do what he can do, under the law, to protect our country.
Do you think there’s a shift in the kind of enemy the United States is facing in Iraq? Is that something you discussed with General Petraeus? We didn’t really get into that.
Did you discuss the issue of Shia militia infiltration into the Iraqi security forces? The only thing related to that we talked about was making sure there’s adequate vetting of the police forces. That’s an issue we worry about everywhere in various other countries. Ensuring that people who get into sensitive law enforcement or intelligence positions—that adequate vetting occurs.
Has the program to hand over responsibilities to Iraqi security forces stepped up at all? There’s a lot of scrutiny on the report that’s going to be issued in mid-September. That will occur. That’s still part of the plan. That will have to happen at the appropriate time.
Did you have a discussion with American officials on the ground—DOJ or others—about whether the process should be sped up? We didn’t get into that kind of discussion. My job here is to make sure we’re doing all we can. I think if you ask some members of Congress and some of the American people they would like to see that happen sooner as opposed to later. But it’s going to happen whenever people are ready for it to happen.
Did you hear from any of the Iraqi officials that they are worried about the United States pulling out of here militarily? That it’s a very real concern for them? That’s not what they told me.
With all the political pressure in the United States, did that affect the timing of your visit here? It takes a long time to schedule a trip. There’s a lot of coordination that’s required in the U.S. and here.
How are you dealing with all of the political pressure back at home? You know when I come over here it makes me realize it’s nothing. I also will say my worst day is still better than my dad’s best day. So I’m privileged to serve in this position as the attorney general of the United States. It’s a great privilege and honor. But I think the American people are much more interested and concerned about making sure our country is safe from terrorism.
Your nephew is serving in Iraq. Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing him.
When was the last time you saw him? It was in January or February. He came to Washington. I took him to the Oval office. My sister will be thrilled to know that I’m seeing him.
