The US President Mr George W Bush tonight said he would thank the Taoiseach Mr Ahern for his help during this weekend's visit to Ireland.
The US President Mr George W Bush tonight said he would thank the Taoiseach this weekend for the help he has given the US.
Mr Bush was speaking in an interview with RTÉ tonight when he made his comments.
When asked if he was bothered by what the Irish people think of the Iraq war, Mr Bush said Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction against his own people and didn't disarm when told to do so by the United Nations.
He said in reference to Irish anger at the scandal at Abu Ghraib prison that if the Irish public thought the actions of a few soldiers represented the values of the United States, then the Irish people did not understand America.
Mr Bush said he would thank Mr Ahern for helping the US when he met him this weekend.
On the Middle East, the US President said he was the first American president to call for a Palestinian state. He said the US was working on the roadmap with the quartet but that it needed more work on security measures.