White House

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 12:39 P.M. EDT MS. PERINO: Good morning -- afternoon. One quick announcement. President Bush wanted to thank Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake today for participating in a groundbreaking of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. This Center is a state-of-the-art facility that will treat American troops and veterans who are suffering from traumatic brain injury and psychological health issues. The project is being funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides assistance to our nation's military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of duties. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence should be complete by the end of 2009 and will provide intensive outpatient evaluation, advanced diagnostics, initial treatment plans and treatment modalities, and long-term follow-up care for patients. The Center expects to facilitate maximum recovery for warriors and families so that they can return to duty or to function within their home communities. And the President was very pleased that they went up and did that today. Q Does the President have a clear picture of what happened to the British and American diplomats in Zimbabwe? MS. PERINO: Well, I think that information is still coming in. We believe that the -- we're thankful that they appear to be safe. But we are outraged by this deplorable act. And while this incident has been resolved, it won't be forgotten, and the State Department will continue to talk to the Zimbabweans and make sure that they know how -- just how displeased President Bush is. Q Is there any recourse that the United States has? I mean, other than expressing displeasure? MS. PERINO: I don't know of any at the moment, so let me refer you to the State Department for any immediate reaction on whatever the Ambassador is doing there on the ground. Q And is it your understanding the diplomats were not harmed or -- were they mistreated? MS. PERINO: I don't have any other reports except for news reports that I've seen. So let me refer you to the State Department, who has a direct line of communication with them. Roger. Q On the same topic, do we know what happened? And Zimbabwe says that they were -- the diplomats were spies. MS. PERINO: Well, I think that that's probably an outrageous claim. I don't know why they were stopped. But again, let me refer you to the State Department. They have a direct line of communication with the Ambassador there. Q And do you have anything to say about the Tsvangirai arrest? MS. PERINO: As we said yesterday, it was absolutely horrible, and we are pleased that he was released. But he never should have been detained in the first place. And Zimbabwe is a very sad story of a country that used to be one that was a shining jewel in Africa and one that was an exporter of food. And now they have people who are dependent on NGOs. And then Mugabe takes the next step of cutting off their food. And we just find it just deplorable, outrageous, sad. And the fact that Mugabe then left his country in the middle of this crisis, much of what he caused, and went to Rome for a food conference is obscene. Matt. Q The State Department has already said that it will take its protest over the detention of the diplomats to the Security Council. Are there, though, any other steps that can be taken, such as expelling the Zimbabwe ambassador? MS. PERINO: I think that given that this has just happened, let me refer you to the State Department, who is considering what they can to do. Remember we are the chair of the U.N. Security Council this month. Q Dana, maybe -- it's been a couple of hours since the Senate report came out, so I just wanted to give you a chance on camera to talk a little bit about Senate Democrats -- I know Republicans are disagreeing on the Hill -- but Senate Democrats are alleging that it's not that intelligence was wrong, but that the administration maybe exaggerated some intelligence and maybe left out some key caveats about that intelligence in the run-up to the war. And I wonder, for y