Two weeks ago Bono met President Bush at The White House as the US announced increased aid for developing countries. Afterwards Bono met the press.

Q: A lot of people in show-biz might find it bizarre that you could find something in common with President Bush. Could you tell us what it is you've got in common, and how you made the connection?

BONO: You know, musicians in areas of fighting for poverty tend to march or placard. I do that, too. But I made a decision that I wanted to engage in dialogue where there wasn't any before. Usually, the people that represent students and churches and activists can't get the same access that I can get, because I wear sunglasses and, today, a sharp suit. But I will use that access to make arguments on behalf of people who can't make them themselves.

We just had a meeting, a half-an-hour meeting this morning with the President of the United States about AIDS and the emergency of AIDS. The President admitted that it was a genocide. And by that, I guess the inference is through our inaction we are some how complicit in it.

Q: Is that a word he used?

BONO: He used the word "genocide." The President of the United States seems to have very, very strong feelings about this. He promised me that if we could get programs in place that were working and effective, they would not be short of funds.

That's what I come to do here. I am a pest. I am a stone in the shoe of a lot of people living here in this town. I'm a squeaky wheel. But, actually, the President said that's what they need -- come back, you know, keep at me. And I intend to.

Q: Mr. Bono, the President also mentioned that you're a man who has convinced Jesse Helms, that you have talked to a lot of people in your fight to get politicians and world figures to help in your cause.

BONO: Yes, because it's actually too important to play games with these issues. It's too important to posture, to take a stance. It is much easier and hipper for me to be on the barricades with a handkerchief over my nose. It looks better on the resume of a rock and roll star. But I can do better by just getting in to the White House and talking to a man who I believe is listening and wants to listen on these subjects, and talk to him about the connection between the war against terror and how it's bound up in the war against poverty -- Colin Powell's words, not mine.

Q: He wants to attach conditions to aid to poor countries. Is that a path that you endorse?

BONO: Conditions are really, really important to win the argument of increased foreign assistance. But not bureaucratic, stiff IMF-type, micromanaging of other people's economies type conditions. Just smart conditions like good governance, clear and transparent process, and active civil society in a region. If we've got that in place -- and Americans can see where their dollars are going -- they are ready to put their hands in their pocket.

And I just want to say that the AIDS emergency is the biggest threat to security in the history of the world. It's a bigger threat than rogue states. It's a bigger threat than Saddam Hussein. More lives will be lost, have been lost than any war in the history of wars, to this disease. And the instability and the chaos that it creates, succour extremist groups who want to destroy the west.

We spoke about 9/11; we spoke about the shock of 9/11. And I spoke about, then, the aftershock, which to me was an extraordinary moment of history. I'm talking about the week after, as Europeans and Americans watched, with our mouths open, as people jumped up and down in Jakarta and in the cities of Pakistan, dragging the American flag through the dirt, celebrating, jumping up and down, because the Twin Towers there, the World Trade Towers had turned to dust. That moment was a critical moment in the history of this country.

I'm not talking about the terrorist attack. I'm talking of the dawning on people that this country's name has been tarnished. And I'm a fan of the United States. I love being here. I love to walk into the White House -- of course, I do, I'm an Irishman and I'm proud of being here in the United States. But I think that the way to deal with this lousy PR that you've got is to actually go to these regions and save lives. Because if you're saving the life of somebody, if you arrive with drugs, the anti-retro-viral cocktails that are saving the lives of people's sisters and brothers and cousins, with American ingenuity, I think this problem will be gone.

People like the Taliban, they offer a certain social order and world view in these desperate places -- a pathetic world view. But they offer this kind of order. We've got to be there. Europe and America has got to be there, saying, we can save lives here; let us.

Q: The President said half the aid should be in the form of grants. Do you think his speech today will create a breakthrough with some who are still insisting on it being all loans?

BONO: We agree with him that aid should be in grants, not loans. But we have to back up the funds to do it that way.

I'm here to collect a check, that's what I do. You know? And the check here is for $5 billion. The truth is it's not enough and it's not soon enough. But you know what? The President of the United States doesn't think it is either. And he says he's prepared to write more checks, as long as we can prove to him that we are effective in dealing with poverty in Africa, and dealing with the HIV-AIDS pandemic. So I'm going to be back.

He, rather foolishly, asked me back, and I'm happy to be a pest. I'm happy to be the stone in his shoe. That's my job, and that's why I'm here.

Q: Congress presumably has to okay the money. What are your plans for the future in terms of lobbying the Hill, and what kind of support do you see on the Hill for this kind of proposal?

BONO: Our next phase is to get the statistics out to the American people. That's really it. We're living with statistics we shouldn't be living with -- 25 million Sub-Saharan Africans are HIV. They're going to leave behind 40 million AIDS orphans in the next decade. Unacceptable statistics. And I'm sure when we get them out to people, the issue will become a lot more political ­ much more viable than it is now.

And I'm telling you, we are organizing. The churches are coming together with students groups. We have corporate America getting on side. We have all kinds of people coming together on this. We believe that this is the defining crisis of our age. And it is.

Q: The President said poverty does not cause terrorism. You suggested a moment ago you might not agree. What's your view?

BONO: Of course, he's right, poverty doesn't cause terrorism. We agree there. But he also said that the conditions of poverty make people easy prey to extremist groups. These are just the facts.

I had somebody in the White House the other day say we know there's potentially another 10 Afghanistans in Africa. And I'm saying, well, it's cheaper to prevent the fires than to put them out, surely. And I think the American people want action on that. It's such a patriotic country. People love their flag. They do not like this image that's around in the world.

You know, the country that liberated Europe also helped to rebuild it, with the Marshall Plan. My father used to talk about the Marshall Plan. All over Europe, people's lives were affected by it. They felt the embrace of America through something like the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan was a bulwark against Sovietism. It was smart, as well as having heart. And it built a relationship that has prospered. We need this kind of initiative in Africa, and especially to deal with AIDS.

Q: How did you get to the White House? I mean, did you call someone, did they call you? How did we get to this point?

BONO: I've got a desk in there now. From their point of view, it's hard to get me out of there. You know what, there's some people really, really committed to these issues working in the White House. And it's a brainy Cabinet, some smart people. Dr. Rice has put her office to these tasks. The President asked her to. And she has to take my call. And, God bless her, she does.

Q: How about corruption? Because that seems to be forever, and you see a lot of poor countries in Africa and Latin America and some of the leaders have plundered those countries?

BONO: Yes. I'll take one more question after this. The corruption thing: what was smart about today's proposal is that it rewards people who get their acts together, who deal with corruption, who have in place proper poverty reduction programs. And the idea of the plan is really to gather around success, and at least there should be no argument with those countries. These are the bright lights. Let's get them up and going. I'm with that. I'm with that program.

Q: Did you wear the shades in the White House?

BONO: Did I wear the shades? I thought the President looked at them quite jealously, actually...

Q: And you didn't offer to give your shades to him ?

BONO: No. The last time I did that was the Pope, and he actually took them away with him. and these are quite expensive.

Q: Did you give an autograph for his twin daughters?

BONO: No, I didn't. I didn't -- but one of his daughters came to our concert. And I asked him, did she enjoy the show, and he said, "Oh, yeah!" And I thought he was a little jealous about that, too.

Q: Does The President have a nickname for you?

BONO: Does he have a nickname for me? I'm the pest. I am the pest. And I will continue to be until we get the job done. And that's the attitude he has, himself. And I'm going to be back here.