    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [November 6, 2001]
    [Pages 1350-1352]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Jacques Chirac of France and an Exchange With Reporters
    November 6, 2001

        President Bush. Good morning. It's my honor to welcome our close
    friend and my personal friend back to Washington, DC. President Chirac,
    thank you for being here, sir. We've had a good discussion about our
    common efforts to fight terror. I thank the French people, the French
    Government for their strong support. And I appreciate your help on the
    military front, Mr. President.
        We recognize that our war against terror is more than just military
    action in Afghanistan, that we have an obligation to help feed the
    innocent people in Afghanistan, and that we've got to make sure that
    there is a post-Taliban government that reflects the values of both our
    countries. And so we had a good discussion and it's--I value the advice
    of the President. I value his friendship. And I'm so glad he came back
    to the country.
        Mr. President, welcome.
        President Chirac. Well, thank you, Mr. President. I must say, it's
    always a pleasure and a delight to be here and to be at your side. And I
    must say that I admire you. I admire your calm and your determination in
    the difficult circumstances that we have to face together.
        The ultimate responsibility of any political official, be he head of
    state or head of government, is to ensure the safety of his people. And
    that is exactly what President Bush is doing, what I am doing, what all
    our colleagues are doing. And to ensure the safety of the people, we
    have to use all the tools at our disposal, the domestic tools and also
    the international tools. And by ``international tool,'' of course, I
    refer to the eradication of the current terrorism.
        In this spirit, we talked about the military operations, about
    French support, about the political actions that we must take to
    establish in Afghanistan all the trappings of a modern state, and also
    the urgent need for humanitarian aid, both for refugees and all the
    people of Afghanistan. And also, we mentioned the crises across the
    world, crises that can fuel terrorism. And of course, by that I mean
    that we mentioned, amongst other things, the Middle East and the need
    for the peace process to be restored there.
        And on all these issues, I wanted to contribute a few thoughts in
    the general debate, and that is what I did. And I'd like to thank him
    for welcoming me here.
        President Bush. We'll take a couple of questions. I'll take two; the
    President's agreed to take two, starting with Mr. Fournier [Ron
    Fournier, Associated Press].

    [[Page 1351]]

    Al Qaida and Weapons of Mass Destruction

        Q. Sir, this morning you said that the terrorists--Al Qaida
    terrorists are seeking to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Can you
    tell us how close they are to getting a nuclear bomb, or even a bomb
    that would distribute deadly nuclear waste across the country?
        And to President Chirac, your government says about 2,000 of your
    troops will be involved in the U.S.-led effort. How many of those will
    be on the ground in Afghanistan?
        President Bush. This morning I did say that Usama bin Laden, Al Qaida were seeking to develop weaponry that--
    weapons of mass destruction. And the reason I said that is because I was
    using his own words. He announced that this was his intention. And I
    believe we need to take him seriously. We will do everything we can to
    make sure he does not acquire the means to deliver weapons of mass
    destruction. If he doesn't have them, we will work hard to make sure he
    doesn't; if he does, we'll make sure he doesn't deploy them. And that's
    why it is so important that we continue our search for Al Qaida in
    Afghanistan, to hunt them down, to get them on the run, and to bring
    them to justice.
        But this is an evil man that we're
    dealing with. And I wouldn't put it past him to develop evil weapons to
    try to harm civilization as we know it. And that's why our coalition
    is--that's why I work hard to keep our coalition bound together. And
    that's why we're going to keep relentless military pressure on him in
    Afghanistan. And that's why we must prevail. That's why we must win.
        And I told my friend the President, there's no doubt in my mind we
    will win.
        The question to Mr. Chirac.

    France's Role in the War on Terrorism

        President Chirac. I didn't say that France was ready to put 2,000
    men at the disposal of the military operation; on the contrary, I said
    that we already had 2,000 men of all three forces involved in the
    operation.
        President Bush. Question from the French press. No, only one
    question, Mr. Fournier. This is the old two-question trick; you say
    you've got one question, and he has two questions.
        Would you call on somebody from your press?

    Future of Afghanistan

        Q. We are--I'll ask the question in French, a question that is
    directed to both Presidents. And we are already involved in the military
    phase. Have we already--have you already started thinking about the
    political phase and the possible increased involvement of the U.N. for
    the future in that phase?
        President Chirac. Of course, we have mentioned all this. And I must
    say that the military aspect is necessary, yes, but there are other
    aspects. And the U.S. and its allies are currently making efforts to
    speed up the political process and the quest for a political settlement
    in Afghanistan. And in this respect, we do support Mr. Brahimi and what
    he is doing. We are all also involved in increasing and stepping up the
    humanitarian aid, and we mentioned that this morning.
        We spoke about all these issues because they are all closely
    intertwined, as are other issues that haven't yet been mentioned in
    front of you ladies and gentlemen: for instance, the financing of the
    fight against terrorism, or financial measures to fight against
    terrorism; and also the havens that are offered to terrorists in some
    countries because of national legislation; and also the fight against
    the opportunities that our democratic societies give these terrorists.
        President Bush. Yes, I have nothing more to add to that. I'm in
    agreement with what the President said.
        Patsy [Patricia Wilson, Reuters].

    [[Page 1352]]

    Nature of the Coalition

        Q. Mr. President, you said this morning that you wanted more than
    sympathy or words from other countries. What nations were you
    specifically talking about, and what do you want from them?
        President Bush. I am going to the United Nations to give a speech on
    Saturday. And I am going to praise those nations who have joined our
    coalition. But a coalition partner must do more than just express
    sympathy; a coalition partner must perform. And our coalition partner
    here has performed; we work together.
        And that means different things for different nations. Some nations
    don't want to contribute troops, and we understand that. Other nations
    can contribute intelligence sharing, and for that we're grateful. But
    all nations, if they want to fight terror, must do something. It is time
    for action. And that's going to be the message of my speech at the
    United Nations.
        I have no specific nation in mind, at least as I stand here now.
    Everybody ought to be given the benefit of the doubt. But over time,
    it's going to be important for nations to know they will be held
    accountable for inactivity. You are either with us or you are against us
    in the fight against terror. And that's going to be part of my speech at
    the United Nations.
        Last question.
        President Chirac. Just one comment. I would just like to remind you,
    ladies and gentlemen, that through Resolution 1373, the Security Council
    of the United Nations acknowledged the legitimacy of U.S. action and
    also outlined the obligation for all countries to join the fight against
    terrorism. So, of course, all nations and countries contribute according
    to their capabilities. But there is no way they can get out of this
    commitment. It is the legitimacy and the legitimate reaction of the U.S.
    that was endorsed.
        President Bush. The soup is getting cold. Do you want one more
    question from the French press?
        President Chirac. You are the--you're the boss.
        President Bush. I'm the boss? Well, let's go eat, then. [Laughter]
    Thank you, Mr. President.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:44 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al
    Qaida terrorist organization. President Chirac referred to U.N. Special
    Representative for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi. President Chirac spoke
    in French, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter.