[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[April 6, 2002]
[Pages 561-566]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom in Crawford, Texas
April 6, 2002
President Bush. Good morning. Laura and I are very honored to have
our friends Tony and Cherie Blair and their
family visit us here in Crawford. We appreciate the rain that the Prime
Minister brought with him--[laughter]--and so do the other farmers and
ranchers in the area. Mr. Prime Minister, thanks for bringing it.
Prime Minister Blair. My pleasure, George. [Laughter]
President Bush. It is always a pleasure for any American President
to welcome the Prime Minister of Great Britain, because ours is a
special and unique relationship. And our relationship is strong because
of my respect for the Prime Minister. I appreciate his advice. I
appreciate his counsel, and I appreciate his friendship.
This morning I conveyed to the Prime Minister the condolences of the
American people for the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
The Queen Mother. This remarkable woman is warmly remembered on both
sides of the Atlantic for her grace and her strength and particularly
for her inspiration she provided during the darkest days of World War
II.
Today, the bond between our peoples that she symbolized is stronger
than ever. Our nations share more than just a common language and a
common history. We also share common interests and a common perspective
on the important challenges of our times.
No nation has been stronger in fighting global terrorism than Great
Britain. I'm extremely grateful for the Prime Minister's courageous
leadership since September the 11th. And the world is grateful for all
that Great Britain has contributed in the war against terror, everything
from special forces to ground forces to naval forces to peacekeepers.
The Prime Minister and I both understand that defeating global
terror requires a broad based, long-term strategy. We understand the
importance of denying terrorists weapons of mass destruction. And we
understand the importance of adapting NATO to meet new threats, even as
NATO prepares to take on new members and forges a new relationship with
Russia.
The Prime Minister and I also agree that, even as we work to make
the world safer, we must also work to make the world better. Our
countries will continue to work closely to bring greater hope and
opportunity to developing nations.
We also had extensive conversations about the situation in the
Middle East. Both our nations are strongly committed to finding a just
settlement. Both of us agree on the fundamental elements that a just
settlement must include. We share a vision of two states, Israel and
Palestine, living side by side in peace and in security.
We agree that this vision will never be realized through terrorism
and that it can only be realized through a political process. We agree
that the Palestinian leadership must order an immediate and effective
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cease-fire and crackdown on terrorist networks. And we agree that Israel
should halt incursions in the Palestinian-controlled areas and begin to
withdraw without delay from those cities it has recently occupied.
The Prime Minister and I agree to work closely in the weeks and
months ahead on these difficult issues. We have a common reading of
history. We understand that each of our nations stands taller when we
stand together. And that's why our nations will continue to stand
together against freedom's enemies. And that's why we'll continue to
work together, for not only the good of our own people but for good of
peace in the world.
Mr. Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Blair. Thank you, Mr. President. First of all, if I
could begin by thanking you and the First Lady for their very kind and
gracious welcome that you have given to myself and my family, and also
thank the people of Crawford and McClellan County for their kind
welcome, too. And it's a real pleasure to be with you here.
And as you might expect, we've had very detailed discussions
covering all the issues, from the topics of the moment through to issues
like trade and bilateral issues between us. Of course, much of our
discussion has focused on the situation in the Middle East. And I agree
entirely with what the President said just a moment or two ago, not just
in relation to what must happen in the immediate term but also as to the
only basis upon which there will be and can be a viable and lasting
peace there, that is a state of Israel, secure in its own borders,
recognized by the entirety of the Arab world, and also a viable
Palestinian state where people can live side by side with each other.
We discussed, of course, the issues of international terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction. I would like to pay a particular tribute to
the President for his courage and for his leadership in the aftermath of
the 11th of September. And I think that it is worth reflecting that over
these past few months, although very much still remains to be done, we
have accomplished, nonetheless, a very great deal in Afghanistan and in
the pursuit of those responsible for that terrible event on the 11th of
September. And we will continue to work in any way we can in order to
make sure that this scourge of international terrorism is defeated.
We also agreed and made it very clear, as well, that the issue of
weapons of mass destruction cannot be ducked. It is a threat. It is a
danger to our world, and we must heed that threat and act to prevent it
being realized.
In addition, I was grateful for the President's kind words about the
contribution Britain has made in Afghanistan. We made that willingly,
because we believe it is important not just that we root out the last
remnants of the Al Qaida terrorist network in Afghanistan but also that
we help that country to go from being a failed state, failing its region
and its people, to a state that offers some hope of stability and
prosperity for the future.
And finally, I would like to say a special thank you to the
President for his words on Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother--that will
be deeply appreciated by people of Britain. And as you may know, there
have been many Americans as well as British people paying their respects
to the Queen Mother as she lies in state. Ours is, indeed, a very
special and unique relationship between Britain and the United States of
America. And I have no doubt at all that under the leadership of
President Bush, that relationship will strengthen still further. And for
that, Britain is glad--I know that the United States is--but I believe
it is good for the wider world, too.
President Bush. We have now agreed to take three questions apiece.
We'll start with Ron Fournier [Associated Press], a fine man who works
for AP--got a couple of kids, cares deeply about the future. [Laughter]
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Prime Minister Blair. I'm just thinking of how I introduce mine,
now. [Laughter]
Q. Flattery will get you nowhere, sir.
President Bush. I've noticed. [Laughter]
Israeli Incursions Into Palestinian Territories
Q. Israel is moving deeper into Palestinian territories, and there
are reports today that she has launched attacks on southern Lebanon.
Have you failed, Mr. President, to convince Prime Minister Sharon to
pull back his troops? And why did you wait so long to demand the
withdrawal and only today adding the caveat, ``without delay''?
President Bush. My administration's--my words to Israel are the same
today as they were a couple of days ago: Withdraw without delay. I made
the decision to give the speech when I did because I was concerned about
the ability for those of us who were interested in a long-term solution
to take hold. I was worried about the balance being tipped to the point
where we weren't able to achieve a long-lasting peace.
I gave the speech at the right time. And I expect Israel to heed my
advice, and I expect for the Palestinians to reject terror in the Arab
world. As Israel steps back, we expect the Arab world to step up and
lead--to lead against terror, to get into an immediate cease-fire, begin
the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1042.
Q. Can I follow up, please?
President Bush. No. Nice try.
Prime Minister Blair. Andy Meyer, who works for the BBC, and really
nothing else need be said. [Laughter] He's got three children.
Q. Can I just follow up from that and ask the President and the
Prime Minister, what happens now if the Israelis continue to ignore what
you've been asking them to do?
President Bush. I don't expect them to ignore. I expect them to heed
the call, heed the call from their friends the United States, and heed
the call from their friends the Great--the people of Great Britain and
the leadership of Great Britain.
Q. But if they don't?
President Bush. Well, that's--as I told you, I think they will heed
the call.
Prime Minister Blair. I think that most people in Israel will
realize that they don't have two greater friends in the world than the
United States of America or Britain. And we both understand, as well,
the appalling nature of the acts of terrorism that they have been
subject to. We understand that. But we are also trying to help secure a
way out of the present impasse, so that we can get into a political
process where some of these underlying issues can be resolved
satisfactory for the long term, because the bloodshed and the carnage
and innocent people dying, in the end, is not a solution to this issue.
So I believe that Israel will heed the words of President Bush and will
do so knowing that he speaks as a friend to Israel.
Regime Change in Iraq
Q. Mr. President.
President Bush. I don't know you well enough, Adam [Adam Entous,
Reuters] to be able to sing your praises. [Laughter]
Q. Thank you. Mr. President, you have yet to build an international
coalition for military action against Iraq. Has the violence in the
Middle East thwarted your efforts? And Prime Minister Blair, has Bush
convinced you on the need for a military action against Iraq?
President Bush. Adam, the Prime Minister and I, of course, talked
about Iraq. We both recognize the danger of a man who's willing to kill
his own people harboring and developing weapons of mass destruction.
This guy, Saddam Hussein, is a leader who gasses his own people, goes
after people in his own neighborhood with weapons of--chemical weapons.
He's a man who obviously has something to hide.
He told the world that he would show us that he would not develop
weapons of mass destruction, and yet, over the past
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decade, he has refused to do so. And the Prime Minister and I both agree
that he needs to prove that he isn't developing weapons of mass
destruction.
I explained to the Prime Minister that the policy of my Government
is the removal of Saddam and that all options are on the table.
Prime Minister Blair. I can say that any sensible person looking at
the position of Saddam Hussein and asking the question, would the
region, the world, and not least the ordinary Iraqi people be better off
without the regime of Saddam Hussein, the only answer anyone could give
to that question would be, yes.
Now, how we approach this, this is a matter for discussion. This is
a matter for considering all the options. But a situation where he
continues to be in breach of all the United Nations resolutions,
refusing to allow us to assess, as the international community have
demanded, whether and how he is developing these weapons of mass
destruction--doing nothing in those circumstances is not an option, so
we consider all the options available.
But the President is right to draw attention to the threat of
weapons of mass destruction. That threat is real. How we deal with it;
that's a matter we discuss. But that the threat exists and we have to
deal with it, that seems, to me, a matter of plain common sense.
Q. Prime Minister, we've heard the President say what his policy is
directly about Saddam Hussein, which is to remove him. That is the
policy of the American administration. Can I ask you whether that is now
the policy of the British Government? And can I ask you both, if it is
now your policy to target Saddam Hussein, what has happened to the
doctrine of not targeting heads of states and leaving countries to
decide who their leaders should be, which is one of the principles which
applied during the Gulf war?
Prime Minister Blair. Well, you know it has always been our policy
that Iraq would be a better place without Saddam Hussein. I don't think
anyone can be in any doubt about that, for all the reasons I gave
earlier, and--you know, reasons to do with weapons of mass destruction,
also to do with the appalling brutality and repression of his own
people. But how we now proceed in this situation, how we make sure that
this threat that is posed by weapons of mass destruction is dealt with,
that is a matter that is open. And when the time comes for taking those
decisions, we will tell people about those decisions.
But you cannot have a situation in which he carries on being in
breach of the U.N. resolutions and refusing to allow us the capability
of assessing how that weapons-of-mass-destruction capability is being
advanced, even though the international community has made it absolutely
clear that he should do so. Now, as I say, how we then proceed from
there, that is a matter that is open for us.
President Bush. Maybe I should be a little less direct and be a
little more nuanced, and say we support regime change.
Q. That's a change though, isn't it, a change in policy?
President Bush. No, it's really not. Regime change was the policy of
my predecessor as well.
Q. And your father?
President Bush. You know, I can't remember that far back. [Laughter]
It's certainly the policy of my administration. I think ``regime
change'' sounds a lot more civil, doesn't it? The world would be better
off without him--let me put it that way, though--and so will the future.
See, the worst thing that can happen is to allow this man to
abrogate his promise and hook up with a terrorist network. And then all
of a sudden you've got one of these shadowy terrorist networks that have
got an arsenal at their disposal, which could create a situation in
which nations down the road get blackmailed. We can't let it happen; we
just can't let it happen. And obviously, the Prime Minister is somebody
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who understands this clearly, and that's why I appreciate dealing with
him on the issue. And we've got close consultations going on, and we
talk about it all the time. And he's got very good advice on the
subject, and I appreciate that.
Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian
Authority
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. You say that in the war against
terrorism, people are either with us or against us. Whose side is
Chairman Arafat on, and do you think the world would be a better place
without him?
President Bush. I think Chairman Arafat--I was asked on British TV
the other day, have I lost trust in Chairman Arafat? And I said, ``Well,
he never earned my trust, because he hasn't performed.''
Somebody told me there's a story floating around that somehow I am
blaming the Clinton administration for what's going on in the Middle
East right now. Let's make this very clear, that in my speech I said
that Mr. Arafat has not lived up to the promises he made at Oslo and
elsewhere to fight off terror. He hasn't performed. I appreciate what
President Clinton tried to do. He tried
to bring peace to the Middle East. I am going to try to bring peace to
the Middle East.
But in order to earn my trust, somebody must keep their word. And
Chairman Arafat has not kept his word. He said he would fight off
terror. He hasn't. He needs to speak clearly, in Arabic, to the people
of that region and condemn terrorist activities. At the very minimum, he
ought to at least say something.
And you know, there's all kinds of excuses. But in order to achieve
lasting peace, both sides must make constructive steps, and we're
prepared to help and will help. That's why the Secretary of
State is going to the region. But Chairman
Arafat has failed in his leadership, and he has let the people down. He
had opportunity after opportunity to be a leader, and he hasn't led. And
I'm disappointed.
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq
Q. Present company doubtless excepted, one could think of quite a
lot of world leaders the world might be better off without.
President Bush. Thank you for the exception.
Q. And I'm not sure necessarily whether the Prime Minister would
agree with you on Yasser Arafat. But can I ask you, I think what
Europeans have a problem with, about expanding any war on terror to
Iraq, is linkage. They can see a linkage between Al Qaida and
Afghanistan. They can't see a direct linkage to Saddam Hussein.
Would you accept that there isn't a direct linkage and how,
therefore----
President Bush. First of all, I wouldn't accept that. But can't they
see linkage between somebody who's willing to murder his own people and
the danger of him possessing weapons of mass destruction, which he said
he would not develop? I see the linkage between somebody who is willing
to go into his own neighborhood and use chemical weapons in order to
keep himself in power and at the same time develop a weapon that could
be aimed at Europe, aimed at Israel, aimed anywhere, in order to affect
foreign policy through his--you know, I can't imagine people not seeing
the threat and not holding Saddam Hussein accountable for what he said
he would do, and we're going to do that.
History has called us into action. The thing I admire about this
Prime Minister is, he doesn't need a poll or a focus group to convince
him the difference between right and wrong. And it's refreshing to see
leaders speak with moral clarity when it comes to the defense of
freedom.
I intend to speak with clarity when it comes to freedom, and I know
Prime Minister Tony Blair does as well. And we will hold Saddam Hussein
accountable for broken promises. And that's what a lot of our
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discussion over there on Prairie Chapel Ranch has been about. And other
than eating lunch, which we're fixing to go do, we're going to continue
our discussions.
Prime Minister Blair. You talked about no linkage there. There is a
reason why United Nations resolutions were passed, nine of them, calling
upon him to stop developing weapons of mass destruction. I mean, there
is a reason why weapons inspectors went in there, and that is because we
know he has been developing these weapons.
We know that those weapons constitute a threat. Three days after the
11th of September when I made my first statement to the House of Commons
in Britain, I specifically said then this issue of weapons of mass
destruction has got to be dealt with. And the reason for that is that
what happened on the 11th of September was a call to us to make sure
that we didn't repeat the mistake of allowing groups to develop
destructive capability and hope that, at some point in time, they
weren't going to use it. They develop that destructive capability for a
reason.
Now, we've made it very clear to you how we then proceed and how we
deal with this--all the options are open. And I think after the 11th of
September, this President showed that he proceeds in a calm and a
measured and a sensible but in a firm way. Now, that is precisely what
we need in this situation too.
And as I say to you, never forget he knows perfectly well what the
international community has demanded of him over these past years, and
he's never done it.
President Bush. Thank you all.
Prime Minister Blair. Thank you.
Note: The President's news conference began at 11 a.m. in the gymnasium
at Crawford High School. In his remarks, he referred to Cherie Blair,
wife of Prime Minister Blair, their daughter Kathryn, and Mrs. Blair's
mother, Gale Booth. A reporter referred to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
of Israel.