    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [June 15, 2003]
    [Pages 635-636]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters in Kennebunkport, Maine
    June 15, 2003

        The President. Good morning.
        Q. How are you?
        The President. Good.
        Q. Do you want to visit a bit?
        The President. Sure.

    Situation in the Middle East

        Q. What's your assessment of things in the Middle East?
        The President. My assessment is, is that there are people that want
    peace to go forward, and there are people that don't. And for those of
    us who want peace to go forward, we must combine our efforts to prevent
    people like Hamas from sabotaging peace.
        I'm confident we can achieve peace. It's going to be a tough road,
    but I am determined to continue to lend the weight of this Government to
    advance peace.
        Q. Sir, why haven't you called Prime Minister Sharon and Abbas?
        The President. We're in touch with the Governments. We're in contact
    with the Israeli Government as well as the Palestinian Authority. The
    message is clear: Prime Minister Abbas ``Abu
    Mazen'' wants peace; Prime Minister Sharon wants peace; America wants peace; the European Union
    wants peace. But there are clearly killers who don't. And for those of
    us who are interested in moving the process forward, we must combine our
    efforts to cut off all money, support for anybody who tries to sabotage
    the peace process.
        Q. Will you send Dr. Rice to the region?
        The President. I'll let you know if we decide to. Of course, we just
    got out--Ambassador Wolf* is there now, and
    he's working the process.
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        *White House correction.
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        Q. Are you willing to give money or arms to the Palestinian
    Authority to help them out with Hamas----
        The President. We would like for the Palestinian Authority to set up
    a security force under Mr. Dahlan that will
    do the job that Prime Minister Abbas ``Abu
    Mazen'' assured me that they're interested in doing, which is
    to defeat those terrorists who will do everything they can to deny the
    establishment of a peaceful Palestinian state. And a peaceful
    Palestinian state is in the interests of the Palestinian people.
        Q. [Inaudible]--have enough arms, enough money?
        The President. We are in the process of helping them implement a
    strategy which is--was described to us in Aqaba as to how the
    Palestinian Authority want to reconstitute a security force in order to
    make sure the terrorists, the haters of peace, those who can't stand
    freedom, do not have their way in the Middle East.
        I believe peace is possible, and I believe we've got a lot of work
    to do to get there.
        Q. Do see a break in the violence right not, in the last several
    days?
        The President. It seems like it, but you know--but until these
    people are brought to justice, those who are killing people in

    [[Page 636]]

    order to deny the establishment of a Palestinian state, there will be
    violence. And so the mission of the free world, those who care for
    peace, is to deny the people like Hamas the ability to destroy and to
    kill. And I believe that the agents of peace, the people who love, those
    who care about a decent future for the suffering Palestinian people, and
    those who live in Israel, will prevail. But it's going to take a lot of
    work.
        Listen, have a wonderful Father's Day.

    Iran

        Q. ----think of the unrest in Iran?
        The President. I think that freedom is a powerful incentive. And I
    am--I believe that someday freedom will prevail everywhere, because
    freedom is a powerful drive for people to--and it's the beginnings of
    people expressing themselves toward a free Iran, which I think is
    positive.

    Hamas

        Q. Sir, have the Israelis been justified in going after Hamas----
        The President. Wait for us to succeed peace. Wait for us to have two
    states, side by side--is for everybody coming together to deny the
    killers the opportunity to destroy. And that's what they want to do.
    There are people in the Middle East who hate the thought of a peaceful
    Palestinian state. That's what they can't stand. And the objective of
    this Government and my objective as the President is to move the process
    forward so a state is established. It will be a peaceful state, a free
    state, a prosperous state, so people have hope. And in the meantime,
    before that state is established, it is clear that the free world, those
    who love freedom and peace, must deal harshly with Hamas and the
    killers. And that's just the way it is in the Middle East.
        But we've laid out the way forward, and I intend to keep the process
    moving. And I believe we can have a peaceful Palestinian state living
    side by side with the Israelis.
        Have a great Father's Day. We'll be out there catching fish.

    Note: The exchange began at 9:50 a.m. outside Cape Arundel Church. In
    his remarks, the President referred to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of
    Israel; Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and Minister of State
    for Security Affairs Mohammed Dahlan of the Palestinian Authority; and
    Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation John S. Wolf. A tape
    was not available for verification of the content of this exchange. The
    Father's Day proclamation of June 13 is listed in Appendix D at the end
    of this volume.