[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
[February 22, 2003]
[Pages 198-202]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With President Jose Maria Aznar Maria of Spain in Crawford, Texas
February 22, 2003
President Bush. I welcome my good friend President Jose Maria Aznar
to Crawford. We're especially pleased that Ana is with him as well. I
visited his ranch on my first visit to Europe as the President. I'm very
pleased to return the hospitality.
Spain is a strong and trusted ally. Our two nations have drawn
closer than ever before in fighting terrorism across Europe and beyond.
Spain has apprehended members of Al Qaida and continues to share vital
information, intelligence information. President Aznar is a strong
fighter in the war against terror, and I value his advice.
I respect and appreciate his leadership in the U.N., the EU, and
NATO, to meet the new threats of this new century. For the Spanish
people and for their leader, the cause of liberty is more than a phrase;
it is a fundamental commitment expressed in resolute action.
President Aznar and I agree that the future of peace depends on the
disarmament of Iraq. We agree that Saddam Hussein continues to be in violation of U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1441. We agree that the terms of that resolution must be
fully respected. By Resolution 1441, the Security Council has taken a
clear stand, and it now faces a clear choice. With all the world
watching, the Council will now show whether it means what it says.
Early next week, working with our friends and allies, we will
introduce an additional Security Council resolution that will set out in
clear and simple terms that Iraq
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is not complying with Resolution 1441. For the record, this would not be
a second resolution on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction; it would only
be the latest in a long series of resolutions going back 12 years.
We will discuss this resolution with members of the Security
Council, and we will hear again from Chief Inspector Blix. During these final deliberations, there is but one
question for the Council to address: Is Saddam Hussein complying with Resolution 1441? That resolution did
not ask for hints of progress or minor concessions. It demanded full and
immediate disarmament. That and that alone is the issue before the
Council. We will not allow the Iraqi dictator, with a history of
aggression and close ties to terrorist groups, to continue to possess or
produce weapons of mass destruction.
Our coalition draws its strength from the courage and moral
clarities of leaders like President Aznar. In times of testing, we
discover who is willing to stand up for the security of free peoples and
the rights of mankind. Mr. President, you are clearly a man willing to
take this stand. I thank you for your leadership. I thank you for your
friendship.
President Aznar. Well, good morning, good day to everyone. I would
firstly like to thank, on behalf of my wife and for myself, I would like
to thank Laura Bush and George Bush for their invitation to visit the
ranch. And this is a time to work, to rest, to talk in truly marvelous
surroundings.
Spain is an EU member and a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security
Council. Spain is very clearly in favor of the strength of the
transatlantic link. In these three extremely important dimensions, Spain
is committed with an active role in contributing to an appropriate
response to the threat that Saddam Hussein's regime entails for
international peace and security. We've worked very hard and with good
results to forge consensus within the European Union that it is
necessary to maintain. We share the efforts and the needs within the
Security Council that the international community has to maintain to
guarantee peace and security in the world.
Precisely, it is in the Security Council that the international
community has laid the responsibility of maintaining world peace and
security. Our responsibility is precisely to work so that the Security
Council can exercise its responsibilities, working in order to achieve
in agreement the firm compliance of international legality.
I cannot but underline the importance of that relationship in our
struggle against terrorism. We free societies are the targets of
terrorists, and they must be fought unconditionally, with no
reservations and not being allowed to be blackmailed by them. And we
cannot be kidnaped by this fear that--we cannot be the hostages of the
terrorists, and we will not be.
And allow me to say two things in this regard. Cooperation between
the United States and Spain against terrorism is total. And I would like
to thank President Bush for his resolve and his commitment in this
regard. And secondly, I would like to express how satisfied I am in
the--again having arrested important terrorists today in Spain, people
who only think of murdering and committing crimes.
Spain is a democratic and European voice, and we know that there
cannot be peace without law, and that peace cannot be separate from
security. And in these--international law and the disarmament
obligations that Saddam Hussein has been subject to for the last 12
years must be implemented. And this has to be based on the will and
everyone's commitment and our capacity to do so.
We have expressly reaffirmed Resolution 1441 and the usefulness of
the military capabilities deployed in order to achieve Saddam's
disarmament. We are committed to peace, and peace is our horizon. But if
we are unable to combat aggressive dictators, tyrannic regimes, this is
something
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that endangers the very existence of international peace and harmony.
And if we are incapable of guaranteeing this peace, international peace
would become senseless rhetoric. And we honestly do not want to get into
rhetoric when we're speaking of international order, weapons of mass
destruction, terrorist groups, lives in danger, or threats that we have
to confront.
Thus, my position in my talks with President Bush can be summarized
as follows. Expressly, we are ready to fight together against weapons of
mass destruction and terrorism; that is, for a world in peace and for a
safe world. And we are working in order that the U.N. Security Council,
in its role based on the U.N. Charter, may work towards peace and
security in the world through a new resolution that has the greatest
support and majority support.
Our aim is for Iraq to disarm and for Saddam to comply with his
obligations. And international legality has to be credible, and we have
to strengthen our efforts. We have to continue with our pressure on
Saddam Hussein and do all this in unity and in agreement within the
framework of the Security Council. Of course, time is not indefinite. We
don't have much time.
And lastly, as I already talked about with President Bush, we have
to work towards peace and security in the region. And this requires
quick action on our part to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In
that scenario, we are also ready and willing to work jointly.
President Bush. Thank you.
We'll answer two questions a side, starting with Tom [Tom Raum,
Associated Press].
New U.N. Security Council Resolution on Iraq
Q. Mr. President, you need nine votes in the Security Council and no
vetoes. And yet, as of this point, only four countries have spoken out
in favor of moving forward, and no minds seem to have been changed. Are
you ready to move ahead now with this new resolution, even if you don't
have the votes to pass it?
And to the Prime Minister--President Aznar, you've been making many
calls yourself to world leaders and members of the Security Council.
Have you been able to change anyone's mind? And if not, why not?
President Bush. There's not even a resolution put on the table yet.
There will be one soon. And so the people will be able to see what
they're asked to vote on. We just got off a phone call with Tony
Blair and Silvio Berlusconi. It was a four-way conversation to talk about the
resolution and the strategy.
This discussion sounds vaguely familiar. I think I remember getting
asked the same questions prior to the last resolution, the Resolution
1441 that passed 15 to 0, where the Security Council said with a
unanimous voice, Saddam must disarm. He
hasn't disarmed. And so the clarity of vision that took place 4 months
ago I'm confident will be in place after the Security Council takes a
good look at the facts. And so we're just beginning, is my point.
President Aznar. I hear many messages on unilateral actions. But
what I must say is that President Bush, the U.S. Government, and all the
allies are all working together in the framework of the United Nations.
And that's how Resolution 1441 came out. And that's how the new
resolution we're working on has to come out.
It's difficult to ask for an agreement on something that doesn't
exist yet. We'll ask for people's agreement when it does exist. We hope
it's soon. We hope it's good. And we hope it assembles the greatest
possible supporters, because what we cannot forget is that our aim is
disarmament and to avoid the threat that weapons of mass destruction, a
possible use by Saddam Hussein, the threat that this poses to the world.
Q. My question is for the Spanish President of the Government.
Regarding this new proposal for a new resolution, we know it will bear
the seal of the United
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States and of Great Britain. But will it also bear the Spanish seal?
Will Spain be considered or will it be a coauthor of that resolution?
President Aznar. Well, we're working on it, and we devoted some time
last night and this morning to precisely that. And we want to be as
clear as possible in that it has as many possible supporters in the
Security Council. And as I said, our commitment is a very active
commitment, and it's also very active in supporting this resolution. We
know very much and very well what we're handling here and what's at
stake. And what we want for the world is peace and security, and that's
what we're working for with our best will, in order not to be submitted
to blackmail of any kind. We're not thinking of our comfort but of our
responsibility. We want peace, freedom, and prosperity for all.
President Bush. Patsy [Patricia Wilson, Reuters].
Relevance of U.N. Security Council
Q. It took almost 2 months to get Resolution 1441 out of the
Security Council. Are you willing to wait that long this time, and is
this the really last chance for the United Nations to prove its
relevancy?
President Bush. Yes. Si. Last chance.
Q. Are you going to wait that long?
President Bush. No. As the President said, time is short. Tiempo es
corte. And this is a chance for the Security Council to show its
relevance. And I believe the Security Council will show its relevance,
because Saddam Hussein has not disarmed.
President Aznar. What I want to say is that if Resolution 1441
states that it's Saddam's last opportunity, that means that time cannot
be long, because the last opportunity has already been given to him.
What we have to verify now is whether he has disarmed or not. If we now
said that time was infinite, it would be a laugh. It would be very
difficult for anyone to take us seriously, beginning with the United
Nations. That would be the worst possible message we could send for
peace.
New U.N. Security Council Resolution on Iraq
Q. My question is addressed to both Presidents. I would like to know
whether in your proposed resolution you are going to be talking about
the al-Samoud long-range missiles and whether you are going to be--
because Iraq has today mentioned that it was ready to start destroying
them--and whether in your resolution you're going to be speaking about
an ultimatum, a deadline, or a threat for the use of force. What do you
think this is going to be--what are you going to contain?
President Bush. We're in the process of discussing the language. If
Iraq decides to destroy the weapons that were long-range weapons, that's
just the tip of the iceberg. My question is, why don't they destroy
every weapon--illegal weapon?
Saddam Hussein wants time. And after all,
he thinks he will get time, because he has done so--he has deceived the
world for 12 years. He'll play like he's going to disarm. He has no
intention of disarming. Otherwise, he would have done so. He'll say
words that encourage--that sound encouraging. He's done so for 12 years.
And so the idea of destroying a rocket or two rockets or however many
he's going to destroy says to me that he's got a lot more weapons to
destroy, and why hasn't he destroyed them yet?
In terms of language, that's exactly why we've--that's exactly why
Jose Maria and I are talking. And we'll let you know what's in the
resolution when we put it down.
President Aznar. Well, what I want to say is that we cannot
designate Saddam Hussein as the manager of international peace and
security. We've been with this item on the agenda for 12 years. And what
we cannot do is play this game in which you have inspectors are handed
over something, everything is going well, but if it
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isn't, well, that means they're hiding weapons.
So the world can make these mistakes, but the mistake we cannot make
is to let Saddam Hussein being the one managing peace and a threat. And
that's why we're working so intensely towards a new resolution. And
that's why I'm convinced, and that's why we're all working towards these
common aspirations of peace, security, and freedom for the world.
President Bush. Good job. Thank you very much. Very good job. Thank
you all.
Note: The President's news conference began at 11:44 a.m. at the Bush
Ranch. President Aznar spoke in Spanish, and his remarks were translated
by an interpreter. In his remarks, President Bush referred to Ana
Botella, wife of President Aznar; President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Hans
Blix, Executive Chairman, United Nations Monitoring, Verification and
Inspection Commission; Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom;
and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy.