[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
[May 3, 2003]
[Pages 421-425]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister John Howard of Australia in Crawford, Texas
May 3, 2003
President Bush. Thank you all for coming. This has been an honor for
Laura and me to welcome Prime Minister Howard and
Mrs. Howard to our ranch. We love coming
here. It's a place for Laura and me to really spend some private time
and spend time with a friend is--makes it even more special. And John
Howard has been a great friend. The Australian Government has been a
great friend to the American people. The Australian people are great
friends with the American people as well.
The Prime Minister is a man of courage. He is a clear thinker. He
understands the responsibilities of freedom. America is really grateful
for the sacrifices of the Australian people and for the leadership of
Prime Minister John Howard.
On September the 10th, 2001, Prime Minister Howard and I stood
together at the Washington Naval Yard to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty. The next day, Australia and America
began writing a new chapter in the history of our alliance. On September
the 14th, just 3 days after the terrorist attacks, Australia invoked the
ANZUS Treaty's mutual defense provisions. Australia came to America's
aid in our time of need, and we won't forget that.
In nearly 20 months since September the 11th, Australian and
American intelligence and law enforcement officials have worked very
closely together. Our relationship has never been stronger, and that's
good, because together we've broken up terrorist cells, we've disrupted
terrorist plots, we've cut off terrorist financing. We brought a lot of
terrorists to justice.
And in Iraq, Australian and American forces have stood together once
again. We ended the rule of one of history's worst tyrants, and in so
doing, we not only freed the American people, we made our own people
more secure. By getting rid of Saddam Hussein, we ended the suffering of a lot of people in Iraq. And
at the same time, we made peace more possible in the world. All
Australians are justifiably proud of the superb performance--and I mean
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superb performance--of the Australian Air Force, Navy, and Special
Forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
As you may know, I was on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln 2 days ago. I
met with Admiral Kelly. He was our highest
ranking official in charge of joint operations. I said, ``I'm getting
ready to see the Prime Minister in Crawford.'' I said, ``What can I tell
him about the performance and the bravery of the Australian troops?'' He
said, ``They are the best in the world.'' And for that, Mr. Prime
Minister, we're grateful.
We want to thank the Australian servicemen for their service and
particularly want to say thanks to their loved ones, who I'm sure
agonized over the fate of their husband or son or daughter, and tell
them that we appreciate their sacrifice as well.
We're committed to defeating the threat of terror because we have
both felt terror's effects. We remember the sympathy of the people of
Australia on September the 11th, and we shared the same sympathy with
the people of Australia after the horrible bombings of Bali. The Prime
Minister showed he's not only a man of steel, he showed the world he's a
man of heart as well as he dealt with the great tragedy that affected
the Australian people.
We won't tire in our attempts to fight terror. Nothing will deter
us. We understand the effects of terror. We also are committed to a
world that is more peaceful and more free. We're committed to a stable
and democratic Iraq. We fully believe the people of Iraq are capable of
running their own country. We will work to provide the conditions
necessary for security, repair the infrastructure, make sure that the
life of the average Iraqi citizen is back to normal, and then encourage
the Iraqi people to decide their own fate and run their own Government.
We agree the U.N. Security Council should move swiftly to lift the
economic sanctions on Iraq.
We'll continue to work together to make the world more safe and
free. Today we discussed the Korean Peninsula. We discussed my
commitment to move the Middle Eastern peace process forward. We
discussed a lot of key issues. I was comfortable in so doing because I
value the advice of John Howard. I trust his judgment, and I appreciate
his friendship.
Mr. Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Howard. Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. Can
I first, for Janette and myself, thank George and Laura very much for
inviting us to a piece of American soil that I know has a special place
in the President's heart.
To come to the United States is always an experience and an
opportunity as Prime Minister to renew the links and the friendship and
the affection between our two nations and our two peoples. But to come
to the heart of Texas and to be a guest of the President and his wife in
this wonderful hideaway--although it doesn't appear to be very well
hidden away with this large gathering today--is a special opportunity.
Can I thank the President for the kind words that he's expressed
about the Australian military participation in Iraq. We too in Australia
are immensely proud of the way in which the men and women of the
Australian Defence Force discharged their duties. But can I, Mr.
President, congratulate you on the leadership that you gave to the
world, at times under very great criticism, at times fighting very great
obstruction. But you had a resolute, clear view of what had to be done,
and we were very pleased and very proud and very determined when the
final decision was taken to be part of that.
I think what was achieved in Iraq was quite extraordinary from a
military point of view. I think the military textbooks will be replete
with the experiences of Operation Iraqi Freedom for many years to come.
And the leadership of the United States, with the support of its
coalition partners, Great Britain, Australia, Holland, and others, I
think has sent a very important
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message not only to the region but also to the rest of the world.
I welcome very much the personal commitment that you have given to
the securing of a peaceful outcome in the long-running and bloody saga
of relations between Israel and the Palestinians. As the leader of a
nation which has been a staunch and unapologetic friend of Israel ever
since its foundation, we also support very strongly the establishment of
an independent Palestinian state. And we see progress on this issue as
being very important to consolidating what has been achieved in Iraq and
building on the message of freedom that came out of the operation in
Iraq.
Our bilateral relationship is very close indeed, in so many ways.
There is a strategic and political closeness. But more important than
that, there is a very deep affection between our two nations. We have
shared a lot of experiences. You recalled that very emotional moment at
the naval dockyard on the 10th of September, the first time we met, and
the next day, of course, the world changed so dramatically. And I can
remember returning by courtesy of the United States Air Force from
Andrews Air Force Base to Hawaii and discussing with our Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer the invoking of the ANZUS Treaty, in
consequence of what had occurred the day before in New York and
Washington.
Australia and America are close friends because, above all, we have
similar values. In the end, the thing that binds nations together more
than anything else is the commonality of their values. And we have a
view of the world that puts freedom and individual liberty, a belief in
market outcomes, where appropriate, at the center of the activities of
both our nations.
Mr. President, I'm very honored to be here. Janette and I have
greatly enjoyed your hospitality. We wish you well. We respect very much
the leadership that you, personally, and your administration brings to
the affairs of the world. We think the world is a safer, more optimistic
place as a result of our joint efforts in Iraq, and we think that is a
message which is resonating around the world. And we too have one
aspiration for the Iraqi people, that they can live in freedom, and they
can run their own affairs, and they can benefit from the great
civilization and the great resources which, unhindered, are at their
disposal.
President Bush. Good. Thank you, John.
We will answer a couple of questions, two per side. Barney, do you
have a question? [Laughter] He doesn't have one? Then we'll start with
Patsy [Patricia Wilson, Reuters]. Patsy is a fine Australian, as you
know. Tomorrow is her birthday. [Laughter]
Go ahead and ask a soft question, then, now that I've set it up.
[Laughter]
Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction
Q. Sir, in honor of your guest, I'll ask it in Australian, if that's
all right. [Laughter] Is there a possibility that you may never find
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? And how would that square with your
rationale for going to war?
President Bush. Yes--the question is about weapons of mass
destruction. Saddam Hussein had weapons of
mass destruction. The United States--United Nations Security Council
voted 1441, which made the declaration it had weapons of mass
destruction. It's well known it had weapons of mass destruction, and
we've also got to recognize that he spent 14 years hiding weapons of
mass destruction. I mean, he spent an entire decade making sure that
inspectors would never find them. Iraq's the size of the State of
California. It's got tunnels, caves, all kinds of complexes. We'll find
them, and it's just going to be a matter of time to do so.
Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement
Q. Mr. President, if I could ask, the Prime Minister has also said
that Australian-American ties have never been
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stronger than at the moment. What impact will that have on Congress when
it considers an FTA for Australia? And what sort of timeline are you
thinking of for an FTA?
President Bush. Right. Well, I appreciate you asking that. I'm
firmly committed to an FTA with Australia. I am hopeful that the
Congress feels the same way I feel.
We discussed the matter. I asked the Prime Minister, are we making,
from the U.S. side, a strong enough effort to move the process along? Is
Ambassador Zoellick doing what he's
supposed to be doing in terms of getting this trade agreement done? And
the Prime Minister assured me that was the case. And so that made me
feel good. The idea is to try to get this thing done by the end of the
year and then, of course, get it to our Congress in '04. It's--I believe
we can get it done, and I think it's an important--will be an important
step in our relationship.
Prime Minister Howard. Amen to that.
Iraq's 55 Most Wanted/Saddam Hussein's Regime
Q. Sir, you guys now have in custody 18 of the 55 most wanted----
President Bush. Yes.
Q. ----including several senior members, Tariq Aziz and others. What
are you learning about where Saddam might be----
President Bush. Right.
Q. ----what his status is, or also about weapons?
President Bush. The question is about--you know, we've captured 18
of the 55, I think you said. And we're still looking for Baghdad
Bob, Said Kazim I want you to know.
[Laughter] Anyway--what are we learning? Well, we're learning that, for
example, that Tariq Aziz still doesn't know how
to tell the truth. He didn't know how to tell the truth when he was in
office. He doesn't know to tell the truth when he's been--as a captive.
And the--but we will find out a lot about the nature of the
Hussein regime as time goes on because, you
know, more and more people will come forward. It may not be the Aces,
Kings, and Queens, and Jacks that do the talking. It may be those who
were doing the--carrying the water for the Aces, Kings, Queens, and
Jacks that do the talking.
And we will learn a lot when the Iraqi people--as the Iraqi people
continue to come forth. And when we feel like sharing the information
with you, we will. It's--you'll probably learn it before I will in
certain cases. But what we're going--the world will find is, the
man had a program to develop weapons of mass
destruction, that he had terrorist connections, and that he was by far
one of the most brutal dictators in the history of the world.
People in Australia and America can't imagine what--when John and I
say how brutal this guy is. This is a guy
that cut the tongues out of dissidents and let them bleed in town
squares. That's just--that's beyond the imagination of the Australian
people to think that could possibly happen. It happened. And more and
more people will find out the nature of this regime as time goes on. I
don't know whether the Aces will talk. I don't know whether the Kings
will talk. But many Iraqi citizens will talk, and the more we learn, the
more the world will find out about the true nature of the Iraqi regime.
Prime Minister Howard's Visit
Prime Minister Howard. Leigh. Leigh Sales and ABC [Australian
Broadcasting Corporation].
Q. President Bush, can you give us an idea of the sorts of things
that you and the Prime Minister did at the ranch last night and this
morning? And when do you plan to visit Australia?
President Bush. Yes, as soon as possible. I don't know what that
means, though. So it's kind of what we--that's called a ``dodge.''
[Laughter] I'd love to come to Australia.
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We--so I get out a coffee--of course, got Laura some coffee first thing in the morning. And I look out
my window, and there's the Prime Minister ready to go for a stroll. So I
hustled and got dressed, and we went for a good walk. And I'll tell you
something, the guy--I'm a pretty good athlete--he walks a good clip. I
was breathing hard, and Barney was breathing harder. [Laughter] We had
trouble keeping up with him.
But one of my favorite things to do is to show this place to
friends. And so the Prime Minister and Mrs. Howard and Laura and I went--traveled
the ranch. And I took him to my favorite spot, which is this canyon, and
there's a waterfall. It rained a couple of days ago--actually last
night--so the water was moving pretty good. And it's just a special part
of the ranch.
We've got a lot of different variety of hardwood on this ranch. It's
hard to tell it from this spot, but north of here, and--there's a creek
and intersection to a river, and there's some just fantastic trees in
these bottoms. And John and I went and spent some time down there.
We visited a lot about our mutual interests. He's obviously very
knowledgeable about a lot of the world. And we spent a lot of time
talking about Indonesia and the threats that emanate out of Indonesia
and what the Australian Government is doing to work with the Indonesian
Government to make Australian people--and America, for that matter--more
secure.
We had a pretty good dinner last night--a little beef. And
fortunately, the Prime Minister wanted to go to bed early, because I did
too. [Laughter] And we had a great visit. We'll go and have a lunch--one
more tour of the ranch and have a lunch. The one thing I regret is he
didn't go fishing with me yesterday afternoon. He wanted a little rest,
but I love having him here.
I can't tell you what a comfort it is to talk to him on the phone.
He's steady. You know, times get tough when you make tough decisions,
and we both made a tough decision, but there was never any doubt in his
mind. He was steady under fire. He stood his ground when he needed to
stood his ground, because he understands the difference between right
and wrong. And he knows the difference between slavery and freedom. And
I'm honored to call him friend, and really am glad he's here.
Thank you all very much. Hope you enjoy your stay in this part of
the world. By the way, they tell me Australia and Texas, they've got a
lot in common. Having to watch this man perform, I agree. [Laughter] The
biggest compliment you can pay to somebody, at least in this part of the
world, is you're kind of like a Texan. [Laughter] Thank you.
Prime Minister Howard. Thank you.
President Bush. Okay, Barney, come on. Quit showing off. [Laughter]
Note: The President's news conference began at 11:17 a.m. at the Bush
Ranch. In his remarks, he referred to former President Saddam Hussein,
former Information Minister Muhammad Said Kazim al-Sahhaf (Baghdad Bob),
and former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz of Iraq.