    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 14, 2003]
    [Pages 1339-1340]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1339]]

    Interview With Thepchai Yong of Thailand's
    Nation TV
    October 14, 2003

    Thailand-U.S. Relations

        Mr. Yong. Mr. President, I understand that during your visit to
    Bangkok you'll be announcing that your administration will designate
    Thailand as a major non-NATO ally. What does it mean to Thailand and to
    Thai-American relations?
        The President. First of all, you're a pretty darn good reporter.
    Secondly, it's probably best that I not reveal what the Prime
    Minister and I are going to talk about
    until after we talk about it.
        However, having said that, Thailand and the United States are very
    close friends. The level of cooperation has been really strong,
    particularly in matters of common interests. We have a common interest
    to make sure our countries are secure from terrorism. As you know, the
    Thai Government very capably--I emphasize ``capably''--brought to
    justice Mr. Hambali,
    the planner of the Bali bombings in Indonesia, the killer of hundreds of
    innocent lives. And I really--and it was a piece of really good work. My
    only point is that we value our relationship and friendship on this key
    matter.
        Of course, I'll be talking economics as well. Our non-NATO ally
    status is something I want to speak to privately first with the Prime
    Minister and not on your TV screen, if you
    don't mind, but it's a very good question. [Laughter]

    President's Upcoming Visit to Thailand/Demonstrations

        Mr. Yong. Some of the public opinion in Thailand, like in your
    country, doesn't always support what the Government does.
        The President. Yes.
        Mr. Yong. You may admire Thaksin, the Prime Minister, for being
    supportive of the antiterror campaign. But there are people in Thailand
    who are not happy with that, against the war in Iraq and, again, your
    policy of preemption. And there are people who plan to stage a
    demonstration to demand that you be arrested during your visit in
    Bangkok. How do you respond to these critics?
        The President. [Laughter] Well, I'm--first of all, a society which
    allows for people to express themselves is the kind of society I admire.
    I don't expect everybody to agree with my policies, and I appreciate the
    fact that they are able to express themselves. I'm not so sure I agree
    with their desire to have me arrested.
        Look, some people disagree with my decision to take action against a
    thug who had been torturing his own people. We've discovered mass graves
    with hundreds of people that had been buried there, but it's also a
    man who used chemical weapons. And the United
    Nations--I didn't act alone. The critics must understand that I was
    acting in concert with the U.N., who for 10 years--which for years had
    said, ``Disarm.'' And finally, I went to the U.N. and said, ``Wait a
    minute. This is time to--let's take care of this man one way or the
    other, and give him a chance to disarm.'' And he didn't. So I said,
    ``There ought to be serious consequences for not disarming,'' and we
    acted.
        I'm going to tell you something, people have got to understand I'm
    not going to forget the lessons of September the 11th, 2001. These are
    coldblooded killers that received their support from different
    governments, and this Nation will act to protect our people, and just
    like I hope the people of Thailand would expect the Prime
    Minister to act to protect the people in
    Thailand.

    Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat of Thailand

        Mr. Yong. There is an increased recognition among South Asian
    countries that

    [[Page 1340]]

    Prime Minister Thaksin of Thailand is gradually emerging as a new
    regional leader. You have met him. You have talked to him. You see him
    being different from the other ASEAN leaders?
        The President. Well, I certainly don't want to compare him to other
    leaders. I think that would be unfair. But I do see him as a very strong
    leader and a very capable leader. He's got a good grasp of the issues.
    He understands how economies work. He is not afraid to make tough
    decisions. He stands his ground in the face of criticism. And so I think
    he is a very interesting, dynamic leader.

    Iraq

        Mr. Yong. I think there are people in Thailand who doubt whether we
    made the right decision to send Thai troops to help in the
    reconstruction of Iraq.
        The President. Yes.
        Mr. Yong. With mounting casualties on the part of the American
    troops, there are people who doubt that it's worth the risk or not.
        The President. Yes, well, I think--of course, in a free society,
    there are doubters. But people ought to understand that a free and
    peaceful Iraq is necessary for world security. A peaceful society in the
    midst of a part of the world that's been troubled is going to, for the
    long run, help--will help change the world in a positive way. And
    therefore, the idea of helping to rebuild a country ought to be
    something the Thai people accept.
        You've got to understand, the people in Iraq lived under incredible
    tyranny and torture and rape rooms, the kinds of things the people in
    Thailand reject. These people were--the tyrant brutalized them and at the same time built up weapons
    and didn't spend the money on social services. And so not only are we
    making the world more secure and peaceful; we're actually making life
    better for people who had been brutalized by this man. And surely the
    people who respect human rights and decency understand the need to help.
        Now, our troops are--we're in the process of hunting down these
    killers. And the more progress there is in Iraq, the more the terrorists
    get angry, because they can't stand freedom. So I look forward to making
    the case of the United States about why it was important to Thailand to
    contribute. It's important for humanitarian reasons, at the very
    minimum. But for the long term, it's important for peace and security.
        Mr. Yong. Thank you very much for your time.
        The President. I'm really looking forward to coming to your
    beautiful country.

    Note: The interview was taped at 3:23 p.m. in the Library at the White
    House, and the transcript was released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on October 18. In his remarks, the President referred to
    Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (known as Hambali), Al Qaida's chief
    operational planner in Southeast Asia; and former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of this interview.