    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [July 2, 2003]
    [Pages 815-819]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 815]]

    Remarks Announcing the Nomination of Randall Tobias To Be Global AIDS Coordinator and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    July 2, 2003

        The President. Thank you all. Please be seated. I appreciate very
    much our Secretary of State for joining us,
    and Tommy Thompson, the Department of
    Health and Human Services Secretary. I want to thank Andrew
    Natsios, who's the Administrator of USAID.
    I want to thank Joe O'Neill, who is the
    Office of National AIDS Policy, for joining us. I want to thank Elias
    Zerhouni, who is the Director of the NIH.
    Where are you, Elias? There you are. Thank you for coming, Doctor. And
    Tony Fauci is here as well. Honored you're
    here, Tony. It's good to see Richard Lee Armitage, who is the Deputy
    Secretary of the Department of State. Thank you for coming, Rich.
        I appreciate the Tobias family for joining us. Marianne, thanks for coming, and Paige and Tim and Todd and Amy, I'm honored you all are
    here as well.
        Five weeks ago I signed into law the Emergency Action Plan for AIDS
    Relief. It's one of the largest humanitarian undertakings in our
    history. The plan will provide $15 billion over the next 5 years to
    fight AIDS abroad. Millions of lives depend on the success of this
    effort, and we are determined to succeed.
        To direct this mission, I have chosen a superb leader who knows a
    great deal about lifesaving medicines and who knows how to get results.
    I'm pleased to announce my nomination of Randall Tobias to serve as the
    Global AIDS Coordinator.
        Randy is one of America's most talented and respected executives. He
    was vice chairman of AT&T and chairman of ATT International, guiding the
    firm through immense organizational challenges. He went to head Eli
    Lilly and Company, one of our Nation's largest and most innovative
    pharmaceutical companies. He is a highly regarded civic leader and
    philanthropist in his home State of Indiana. Throughout his career,
    Randy has shown the ability to manage complex organizations and to
    navigate government bureaucracies. He has earned a reputation as an
    executive of great energy, resourcefulness, good judgment, and
    integrity.
        As Global AIDS Coordinator, Randy will have the rank of Ambassador
    and will report directly to Secretary of State Powell. He will coordinate all of our international HIV/AIDS
    activities for all of our Government departments and agencies. He will
    oversee all resources of this program. And he will work with the faith-
    based and community groups to get the job done. He will report regularly
    to Congress on the progress and effectiveness of our efforts.
        Randy Tobias has a mandate directly from me to get our AIDS
    initiative up and running as soon as possible. We'll work quickly to get
    help to the people who need it most, by purchasing low-cost
    antiretroviral medications and other drugs that are needed to save
    lives. We will set up a broad and efficient network to deliver drugs to
    the farthest reaches of Africa, even by motorcycle or bicycle.
        We will train doctors and nurses and other health care professionals
    so they can treat HIV/AIDS patients. Our efforts will ensure that
    clinics and laboratories will be built or renovated and then equipped.
    Childcare workers will be hired and trained to care for AIDS orphans,
    and people living with AIDS will get home-based care to ease their
    suffering.
        Throughout all regions of the targeted countries, we will provide
    HIV testing. We will support abstinence-based prevention education.
    Faith-based and community organizations will have our help as they
    provide treatment and prevention and support services in communities
    affected by HIV/AIDS. And we're developing a system to

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    monitor and evaluate this entire program, so we can be sure we're
    getting the job done.
        Next week I will go to Africa to meet with leaders of African
    countries and with some of the heroic men and women who are caring for
    the sick and are saving lives. They deserve our praise. They deserve our
    help without delay, and they will have our help.
        When I visit Africa, I will reaffirm our Nation's commitment to
    helping Africans fight this disease. America makes this commitment for a
    clear reason directly rooted at our founding: We believe in the value
    and dignity of every human life. We're putting that belief into
    practice.
        We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we're eager to get started.
    I'm hopeful that the Senate will act quickly to confirm Randall Tobias
    as our Global AIDS Coordinator and that the United States Congress will
    fully fund my request for this lifesaving initiative. I'm also hopeful
    that other nations of the world will join us to combat the AIDS
    pandemic.
        I want to thank you very much for coming. May God bless our work,
    and may God bless the work of Randy Tobias.

    [At this point, Mr. Tobias made brief remarks.]

        The President. Thank you, Randy. Good job.
        I'll answer a couple of questions here today. Let me start off with
    Deb [Deb Riechmann, Associated Press].

    Multinational Forces for Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, a posse of small nations like the Ukraine and
    Poland are materializing to help keep the peace in Iraq. But with the
    attacks on U.S. forces and the casualty rates rising, what is the
    administration doing to get larger powers like France and Germany and
    Russia to join the American occupation there?
        The President. Well, first of all, we'll put together a force
    structure to meets the threats on the ground. And we've got a lot of
    forces there ourselves. And as I said yesterday, anybody who wants to
    harm American troops will be found and brought to justice. There are
    some who feel like that if they attack us, that we may decide to leave
    prematurely. They don't understand what they're talking about, if that's
    the case.
        Let me finish. There are some who feel like that the conditions are
    such that they can attack us there. My answer is: Bring them on. We've
    got the force necessary to deal with the security situation. Of course
    we want other countries to help us. Great Britain is there. Poland is
    there. Ukraine is there, you mentioned. Anybody who wants to help, we'll
    welcome the help. But we've got plenty tough force there right now to
    make sure the situation is secure. We always welcome help. We're always
    glad to include others in. But make no mistake about it--and the enemy
    shouldn't make any mistake about it--we will deal with them harshly if
    they continue to try to bring harm to the Iraqi people.
        I also said yesterday an important point, that those who blow up the
    electricity lines really aren't hurting America. They're hurting the
    Iraq citizens. Their own fellow citizens are being hurt. But we will
    deal with them harshly as well.
        Holland [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Liberia

        Q. Sir, Liberians are hopeful the U.S. will send peacekeepers.
    What's the likelihood of that, and how soon will you decide?
        The President. Yes.
        Q. And is there a danger of U.S. forces being stretched too thin?
        The President. Well, look, we're looking at all options. I've tasked
    the Secretary of State to talk to Kofi
    Annan on how best to deal with Liberia. And we're
    concerned when we see suffering; there's people who are suffering there.
    They've got the--the

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    political instability is such that people are panicking.
        But the good news is, there's a cease-fire in place now. And one of
    the things that Colin is going to do is to
    work closely with the United Nations to see how best to keep the cease-
    fire in place. We're exploring all options as to how to keep the
    situation peaceful and stable.
        One thing has to happen: Mr. Taylor needs
    to leave the country. And Colin has made that a--I made it clear
    publicly. I've just made it clear again. He made it clear to Kofi Annan.
    In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor
    needs to leave now.
        And--but we're looking at all options, Steve, and--but Colin has got the diplomatic initiative taking place.
        Dick [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].

    Conversation With President Putin

        Q. Mr. President, we understand you talked with President Putin this
    morning.
        The President. I did. He wished me a happy birthday. [Laughter]
        Q. It was a birthday phone call?
        The President. I expect you to do the same thing. [Laughter]
        Q. Happy birthday to you, a few days early.
        The President. Thank you, sir. It's not until the 6th, however.
    [Laughter]
        Q. You can never be too early with these things.
        The President. That's right. [Laughter]
        Q. But did you discuss the situation in Iran----
        The President. Yes, we did.
        Q. ----and did you discuss the situation in Liberia?
        The President. No, we did not discuss the situation in Liberia. We
    did discuss the situation in Iran. I thanked him for keeping the
    pressure on the Iranian Government to dismantle any notions they might
    have of building a nuclear weapon.
        And we're making progress on that front. Not only does Vladimir
    Putin understand our concerns and shares the concerns; the EU, for
    example, has sent out a very strong statement to the Iranians that the
    world expects them to conform with the IAEA, to cooperate with the IAEA,
    and to get rid of any plans to develop a nuclear weapon.
        We also talked about North Korea. And I appreciate his understanding
    that the best way to deal with North Korea is to do so in a
    multinational forum, where the United States and China and South Korea
    and Japan and, hopefully, Russia all sit down with the North Koreans and
    make it clear that the world expects them to dismantle a nuclear weapons
    program and, at the same time, will be willing to help the starving
    North Korean people.
        We're making progress on both fronts, and it's helpful to be able to
    cooperate with Russia in dealing with matters of international security.
        Yes, Terry [Terry Moran, ABC News].

    Definition of Marriage

        Q. Mr. President, do you support or do you oppose a Federal
    constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a
    man and a woman?
        The President. I don't know if it's necessary yet. Let's let the
    lawyers look at the full ramifications of the recent Supreme Court
    hearing. What I do support is the notion that marriage is between a man
    and a woman.
        Any other questions? I'm willing to exhaust questions today. I feel
    like I'm on a roll. [Laughter]
        Q. I've got----
        The President. Yes, Steve.

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. There's been some recent good news out of the Middle East. Would
    you like to comment on that? What do you expect the parties to do now,
    the Palestinians and Israelis?
        The President. Well, we're pleased with----

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        Q. And when is Prime Minister Abbas coming?
        The President. I don't know that yet.
        Q. Okay.
        The President. We are pleased with the progress in the Middle East.
    I want to thank the parties in the Middle East for willing to take a
    risk for peace. I am pleased with the hard work that our Secretary of
    State has done, along with Ambassador
    Wolf, who has been shuttling back and forth
    between parties, reminding people of the commitments they made to our
    Government--me personally--the commitments they made to me personally in
    Jordan.
        I am optimistic, but I also recognize the nature of the Middle East.
    I mean, there are people there who still hate. They hate Israel. They
    hate the idea of peace. They can't stand the thought of a peaceful state
    existing side by side with Israel. And they are willing to--may be
    willing to attack. And what we must continue to do is to reject that
    kind of thought. That's why we spoke out clearly. I spoke out, the
    Secretary of State has spoken out, on Hamas.
    Hamas is not a peaceful organization when they're willing to blow people
    up and destroy innocent life. And so we are making progress, but the
    progress will be ultimately made when the world, particularly that part
    of the world, firmly and finally rejects terrorist activities.
        The other thing that needs to happen, Steve, is that institutions
    that will enable a Palestinian state to emerge need to be--continue to
    be fostered and put in place. There needs to be a constitution. There
    needs to be a capable security force. There needs to be economic hope.
    The Palestinian people must know that by accepting a peaceful
    government, by embracing the Prime Ministership of Abu Mazen, that there is a better day ahead for
    them when it comes to making a living. And so we will work with all
    parties to promote economic development in a secure environment.
        And so we're making progress. I'm pleased. I think we're all--the
    best way to describe it is, we're really happy with what we've seen so
    far. But we're realists in this administration. We understand that there
    has been years of hatred and distrust. And we'll continue to keep the
    process moving forward.
        I talked to President Mubarak and King
    Abdullah of Jordan today. I praised them for
    their efforts. I continue to--I urged them to continue to stay involved
    in the process, that we all must continue to reject terror, that we must
    call terrorists what they--by their real name. We must condemn terror in
    all instances. We must cut off money to terrorist organizations in order
    to keep this progress moving.
        Yes, Terry.

    Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction

        Q. On weapons of mass destruction, is it fair to say now, after 2
    months of looking for them, that there is a discrepancy between what the
    intelligence community and you and your top officials described as the
    threat from Saddam Hussein, and what was actually there on the ground?
        The President. No, Saddam Hussein had a
    weapons program. Remember, he used them. He used chemical weapons on his
    own people. Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat to the United States,
    because we removed him. But he was a threat, such a threat that my
    predecessor, using the same intelligence,
    in 1998 ordered a bombing of Iraq. I mean, so, no, he was a threat. He's
    not a threat now. And the world is more peaceful by virtue of the fact
    that he is not in power.
        See, we've been there, what, how many days? You're counting the days
    since we've been there? Because I'm not. Eighty, ninety? Frankly, it
    wasn't all that long ago that we started military operations. And we got
    rid of him much faster than a lot of people thought. And so we're
    bringing some order to the country, and we're beginning to learn the
    truth.

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        But he played his hand, Terry--he, Saddam
    Hussein--when he used chemical weapons. And then he played his hand by
    not letting people come in and inspect for the weapons. He had them, and
    it's just a matter of time. It's a matter of time. The man was a threat
    to America. He's not a threat today.
        But what we're really finding out as well is the threat he posed to
    the Iraqi people. I mean, we have uncovered some unbelievable scenes. I
    have not seen them myself. They've been described to me, what it means
    to see mass graves opened up, with the remains of men and women and
    children murdered by that regime.
        Yes, he was a threat to America. He was a threat to freedom-loving
    countries. He was a threat in the Middle East. But what we're finding
    out is the nature of this man when it came to
    how he dealt with the Iraqi people as well. And it was--it's
    unbelievable what he did. And I--when it comes to--like the AIDS
    initiative, we believe in human dignity; we also believe that everybody
    ought to live in free societies too.
        And so we'll stay the course in Iraq. You know, as I said, there's
    people there that would like to run us out of there, create the
    conditions where we get nervous and decide to leave. We're not going to
    get nervous, and we're not leaving until we accomplish the task. And
    that task is going to be a free country run by the Iraqi people. And
    that in turn will help the peace in the Middle East. That in turn will
    bring stability in a part of the world that needs stability. And I am--
    I'm optimistic about achieving this objective because I believe that
    people want to be free. I believe it's in the nature of the individual
    to love freedom and embrace freedom.
        And so it has been a great honor to lead our Nation in not only the
    cause of humanitarian relief through an AIDS initiative but also to lead
    our Nation to free people from the clutches of what history will show
    was an incredibly barbaric regime.
        Thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:59 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Anthony Fauci, Director,
    National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
    Institutes of Health; Mr. Tobias' wife, Marianne Williams Tobias, and
    his children, Paige T. Button and Todd C. Tobias; Secretary-General Kofi
    Annan of the United Nations; President Charles Taylor of Liberia;
    President Vladimir Putin of Russia; Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu
    Mazen) of the Palestinian Authority; Assistant Secretary of State for
    Nonproliferation John S. Wolf; President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; King
    Abdullah II of Jordan; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The
    transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included
    the remarks of Mr. Tobias.