[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

[[Page 816]]

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

[[Page 817]]

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----

[[Page 818]]

    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.

[[Page 819]]

    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.