    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [April 18, 2005]
    [Pages 622-625]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Interview With the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation
    April 18, 2005

        Q. Thank you for your time, Mr. President.
        The President. My honor, thank you.

    U.S. Support for Lebanese Freedom

        Q. Recently there isn't a day that passes by without you mentioning
    Lebanon. Why now, this country that was under occupation for almost 30
    years, became so important for the United States?
        The President. Well, there's a movement toward freedom around the
    world. And the Lebanese people have made it clear that they want to be
    free of Syrian influence; they want there to be free elections. And the
    United States of America stands squarely with the people of Lebanon.

    Syrian Withdrawal From Lebanon

        Q. Are you concerned, Mr. President, that your calls for freedom in
    Lebanon, for free elections, and for the Syrians to be out of Lebanon
    could be seen as interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs?
        The President. No, I don't think so. I think people will see that
    the United States is consistent in working with the people so that they
    can have a free voice, and so they get to decide the Government. The
    people of Lebanon will decide who is in their Government, not the United
    States. But the United States can join with the rest of the world, like
    we've done, and say to Syria, ``Get out--not only get out with your
    military forces, but get out with your intelligence services too. Get
    completely out of Lebanon, so Lebanon can be free and the people can be
    free.''
        Q. Do you have any doubts that Syria will be out by end of April?
        The President. I am pleased that they're beginning to get out. And
    we expect them to be completely out, and I mean not only the troops but
    the people that have had--that have been embedded in parts of
    Government, some of the intelligence services that have been embedded in
    Government and others. They need to get completely out of Lebanon so the
    people of Lebanon can decide the fate of the country, not another
    Government, not agents of another Government, but the people.
        And Lebanon is a great country, and Lebanon has had a fantastic
    history. It's also had some difficult days. But I think there is a
    better day ahead for the people of Lebanon, and I think people, no
    matter

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    what their politics may be, really want Lebanon to succeed.

    Lebanese Freedom

        Q. Mr. President, I'm sure you saw the pictures of the
    demonstrations in Lebanon. Beirut was packed with maybe a million people
    in the street, calling for freedom and democracy in Lebanon. What was
    your--what did you feel when you saw it?
        The President. Well, I wasn't surprised, because I think everybody
    wants to be free. I think people long to be free, and I think people are
    tired of living under a Government which, in essence, was a foreign
    occupation.
        The other thing is, in our great country, there's a lot of Lebanese
    Americans that love Lebanon. And everywhere I go in my country, people
    are saying, ``Now, listen, as the President, you must work there to be a
    free Lebanon.'' And so I'm not surprised. If the spirit of those
    Lebanese Americans is strong here, imagine what the spirit will be of
    their relatives and friends in Beirut. People live in a free society
    here, and not one there, but there will be one soon.

    Hizballah/Implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559

        Q. You worked closely with the French on Resolution 1559. And this
    resolution calls Hizballah to disarm. How will the United States ensure
    this happens?
        The President. Well, first things first, and that is to make sure
    that there are free elections. Secondly, listen, we put Hizballah on the
    terrorist list for a reason; they've killed Americans in the past. And
    we will continue to work with the international community to keep the
    pressure on this group of people. And we'll work with the international
    community to fully implement 1559.
        But ultimately, the people of Lebanon are going to decide the fate
    of the country. And you can't have a free country if a group of people
    are like an armed militia. In other words, there needs to be police
    organized by the state, a military organized by the state. But citizens
    groups that are armed, trying to impose their will on a free society is
    just not the definition of a free society.
        Q. But Mr. President, what if Lebanon is not capable of implementing
    this element of the Resolution 1559?
        The President. Well, the international community is going to have to
    work to help them achieve that capability. Listen, not every free
    society is capable of internal security right off the bat. And there's
    ways for the international community to come together to reassure the
    people that there will be help to secure the country.

    Freedom in the Middle East

        Q. I'm sure, Mr. President, you heard what I want to say maybe
    thousands of times, and maybe from Presidents and Kings that come and
    see you here in the White House--some people think that it's not in the
    best interest of America to have democratic Arab countries----
        The President. Right.
        Q. ----because democracy and free elections may help anti-American
    groups, radical groups to come to power. What do you respond to that?
        The President. I respond to them and say, ``Well, I guess they don't
    really understand me, and they don't understand my view of freedom,
    because I think freedom is embedded in everybody's soul.'' I do believe
    there is an Almighty God, and I believe that freedom is that Almighty
    God's gift to each man and woman in this world. I believe that a true
    free society, one that self-governs, one that listens to the people,
    will be a peaceful society, not an angry society but a peaceful society.
        And the reason I believe that is because I believe, for example,
    most mothers want to raise their children in a peaceful world, and they
    want their little children to be able to go to school and to grow up in
    peace. And if that's the ultimate feeling

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    of the people, the Government, if it's a true democracy, will reflect
    that.

    Support for the Lebanese Economy

        Q. Well, Mr. President, I'm sure you know that Lebanon is also
    facing severe economic problems.
        The President. Yes.
        Q. Would the U.S. be willing to rally the world community to help
    Lebanon's economy?
        The President. Of course. The United States as well as European
    finance ministers would want to work closely with international
    organizations, like the IMF or the World Bank, to help this country get
    back on its feet after occupation, help this new democracy succeed. Yes,
    there will be plenty of help.
        The Lebanese people are going to have to, though, however, have
    elections. In my judgment, they ought to be as scheduled. And the
    elections need to be free and fair, without interference. There will be
    monitors, hopefully, international monitors, to make sure they're free
    and fair. The people of that good country ought to feel comfortable
    about going out and voting and expressing their opinion. And when a
    democracy is up and running, I believe the international community will
    want to help this new democracy.

    Syria-U.S. Relations

        Q. Mr. President, we all know that Syrian-American relations are at
    their lowest now. Is there a roadmap for Syria to improve its
    relationship with the United States?
        The President. Well, Syria has heard from us before. We have made it
    very clear that--what we expect, in order to be able to have relations
    with us. First on the agenda, right now, there's two things immediately
    that come to mind. One is to stop supporting Ba'athists in Iraq, stop
    those people in Syria who are funneling money and helping smuggle people
    and arms into Iraq. They've heard that message directly from me. And
    secondly, of course, is to completely withdraw from Lebanon. Syria must
    shut down Hizballah offices. Hizballah not only is trying to destabilize
    the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, but Hizballah, as
    you know, is a dangerous organization.
        Q. But those offices are in Lebanon; they're not in Syria.
        The President. Well, they're in Syria too. And Syria has got to do
    its part about making sure that Hizballah doesn't receive support from
    Syria.
        Q. What if the diplomatic effort and the sanctions fail in changing
    Syrian attitudes? Is there another option?
        The President. Well, I think the Government will feel the
    international pressure. We're just beginning. And obviously, diplomacy
    is the first course of action. And we hope--I think diplomacy will work.

    Israel-Syria Relations

        Q. Mr. President, for the last four or five decades, Israel was seen
    as a country trying hard to be accepted by its Arab neighbors and
    signing peace agreements with them. Nowadays we hear someone like
    President Bashir of Syria complaining that all Syria's attempts to
    relaunch peace talks with Israel were not taken seriously. Are you doing
    something to intervene and maybe to put the two parties together?
        The President. Well, first of all, Syria and Israel have got current
    obligations. Syria has got a current obligation to get out of Lebanon.
    And again I'll repeat this, because I want it very clear what I mean by,
    ``Get out of Lebanon.'' I mean not only troops but intelligence services
    as well. And we expect that to happen. Syria has also got to stop
    inciting or providing--allowing people in their country to incite
    violence against Iraqi citizens and our coalition troops.
        Israel has got obligations under the current roadmap to help the
    Palestinians. Israel is getting ready to withdraw from Gaza, and we
    expect the Government of

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    Israel--and want to work with the Government of Israel and the
    Palestinian Authority to make this withdraw successful. And so there's a
    lot of obligations that these two countries have right now in order to
    affect world peace.

    Late Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri

        Q. I want to go back to Lebanon and ask you, Mr. President, what do
    you recall from your last meeting with the late Lebanese Prime Minister
    Rafiq Hariri?
        The President. Yes. I remember I met members--I remember their
    family love. I remember how proud he was of his boys. And then
    Laura and I met Mrs. Hariri in France when we were there. I was there visiting
    President Chirac, and he hosted a dinner for
    me and my delegation, and Mrs. Chirac
    kindly hosted a dinner for Laura, and Mrs. Hariri was one of the guests.
    I remember how striking she was, very lovely lady. I know her heart is
    broken at the loss of her husband.
        Prime Minister Hariri was here to talk to me about Lebanese affairs.
    He clearly loved the country and loved the people of Lebanon. And I know
    he'll be sorely missed.

    Message to the Lebanese People

        Q. Mr. President, is there anything else you would like to convey to
    the Lebanese people?
        The President. I will. United States believes in freedom, and we
    appreciate courage. We appreciate the courage of those who are willing
    to stand up and say, ``We want to be free. We want to be a democracy. We
    want to help establish a Government that responds to the people.'' And
    you'll have our help.
        Q. Thank you so much, Mr. President. We greatly appreciate it.
        The President. Thank you.

    Note: The interview was taped at 3:56 p.m. in the Map Room at the White
    House for later broadcast, and the transcript was released by the Office
    of the Press Secretary on April 19. In his remarks, the President
    referred to Nazek Hariri, widow of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri of
    Lebanon, who was assassinated on February 14 in Beirut, Lebanon; and
    President Jacques Chirac of France and his wife, Bernadette. The
    interviewer referred to President Bashar al-Asad of Syria. A tape was
    not available for verification of the content of this interview.