[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
[June 29, 2005]
[Pages 1088-1092]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Interview With the Danish Broadcasting Corporation
June 29, 2005
Mr. Kim Bildsoe-Lassen. Thank you,
Mr. President. Let me initially thank you for this opportunity. It is
actually the first time an American President in office has been
interviewed like this on Danish television.
The President. Oh, thanks. Glad to do it. Thank you.
President's Leadership
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. And there is obviously an abundance of subjects
that would be of great interest to talk about, but since we only have
limited time, I would like to start rather bluntly, if I may. There are
many people in Europe and in Denmark who feels that America, under your
leadership, has become an often arrogant superpower. And the ``either
you're with us or against us'' attitude has created a more violent and
dangerous world. What do you say to those people?
The President. Well, first of all, I can understand why some people
didn't agree with or support my decision to, for example, take the
Taliban out in Afghanistan or take the action I took in Iraq. Those are
hard decisions. And I can understand why some said, ``Well, gosh, we
don't understand why he did that, nor do we agree with it.''
On the other hand, people have got to understand my mentality, and
it changed after September the 11th. For some in Europe, September the
11th was just a moment, a sad moment. For me, it changed how I looked at
the world and changed how many Americans looked at the world because we
were attacked. And we believe we're at war with a group of hateful men
who profess an ideology that is the opposite of ours.
And--but having said that, in defense of my policies, I did go to
the United Nations, not only for Afghanistan but for Iraq. And we did
work with allies, and we did ask people's opinion. And we put a
coalition together, of which your great country joined. And I'm thankful
for your Prime Minister's tough
decision. He's a good man, and he's a friend.
It's--I understand we have an obligation as an influential nation to
reach out to others. And I believe I've done so as the President. And we
also have an obligation as an influential nation to help others. And I'm
going to the G-8 here--I'm going to
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Denmark first, then the G-8. And I'm proud to talk about the record
we've got when it comes to HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa or
feeding the hungry. But--and I've got a--I look forward to going to
Denmark and explaining what's in our heart and our intentions and our
desires and our friendship with the Danish people.
Iraq War/Weapons of Mass Destruction
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. But I do also sense that there are some who feel
that the moral leadership of the United States has been somehow
compromised by the fact that the world was led to the war in Iraq
believing that there was weapons of mass destruction. It now seems like
there wasn't. And I know that there were other nations, there was the
U.N., who also believed there were weapons of mass destruction. But you
said it again and again; people in your administration said it again and
again.
The President. Right.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. How do you feel about that today?
The President. Well, I'm obviously disappointed. I thought there
were--I thought we'd find weapons of mass destruction, as did the world.
In other words, it wasn't just our intelligence, nor was it just my
administration. My predecessor, President Clinton, felt the same way, based upon what everybody thought was
solid intelligence. That's why I--here I put together a group of
distinguished citizens from both political parties to analyze what went
wrong on the intelligence. As a matter of fact--announced today that we
were implementing some serious reforms of our intelligence gathering.
On the other hand, I believe we made the right decision because
Saddam Hussein was not only a tyrant, but he
was a threat to world peace. He had the capacity to make weapons of mass
destruction. Even though we hadn't found the weapons themselves, we
certainly know he made the capacity.
And people who went and analyzed the situation came back and said,
``Look, he was a dangerous person''--even
though no weapons were found, the ability to make weapons and his intent
and his relationship with terrorists. So I----
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. But do you understand that there are people who
say, ``Can we believe it the next time a grave danger is emerging?''
The President. Yes, I can. Sure. Absolutely. And I, myself, want to
make sure that the intelligence that we share with our friends and
allies is--or the intelligence we get from our allies--is good, solid
intelligence. Absolutely. I've got to make decisions based upon good
information.
And people of Denmark got to understand, listen, committing troops
ought to be--is the last option for me. It's the hardest thing a
President does, and I don't like to commit troops. Yesterday, I gave a
speech to the Nation about a way forward in Iraq. I'm confident Iraq is
going to be a free and democratic nation. Before I did so, I met with 38
families, all of whom had a loved one die in Iraq and Afghanistan. And
it's hard to do that. It's hard to know that my decision put these kids
in harm's way, and they didn't come back to the arms of their loved
ones. And you just got to know, it is--it is the last thing I want to
do. The last decision I want to make is to put our young folks into
harm's way.
And it's--I had to tell every one of them two things. One, I thanked
them for their sacrifice but also reminded them that we're laying the
foundations for peace. And I truly believe we are. I would not put those
kids out there if I didn't believe there's a better world ahead.
Europe-U.S. Relations/Kyoto Protocol
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Now, you have, as President, been dealing
seriously and intensively with Europe for the last 4\1/2\ years. And if
I may ask you a little unconventional question: What do you think is the
most
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annoying aspect of the way that we Europeans look at the world?
The President. You know, that's a very tough question because if I
answer it, obviously I admit there's something annoying about Europeans,
which I don't want to admit. I don't want to say that. Listen, I think--
--
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. But we do look at the world very differently,
don't we?
The President. Well, for example, Kyoto. Let me bring up a very
controversial subject. A lot of the leaders in Europe and a lot of
people in Europe believe that all--get the United States to sign Kyoto
and everything would be fine with the environment.
Well, first of all, Kyoto would have wrecked our economy. And I
couldn't, in good faith, sign Kyoto. And nor--99 Senators, U.S. Senators
from both parties, said, ``Don't sign Kyoto. We're not for Kyoto.'' It
became a point of contention that I didn't think was healthy or
necessary, and yet it became a--it became a--kind of a signpost of
whether or not the United States was willing to participate with other
nations.
By the way, Kyoto didn't include China and India, for starters, who
happen to be big polluters as well. And so I'm going to go to the G-8,
by the way, and I'll talk to Anders about this when I see him, about my
plans to share a lot of the research and development we're doing. I
mean, we're spending $20 billion to better understand the science and
better--and more likely to develop technologies that will enable this
country to diversify away from fossil fuels.
See, we got to diversify away from fossil fuels. We're hooked on oil
from the Middle East which is a national security problem and an
economic security problem and, at the same time, burning fossil fuels is
a part of the cause of greenhouse gases.
Domestic Cultural Issues
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Let me change subjects completely, if I may. The
cultural war, as it often described here in America, is something that
we in Denmark look upon with some interest and some also maybe lack of
understanding--gay marriage, abortion, and so forth.
The President. Sure.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Why have these subjects become such a focus in
America today?
The President. Well, I think abortion--I know abortion has been a
focus for quite a period of time. And there is a genuine philosophical
debate, a debate amongst good people--good, decent, honorable, patriotic
Americans who have a difference of opinion. I happen to be one who
believes that we ought to guard life. Life is precious in all forms, all
stages. And that then leads into political debates, that philosophy,
that belief leads into political debates on issues like whether or not a
parent should be notified prior to a daughter's abortion, for example.
That's how it has manifested--different laws, for example.
Occasionally--somebody proposed a law, for example, if you murder a
pregnant woman, should the person be charged with murder once or twice?
I happen to believe the person ought to be charged twice, first the
mother and second the--the child. And that, of course, sparks debate.
And that's why you're seeing debates on this issue.
Gay marriage is another issue----
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Can I just, if I may, your personal--do you
think abortion should be illegal?
The President. No, I've always believed that there--we ought to--
abortion ought to be illegal with the exception of rape, incest, or life
of the mother. But look, I'm a realist as well. I mean, this is an issue
that has polarized the American political society. And in order to get
good policy in place that protects the life of a child, we're going to
have to change hearts. And
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it's--so I've been promoting what I call a culture of life, at every
aspect of the debate remind people that life is precious. And--but I can
see why people take an interest in the debates here. It's--it's--I
happen to believe a society based upon respect for life is an important
society--is a whole society, I guess is a better way to put it.
The Presidency
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. When I told my 11-year-old daughter the other
day that I was going to interview you, she asked me, ``What does a
President really do.'' And I told her, maybe a little simplistically,
that he rules the world. [Laughter] And she then asked me, ``What does a
man with so much power think about before he falls asleep?''
The President. That's great.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. So if I may be a little personal here, Mr.
President----
The President. Sure.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. ----I would like to convey her question to you,
and what do you think about when you have time alone?
The President. Yes, fascinating question. Sometimes the 11-year-olds
ask better questions than us--than we adults. First, if I--if she asked
me what do I do, I would--I would say, I make a lot of decisions. It's a
decisionmaking job, which means I better listen to good people. And I
think when the people take a look at my Government, they'll say, ``Gosh,
that old George W. is surrounding himself with some great people.'' And
I have. And I give them a chance to tell me what's on their mind. I
listen carefully, and then I make up my mind, and they say, ``Yes, sir,
Mr. President.''
You've got to tell your daughter that, one, I sleep well at night. I
subscribe that--this may be controversial for some--I subscribe it to
the fact that I've got peace of mind. And I attribute that to my faith
and to this amazing fact about America: Millions of people--no matter
what their political affiliation may be or their background--pray for me
and Laura. And for that, I am incredibly
grateful.
I'm an exerciser. I love to exercise. Your Prime Minister has challenged me to many a run and bike ride.
I'm--I can only--I can't run with him because my knees hurt. And I
probably won't be able to bike with him because he's a great athlete,
but nevertheless, I exercise a lot. And that helps take the stress off.
I read a lot. And so when I--tell your daughter, right before I go
to bed, after I do my homework, I'm an avid reader. I like to read
history. I just finished a book about George Washington. And so I get my
mind off my work and get my--I get--if I've got troubles, I get my--get
the troubles off my mind by reading a lot. And then I--I'm kind of
getting to be an old guy so I fall asleep about 9:30 p.m., much to the
chagrin of Laura Bush. Up at 5:15 a.m., I get to
work about 6:45 a.m.
President's Upcoming Visit to Denmark
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Thank you, sir. Just this very last question.
The President. Please.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. What are you looking forward mostly to your
visit to Denmark?
The President. I'm looking forward to seeing your Prime
Minister, who I like. He's a good guy.
I'm looking forward to seeing Her Majesty.
I have never been to Denmark. I'm looking forward to seeing the beauty
of the country. I don't get out much when I travel, I must confess. I
won't be your average American tourist being able to move around freely.
I wish I could. But the job doesn't afford me to do that, nor--you know,
it would be unfair to the people of Denmark if I tried to move around
too much because the security would be quite inconvenient to them. But I
really am looking forward to having a good discussion, talking about our
common interests, talking
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about a way forward to help promote democracy and peace. And I'm looking
forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Thank you very much, sir, for your time. And I
hope you have a pleasant and enjoyable visit to Denmark.
The President. Thank you, sir, appreciate it.
Mr. Bildsoe-Lassen. Thank you.
The President. Good job.
Note: The interview was taped at 1:45 p.m. in Map Room at the White
House for later broadcast. In his remarks, the President referred to
Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark;
and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. This transcript was
released by the Office of the Press Secretary on June 30. The Office of
the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
interview. A tape was not available for verification of the content of
this interview.