[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 41 (Monday, October 15, 2001)]
[Pages 1442-1446]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of 
Germany and an Exchange With Reporters

October 9, 2001

    The President. It's been my honor to welcome a great friend of 
America to the Oval Office again. Chancellor Schroeder came to talk 
about our war against terrorist activities. We had a great discussion.
    First, I want to thank the Chancellor for his solidarity with the 
American people and his strong statement of support for the American 
people right after the evildoers struck on September the 11th. I also 
want to thank Chancellor Schroeder and the German people for their 
outpouring of support for the victims.
    And I also want to thank him for being a steadfast friend in a broad 
coalition that is determined to rout terrorism out where it may exist, 
to not only bring the Al Qaida organization to justice but to declare a 
broad campaign against terrorists and terrorism all across the world. 
There is no more steadfast friend in this coalition than Germany, and 
I'm proud to have him here.
    We also talked about the Middle East and the importance that both of 
us recognize for that process to get into Mitchell as quickly as 
possible. The German Government has been very strong about working with 
both parties in the Middle East to get into Mitchell. I assured him 
we're doing the same thing. There would be no better stabilizer for our 
coalition than for the Mitchell process to begin in the Middle East.
    But Mr. Chancellor, we're so thrilled to have you here. Thank you 
for coming.
    Chancellor Schroeder. Thank you very much, indeed, Mr. President. I 
obviously, very happily came here, and I'm pleased to be here, because 
it is important to us to show that very much in these difficult times, 
friendship must prevail and does prevail. And I'm also here to express 
the deepest solidarity from the German side, which is not just words 
being said, but it's a fact.
    We very much are in agreement about the fact that this fight against 
terrorism, which we are all involved in by now, must be a very 
comprehensive approach, indeed. The action that is being taken right now 
must be added to through political measures, through diplomatic action, 
too.
    We also find it very important to maintain the strong degree of 
cohesion that we see at this point in time within the antiterror 
alliance that has formed around the world. We went on to agree that it 
was crucially important to dry up the financing for the terrorists. And 
we also find it very important to highlight that the action that is 
presently being taken in Afghanistan is not at all directed against the 
people of Afghanistan; it is not at all directed against Islam; it is 
far rather directed against Usama bin Laden and the very ruthless regime 
behind him.
    We have also very strongly emphasized how important we find it that 
we do provide relief for the refugees and cope with the refugee problem 
that will arise. And I can only yet again emphasize the high degree of 
respect that I feel vis-a-vis the United States of America and the 
American President, how he has gone about linking humanitarian aid and 
assistance up with the strike in this fantastic way he has done.
    The President. Thank you, sir.

Military Action in Afghanistan/German Contribution

    Q. Mr. President, how close are we to using U.S. ground troops in 
Afghanistan? And Mr. Chancellor, what extra commitments did you make of 
German military assets today to the United States cause?
    The President. Well, first, I think the American people are 
beginning to realize that this is a unique type of war. The first shot 
we took in this war against terrorism was when we started cutting off 
their money. And I want to thank the German Chancellor and the German 
Government for cooperating and joining with us in not only sharing 
information but making it clear to Al Qaida and other terrorist groups, 
we're going to cut you off financially.
    Secondly, as you know, we've started conventional operations. And I 
believe Secretary Rumsfeld summed it up pretty well today

[[Page 1443]]

when he made it clear that the skies were now free for U.S. planes to 
fly without being harassed in any way and that the missions have been 
successful.
    And as to whether or not we will put troops on the ground, I'm not 
going to tell you. I think it's--you've got to understand, we will not 
share intelligence, nor will we talk about military plans that we may or 
may not have in the future.
    Chancellor Schroeder. I have--and you might remember me saying 
that--never excluded military contributions coming from the Federal 
Republic of Germany. We most obviously addressed this topic today. But 
as you might easily understand, it would be entirely unhelpful to spread 
this type of information. It would only help the enemy that we're trying 
to bring down. It is obvious that at the given point in time, details 
will be discussed in all friendship, and we'll come to good decisions.

Intelligence Briefings/Anthrax Exposures

    Q. Mr. President, can you tell us what prompted you to write the 
memo to Congress about briefing on intelligence matters, why you think 
such restrictions are appropriate? And could you also address what 
threat you think these limited anthrax exposures pose more generally? Is 
it linked to terrorism at all?
    The President. Well first, Mr. Chancellor, we had a--we had some 
security briefings take place up on Capitol Hill that were a discussion 
about classified information, and some of that information was shared 
with the press.
    Chancellor Schroeder. Oh, we know that trouble. [Laughter]
    The President. Oh, you know that trouble, too. [Laughter]
    These are extraordinary times. Our Nation has put our troops at 
risk. And therefore, I felt it was important to send a clear signal to 
Congress that classified information must be held dear, that there's a 
responsibility, that if you receive a briefing of classified information 
you have a responsibility. And some Members did not accept that 
responsibility--somebody didn't. So I took it upon myself to notify the 
leadership of the Congress that I intend to protect our troops.
    And that's why I sent the letter I sent. It's a serious matter, Dave 
[David Gregory, NBC News], it's very serious that people in positions of 
responsibility understand that they have a responsibility to people who 
are being put in harm's way.
    I'm having breakfast tomorrow with Members of Congress. I will be 
glad to bring up this subject. I understand there may be some heartburn 
on Capitol Hill. But I suggest if they want to relieve that heartburn, 
that they take their positions very seriously and that they take any 
information they've been given by our Government very seriously, because 
this is serious business we're talking about.
    And the second question about anthrax, that is serious, as well. I 
want to first tell the American people that an incident obviously came 
up, in the form of a sick male who unfortunately passed away. And the 
local authorities, along with the CDC, responded very quickly. There is 
a system in place to notify our Government and governments in the case 
of some kind of potential biological incident or chemical incident. And 
the system worked. And now the system is even working better, because we 
have, in essence, gone into the building, cleaned the building out, 
taken all samples as possible, and are following any trail, any possible 
trail.
    So thus far, it looks like it's a very isolated incident. But any--
any type of incident, any type of information that comes into our 
Government, we take very seriously, because we understand we're dealing 
with evil people.
    And as you know, I've assured the American people that life should 
go on as normal. But they also should know, the American people should 
know, that our Government is doing everything we can to make our country 
as safe as possible.
    Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

Military Action in Afghanistan

    Q. Mr. President, the Pakistani President says he was told that the 
bombing campaign would be relatively short. How long do you think it 
will take? And what do you say to some of these people in the Islamic 
world who are protesting the campaign?
    The President. Yes. Well, Steve, I don't know who told the Pakistani 
President that. Generally, you know, we don't talk about

[[Page 1444]]

military plans. And there is one way to shorten the campaign in 
Afghanistan, and that's for the--Usama bin Laden and his leadership to 
be turned over so they can be brought to justice.
    We will have a sustained effort. But I want to remind you that this 
is a part of a larger effort, that our war, the war of freedom-loving 
people, such as the Germans and the Americans, is against terrorists as 
a whole. And this is one part of a large campaign. We--the coalition has 
arrested over 200 people that have been associated with the Al Qaida 
organization. All around the world, freedom-loving people are gathering 
information, sharing information, and bringing people to justice.
    And what was the second part of your question?

Protests in Islamic Nations

    Q. The Islamic protestors. What do you say to those people?
    The President. I say that if they think that the--first of all, I 
think the message of the Al Qaida organization is one of evil and hate. 
I understand people's willingness to protest, but they should not 
protest the decisions our coalition is making, because it is in the best 
interests of freedom and humankind.

Al Qaida and Nations Supporting Terrorism

    Q. Do you still want him dead or alive?
    The President. Ours is a compassionate nation, as is Germany. We're 
both combining our resources to help people in need. There are thousands 
of starving Afghans, because there is a Taliban Government in place that 
has caused starvation and deprivation and discrimination. And they are 
now housing terrorists.
    And make no mistake about it: The doctrine that says if you house a 
terrorist, you're just as guilty as a terrorist, will stand. We're 
making that very evident to the world as we speak.
    Q. Do you still want Mr. bin Laden dead or alive, sir?
    The President. I want there to be justice. I want there to be 
justice. And it's Al Qaida, but it's anybody who feeds Al Qaida, who 
houses Al Qaida, who encourages Al Qaida. Any other terrorist 
organization that is affiliated with Al Qaida is just as guilty, as far 
as I'm concerned.
    We're very patient people. The American people understand, and I 
know that the Chancellor understands, that this is a different kind of 
war. There's a certain sense of fascination with previous wars in Kosovo 
and Desert Storm, where people could turn on their TV screens and see 
high-tech weaponry burrowing into bunkers and massive explosions.
    This is a different type of war. There will be a conventional 
component to the conflict, but much of what takes place will never make 
it onto the TV screens. Much of the efforts that we talked about in the 
Oval Office will be efforts that you will never see until people are 
brought to justice. And therefore, there has to be a certain patience. I 
think the American people are beginning to understand that.
    I will assure you that the people--the terrorists of the world will 
understand that I am determined and, having talked with the Chancellor, 
that he is determined to lend the resources of our Government to bring 
them to justice. If it takes one day, one month, one year, or one 
decade, we're patient enough, because we understand that the actions we 
take together are not only important for today but will say to future 
Chancellors or future Presidents, here is how we fight terrorism. We 
also understand the actions we take today will make it more likely that 
our children's children will be able to grow up in a free world.
    The first shot of the new war of the 21st century was fired 
September the 11th. The first battle is being waged, but it's only one 
of a long series of battles.
    Yes, Bill [Bill Plante, CBS News].

Domestic Reaction

    Q. Mr. President, as you noted on Sunday, there's a certain amount 
of nervous anxiety in the Nation--fear of new attacks, now that the 
military campaign has begun. Will the new Office of Homeland Security do 
anything concrete to recommend to average people that they can do to 
protect themselves?

[[Page 1445]]

    The President. Well, Bill, I think the--you know, the people of 
America should go about their business, should go about their daily 
lives, knowing full well that our Government, at all levels, is doing 
everything we can to disrupt any potential action and/or to provide the 
security necessary for people to travel, for example. I'm briefed every 
single morning about what somebody may or may not have heard and what 
actions are taking place. And their Government is responding as 
forcefully and actively as humanly possible.
    One of the reasons why this coalition is so important is because we 
share information. When Germany hears something about something that may 
take place here and vice versa, we share information. And so, we're on 
high alert at the governmental level.
    But the American people should go about their business. And people 
ought to travel. And people ought to feel comfortable going to see the 
mighty Houston Astros play. People ought to feel comfortable going about 
their lives, knowing that their Government is doing everything humanly 
possible to disrupt any potential activity that the evil ones may try to 
inflict upon us.

Intelligence Briefings

    Q. Mr. President, when you meet with the congressional leadership 
tomorrow, will you be specific about what they can and cannot relay back 
up to the Hill? Or do you just expect them not to relay anything?
    The President. Well, I'm going to talk to the leaders about this. I 
have talked to them about it. I mean, when the classified information 
first seeped into the public, I called them on the phone and said, 
``This can't stand. We can't have leaks of classified information. It's 
not in our Nation's interests.''
    But we're now in extraordinary times. And I was in the--when those 
leaks occurred, by the way, it was right before we committed troops. And 
I knew full well what was about to happen. And yet, I see in the media 
that somebody, or somebodies, feel that they should be able to talk 
about classified information. And that's just wrong. The leadership 
understands that.
    And if there's concerns, we'll work it out. I mean, obviously I 
understand there needs to be some briefings. I want Don Rumsfeld to feel 
comfortable briefing members of the Armed Services Committee. But I want 
Congress to hear loud and clear: It is unacceptable behavior to leak 
classified information when we have troops at risk.
    I'm looking forward to reiterating that message. And we will work 
together. We've got a great relationship. Listen, the four leaders, with 
whom I have breakfast on a weekly basis, fully understand the stakes. 
They fully understand the decision I made. And they will have gotten 
feedback from their Members, and we will discuss it. But one thing is 
for certain, I have made clear what I expect from Capitol Hill when it 
comes to classified information.
    Chancellor Schroeder. Let me add something. I hope that the German 
press corps did hear it. [Laughter]

President Vladimir Putin of Russia

    Q. We did hear it, Mr. Chancellor. Mr. President, do you consider 
Russia's war in Chechnya to be, first, a war against terrorists? And has 
your view on that changed since September 11th?
    The President. I've had very good conversations with Vladimir Putin 
about the war on terrorism. I know the Chancellor has, as well. I'm, as 
a matter of fact, going to be meeting with the President of Russia 
within 2 weeks, in Shanghai, and I'm looking forward to those meetings.
    I have made it clear to him that I appreciate his strong statements 
about America's efforts and the coalition's efforts to fight terrorism 
where we find it. I also made it clear to him that he needs to respect 
minority rights within his country. And he listened very carefully, and 
I think he's appreciative that our message has been consistent. From the 
very first conversation I had with President Putin, I expressed concern 
about how his government was viewing the minority that exists and how 
they were being treated. So my position has been very consistent.
    To the extent that there's Al Qaida organizations in his 
neighborhood, they need to be brought to justice, as well. And we look 
forward to sharing information with him, just like he's sharing 
information with us. He is--

[[Page 1446]]

he was one of the first--I will tell you an interesting story.

    I was airborne on Air Force One and put our--on September the 11th--
and put our troops to a high-alert status. And one of the first phone 
calls I got through my national security office was from Vladimir Putin, 
announcing that he has stood his troops down--which is significant. In 
the old days, if we'd have put our troops on heightened alert, they 
would have put their troops on more heightened alert--[laughter]--which 
would have caused our troops to go on higher alert. And all of a sudden 
we would have had a conflict, a potential conflict out of the realm of 
the incident that caused the troops to go on alert.

    So he quickly called and said, ``We're standing our troops down.'' 
It's a new attitude toward relationship. He understands the cold war is 
over, and so do I, which provides great opportunity for not only America 
but Germany to work with Mr. Putin for our nations' interests and his 
nation's interests.

    And I think we're going to find a lot of common ground, one of which 
will be to fight terrorism. But as I explained to him, it's going to be 
hard to have common ground if he represses the press and/or treats 
minorities within his own country in a way that the Western world simply 
doesn't understand.

    Listen, thank you all for coming. Thank you, Chancellor, I 
appreciate you, sir.
      
      

Note: The President spoke at 3:45 p.m. in the Colonnade at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to anthrax victim Robert Stevens; 
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan; Usama bin Laden, leader of the 
Al Qaida terrorist organization; and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. 
He also referred to the Report by the Sharm al-Sheikh Fact-Finding 
Committee, which was chaired by former Senator George J. Mitchell. 
Chancellor Schroeder spoke in German, and his remarks were translated by 
an interpreter.