    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 44 (Monday, November 5, 2001)]
    [Pages 1565-1568]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following a Meeting With the Homeland Security Council and an
    Exchange With Reporters

    October 29, 2001

        The President. Today I had the first official meeting of the
    Homeland Security Council--Governor--that has been chaired by--when I'm
    not here, by Governor Ridge. And as you can see, I've assembled many of
    the members of my administration here, senior members of the
    administration, because our task is to do everything we can to protect
    the American people from any threat whatsoever.
        The American people are beginning to understand that we fight a two-
    front war against terror. We fight in Afghanistan, and I appreciate so
    very much the efforts of our men and women who wear the uniform. And we
    fight it at home here, to make sure America is as safe is possible.
        Along these lines, we've set up a Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task
    Force to make sure that the Land of the Free is as safe as possible from
    people who might come to our country to hurt people. We welcome legal
    immigrants, and we welcome people coming to America. We welcome the
    process that encourages people to come to our country to visit, to
    study, and to work. What we don't welcome are people who come to hurt
    the American people. And so, therefore, we're going to be very diligent
    with our visas and

    [[Page 1566]]

    observant with the behavior of people who come to this country.
        As an example, if a person applies for a student visa and gets that
    visa, we want to make sure that person actually goes to school; in other
    words, if they're using the visas for the intended purpose.
        The American people need to know that we're doing everything we
    possibly can to prevent and disrupt any attack on America and that we're
    doing everything we can to respond to attacks. And I'm proud of the
    public health workers, people that report to Tommy Thompson's agency,
    about their hard work. They're working hours on hours. And I believe
    that lives have been saved as a result of their diligent efforts.
        Be glad to answer a couple of questions. Fournier [Ron Fournier,
    Associated Press], then Dave [David Gregory, NBC News], then Stretch
    [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News], then Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Operation Enduring Freedom

        Q. Mr. President, thank you. Yesterday there was quite a bit of talk
    on Capitol Hill about the need for ground troops to step up the military
    action another notch--Senator McCain, Senator Dodd, among others. Do you
    think the American public is ready for a significant number of ground
    troops in Afghanistan?
        The President. I the most important thing that the American people
    realize is that we're steady and determined and patient, that we've got
    a strategy in place to bring Al Qaida to justice and at the same time
    make it clear that any nation which harbors terrorists will be held
    accountable for their decisions. And we are implementing our strategy,
    and we appreciate any suggestions people may have.
        But the strategy we have at the time right now is to use our
    military to dismantle Taliban defenses, use our military to destroy Al
    Qaida training bases, and to work with troops that now exist on the
    ground to fulfill our mission. And I am pleased with the progress we're
    making.
        And I'm really pleased with the fact that the American people are
    patient. They realize this is a war the likes of which they have never
    seen before. And therefore, they are rooting on their Government and the
    men and women who wear the uniform. They understand that it's going to
    take a while to achieve our objective, and I appreciate that patience.
        Steve.

    Immigration Policy

        Q. Sir, since so many of the hijackers were in the country legally,
    do you plan to crack down on student visas or political asylum cases,
    things of that sort?
        The President. Well, we plan on making sure that if a person has
    applied for a student visa, they actually go to college or a university.
    And therefore, we're going to start asking a lot of questions that
    heretofore have not been asked.
        We're going to tighten up the visa policy. That's not to say that
    we're not going to let people come into our country; of course we are.
    But we're going to make sure that when somebody comes, we understand
    their intended purpose and that they fulfill the purpose that they--on
    their application.
        You bring up a very good point, Steve, and that is that sometimes
    people come here with no intention to fulfill their purpose. And when we
    find those, they will be escorted out of the United States.

    Domestic Response to Terrorists

        Q. Mr. President, a couple of weeks ago the FBI issued an alert
    indicating that within several days the country could be attacked by
    terrorists again. Does the Government still believe and have information
    to support the notion that Usama bin Laden is planning a second wave of
    attacks, and do you believe that all of the resources now dedicated to
    the anthrax situation reduce the country's level of preparedness?
        The President. We believe that the country must stay on alert, that
    there is--that our enemies still hate us. Our enemies have no values
    that regard life as precious. They're active, and therefore, we're
    constantly in touch with our law enforcement officials to be prepared.
        Now, having said that, the American people must go about their
    lives. And I recognize it's a fine balance. But the American people

    [[Page 1567]]

    also understand that the object of any terrorist activity is to cause
    Americans to abandon their lifestyles. Every American is a soldier, and
    every citizen is in this fight. And I am proud of our country. Our
    country is united and strong, and we're prepared. We've got ample
    resources to fight the war on the homefront on many fronts. And part of
    our purpose for being here is to make sure that those resources are well
    organized and that fit into a strategy that this administration is
    designing.
        Stretch.

    National Economy

        Q. We have some new consumer confidence numbers coming out tomorrow,
    so perhaps this would be a better question to ask then. But based on
    what you're hearing from all of the people in this room, what is your
    sense of the extent which the terrorist attacks, now the anthrax
    mailings, are having on the consumer? And is it your sense that people
    really are hunkering down, they're apprehensive, they're--are they
    finding it difficult to get back to their daily routines?
        The President. Well, I haven't seen the numbers, but my view of the
    mood of the country is, is that the country understands we've entered
    into a new period in our history, and that there is a--that lives are
    simply not going to be as normal as they were in the past, and that so
    long as there is terrorist activities in the world and directed toward
    our country, that people are going to have to be diligent and on guard.
    And they are.
        Now, having said that, the American people are very patient, and
    they appreciate the efforts of the Government, and they appreciate the
    efforts of our military. They understand better than most, better than
    the world, that this is going to take a long period of time, and they
    are prepared for this. They are prepared to wait in long lines at
    airports. They're prepared to support our military. They are prepared to
    support local law enforcement as local law enforcement works hard with
    Federal officials to disrupt any potential terrorist activities.
        And so, the mood of the country is certainly different from what it
    was on September the 10th, but I find the mood of the country to be
    incredibly refreshing and strong and powerful. It is a clear statement
    to anybody who would want to harm us that instead of weakening America,
    they have strengthened America.
        And how that--what that means to the economy, it means that the--it
    means that over time, our economy is going to be just as strong as the
    American spirit. And so I'm very optimistic about the economy. How long
    it will take to recover to the levels that we hope is just--is beyond my
    pay grade. But I can tell you that the people of this country are strong
    and resolute, and for that I am grateful and incredibly proud.
        Last question.

    Immigration Policy

        Q. Mr. President, we understand this task force is to help tighten
    and close the loopholes in immigration laws. Why were these loopholes so
    vast, and why were they left for so long? And also, what do you say to
    the American public who is concerned about anti-American sentiment among
    Americans who may have helped these immigrants who came in and started
    September the 11th?
        The President. Well, first, I--you know, our country has been an
    incredibly generous country, the most generous country in the world.
    We're generous with our universities; we're generous with our job
    opportunities; we're generous with the--what a beautiful system it is,
    that if you come here and you work hard, you can achieve a dream.
        Never did we realize then that people would take advantage of our
    generosity to the extent they have. September the 11th taught us an
    interesting lesson, that while, by far, the vast majority of people who
    have come to America are really good, decent people, people that we're
    proud to have here, there are some who are evil. And our job now is to
    find the evil ones and to bring them to justice, to disrupt anybody who
    might have designs on hurting--further hurting Americans.
        The second part of your question? Sorry.

    Domestic Support for Terrorists

        Q. The second part is about the Americans in this country who--some
    may have helped the terrorists.

    [[Page 1568]]

        The President. I think Americans who unwittingly helped people that
    hurt Americans regret that now. Americans who are willingly participants
    and have plans to hurt America, they will be brought to justice. My
    judgment is, anybody who is a terrorist or helps a terrorist are equally
    culpable. And so, we're doing everything we can, obviously within the
    law.
        And we've got now a new law that will help us pursue those who would
    harm Americans and those who would help them harm Americans. People need
    to be held accountable in America, and we're going to do just that.
        Thank you all.

    Note: The exchange began at 3:10 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, the President referred to Usama bin Laden, leader
    of the Al Qaida terrorist organization.