[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 45 (Monday, November 12, 2001)]
[Pages 1618-1621]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee 
of India and an Exchange With Reporters

November 9, 2001

    President Bush. Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the United States. 
It's my honor to welcome the Prime Minister of India to the

[[Page 1619]]

White House for a series of discussions. My Administration is committed 
to developing a fundamentally different relationship with India, one 
based upon trust, one based upon mutual values. After all, the Prime 
Minister leads a nation that is the largest democratic nation in the 
world.
    I look forward to working to foster ties that will help both our 
economies. Trade with India is going to be an important part of our 
growth in the future. India has got a fantastic ability to grow because 
her greatest export is intelligence and brainpower, as our country has 
learned over the last decades.
    We lifted sanctions on India so that our relationship can prosper. 
We will fight terrorism together. Our initial discussions focused on the 
battle against terror, and the Prime Minister understands that we have 
no option but to win. And he understands that there is a commitment--
there needs to be a commitment by all of us to do more than just talk. 
It's to achieve certain objectives: to cut off the finances; to put 
diplomatic pressure on the terrorists; in some cases, to help 
militarily; but, in any case, stand firm in the face of terror.
    We also talked about the need to make sure humanitarian aid reaches 
those who hurt in Afghanistan. And we discussed a post-Taliban 
Afghanistan that enables the country to survive and move forward and one 
that represents all the interests of the people of Afghanistan.
    Over lunch, I look forward to talking about a new joint 
cyberterrorism initiative and a civilian space cooperation program, as 
well as discussing our mutual concerns about energy and the ability to 
conserve it, as well as to have plentiful supplies as we go into the 
future.
    So, Mr. Prime Minister, I am extremely optimistic about our 
relationship. It's an important relationship for our country. And I 
welcome you to the United States. Thank you for coming.
    Prime Minister Vajpayee. Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind 
words. It is a pleasure to be here to continue the practice of regular 
dialog that India and the USA have established in recent years.
    I was happy to be able to personally reiterate our sympathy, 
solidarity, and support for the American people in the aftermath of 
terrible events of September 11th.
    We admire the decisive leadership of President Bush in the 
international coalition against terrorism. We also applaud the 
resilience and resolve of the American people in this hour of trial. 
This terrible tragedy has created the opportunity to fashion a 
determined global response to terrorism in all its forms and 
manifestations, wherever it exists and under whatever name. I assured 
President Bush of India's complete support in this.
    At the same time, as material leaders, pluralist democracies, we 
should clearly spread the message that the war against terrorism is not 
against any religion but against terrorists whose propaganda misuses 
religion.
    President Bush and I had a very good conversation, which we will 
continue over lunch. In the last few months, there has been an intensive 
interaction between our two countries on a wide range of bilateral 
subjects. We have moved forward on the dialog architecture and on 
defense cooperation. A resumption of the bilateral defense policy group 
should promote technical cooperation in defense and security.
    The Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism has made good progress, 
and we have agreed to launch a joint cyberterrorism initiative. Economic 
and commercial relations are expanding. We have agreed to broaden the 
bilateral economic dialog to include new areas of cooperation. Both of 
us agree that the synergies and complementarities between our two 
countries should be more fully exploited.
    We discussed the urgent need for a political order in Afghanistan 
which would be broad-based, representative, and friendly with all 
countries in its neighborhood. Equally important is sustained 
international assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction work in 
that country. We agreed that India and the USA, in partnership with 
other countries, would work towards these goals.
    Today the President and I continued, face to face, the dialog which 
we have been conducting over the last 10 months on the phone and through 
letters. It has been an extremely rewarding experience. To sustain the 
momentum of the dialog, I have reiterated to

[[Page 1620]]

President Bush my invitation to visit India. I look forward to receiving 
him in New Delhi.
    Thank you.
    Q. Mr. President----
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Hold on for a minute, please. The Prime Minister has 
agreed to take a couple of questions, and so have I. I think I will 
start, Mr. Prime Minister, with Fournier [Ron Fournier, Associated 
Press], Associated Press man.

War on Terrorism

    Q. Thank you, sir. Before meeting with you today, the Prime Minister 
told the Washington Post that the U.S. was not prepared for the war in 
Afghanistan, which he said was ``less than satisfactory'' and 
``slackening.'' The Saudi Foreign Minister, who you are meeting with 
later today, told the New York Times that you can't be an honest broker 
in the Middle East peace process until you meet with Arafat. Is it 
helpful that your coalition members are airing their gripes in public? 
And what will you say to them about these charges, face to face?
    President Bush. Well, the Prime Minister and I had a very good 
discussion about the progress we're making on this particular part of 
the war against terror. He understands what I understand, that we're 
just only beginning to fight terrorism in Afghanistan.
    I assured him exactly what I've been assuring the American people, 
that I've got the patience necessary to achieve our objective in the 
Afghan theater, and the objective is to bring the Al Qaida to justice 
and to make sure that Afghanistan has got a stable form of government 
after we leave. I also told the Prime Minister that we're achieving our 
military objectives.
    This is a different kind of war. It's a war that matches high-
technology weapons with people on horseback. It's a war in which the 
enemy thinks they can hide in caves and we'll forget about them. It is a 
war that's going to take a deliberate, systematic effort to achieve our 
objectives. And our Nation has not only got the patience to achieve that 
objective, we've got the determination to achieve the objective. And we 
will achieve it.
    I appreciate the candid discussions we have with our coalition 
partners. I think it's important that we have these discussions. And the 
Prime Minister and I had such a discussion, and I was glad to be able to 
make the case as to why we're going to be successful.
    Having said all the newspaper stories and all that business, I will 
tell you, our coalition has never been stronger.
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Excuse me for a minute, please. The coalition has 
never been stronger. I'll make the case tomorrow at the United Nations 
that the time of sympathy is over. We appreciate the condolences. Now is 
the time for action. Now is the time for coalition members to respond in 
their own way. And the Prime Minister of India understands that, and he 
is responding. And the Saudi Arabian Government understands that, and 
they are responding, as well.
    Mr. Prime Minister.
    Q. This is a question for President Bush. Sir, why are there two 
laws in this world, one for America and one for the rest of us?
    President Bush. Why is there--excuse me, two?
    Q. Two laws in this world--one for America and one for the rest of 
us? When terrorism hits America, you go halfway across the world and 
make war in Afghanistan. But when we suffer terrorism, you ask us to be 
restrained. Is an Indian life less precious than an American life?
    President Bush. I think there is one universal law, and that's: 
Terrorism is evil, and all of us must work to reject evil. Murder is 
evil, and we must reject murder. When the terrorist attacks took place 
on October the 1st, I strongly condemned them, and I will continue to 
condemn them.
    And that's--excuse me. Our coalition is strong because leaders such 
as the Prime Minister fully understand that we must reject terrorism in 
all its forms and murder in all its causes in order for the world to be 
peaceful.
    Holland [Steve Holland, Reuters].
    Q. Can we get a reaction from the Indian Prime Minister to that?
    President Bush. Excuse me, please, sir.

[[Page 1621]]

Aviation Security

    Q. Sir, with the aviation security bill still languishing on the 
Hill, why won't you agree to make the baggage screeners Federal 
employees? What's the holdup here?
    President Bush. Steve, I think that I've asked for the Senate and 
the House to come up with a plan that will work--that will not only make 
sure that as we transition to a new system that there is security for 
the American people, that in the long run there is security for the 
American people. And I believe progress is being made.
    Like yourself, or like your question implies, it would be nice to 
have had the bill done yesterday. But sometimes democracy doesn't work 
quite that fast. But the negotiators are working hard to come up with a 
bill that I can sign, and I believe they will come up with a bill that I 
can sign.
    The House had a version; the Senate had a version; and now they're 
reconciling their differences. I don't believe they're that far apart, 
nor did I believe they were that far apart when the process began. And I 
think that, from what I'm told, progress is being made. And for that, 
I'm grateful.
    Mr. Prime Minister.

War on Terrorism

    Q. Mr. Prime Minister, was India's concerns of cross-border 
terrorism specifically reflected in your endorsement of the American 
President? And have you achieved some headway in convincing him that 
countries that are part of the problem cannot be part of the solution 
today?
    Prime Minister Vajpayee. This question of cross-border terrorism has 
been getting our attention in both the countries. Recently, a bomb 
attack was made on the Legislative Assembly of the Jammu and Kashmir. 
Even Pakistan realized that it was a case of terrorism.
    We have to fight terrorism in all its forms. We have to win this 
battle against terrorism. There is no other option.
    President Bush. That's the two-question limit. Thank you all for 
coming.
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Our food is getting cold. The Prime Minister is 
hungry, and so am I.
    Mr. Prime Minister, thank you.
    Prime Minister Vajpayee. And the dividing line between hunger and 
anger----

Visit to India

    Q. When are you going to India?
    President Bush. As soon as possible, I am going to India.

Note: The President spoke at 11:35 a.m. in the Cross Hall at the White 
House. A reporter referred to Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian 
Authority and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saud al-Faysal al Saud of 
Saudi Arabia.