[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 38 (Monday, September 23, 2002)]
[Pages 1572-1573]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Congressional Leaders and an Exchange 
With Reporters

September 18, 2002

    The President. Listen, I want to thank the Vice President and the 
leadership of the Congress for coming down for breakfast today. We had a 
really good discussion about our common concerns. The leadership is 
committed to moving important legislation forward, legislation that will 
help expand our job base. We talked about the energy bill. We talked 
about terrorism insurance. We talked about the defense appropriations. 
We talked about the appropriations process.
    We also talked about Iraq. We talked about the fact that Saddam 
Hussein has stiffed the United Nations for 11 long years and that, once 
again, he said--made some kind of statement, trying to take the pressure 
off of himself. This statement about unconditional inspections was 
something he's made

[[Page 1573]]

in the past. He deceives. He delays. He denies. And the United States 
and, I'm convinced, the world community, aren't going to fall for that 
kind of rhetoric on--by him again.
    We talked about a resolution out of Congress and how it was 
important for us to work with Congress to pass a strong resolution. I 
told the Members that within the next couple of days this administration 
will develop language as--that we think is necessary. And we look 
forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats to get a 
resolution passed.
    I want to thank the leadership for its commitment to get a 
resolution done before Members go home for the election break. I think 
it's an important signal. It's an important signal for the country, but 
as importantly, it's an important signal for the world to see that this 
country is united in our resolve to deal with threats that we face.
    And so, thank you all for coming. I'll take a couple of questions: 
Fournier, [Ron Fournier, Associated Press]; Keil [Richard Keil, 
Bloomberg News].

Iraqi Acceptance of U.N. Inspections

    Q. Like it or not, is it accurate to say that Saddam playing his 
move has made the allies go wobbly----
    The President. Do what now?
    Q. Has Saddam's latest move helped make the allies go wobbly on it?
    The President. Oh, all they've got to do is look at the record. It's 
his latest ploy, his latest attempt not to be held accountable for 
defying the United Nations. He's not going to fool anybody. I mean, he 
is--we've seen him before. And we'll remind the world that by defying 
the United Nations he is becoming more and more threat to world peace. 
And I'm convinced that the world understands the ploy. And one of the 
jobs the United States has is to remind people about not only the threat 
but the fact that his defiance has weakened the United Nations. And the 
United Nations, in order for the world to be a more peaceful place, must 
rise up and deal with this threat and hold him to account. And that's 
what we expect out of the Security Council.
    Dick.

U.N. Security Council

    Q. Mr. President, a follow on Ron's question. Do you think that 
you'll be able to persuade France and Russia to go along with us on 
whatever it is you and the Congress decide to do? And frankly, sir, is 
that necessary? Are you prepared to go it alone?
    The President. Listen, we're speculating about what nations are 
going to do. I'm convinced that when we continue to make the case about 
his defiance, his deception, his--the fact that time and time again, 
dozens of times, he has told the world, ``Oh, I will comply,'' and he 
never does--that the nations which long for peace and care about the 
validity of the United Nations will join us.
    And so we're going to work hard to continue to make the case. I 
think reasonable people understand this man is unreasonable. And 
reasonable people understand that this is just a ploy; this is a tactic; 
this is a way to try to say to the world, ``Oh, I'm a wonderful, 
peaceful fellow,'' when, in fact, he not only kills his own people, he's 
terrorized his neighborhood, and he's developing weapons of mass 
destruction. We must deal with him.

Note: The President spoke at 8:03 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.