[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 47 (Monday, November 25, 2002)]
[Pages 2070-2072]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Tony Blair of the 
United Kingdom and an Exchange With Reporters in Prague

November 21, 2002

    President Bush. I'm really looking forward to visiting with the 
Prime Minister of

[[Page 2071]]

Great Britain, Tony Blair. He's a friend; he's a strong leader. He and I 
are bound by the strong conviction that freedom belongs to everybody, 
and we're going to work together to make the world a more peaceful 
place.
    I'm greatly disturbed by the news from the Middle East today. 
There's been yet another suicide bombing. It is clear that those who 
want to use terror to stop any process for peace are still active. In 
order to achieve peace, all countries in that region must be responsible 
for--take responsibility, do their best to fight off terror.
    And I know the Prime Minister joins me as we mourn the loss of life. 
But we are going to continue to work toward peace in the Middle East. 
Two states living side by side in peace is the vision. And we will 
continue to work with those who share that vision--for the sake of the 
Israeli people, for the sake of the Palestinians.
    Mr. Prime Minister.
    Prime Minister Blair. Mr. President, first of all, we're pleased to 
see you again and exchange views on a range of issues that confront us 
at the moment. And I agree with what you said a moment ago. Our thoughts 
are obviously with the victims of the latest terrorist outrage in 
Israel.
    And the two things that are so clear is that, first of all, we need 
the action on security and action against terrorism, and secondly, to 
make progress in building a lasting peace in that region, based, as you 
say, on the two-state solution. It's an issue that I think--what is 
interesting is that the whole world wants to see us now, having--take 
this very firm stand against terrorism, against issues of weapons of 
mass destruction, but also try and make sure that we provide the secure 
future with lasting peace in the Middle East. And I think those issues 
are all very much linked together.
    President Bush. We'll take a question apiece. Greg [David Gregory, 
NBC News].

Germany-U.S. Relations

    Q. Mr. President, can you tell us if you've had a chance this week 
to speak with German Chancellor Schroeder yet?
    President Bush. I did. I had a cordial meeting at that meeting last 
night. We greeted each other cordially.
    Q. Can you give us an assessment of the state of U.S.-German 
relations in light of the recent election?
    President Bush. It's a--Germany is an important friend of the United 
States. And we've got a relationship to maintain, and we will maintain 
it.

Iraqi Cooperation on Disarmament

    Q. Mr. President, you put a formal request to Britain and other 
countries to supply troops for a possible conflict in Iraq.
    President Bush. Is that a question, have we, or an asserted 
statement?
    Q. I understood you had----
    President Bush. Oh, I see.
    Q. ----and I wonder what your expectation was for what Britain might 
do.
    President Bush. Well, my expectation is, is that we can do this 
peacefully, if Saddam Hussein disarms. That's my expectation. This is--
Saddam Hussein has got a decision to make: Will he uphold the agreement 
that he has made? And if he chooses to do so by disarming peacefully, 
the world will be better off for it. If he chooses not to disarm, we 
will work with our close friends, the closest of which is Great Britain, 
and we will disarm him. But our first choice is not to use the military 
option. Our first choice is for Mr. Saddam Hussein to disarm. And that's 
where we'll be devoting a lot of our energies.
    Q. And Prime Minister, you have this request now. You also seem to 
have a prospect of another fire strike as well. Do you believe that many 
British troops and reserves are going to have to prepare for a Christmas 
away from their family celebrations in either fighting fires or fighting 
Saddam Hussein?
    Prime Minister Blair. We will do what's necessary, both to secure 
ourselves at home and to make sure that the will of the United Nations 
is enforced abroad. And I think what you will find here at this NATO 
summit is a totally united determination on behalf of the international 
community, reflected in the unanimous United Nations resolution, that 
Saddam Hussein has to disarm himself of all weapons of mass destruction. 
And how that happens is a choice for him.
    We hope, and want it to happen, through the United Nations 
inspectors mandated by the whole of the international community.

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But if he fails to cooperate with them, if he fails to do all he can--
and it is within his power--to help that process of disarmament through 
the United Nations, then he will be disarmed by force. And that is the 
clear will of the international community. And I think you will find now 
that there is a consensus for that position virtually right across the 
civilized world.
    Q. Thank you very much.
    President Bush. Sure. I'm glad to answer your every request. 
[Laughter]
    Q. How about our every question?
    President Bush. I don't want you to get used to asking too many 
questions. I've been answering them all the whole time I've been here, 
question after question after question. If you were to ask a question, 
Stretch, what would it have been, so I can think about it for tomorrow? 
I won't answer it now.

Usama bin Laden

    Q. What's your reaction to the confirmation of bin Laden being alive 
on the tape?
    President Bush. Thank you. I've got a formulated answer. [Laughter]

Note: The President spoke at 9:07 a.m. at the Prague Congress Center. In 
his remarks, he referred to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany; and 
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of these remarks.