[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 9 (Monday, March 3, 2003)]
[Pages 240-242]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With the National Economic Council and an 
Exchange With Reporters

February 25, 2003

    The President. Thank you all for coming. I'm meeting with my 
National Economic Council, key members of my administration who have 
been traveling the country, listening to the voices of small-business 
people, entrepreneurs, workers, listening to their concerns about our 
future. And at the same time explaining to them how we address the 
economic issues of our country.
    This administration is firmly committed to the principle that if 
people have more of their own money, they're likely to spend it on a 
good or a service, which means somebody

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is more likely to be able to find work. We're committed to the notion 
that investment of capital equals jobs.
    And so therefore, our policies are aimed at encouraging investment 
and job creation, as well as consumer confidence and spending. And we 
are confident that when the Congress listens to the people, that they 
will support this plan. It's an important economic plan, and it's one 
that we look forward to vigorously working with Congress to get it done 
here.
    I'll be glad to take some questions. Let me start off with Angle 
[Jim Angle, FOX News].

Iraqi Disarmament

    Q. Mr. President, what would it take at this point to avoid a war 
with Iraq?
    The President. Full disarmament.
    Q. Could you expand on that, sir? I mean, what----
    The President. Well, there's only one thing. There's full 
disarmament. The man has been told to disarm. For the sake of peace, he 
must completely disarm. I suspect we'll see him playing games, that he 
will--the world will say disarm, and he will all of a sudden find a 
weapon that he claimed he didn't have.
    Q. Happened this morning, as a matter of fact.
    The President. I suspect that he will try to fool the world one more 
time. After all, he has had a history of doing that for 12 years. He's 
been successful at gaming the system, and our attitude is, it's now time 
for him to fully disarm. And we expect the Security Council to honor its 
word by insisting that Saddam disarm. Now is the time.
    David [David Jackson, Dallas Morning News].

Cost of War on Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, one of the uncertainties about the economy is the 
possibility of a war. Do you have any idea how much a war might cost and 
how it might affect our economy here at home?
    The President. David, there is all kinds of estimates about the cost 
of war. But the risk of doing nothing, the risk of the security of this 
country being jeopardized at the hands of a madman with weapons of mass 
destruction, far exceeds the risks of any action we may be forced to 
take.
    There are people who worry about the future. I understand that, and 
I worry about the future. I worry about a future in which Saddam Hussein 
gets to blackmail and/or attack. I worry about a future in which 
terrorist organizations are fueled and funded by a Saddam Hussein. And 
that's why we're bringing this issue to a head.
    Heidi [Heidi Pryzbyla, Bloomberg News].

New U.N. Security Council Resolution

    Q. Will the outcome of any U.N. Security Council vote have any 
effect on whether or not we go to war in Iraq?
    The President. Obviously, we'd like to have a positive vote. That's 
why we've submitted a Security Council resolution, along with Great 
Britain and Spain. But as I said all along, it would be helpful and 
useful, but I don't believe we need a second resolution. Saddam Hussein 
hasn't disarmed. He may play like he's going to disarm, but he hasn't 
disarmed. And for the sake of peace and the security of the American 
people, he must disarm.
    Fournier [Ron Fournier, Associated Press].

Sacrifices of War

    Q. Sir, how big and exactly what kind of sacrifices will be asked of 
the U.S. troops, their families, the American public, should you decide 
to go to war?
    The President. Well, any time you put a troop into harm's way, that 
in itself is a sacrifice. First of all--and that's why war is my last 
choice. That's why I've said all along I would hope that the world would 
come together to convince Saddam to make the decision to disarm.
    Perhaps the biggest risk in the theater, if we were to commit our 
troops, is Saddam himself. He shows no regard for human life in his own 
country. After all, he's gassed them; he's used the weapons of mass 
destruction on his own people that he now claims he doesn't have. He 
tortures people. He brutalizes them. He could care less about human 
condition inside of Iraq.

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    And so I think one of the biggest dangers we face, if we go to war, 
is how he treats innocent life. And it is important for Iraqi leadership 
and Iraqi generals to clearly understand that if they take innocent 
life, if they destroy infrastructure, they will be held to account as 
war criminals.

Note: The President spoke at 11:16 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. 
The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of these remarks.