[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 17 (Monday, April 28, 2003)]
[Pages 455-458]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters at Fort Hood, Texas

April 20, 2003

    The President. We just had a great church service. Like thousands of 
our fellow citizens, we celebrated Easter. We celebrated with our 
family, but we also celebrated with members of the 4th Infantry Division 
military families. The 4th Infantry Division is in Iraq.
    We also were with two of--brave Americans, two warrant officers, 
chopper pilots who were captured in Iraq and recently returned to their 
families. They were celebrating Easter with their loved ones, moms,

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dads, wives, brothers, and sisters from around our country. So it was a 
glorious day.
    We prayed for peace and for strength, for the many blessings. I am 
particularly grateful that these two men were with us today. I thank God 
for their lives. I hope all our fellow Americans realize that we live in 
a great country, full of great people. And today is a day to give 
blessings for America as well as an Almighty and gracious God.
    I'd be glad to answer a few questions.

Timetable for Ending Operation Iraqi Freedom

    Q. Mr. President, you said you prayed for peace this morning. How 
soon can you tell the American people that this operation will be 
complete?
    The President. When Tommy Franks says it's complete. I'll tell you 
this, though, the liberation of Iraq will make the world more peaceful.

Democracy in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, there have been some anti-U.S. demonstrations 
stirred up by religious leaders in Iraq. Are you worried that's going to 
hurt the rebuilding effort?
    The President. I'm not worried. Freedom is beautiful, and when 
people are free, they express their opinions. You know, they couldn't 
express their opinions before we came; now they can. I've always said 
democracy is going to be hard. It's not easy to go from being enslaved 
to being free. But it's going to happen, because the basic instincts of 
mankind is to be free. They want to be free. And so, sure, there's going 
to be people expressing their opinions, and we welcome that, just like 
here in America people can express their opinion.
    Stretch [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].

Saddam Hussein

    Q. Mr. President, what is the latest that you have on the status of 
Saddam Hussein? And if he is not killed or captured----
    The President. That Saddam Hussein is no longer in power. That's for 
certain. He was in power, and now he is not. And therefore, the Iraqi 
people's lives will be much better off. But other than that, I don't--
Stretch, we'll just have to see.
    Q. [Inaudible]--sir, any kind of a threat if he is not killed or 
captured?
    The President. If he is alive, I would suggest he not pop his head 
up.

President's Agenda

    Q. Sir, do you expect to return more to a domestic agenda now that 
the war is winding down?
    The President. I will continue to promote an international agenda of 
peace and freedom, and I will continue doing what I have been doing, is 
working on our economy and working to modernize the Medicare system. I 
have always been involved with the domestic policy. I somehow get 
somewhat taken aback when I hear stories that assume I can only do one 
thing. I am concerned when people in our society can't find work.
    And so I've been constantly promoting an aggressive jobs-and-growth 
program. I believe our Medicare system needs to be modernized. I've 
consistently talked about that. I look forward to working with Congress 
to see that that's done.
    Then I will continue to work to make the world a more peaceful 
place. The United States is a powerful country, and one of the things we 
ought to do is use our power to make the world more peaceful and more 
free. And I intend to continue to do that.
    Yes.

North Korea

    Q. Sir, will talks with North Korea go ahead? And do you expect any 
breakthrough?
    The President. Well, the key thing on the North Korea agenda is that 
China is assuming a very important responsibility, and that is that they 
will confirm that which--work toward that which Jiang Zemin told me in 
Crawford, right around the corner here, that China's policy is for a 
nuclear-weapons-free Peninsula. And now that they're engaged in the 
process, it makes it more likely that's going to occur. You've got the 
United States adhering to that posture. You've got China adhering to 
that posture. South Korea believes that the Peninsula ought to be 
nuclear-weapons-free. Japan strongly believes that. And I believe that 
all four of us, working together, have a good chance of convincing

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North Korea to abandon her ambitions to develop nuclear arsenals.
    How are you, sir? Good to see you again.
    Q. We've been wondering about your words of encouragement to the 
returnees.
    The President. Well, you know, they were--first of all, they were 
the encouraging people. They were the ones who offered encouragement. I 
was, believe this or not, somewhat taken aback when I was in their 
presence. And these guys were so uplifting and so positive and so 
obviously thrilled to be here. They got in last night at midnight. They 
can speak for themselves. I think you can speak for yourselves. At least 
you did in my presence.

President's Visit to the Ranch

    Q. Sir, what are you doing this weekend around the ranch?
    The President. Yes.
    Q. What have you been doing at the ranch this weekend?
    The President. Exactly. [Laughter] I'm enjoying myself.
    Q. Someone said home projects.
    The President. Yes, home projects, a little fishing. Nothing better 
than fishing with your dad and Barney.
    Q. What did Barney catch?
    The President. Well, Barney only caught that which I caught. 
[Laughter] But worked a little brush cutting, keeping that ranch--
keeping those cedars away from those good hardwoods, letting that--
conserving my property; a little exercise, spent some time with my 
family and am really glad I had some time here in Crawford.

Visit With Former Prisoners of War

    Q. Did you have a chance to visit with the two pilots in the church?
    The President. I did, yes. And you can visit with them too.
    Q. And their families as well?
    The President. Well, we did. We visited with their families, and I 
had a good talk with them. They're good, strong men. It's an amazing 
experience, when you think about it. Here we are, Easter, the great--one 
of the great religious holidays, and these guys arrived last night--
might have actually arrived Easter day. I don't know if it was exactly 
midnight or a little after midnight.
    Chief Warrant Officer Young. It was a little before midnight.
    The President. A little before midnight. Well, Easter eve. I was 
trying to make the story a little more dramatic than it really was.
    Q. I wondered if either of the two pilots could tell, share their 
experience----
    The President. Yes, they can. Sure, they can. That's up to them. 
They don't have to. I have to speak to the press. They don't have to. 
But it's not that bad an experience. This guy's getting ready--I'll tell 
you one thing about this guy, Hillman [G. Robert Hillman, Dallas Morning 
News]. He is going to go see his children for the first time since he 
was captured. He hasn't even seen his children. So if you ask him 
questions, don't make it long, because, see, we're holding a dad up from 
hugging two children.
    Q. Could you tell us a bit about your meeting with the President 
inside the church?
    Chief Warrant Officer Williams. It was an absolute honor, sir, an 
absolute honor.
    Q. [Inaudible]--Officer Young? Chief Warrant Officer Young.
    Chief Warrant Officer Young. We stand 100 percent behind whatever 
our President decides to do. We're honored to serve him, and this is 
definitely one of the highlights of my life, absolutely.

Syria

    Q. Mr. President, are you getting any signs of cooperation from 
Syria yet?
    The President. There's some positive signs. They're getting the 
message that they should not harbor Ba'ath Party officials, high ranking 
Iraqi officials. A lot of other countries have also sent that message. 
As you know, Secretary Powell will be going to visit with the Syrians. 
It seems like they're beginning to get the message. And when we think 
there is somebody there or know somebody is there, we of course will 
pass on the name and fully expect the Syrian Government to hand the 
person over.
    Q. How many are there, do you have any idea, Iraqi leaders?
    The President. Well, obviously we felt some were there; otherwise we 
wouldn't have spoken out. But probably the best diplomacy

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is that not through the Associated Press or Reuters or Dallas Morning 
News or Houston Chronicle or any--let's see, who else--Bloomberg. But 
the best diplomacy is the diplomacy of having our friends, as well as 
ourselves, send clear messages. And we're doing that. And I'm confident 
the Syrian Government has heard us, and I believe it when they say they 
want to cooperate with us.
    Listen, have a wonderful day.
    Q. Thank you.
    The President. Thank you all.
    The First Lady. Bye, happy Easter.

Visit With Other Former Prisoners of War

    Q. Are you going to visit with the other POWs?
    The President. Today? I don't think so, Bennett [Bennett Roth, 
Houston Chronicle]. I think I'm going to head back over to the ranch. 
Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:06 a.m. at the 4th Infantry Division 
Memorial Chapel. In his remarks, he referred to Gen. Tommy R. Franks, 
USA, combatant commander, U.S. Central Command; former President Saddam 
Hussein of Iraq; and former President Jiang Zemin of China. Chief 
Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young, Jr., USA, and Chief Warrant Officer 
David S. Williams, USA, pilots of an Apache Longbow helicopter, were 
shot down and captured in central Iraq on March 23. They were rescued by 
U.S. Marines on April 13. The Office of the Press Secretary also 
released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.