[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 22 (Monday, June 2, 2003)]
[Pages 676-677]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Nile TV of Egypt

May 29, 2003

President's Upcoming Visit to Egypt/Meeting With Arab Leaders

    Q. Mr. President, thank you very much for talking to Egyptian 
television. Mr. President, you're coming to Egypt next week, and you are 
meeting with President Mubarak and a number of other Arab leaders. What 
are you going to tell them? What role do you see the Arab countries 
playing in the coming stage?
    The President. First, I want to thank President Mubarak for his 
hospitality. He has been telling me about the beauty of Sharm el-Sheikh 
for a long time, and now I'm going to get to see it firsthand.
    Q. You will love it.
    The President. I am looking forward to it.
    The first thing I want to do is to make it very clear to the leaders 
in the neighborhood that I am intent upon working toward a two-state 
solution in the Middle East--two states, Israel and Palestine, living 
side by side in peace. In other words, I want them to look me in the eye 
so they can see that I am determined to work to make this happen.
    I'm also going to remind them the United States cannot do this 
alone. We obviously need Israeli support. We obviously need the new 
Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority's work and help. And we need 
countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Jordan and others to work 
together to cut off funding for terrorist groups, to prevent the killers 
from moving around, to help provide security, and as a Palestinian state 
emerges, to support Prime Minister Abbas' regime with not only advice 
but, when necessary, development aid so an economy can start to grow in 
a Palestinian state.

President's Commitment to Peace

    Q. Mr. President, let me follow up on that. You said you are 
determined to bring peace, you are committed, personally committed to 
the roadmap, and you are personally involved in the roadmap. That has 
sort of a different

[[Page 677]]

approach from the approach that the administration had adopted at the 
beginning, which was a hands-off approach, the peace process.
    The question is, how long would that commitment and involvement, 
personal involvement, last and how deep is it?
    The President. Well, first of all, I think it's not a fair 
characterization to say we were hands-off--quite the contrary. I took an 
assessment of what was possible and realized that it was impossible to 
achieve peace with Chairman Arafat. He's failed the Palestinian people 
in the past. My predecessor tried hard, and I watched very carefully 
what was tried at Camp David.
    Now, having said that, I also was working with the parties to try to 
set the conditions necessary for the emergence of a Palestinian 
government with whom we could work, so we wouldn't waste time, so that 
actually some progress could be made.
    So the people have got to know when I say something, I mean it. 
Hopefully by now people have learned that, that when George W. commits 
America to a project, we mean that, we don't have idle chit-chat, that 
we're serious about our intentions.
    Q. So the Arabs, or the people in the region shouldn't really be 
worrying about voices within your administration who are opposed to 
serious efforts by the United States----
    The President. Yes, they don't have to worry about that, because I'm 
going to put the effort forward.
    Q. So you don't listen to them?
    The President. Well, it sounds like they don't listen to me, because 
when I say something, I mean it. And I think President Mubarak knows 
that. And I'm going to refresh their memories about the kind of 
administration I try to run. When I say something, we actually go do it. 
And when I say that I'm going to be involved in the peace process, I 
mean I'm going to be involved in the peace process.
    Now, I understand it's going to be tough and difficult, but I 
believe it can happen. And I want to work toward achieving two states, 
so that the Palestinian suffering and humiliation ends.

Egypt-U.S. Relations

    Q. And Mr. President, how do you see the future of the Egyptian-
American relations, the strategical relations that binded those two 
countries over the past two decades?
    The President. Strong I think, a good future. Listen, we have 
counted on Egypt, and Egypt counts on America. It's a mutually 
beneficial relationship. Throughout my Government, people deal with the 
Egyptian authorities, and I think it's in our interests, our national 
interest to keep a strong relationship with Egypt, and I intend to do 
so.
    Q. Right. We are looking forward to seeing you, Mr. President, in 
Sharm el-Sheikh. Thank you very much for your time.
    The President. It's going to be an exciting trip, and I look forward 
to the hospitality of the Egyptian people. And I want to assure the 
people of Egypt that the relationship is an important relationship 
between Egypt and the United States. And I want to assure your listeners 
that when I come to the region, I come with peace in mind and the 
possibilities of peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis is real 
in my mind, and I'm going to work toward that objective.

Note: The interview was taped at 2:48 p.m. in the Library at the White 
House for later broadcast and was embargoed for release by the Office of 
the Press Secretary until 5 p.m. In his remarks, the President referred 
to President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; and Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas 
(Abu Mazen) and Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority. A 
tape was not available for verification of the content of this 
interview.