[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 22 (Monday, June 2, 2003)]
[Pages 677-679]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Al Arabiyya of the United Arab Emirates

May 29, 2003

Upcoming Meeting With Arab Leaders

    Q. Thanks again. We really appreciate it, Mr. President. Sir, you 
will be discussing with the Arab leaders in Egypt their responsibilities 
toward the peace process. What are your expectations, practically 
speaking, from leaders such as President Mubarak and Crown Prince 
Abdullah?
    The President. Well, first of all, one, the willingness to join with 
the United States and

[[Page 678]]

other nations to cut off funding to terrorist organizations that can't 
stand the thought of peace. In other words, we all have got to work 
together to make security real, not only for Israel but for the 
Palestinian people. And that's my expectations from them.
    What I hope to achieve is to be able to look at these leaders in the 
eye and say, ``I believe peace is possible, and I'm going to work to 
peace.'' And this isn't just a visit in which you won't hear from me 
again. I believe peace is necessary and possible.
    I told a lot of the leaders that after the Iraq situation, that I 
would work toward peace in the Middle East. I'm the kind of person who 
does what he says he's going to do, and now I'm working to achieve that. 
And I think it's possible.

Meeting With Israeli and Palestinian Authority Leaders

    Q. Sir, you are known for your straight talk--some could even say, 
blunt talk. [Laughter] Are you going to use that approach in Aqaba with 
Prime Minister Abbas and Prime Minister Sharon? Are you going to hold 
them accountable for their commitments? And how far are you willing to 
go in this regard?
    The President. I am going to hold people accountable for their 
commitments. And the good news is, is that Prime Minister Sharon knows 
that. I have had very straightforward conversations with him. I think 
it's in Israel's best interests that there be two states living side by 
side in peace. He too has embraced that idea. And I don't think there's 
going to be any need for me to hold him to account, but he's agreed to 
that vision.
    I have not met Prime Minister Abbas yet. I look forward to it. And 
he will--I did meet his Finance Minister, a man who impressed me. And I 
will assure him that we will work together. But I'll also assure him 
that security is essential to achieve what we want, which is a viable 
Palestinian state.

Iraq

    Q. Sir, you have held the removal of President Saddam Hussein's 
regime from power as a harbinger for a new dawn in the Middle East. Yet, 
the day after in Iraq has been marred, unfortunately, by chaos, some 
bloodshed, uncertainty. What is that going to do to your vision of a 
broader, different, more liberal political landscape in the Middle East? 
You've talked about it several times.
    The President. Absolutely. Well, first of all, we're just starting 
in Iraq. And a lot of Iraq is stable, and the life of the Iraqi people 
are better now than it was prior to the war. I readily concede Baghdad 
is still a relatively dangerous place. And therefore, first things 
first, which is to bring security to Baghdad. But along with security, 
we're bringing better electricity, more food, more medicine. And it's 
not just America, by the way; the world is now involved with the 
reconstruction of Iraq.
    I remind people that, for example, in the United States it took 13 
years for us to finally settle on a Constitution. And I guess some 
expect us to do it in 13 days in Iraq, and it's going--it's just going 
to take longer. And I talked to Jerry Bremer, and again, will see him 
when I go to the region and will remind him that we're patient here in 
America, that we--you know, it wasn't until March 19th that we actually 
began operations. So there hasn't been much time yet.
    I'm not surprised that there's still some pessimism and people are 
unsettled. After all, they have lived under a brutal regime for a long 
time. But I'm confident we'll achieve our objective, and I'm confident 
the Iraqi people will be better off.

Iran and Syria

    Q. Sir, you've used tough language vis-a-vis Iran and Syria in the 
last few weeks. Is the United States on a collision course with Tehran? 
And what is the state of play with Syria, following Secretary Powell's 
visit to Damascus?
    The President. Well, first, Secretary Powell had a good visit to 
Damascus. And yes, we used some tough rhetoric, because it looked like 
Ba'athists were trying to escape into Syria, and obviously, we didn't 
want that to happen. And the Syrian Government pledged that that 
wouldn't be the case. We take people for their word until proven 
otherwise.
    In Iran, obviously, we're nervous about the reporting now out that 
there's some Al Qaida inside of Iran. We just want the Iranians to

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understand that if there are Al Qaida loose in Iran, we expect them to 
be detained. If there are Al Qaida in Iran and they plot against the 
United States, that obviously we're going to be displeased with that.
    My hope, of course, is that the Iranians respond. And they've heard 
our message loud and clear, and I suspect they will.
    Q. I have one more question, sir.
    The President. Sure.

Arab Allies in the War on Terrorism

    Q. Who are your Arab allies in the war on terrorism? Sometimes we 
hear conflicting reports, for instance, on Saudi Arabia----
    The President. Yes.
    Q. ----sometimes they cooperate, we are told; sometimes they don't 
cooperate. What is the state of play?
    The President. That's a good question. Crown Prince Abdullah is a 
strong ally in the war on terror. There's no doubt in my mind that he is 
moving within the Kingdom to bring the killers to justice and to prevent 
other killing. King Abdullah is a strong ally in the war on terror. 
President Mubarak is a strong ally in the war on terror. I know this not 
only from my conversations with these men, but also because of the 
cooperation between our intelligence services.
    The Gulf Coast countries have been strong supporters in the war on 
terror, and I'm grateful for that support.
    Q. Mr. President, we really appreciate it. Thanks again. There are 
so many questions, so little time. [Laughter]
    The President. Well, I'm sorry.

Note: The interview was taped at 2:54 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 4 p.m. In his remarks, the President referred 
to President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi 
Arabia; Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel; Prime Minister Mahmoud 
Abbas (Abu Mazen) and Finance Minister Salam Fayyad of the Palestinian 
Authority; L. Paul Bremer III, Presidential Envoy to Iraq; and King 
Abdullah II of Jordan. A reporter referred to former President Saddam 
Hussein of Iraq. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of this interview.