[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 27 (Monday, July 7, 2003)]
[Pages 873-874]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With the Voice of America

July 3, 2003

Liberia

    Vincent Makori. Mr. President, if the U.S. was to send a 
peacekeeping force to Liberia, what role will it play and what 
limitations will you have?
    The President. I haven't made up my mind, Vincent, whether we are 
going to send a so-called peacekeeping force. I have made up my mind 
there needs to be stability in Liberia, and one of the conditions for a 
peaceful and stable Liberia is for Mr. Charles Taylor to leave the 
country.
    And so we're working the issue now. And I say ``we,'' it's my--of 
course, the Secretary of State, the very capable Colin Powell, is 
working with Kofi Annan, who is also working with others on the 
continent to facilitate that type of move.
    As well, there was a meeting today with ECOWAS leadership as to what 
the nature of a so-called peacekeeping force might look like. And that's 
very important information for me, the decisionmaker on this issue, to 
understand what the recommendations might be. I have yet to get those 
recommendations, but I expect I will in the next couple of days.
    Mr. Makori. Mr. President, you have asked Mr. Charles Taylor to step 
down for the sake of peace. What will be your response to him if he does 
not heed your advice?
    The President. Oh, I think we'll have to wait, Vincent, on that. You 
know, I suspect he will, and so therefore, I'm an optimistic person. I'm 
not going to take ``no'' for an answer. My hope is--it's not only my 
voice. It's the voice of a lot of others saying the same thing, and I 
think it's very important for us to be positive about having a good 
outcome.
    Mr. Makori. And given the historical ties between the United States 
and Liberia, does the U.S. have a moral obligation to intervene in 
Liberia?
    The President. Well, there's no question there is a--it is a unique 
relationship between Liberia and the United States, and I suspect that's 
why we're--I don't suspect; I know--that's why we're very much engaged 
in the discussions about how to bring a peaceful and secure Liberia to 
be. I mean, it's--yes, there is a unique history between the United 
States and Liberia.

Democracy in Africa

    Mr. Makori. Mr. President, because all this boils down to 
leadership, what is the best thing the U.S. can do to discourage 
despotic and dictatorial rulerships in Africa and promote democracy, 
true democracy?

[[Page 874]]

    The President. Well, I appreciate that question. One thing is, we 
can help deal with the AIDS pandemic. A society which is ravished by 
AIDS is a society which is likely to be unstable. And therefore, if we 
can bring good health care to the millions who suffer and love to the 
orphans whose parents might have died from AIDS, it makes it easier to 
have a stable platform for growth.
    Secondly, trade: I'm a big backer of what they call AGOA, which is 
trade agreements between African countries and the United States. Trade 
is more likely to make societies prosperous. Our aid program needs to 
promote the habits necessary for the evolution of a free society. In 
other words, we're not going to give money to corrupt rulers, and we're 
not going to give money to nontransparent societies. The American 
taxpayer and this American President believes that in return for aid--
and we've got a generous amount of aid available--we expect people to 
take care of their people by educating them and creating good health 
care. We expect there to be market-oriented economies growing. And we 
expect the rulers to be thoughtful and mindful of who they represent, 
and that is the people of their country, not themselves or their ruling 
elite.

War on Terror in Africa

    Mr. Makori. Mr. President, on the area of terrorism, which parts of 
Africa do you consider the hotspots for terrorism, and what role is the 
U.S. playing, especially with the regional leaders, to ensure that you 
are achieving the desired result?
    The President. Well, unfortunately, a hotspot now is your country, 
Kenya. And we're very closely working with the Government there. And I 
will tell you, the Kenyan Government is very strong when it comes to 
fighting terror. The best thing we can do is share intelligence, is to 
work closely with the intelligence services of a particular country and 
then, when we find information, provide that information and encourage 
the Government to act. And Kenya has done a good job of working with the 
United States to protect Kenya. And that's what we want. We want people 
to be able to defend themselves against terror.
    And unfortunately, some terrorists have been--and this has all come 
to light recently--obviously, there was a bombing in Kenya, and now it 
looks like there may be some action there as well. But the Government is 
making some very strong moves.
    Mr. Makori. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
    The President. Vincent, thank you, sir.

Note: The interview was taped at 1:25 p.m. in the Map Room at the White 
House for later broadcast. In his remarks, the President referred to 
President Charles Taylor of Liberia and Secretary-General Kofi Annan of 
the United Nations. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of this interview.