[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 43 (Monday, October 27, 2003)]
[Pages 1416-1417]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Thepchai Yong of Thailand's Nation TV

October 14, 2003

Thailand-U.S. Relations

    Mr. Yong. Mr. President, I understand that during your visit to 
Bangkok you'll be announcing that your administration will designate 
Thailand as a major non-NATO ally. What does it mean to Thailand and to 
Thai-American relations?
    The President. First of all, you're a pretty darn good reporter. 
Secondly, it's probably best that I not reveal what the Prime Minister 
and I are going to talk about until after we talk about it.
    However, having said that, Thailand and the United States are very 
close friends. The level of cooperation has been really strong, 
particularly in matters of common interests. We have a common interest 
to make sure our countries are secure from terrorism. As you know, the 
Thai Government very capably--I emphasize ``capably''--brought to 
justice Mr. Hambali, the planner of the Bali bombings in Indonesia, the 
killer of hundreds of innocent lives. And I really--and it was a piece 
of really good work. My only point is that we value our relationship and 
friendship on this key matter.
    Of course, I'll be talking economics as well. Our non-NATO ally 
status is something I want to speak to privately first with the Prime 
Minister and not on your TV screen, if you don't mind, but it's a very 
good question. [Laughter]

President's Upcoming Visit to Thailand/Demonstrations

    Mr. Yong. Some of the public opinion in Thailand, like in your 
country, doesn't always support what the Government does.
    The President. Yes.
    Mr. Yong. You may admire Thaksin, the Prime Minister, for being 
supportive of the antiterror campaign. But there are people in Thailand 
who are not happy with that, against the war in Iraq and, again, your 
policy of preemption. And there are people who plan to stage a 
demonstration to demand that you be arrested during your visit in 
Bangkok. How do you respond to these critics?
    The President. [Laughter] Well, I'm--first of all, a society which 
allows for people to express themselves is the kind of society I admire. 
I don't expect everybody to agree with my policies, and I appreciate the 
fact that they are able to express themselves. I'm not so sure I agree 
with their desire to have me arrested.
    Look, some people disagree with my decision to take action against a 
thug who had been torturing his own people. We've discovered mass graves 
with hundreds of people that had been buried there, but it's also a man 
who used chemical weapons. And the United Nations--I didn't act alone. 
The critics must understand that I was acting in concert with the U.N., 
who for 10 years--which for years had said, ``Disarm.'' And finally, I 
went to the U.N. and said, ``Wait a minute. This is time to--let's take 
care of this man one way or the other, and give him a chance

[[Page 1417]]

to disarm.'' And he didn't. So I said, ``There ought to be serious 
consequences for not disarming,'' and we acted.
    I'm going to tell you something, people have got to understand I'm 
not going to forget the lessons of September the 11th, 2001. These are 
coldblooded killers that received their support from different 
governments, and this Nation will act to protect our people, and just 
like I hope the people of Thailand would expect the Prime Minister to 
act to protect the people in Thailand.

Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat of Thailand

    Mr. Yong. There is an increased recognition among South Asian 
countries that Prime Minister Thaksin of Thailand is gradually emerging 
as a new regional leader. You have met him. You have talked to him. You 
see him being different from the other ASEAN leaders?
    The President. Well, I certainly don't want to compare him to other 
leaders. I think that would be unfair. But I do see him as a very strong 
leader and a very capable leader. He's got a good grasp of the issues. 
He understands how economies work. He is not afraid to make tough 
decisions. He stands his ground in the face of criticism. And so I think 
he is a very interesting, dynamic 
leader.

Iraq

    Mr. Yong. I think there are people in Thailand who doubt whether we 
made the right decision to send Thai troops to help in the 
reconstruction of Iraq.
    The President. Yes.
    Mr. Yong. With mounting casualties on the part of the American 
troops, there are people who doubt that it's worth the risk or not.
    The President. Yes, well, I think--of course, in a free society, 
there are doubters. But people ought to understand that a free and 
peaceful Iraq is necessary for world security. A peaceful society in the 
midst of a part of the world that's been troubled is going to, for the 
long run, help--will help change the world in a positive way. And 
therefore, the idea of helping to rebuild a country ought to be 
something the Thai people accept.
    You've got to understand, the people in Iraq lived under incredible 
tyranny and torture and rape rooms, the kinds of things the people in 
Thailand reject. These people were--the tyrant brutalized them and at 
the same time built up weapons and didn't spend the money on social 
services. And so not only are we making the world more secure and 
peaceful; we're actually making life better for people who had been 
brutalized by this man. And surely the people who respect human rights 
and decency understand the need to help.
    Now, our troops are--we're in the process of hunting down these 
killers. And the more progress there is in Iraq, the more the terrorists 
get angry, because they can't stand freedom. So I look forward to making 
the case of the United States about why it was important to Thailand to 
contribute. It's important for humanitarian reasons, at the very 
minimum. But for the long term, it's important for peace and security.
    Mr. Yong. Thank you very much for your time.
    The President. I'm really looking forward to coming to your 
beautiful country.

Note: The interview was taped at 3:23 p.m. in the Library at the White 
House, and the transcript was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on October 18. In his remarks, the President referred to 
Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (known as Hambali), Al Qaida's chief 
operational planner in Southeast Asia. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of this interview.