[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 12 (Monday, March 22, 2004)]
[Pages 413-415]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende 
of the Netherlands and an Exchange With Reporters

March 16, 2004

    President Bush. Here's what we're going to do. We'll have a couple 
opening statements. I'll call upon an American press; the Prime Minister 
will call upon somebody from the Dutch press; American press; Dutch 
press; and that's it. Thank you all for coming.
    Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. I'm glad you're back. Thank you for a--
your friendship. Thank you for your clear understanding about the need 
for us to work together to achieve a more free and peaceful world. I 
appreciate our bilateral relations are strong. We had a wide-ranging 
discussion, talking about a variety of issues, whether it be foreign 
policy or the economy. It was a good, frank discussion, and I appreciate 
my friend being here again. Welcome.
    Prime Minister Balkenende. George, thanks again for the hospitality. 
We had, indeed, a very good discussion. We talked about issues around 
Iraq, the role of the United Nations, by example. We talked about the 
cooperation in the economic sphere, developments in Afghanistan. We also 
talked about values in society, an important issue. And especially, we 
talked about terrorism, the fight against terrorism, and it is important 
that the world society, international community, stands shoulder to 
shoulder and shows

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its solidarity to fight against these terrible attacks. And we share 
that same view, and we will work together, also, in the second half of 
this year, when the Netherlands is taking over the Presidency of the 
European Union.
    President Bush. Yes.
    We'll answer a couple questions here. We'll start with you, Terry 
Hunt [Associated Press].

Implications of Terrorist Attack in Spain

    Q. Thank you, sir. Mr. President, do you think terrorists have 
reason to believe that they can influence elections and policy, given 
the outcome of what happened in Spain?
    President Bush. I think terrorists will kill innocent life in order 
to try to get the world to cower. I think--these are coldblooded 
killers. I mean, they'll kill innocent people to try to shake our will. 
That's what they want to do, and they'll never shake the will of the 
United States. We understand the stakes, and we will work with our 
friends to bring justice to the terrorists.
    They have not only killed in Spain; they've killed in the United 
States; they've killed in Turkey; they've killed in Saudi Arabia. They 
kill wherever they can. And it's essential that the free world remain 
strong and resolute and determined.
    Want to call on somebody from your press?

Iraq

    Q. Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President, according to opinion polls, 
most Dutch people want to withdraw the Dutch troops from Iraq. Many 
Dutch people think the war in Iraq has little to do with the war against 
terrorism and may actually encourage terrorism. How would you respond to 
those Dutch people who want to withdraw?
    President Bush. I would ask them to think about the Iraqi citizens 
who don't want people to withdraw, because they want to be free. And I 
would remind the Dutch citizens that Al Qaida has an interest in Iraq 
for a reason, and that interest is, they realize this is a front in the 
war on terror, and they fear the spread of freedom and democracy in 
places like the greater Middle East. They can't stand the thought of 
free societies springing up in the Middle East, because they understand 
a free society is against their very wishes. And so it's essential that 
we remain side by side with the Iraqi people as they begin the process 
of self-government.
    And we're making good progress. The basic law that was written by 
the Governing Council was a substantial piece of work that talked about 
freedoms, the very same freedoms that we honor in America or in the 
Netherlands. And it's essential that we help Iraq--and Afghanistan--
develop into free societies, which in itself will start changing the 
regions in which they exist.
    Adam, [Adam Entous, Reuters] yes.
    Q. Thank you, Mr. President.
    President Bush. You're looking fine today, Adam, but the tie--
[laughter].

2004 Election

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Candidate Kerry has suggested he has 
support of world leaders. Do you think he should--that should be a 
factor in the campaign? Was that an appropriate thing for him to say?
    President Bush. I think it's--if you're going to make an accusation 
in the course of a Presidential campaign, you ought to back it up with 
facts.
    Prime Minister Balkenende. I won't talk about that issue.
    President Bush. Okay, fine.
    Prime Minister Balkenende. It has to do with the campaign here in 
the United States.

Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, have you convinced the Prime Minister of the 
Netherlands to leave the Dutch troops in Iraq?
    President Bush. The Prime Minister will make a--the appropriate 
decision. It's his decision to make. We both agree that a free Iraq is 
essential to a peaceful world. We both understand the stakes. We both 
know that Al Qaida is interested in fighting us in Iraq. How do we know? 
We know because they've said so publicly. Al Qaida understands the 
stakes. Al Qaida wants us out of Iraq, because Al Qaida wants to use 
Iraq as an example of defeating freedom and democracy. And so the Prime 
Minister has got issues at home that he'll deal with, but there's no 
doubt that he understands the stakes and the historic opportunity with 
which we're faced.

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    Prime Minister Balkenende. It's good to add that we did not talk 
about the situation after the half of July. That is the responsibility 
of the Dutch Government and Dutch Parliament, and we'll talk about it, 
as I made it clear already, earlier. But I think it's very good to look 
always to the situation of the Iraq people and the international 
struggle against terrorism. Therefore, it's so important that countries 
are working together, and they can draw the same lines. That's very 
important, but it has nothing to, at this moment, to the decisionmaking 
as far as the situation after the first of July is concerned.
    President Bush. Thanks, good job.

Note: The President spoke at 10:14 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House.