[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 15 (Monday, April 12, 2004)]
[Pages 543-545]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Travel Pool and an Exchange With Reporters in Charlotte

April 5, 2004

Visit With Family of U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq

    The President. I just met with Specialist Chris Hill's family from 
North Carolina. You know, I told the family how much we appreciated his 
sacrifice--he was killed in Iraq--and assured him that we would stay the 
course, that a free Iraq was very important for peace in the world, 
long-term peace, and that we're being challenged in Iraq because there 
are people there that hate freedom. But the family was pleased to hear 
that we--its son would not have died in vain. And that's an important 
message that I wanted to share with you today.
    Let me ask you a couple of questions. Who is the AP person?
    Q. I am.
    The President. You are?
    Q. Sir, in regard to----
    The President. Who are you talking to?

Deadline for Transfer of Iraqi Sovereignty/Situation in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, in regard to the June 30th deadline, is there a 
chance that that would be moved back?
    The President. No, the intention is to make sure the deadline 
remains the same. I believe we can transfer authority by June 30th. 
We're working toward that day. We're obviously constantly in touch with 
Jerry Bremer on the transfer of sovereignty. The United Nations is over 
there now. The United Nations representative is there now to work on 
the--on a--on to whom we transfer sovereignty. I mean, in other words, 
it's one thing to decide to transfer. We're now in the process of 
deciding what the entity will look like to whom we will transfer 
sovereignty. But no, the date remains firm.
    Stretch [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News].
    Q. Mr. President, are you concerned at all that events like we've 
seen over the last week in Iraq are going to make it tougher to meet 
that deadline or increase pressure from the U.N. or anyone else?
    The President. Well, I think there's--my judgment is, is that the 
closer we come to the deadline, the more likely it is people will 
challenge our will. In other words, it provides a convenient excuse to 
attack. In this particular incident, with Sadr, this is one person who 
is deciding that rather than allow democracy to flourish, he's going to 
exercise force. And we just can't let it stand. As I understand, the CPA 
today announced a warrant for his arrest. This is one person--this

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is a person, and followers, who are trying to say, ``We don't want 
democracy. As a matter of fact, we'll decide the course of democracy by 
the use of force.'' And that is the opposite of democracy. And it's--
that's why the CPA issued the statement they issued.
    But, Stretch, I think throughout this period there's going to be 
tests. We were tested in Fallujah. And the desire for those who do not 
want there to be a free and democratic Iraq is to shake our will through 
acts of violence and terror. It's not only our will; it's the will of 
other coalition forces, and it's the will of the Iraqi people. As you 
know, that many Iraqis have been targeted. As a matter of fact, the Al 
Qaida affiliate Zarqawi made it clear that part of the strategy was to 
turn Shi'a on Sunni by killing innocent Iraqis.
    And we've got to stay the course, and we will stay the course. The 
message to the Iraqi citizens is, they don't have to fear that America 
will turn and run. And that's an important message for them to hear. If 
they think that we're not sincere about staying the course, many people 
will not continue to take a risk toward--take the risk toward freedom 
and democracy.
    Yes, Tamara [Tamara Lipper, Newsweek].

Selection of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, can you tell us a little bit about your 
decisionmaking for the next ambassador to Iraq, and what you're looking 
for in the person who would represent the administration?
    The President. Good question. I am looking for somebody who can run 
a big embassy, somebody who understands the relationship between an 
embassy and the military. Because one of the things that's going to be 
very important for the next ambassador to Iraq--this will be the person 
that takes Jerry Bremer's place--will be the willingness and capability 
of working with a very strong--a country in which there's a very strong 
U.S. military presence as well as a coalition presence. This person is 
going to need to have enough experience to basically start an embassy 
from the ground up and also be willing to transfer certain people and 
authorities from the CPA to the embassy itself. In other words, it's a 
very complex task that's going to require a skilled soul. And we're in 
the process of searching it out now.

President's Upcoming Meeting With 9/11 Commission

    Q. Mr. President, can you just tell me--the 9/11 Commission, the 
Chairman yesterday, Governor Kean, said a date had been set, I think, 
for your testimony and the Vice President's. Is that----
    The President. I would call it a meeting.
    Q. A meeting, I'm sorry.
    The President. Thank you.
    Q. Has that date been set, and could you share it with us? And 
number two, can you tell us the rationale as to why you have chosen to 
testify or rather meet with them with the Vice President?
    The President. First of all, it will be a great opportunity from 
them to ask both of us our opinions on the subject. And we're meeting 
with the entire Commission. I'm not exactly sure what the status is of 
putting out the date. I told them I'd meet with them at a time that's 
convenient for all of us, and hopefully we'll come to that date soon. I 
look forward to sharing information with them.
    Let me just be very clear about this: Had we had the information 
that was necessary to stop an attack, I'd have stopped the attack. And 
I'm convinced any other government would have too. I mean, make no 
mistake about it, if we'd had known that the enemy was going to fly 
airplanes into our buildings, we'd have done everything in our power to 
stop it. And what is important for them to hear not only is that, but 
that when I realized that the stakes had changed, that this country 
immediately went on war footing, and we went to war against Al Qaida. It 
took me very little time to make up my mind, once I determined Al Qaida 
to do it, to say we're going to go get them. And we have, and we're 
going to keep after them until they're brought to justice and America is 
secure.
    But I'm looking forward to the conversation. I'm looking forward to 
Condi testifying. I made a decision to allow her to do so because I was 
assured that it would not jeopardize executive privilege. And she'll be 
great. She's a very smart, capable person who knows exactly what took 
place and will lay

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out the facts. And that's what the Commission's job is meant to do, and 
that's what the American people want to see. I'm looking forward to 
people hearing her.
    All right, got to go to work. Thanks. Good to see you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:31 a.m. at Central Piedmont Community 
College-Central Campus. In his remarks, he referred to L. Paul ``Jerry'' 
Bremer III, Presidential Envoy to Iraq; Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada Al 
Sadr; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; and National 
Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. A reporter referred to Thomas H. 
Kean, Chairman, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 
States (9/11 Commission). A tape was not available for verification of 
the content of these remarks.