[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 18 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Pages 708-710]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Paul Martin of
Canada
April 30, 2004
President Bush. The Prime Minister and I will have some opening
comments. We'll answer two questions per side.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. I'm glad you're here. I've really been
looking forward to this meeting because I view it as a meeting between
friends and allies.
I really appreciate the Prime Minister's clear vision about the
world in which we live. He understands the danger of terror. He
understands the opportunity of trade, and he understands that we share
values that will--that are so important, the values of freedom, human
dignity. We care about the human condition. I appreciate your concern
about working together to help heal those who hurt, provide medicines
for those who suffer from a disease.
We've got a good friend in Canada. It's an important relationship.
It's a crucial relationship, and it's one that I look forward to
continuing to nurture with this Prime Minister.
Welcome.
Prime Minister Martin. Well, thank you, Mr. President. We really did
have a very, very good discussion. We discussed a wide range of areas,
and we're going to continue over lunch. And we're doing it within the
context of our shared values and the fact that we share much more than a
continent. We talked about national security and Canada's new national
security policy, which makes it very clear that we're going to defend
the northern half of North America, and we recognize our responsibility
to those in the United States, with whom we share the continent.
We discussed a number of issues between us. We talked about--we
talked about the whole question of BSE, mad cow, and I must say that the
President was very encouraging. We also----
[At this point, the Prime Minister spoke in French, and no translation
was provided.]
We talked about Haiti. We talked about a wide range of issues. And I
must say, Mr. President, that it's very clear that Canada and the United
States, working together, we can make great progress.
Situation in Iraq
Q. Mr. President, 134 soldiers have died in Iraq this month, more
than any other month. A year after you declared an end to major combat,
are things getting worse in Iraq rather than better?
President Bush. First, any time you talk about somebody who died in
Iraq or in Afghanistan is a moment for me to thank them and their
families for their sacrifice. And their sacrifice will not go in vain
because there will be a free Iraq. And a free Iraq is in the interests
of our two nations. A free Iraq is in the interests of world peace,
because free societies do not harbor terrorists, free societies do not
threaten people or use weapons of mass destruction.
Q. Mr. President--sorry.
President Bush. A year ago, I did give the speech from the carrier,
saying that we had achieved an important objective, that we'd
accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein. And as
a result, there are no longer torture chambers or rape rooms or mass
graves in Iraq. As a result, a friend of terror has been removed and now
sits in a jail. I also said on that carrier that day that there was
still difficult work ahead.
And we've faced tough times in Iraq, Mr. Prime Minister. We've had
some tough times. We've had some tough fighting, because there are
people who hate the idea of a free Iraq. They're trying to stop
progress, because they understand what freedom means to their terrorist
ambitions.
And so we're making progress, you bet. There's a strategy toward
freedom. One of it, of course, is to continue to deal with those who are
trying to stop the Iraqi people from realizing their ambitions of a free
society. Whether it be in Fallujah or elsewhere, we will deal with them,
those few who are stopping the hopes of many.
There's a political strategy, and the Prime Minister and I will talk
about that over lunch, Mr. Brahimi's mission of putting together an
entity to which we will transfer sovereignty. No, there is a strategy
that will help us achieve the objective, which is a free and
[[Page 709]]
peaceful country in the heart of the Middle East that is desperate for
freedom and democracy and peace.
Mad Cow Disease
Q. Mr. President, you're a rancher. Is there any hope--what hope can
you offer your fellow ranchers in Canada about when the border might be
open to live Canadian cattle?
President Bush. As soon as possible. My administration is committed
to a policy of free trade when it comes to beef. And we had a discussion
about that today with--that subject today with our respective
agricultural ministers or secretaries, as we call them here. And I
assured the Prime Minister, I want to get this solution--this issue
solved as quickly as possible. And it's in our nations' interests that
live beef be moving back and forth. It's also in the interest to make
sure we make decisions based upon sound science, which he fully
understands.
Q. Mr. President----
President Bush. Hold on a second. Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].
Treatment of Iraqi Prisoners
Q. What is your reaction to photos of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi
prisoners? How are you going to win their hearts and minds with these
sort of tactics?
President Bush. Yes, I shared a deep disgust that those prisoners
were treated the way they were treated. Their treatment does not reflect
the nature of the American people. That's not the way we do things in
America. And so I--I didn't like it one bit.
But I also want to remind people that those few people who did that
do not reflect the nature of the men and women we've sent overseas.
That's not the way the people are--that's not their character--that are
serving our Nation in the cause of freedom. And there will be an
investigation. I think--they'll be taken care of.
Canada's Role in Iraq
Q. Mr. President, could you tell us what you'd like to see Canada
doing on Iraq, both diplomatically and in terms, eventually, of getting
possibly police and troops on the ground there?
President Bush. My first answer to that is, I want to Canada to do
what it feels comfortable doing in Iraq. That's--and that's what I've
told the Prime Minister before. Canada is an independent nation. Canada
makes--will make its decisions based upon her own judgment. The Prime
Minister shares my deep desire for there to be peace in the world, and
to the extent that the country feels comfortable in helping that, we're
grateful.
Canada is doing a lot in Afghanistan. Canada is doing a lot in
Haiti. Canada is a contributor to reconstruction in Iraq. And I am
grateful to be able to talk to a friend who shares the same goal, which
is affecting behavior in a way that's based upon our values of human
rights, human dignity, and freedom. And we've got no better partner in
understanding the power of free societies.
There's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that people
whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free, can self-
govern. I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who
practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose
skins aren't necessarily--are a different color than white can self-
govern.
And the Prime Minister--I don't want to put words in his mouth--but
I think he shares that great sense of optimism and possibility. And it's
good to have a friend who shares that with us.
Would you like to have the First Ladies come on up?
Prime Minister Martin. I've got to say, though, I really do like
sharing a press conference with you. You answer those questions
perfectly. [Laughter]
President Bush. Thank you. Record that.
[At this point, a question was asked and answered in French, and no
translation was provided.]
Prime Minister Martin. If you can give me just two seconds, I'm
going to translate. They want it.
President Bush. Some of these guys understand French. [Laughter]
Raise your hand, Gregory [David Gregory, NBC News]. [Laughter]
[[Page 710]]
[Prime Minister Martin provided a French translation.]
President Bush. Listen, thank you all.
Come on up, Laura.
Mrs. Martin. How do you do?
Prime Minister Martin. Good to see you.
Mrs. Bush. Prime Minister, welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
Q. Will the next trip be down at the ranch, Mr. President, for the
Prime Minister?
President Bush. This is a nice place, but the ranch is even nicer.
[Laughter]
Q. You need to teach him to ride. [Laughter]
Prime Minister Martin. I'll invite him to the farm.
Note: The President's news conference began at 11:53 a.m. in the Rose
Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to former
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Adviser to
the U.N. Secretary-General; and Sheila Martin, wife of Prime Minister
Martin.