[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 19 (Monday, May 10, 2004)]
[Pages 789-792]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Al Arabiya Television

May 5, 2004

Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison

    Q. Mr. President, thank you for giving us this chance here in Al 
Arabiya. Regarding the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners, six U.S. 
soldiers are being reprimanded. Do you think that's enough?
    The President. First, I want to tell the people of the Middle East 
that the practices that took place in that prison are abhorrent, and 
they don't represent America. They represent the actions of a few 
people. Secondly, it's important for people to understand that in a 
democracy that there will be a full investigation. In other words, we 
want to know the truth.
    In our country, when there's an allegation of abuse--more than an 
allegation in this case, actual abuse, we saw the pictures--there will 
be a full investigation, and justice will be delivered. We have a 
presumption of innocent until you're guilty in our system, but the 
system will be transparent. It will be open, and people will see the 
results.
    This is a serious matter. It's a matter that reflects badly on my 
country. Our citizens in America are appalled by what they saw, just 
like people in the Middle East are appalled. We share the same deep 
concerns, and we will find the truth. We will fully investigate. The 
world will see the investigation, and justice will be served.

Middle East Reaction

    Q. And you just--you've said this is reflected badly here, in United 
States of America. How do you think this will be perceived in the Middle 
East?
    The President. Terrible. I think people in the Middle East who want 
to dislike America will use this as an excuse to remind people about 
their dislike. I think the average citizen will say, ``This isn't the 
country that I've been told about.'' We're a great country because we're 
a free country, and we do not tolerate these kind of abuses.
    The people of the Middle East must be assured that we will 
investigate fully, that we will find out the truth. They will know the 
truth, just like the American citizens will know the truth, and justice 
will be served.
    Secondly, it's very important for the people of the Middle East to 
realize that the troops we have overseas are decent, honorable citizens 
who care about freedom and peace. They are working daily in Iraq to 
improve the lives of the Iraqi citizens, and these actions of a few 
people do not reflect the nature of the men and women who serve our 
country.

U.S. Response to Abuse of Prisoners

    Q. After these pictures came out, some people in the area started 
talking about another alleged abuse. Could you tell us about what's 
being done just to prevent this from happening and just to improve the 
situation?
    The President. Absolutely. I have told our Secretary of Defense, and 
I have instructed him to tell everybody else in the military, I want to 
know the full extent of the operations in Iraq, the prison operations. 
We want to make sure that if there is a systemic problem--in other 
words, if there's a problem system-wide--that we stop the practices.
    Again, it's very important for people, your listeners to understand, 
in our country that when an issue is brought to our attention on this 
magnitude, we act, and we act in a way where leaders are willing to 
discuss it with the media. And we act in a way where, you know, our 
Congress asks pointed questions to the leadership. In other words, 
people want to know the truth. That stands in contrast to dictatorships. 
A dictator wouldn't be answering questions about this. A dictator

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wouldn't be saying that the system will be investigated and the world 
will see the results of the investigation. A dictator wouldn't admit 
reforms needed to be done.
    And so the people in the Middle East must understand that this was 
horrible, but we're dealing with it in a way that will bring confidence 
to not only our citizens, which is very important, but confidence to 
people of the world that this situation will be rectified and justice 
will be done.

Situation in Fallujah

    Q. We are going to Fallujah--the way the situation is being 
resolved, is being considered in some parts of Iraq as a defeat to U.S. 
How do you address that, or do you have anything to address that issue?
    The President. Yes, of course. The strategy in Fallujah is to 
empower Iraqis to step up and take control of the security situation, 
that we're on our way to the transfer of sovereignty. And people who 
feel like that they can wreak havoc on innocent Iraqis will be brought 
to justice in Iraq, either by Iraqi citizens and/or by coalition forces. 
And we're making progress.
    There are a few people there in Iraq that want to claim credit for 
any situation on the ground, but the people in Fallujah are tired of 
foreign fighters and radicals and extremists preventing them from living 
a normal life. And those who remain in Fallujah will be taken care of. 
And the Iraqi forces that have been stood up are now in the process of 
patrolling the streets and bringing law and order to the streets.

Muqtada Al Sadr

    Q. June the 30th is approaching. How do you think--still Mr. Sadr in 
defense with U.S., how do you think this person should be dealt with?
    The President. I think he ought to be dealt with by the Iraqi 
citizens who are getting tired of him occupying the holiest of holy 
sites. And we are very respectful for the holy sites in Iraq. We 
understand their importance to the Iraqi citizens. Mr. Sadr is occupying 
those sites as if they're his, and I think the Iraqi citizens are 
getting tired of that.
    We will deal with his militias, as will the Iraqi forces deal with 
his militias. Militias are people who are willing to kill, intimidate, 
and try to take matters into their own hands, which is not the way 
democracy functions. Free societies do not allow thugs to roam streets 
and hold people hostage to their whims. The Iraqis will deal with Mr. 
Sadr.

Transfer of Sovereignty

    Q. June the 30th, do you think your administration is really 
prepared right now to have a very, very nice day--in that day to give 
the power to Iraqis?
    The President. Absolutely. We're prepared to do so. When we say 
we're going to do something, we're going to do it. As you know, the 
United Nations, the coalition, as well as Iraqi citizens are preparing 
the entity to which sovereignty will be passed. There will still be a 
lot of hard work to do, and we want to help.
    The Iraqi citizens must understand America is not going to leave 
until the job is complete. We want to help Iraq. We've made a 
commitment, and the United States will keep that commitment because we 
believe in freedom and we believe the people of Iraq want to be free. We 
believe they want to raise their children in a peaceful world. We 
believe they want to educate their children in good schools. We want 
to--we believe they want to realize their own personal ambitions. If 
they're a businessman or a businesswoman, they want to build their own 
business in peace. That's what we believe.
    And therefore, we stand side by side with the people of Iraq who are 
peaceful. And there's a lot of peaceful people that look for a better 
day. I'm very proud of the brave Iraqis who've stood up, and I'm very 
proud of our own men and women in uniform who are helping Iraq to become 
free.

Al Qaida

    Q. Mr. President, critics are saying that by your action in Iraq 
actually invited Al Qaida and other terrorists to do business with you 
over there. Could you address that?
    The President. Sure. Do you remember September the 11th, 2001? Al 
Qaida attacked the United States. They killed thousands of our citizens. 
I will never forget what they have done to us. They declared war on us, 
and the United States will pursue them. So

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long as I'm the President, we will be determined, steadfast, and strong 
as we pursue those people who kill innocent lives because they hate 
freedom.
    And of course, Al Qaida looks for any excuse. But the truth of the 
matter is, they hate us, and they hate freedom, and they hate people who 
embrace freedom. And they're willing to kill innocent Iraqis because 
Iraqis are willing to be free. Iraqis are sick of foreign people coming 
in their country and trying to destabilize their country, and we will 
help them rid Iraq of these killers.

Democracy in the Middle East

    Q. Mr. President, you went to Iraq as a part of your project in the 
Middle East, and flourish democracy over there. To which extent you are 
willing to go further to flourish a democracy? Are we going to see in 
the future more action against some other countries to flourish 
democracy over there, like Syria?
    The President. No, I think it's--first of all, you've got to 
understand, sir, that military options are always my last option, not 
the first option, and that we can promote freedom without use of 
military. There are ways to stand with reformers and encourage reform 
and hold up examples of where societies are more stable and more free as 
a result of democracy and freedom.
    Secondly, it's very important for the people of the Middle East to 
understand that freedom doesn't have to look like America. A free 
society doesn't have to look like an American society. Free societies 
will develop according to the cultures of the people in the regions and 
the Middle East. And reform and freedom take time. I understand that. It 
takes time for a free society to emerge. And so America can affect 
freedom in different kinds of ways.
    But inherent in your question was, you know, am I anxious to use 
military power? Iraq was a unique situation because Saddam Hussein had 
constantly defied the world and had threatened his neighbors, had used 
weapons of mass destruction, had terrorist ties, had torture chambers 
inside his country, had mass graves. It was a very unique situation. And 
he was given a chance to meet the demands of the free world in a 
peaceful way, but he chose war.
    We can make progress with freedom and peace because I believe deep 
in the heart and soul of every human being is a desire to be free. And 
America will continue to speak to those aspirations.

Peaceful Palestinian State

    Q. My last question, Mr. President. You gave assurance to Sharon 
Government. From Al Arabiya, in these last questions, what kind of 
assurance are you going to give to Palestinian today?
    The President. I stood up in front of the world and said that the 
Palestinian people ought to have their own state. I'm the first 
President to have ever said that. And my assurance is, is that I have 
not changed my vision of two states living side by side in peace. And 
that--Prime Minister Sharon made a decision to withdraw from the Gaza 
and from settlements on the West Bank, which I thought was a very strong 
decision and an important decision, because it now gives us a chance to 
move in and to say to the Palestinians, ``Here's your chance to build a 
state, to put the institutions in place for a state to emerge, that 
speaks to the aspirations and hopes of the Palestinian people, that is a 
peaceful state.''
    And we want to help. And that's why yesterday you saw a statement 
coming out of the Quartet, which is a part of the roadmap process that 
says, ``Let's work together to give the Palestinians hope.'' And my 
commitment to the Palestinian people is, when peaceful leaders emerge, 
when people are willing to fight off terror, they will have a great 
opportunity to see this state emerge. And America will help.
    Q. Mr. President, thank you so much for discussing. Enjoy your day. 
It's sunny, so I hope you have a good day.
    The President. Thank you, sir. It is a sunny day. Welcome.

Note: The interview was taped at 10:33 a.m. in the Map Room at the White 
House for later broadcast. In his remarks, the President referred to 
Muqtada Al Sadr, Iraqi Shiite cleric whose militia engaged in an 
uprising in Iraq in early April; former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq; and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel.

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