[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 23 (Monday, June 7, 2004)]
[Pages 982-990]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference

June 1, 2004

Iraqi Interim Government

    The President. Good morning. Today in Baghdad, U.N. Special Envoy 
Lakhdar Brahimi and Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Alawi announced the 
members of Iraq's new interim government. Consulting with hundreds of 
Iraqis from a variety of backgrounds, Mr. Brahimi has recommended a team 
that possesses the talent, commitment, and resolve to guide Iraq through 
the challenges that lie ahead.
    On June 30th, this interim government will assume full sovereignty 
and will oversee all ministries and all functions of the Iraqi state. 
Those ministries will report to Prime Minister Alawi, who will be 
responsible for the day-to-day operations of Iraq's interim government. 
Dr. Alawi is a strong leader. He endured exile for decades and survived 
assassination attempts by Saddam's regime. He was trained as a 
physician, has worked as a businessman, and has always been an Iraqi 
patriot.
    Prime Minister Alawi and Mr. Brahimi announced Iraq's interim 
President, Ghazi al-Yawr, an engineer from northern Iraq. They also 
announced two Deputy Presidents, Dr. Ibrahim Jafari, who is a physician 
born in Karbala, and Dr. Rowsch Shaways, a prominent political and 
military leader who also has been a longtime opponent of Saddam's 
tyranny.
    The new 33-member cabinet announced today reflects new leadership, 
drawn from a broad cross section of Iraqis. Five are regional officials, 
six are women, and the vast majority of government ministries will have 
new ministers. The foremost tasks of this new interim government will be 
to prepare Iraq for a national election no later than January of next 
year and to work with our coalition to provide the security that will 
make that election possible. That election will choose a transitional 
national assembly, the first freely elected, truly representative 
national governing body in Iraq's history.
    Earlier today I spoke to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. I 
congratulated him on the U.N.'s role in forming this new government. We 
also discussed the preparation for national elections and our common 
work on a new Security Council resolution that will express 
international support for Iraq's interim government, reaffirm the 
world's security commitment to the Iraqi people and encourage other U.N. 
members to join in the effort of building a free Iraq.
    Last week, I outlined the five steps to helping Iraq achieve 
democracy and freedom. We will hand over authority to a sovereign Iraqi 
government, help establish security, continue rebuilding Iraq's 
infrastructure, encourage more international support, and move toward a 
national election that will bring forward new leaders empowered by the 
Iraqi people. The naming of the new interim government brings us one 
step closer to realizing the dream of millions of Iraqis, a fully 
sovereign nation with a representative government that protects their 
rights and serves their needs.
    Many challenges remain. Today's violence underscores that freedom in 
Iraq is opposed by violent men who seek the failure not only of this 
interim government but of all progress toward liberty. We will stand 
with the Iraqi people in defeating the enemies of freedom and those who 
oppose democracy in Iraq. The killers know that Iraq is the central 
front in the war on terror. The return of tyranny to Iraq would embolden 
the terrorists, leading to more bombings, more beheadings, and more 
murders of the innocent around the world.

[[Page 983]]

    The rise of a free and self-governing Iraq will deny terrorists a 
base of operation, discredit their narrow ideology, and give momentum to 
reformers across the region. A free Iraq will be a decisive blow to 
terrorism at the heart of its power and a victory for the civilized 
world and for the security of America. The will of Iraqis and our 
coalition is firm. We will not be deterred by violence and terror. We 
will stand together and ensure that the future of Iraq is a future of 
freedom.
    I'll take some questions. Hunt [Terence Hunt, Associated Press].

Terrorism in Iraq/International Support for Iraqi Transition

    Q. Mr. President, you just spoke about more international support. 
With the new government and the expected Security Council resolution, do 
you expect--what do you expect in the way of other countries to come 
forward with major pledges of troops for Iraq? And do you think there's 
going to be more violence as the turnover occurs?
    The President. I think, on the second half of that question, yes, I 
believe there will be more violence, because there are still violent 
people who want to stop progress. Listen, their strategy is--hasn't 
changed. They want to kill innocent lives to shake our will and to 
discourage the people inside Iraq. That's what they want to do, and 
they're not going to shake our will.
    In terms of whether or not there would be a major--you said major 
commitment of new troops? Is that the adjective you used, ``major''?
    Q. Yes, sir.
    The President. I don't know if there will be a major commitment of 
new troops, but I think there will be a major focus on helping Iraq to 
become a free country. And the next step in this process is to get a 
United Nations Security Council resolution. And to this end, I have been 
speaking with a variety of world leaders to encourage them to--by 
telling them we're willing to work with them to achieve language we can 
live with but, more importantly, language that the Iraqi government can 
live with.
    And Kofi and I talked today, and he wants to hear from the new Iraqi 
government, and I don't blame him. And we heard from the new Iraqi 
government, by the way, today, and the new Prime Minister who stood up 
and thanked the American people, for which I was grateful. He was 
speaking to the mothers and dads and wives and husbands of our brave 
troops who have helped them become a free country, and I appreciated his 
strong statement.
    Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

Iraqi Governing Council's Role in Selection Process

    Q. Sir, were you surprised at the way the Governing Council took 
command of the selection process? And are you concerned that the new 
President has had some criticisms of the United States?
    The President. No, I don't--from my perspective, Mr. Brahimi made 
the decisions and brought their names to the Governing Council. As I 
understand it, the Governing Council simply opined about names. It was 
Mr. Brahimi's selections, and Ambassador Bremer and Ambassador Blackwill 
were instructed by me to work with Mr. Brahimi. As we say in American 
sports parlance, he was the quarterback. And it seemed like a good group 
to me. I mean, they're diverse; as I mentioned, a number of women are 
now involved in the government, which is a positive step for the 
citizens of Iraq.
    Go ahead.

Iraqi Interim Government

    Q. The new President has had some criticisms of the United States. 
Are you----
    The President. The new President has had some criticisms?
    Q. ----concerned about that?
    The President. Well, Mr. Brahimi put together a government that's 
going to be, first and foremost, loyal to the Iraqi people. And that's 
important. It's a government with which I believe we can work. Mr. Alawi 
said some strong statements today about security matters on the ground, 
about how he wants to work with the coalition forces to provide security 
so that the country can go toward elections.
    But you know, I'm--what I'm most for is for people who are willing 
to work toward a free Iraq. That's my concern. And it sounds like to me 
that these men are patriots--men

[[Page 984]]

and women are patriots who believe in the future of Iraq. And if there 
is some criticism of the United States, so be it. My--what I--the end 
result is a peaceful Iraq in the heart of the Middle East.
    Gregory [David Gregory, NBC News].

Coalition Security Arrangement With Iraqi Interim Government

    Q. Mr. President, this new Iraqi government and others on the 
Security Council have expressed an interest in this interim government 
having substantial power over decisions--military security decisions. 
This Government has been clear that when it comes to protecting U.S. 
troops, American commanders will do everything that has to be done.
    The President. Right.
    Q. Well, as you go to Europe now, in the next couple of days, what 
are you prepared to do to bridge that gap, to give this new independent 
government the sort of independence it's really asking for while 
retaining this essential role that you have to have in, you know, 
securing Iraq?
    The President. No, I think--listen, the American people need to be 
assured that if our troops are in harm's way, they will be able to 
defend themselves without having to check with anybody else, other than 
their commander. At the same time, I can assure the Iraqi citizens as 
well as our friends in Europe that we have done these kind of security 
arrangements before. Witness Afghanistan. There is a sovereign 
government in Afghanistan. There are U.S. troops and coalition troops 
there, and they're working very well together.
    The Iraqis will have their own chain of command. And that's going to 
be very important. In other words, the Iraqi army will report up to a 
chain of command of Iraqis, not coalitions or Americans. And I think 
that's going to be an important part of the spirit and the capabilities 
of an Iraqi army. But I'm confident we can bridge any gap, David, 
because we have done it in country after country.
    Terry [Terry Moran, ABC News].

Iraqi Interim Government

    Q. Mr. President, some will see the presence of Iraqi exiles, some 
of whom have received money from the United States Government in the 
past, as proof, in their minds, that this is a puppet government of the 
United States. Could you answer that criticism and explain what role, if 
any, you had in the names, as they----
    The President. I had no role. I mean, occasionally, somebody said, 
``This person may be interested, or that,'' but I had no role in 
picking--zero.
    Secondly, in terms of whether or not our Government helped, we did 
help some of the figures now in the interim government. We helped them 
because they were fierce anti-Saddam people. We helped their 
organizations, which were--which believed that the tyranny of Saddam was 
bad for the Iraqi people.
    Now, it's going to be up to the leaders to prove their worth to the 
Iraqi citizens. In other words, the leaders are going to have to show 
the Iraqis that they're independent, smart, capable, nationalistic, and 
believe in the future of Iraq. And our job is to work with them.
    But the decisionmaking process is very important for our citizens to 
understand. The decisionmaking process is changing. Bremer comes home, 
and the new government replaces Ambassador Bremer. And at the same time, 
we stand up an Embassy that will interface with the new, sovereign Iraqi 
government.
    One of the interesting things I've heard, Terry, from other leaders, 
``Are you really going to pass full sovereignty?'' And the answer is, 
yes, we're going to pass full sovereignty. And the Iraqi government will 
need the help of a lot of people, and we're willing to be a participant 
in helping them get to the elections.
    And Terry asked whether there will be more violence. I think there 
will be. You know, I hate to predict violence, but I just understand the 
nature of the killers. This guy, Zarqawi, an Al Qaida associate--who was 
in Baghdad, by the way, prior to the removal of Saddam Hussein--is still 
at large in Iraq. And as you might remember, part of his operational 
plan was to sow violence

[[Page 985]]

and discord amongst the various groups in Iraq by coldblooded killing. 
And we need to help find Zarqawi so that the people of Iraq can have a 
more bright--bright future.
    The other thing we've got to do is work on reconstruction, to help 
rebuild parts of that country that suffered mightily under Saddam and 
are being, you know--parts of which are being destroyed by these 
terrorists.
    Plante [Bill Plante, CBS News].

U.S. Troops and Command Structure in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, if the decisionmaking is now fully in the hands of 
the Iraqis, will that extend to them asking us to leave, pull out U.S. 
troops? And will you accede to that if they ask?
    The President. Well, Mr. Alawi said today the troops need to be 
there. And so----
    Q. But all of them?
    The President. Well, whatever it takes to get the mission done, and 
we look forward to working with the Iraq Prime Minister and the Iraq 
Defense Minister to help secure the country. As you know, circumstances 
change on the ground, and I've told the American people and our 
commanders that we'll be flexible, and we'll meet those circumstances as 
they arise.
    And what is important for the American people to know is that if a 
troop is in harm's way, that troop--the chain of command of that troop 
will be to a U.S. military commander. In terms of the strategy as to how 
to help Iraq become secure enough to have free elections, we'll work 
closely with the new Iraqi government to achieve those objectives. There 
may be times when the Iraqis say, ``We can handle this ourselves. Get 
out of the way. We're plenty capable of moving into secure a town or to 
secure a situation.'' And there may be times when they say, ``You know, 
we've got our hands full. Why don't you join us in an operation.'' And 
we will collaborate closely with the new defense ministry.
    It's a change of attitude in Iraq, in that they now have got the 
decisionmaking capabilities. Mr. Alawi today, I repeat, stood up in 
front of the world and said two things that caught my attention. One, he 
thanked America, and I appreciated that a lot. And I think the American 
people needed to hear that, that in the new leader there is this 
understanding and appreciation for the sacrifices that our country has 
been through. And he also said, ``We look forward to working with the 
coalition and forces to help secure the country.''
    Stevenson [Richard Stevenson, New York Times].
    Q. Given the perception----
    The President. I'm converting this into a full-blown press 
conference. It's such a beautiful day. [Laughter] Do I get credit for 
it? [Laughter]
    Q. Absolutely.
    The President. Okay, good.

Confidence in Iraqi Interim Government

    Q. Given the perception out there, especially in Iraq and among some 
at the U.N. that Brahimi was strong-armed, are you confident that this 
new interim government has enough legitimacy within Iraq to hold 
together all the various factions there that threaten to go at each 
other's throats?
    The President. No, I think that's a--listen, yes, I am confident. 
But time will tell whether or not the leaders turn out to be as capable 
and strong as Mr. Brahimi thinks they will be.
    One of the things I think, Richard, that will keep the country 
intact is the--is this notion of free elections. I mean, it appears to 
me that one of the things that does unite the Iraqi people is the deep 
desire to be able to elect their government. And as we head toward free 
elections, I think it will make it easier for the interim government to 
do their job.
    Eddie [Ed Chen, Los Angeles Times].

Situation in the Middle East

    Q. Mr. President----
    The President. Yes, Ed, I'm anxiously awaiting.
    Q. I'd like ask you about your goals for this--your trip coming up 
later this week to Europe, vis-a-vis your plan on the Middle East peace 
initiative. What do you hope in a concrete way to bring home?
    The President. I'm giving a speech at the Air Force Academy that 
will help answer your question.

[[Page 986]]

    Q. I won't be there. [Laughter]
    The President. Ed, they do have C-SPAN, you know. [Laughter] I'll be 
glad to rent it for you for an hour. [Laughter]
    I'm going to talk about the war on terror, the clash of ideology. 
Part of winning the war on terror is to spread freedom and democracy in 
the Middle East. The speech will help set up the types of conversations 
I will continue to have overseas and at Sea Island, Georgia, which is 
the need for us to understand that democracy can take hold in the Middle 
East.
    It's important for our partners to understand that I don't view it 
as American democracy, nor do I think it's going to happen overnight. I 
will remind them that the Articles of Confederation was a rather bumpy 
period for American democracy. And so we're talking about reform in 
their image but reform at the insistence and help--with the help of the 
free world.
    And I think it's possible and I know it's necessary that we work 
toward democracy in the Middle East, because a society that is not free 
and not democratic is a society that's likely to breed resentment and 
anger and, therefore, a society that is--makes the recruitment of young 
terrorists more likely.
    And that's what--and so the idea is to find common spirit in our 
willingness to work in a variety of ways in the greater Middle East to 
achieve democratic societies, to work with reformers, to work on 
education processes that teach people to read and write and add and 
subtract, not to hate, and always reminding people that the war on 
terror is not a war against a particular religion and that the war on 
terror is not a war against a particular civilization. It's a war 
against people who have got this perverted vision about what the world 
should look like.
    And at my Air Force Academy speech, which you won't be at, I'll 
remind people that part of their objective is to drive the United States 
from a country--countries in the Middle East so that they can flow their 
hatred into a vacuum. And it's very important that we not retreat but 
not only stay the ground but also work toward democratic institutions 
and reform.
    Yes, sir.

Coalition Security Arrangement With Iraqi Interim Government

    Q. Mr. President, are you confident this interim government wants 
U.S. troops to stay, at least for the short term?
    The President. I am confident, yes, sir. And I am confident because 
of the remarks of Mr. Alawi, and I am told by people on the ground there 
that they feel--that they, the Iraqis, feel comfortable in asking for us 
to stay so that we can help provide the security.
    Listen, the Iraqis I have talked to are the first to say that the 
security situation must be improved. And they recognize that there is a 
lot of work between now and the election in order to improve the 
security situation, starting with making sure the chain of command 
within the Iraqi army and the civilian forces and the police forces is 
strong and linked, as well as to make sure that these Iraqi forces are 
equipped and properly trained.
    As I said in the statement last Monday, a week ago yesterday, that 
we saw that there were some weaknesses on the ground in Iraq when the 
heat got on. Some didn't stand up and do their duty. And we're 
addressing those weaknesses now, and it's going to take time to fully 
address them.
    But there is a deep desire by the Iraqis, don't get me wrong, to run 
their own affairs and to be in a position where they can handle their 
own security measures. And I think they will be in that position, but I 
know that they're not going to ask us to depart until they're 
comfortable in that position. And Mr. Alawi--again, I referred to his 
statements today. I thought they were good, strong statements.
    Yes.

Ahmad Chalabi/Situation in Iraq

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Chalabi is an Iraqi leader that's 
fallen out of favor within your administration. I'm wondering if you 
feel that he provided any false information, or are you particularly----
    The President. Chalabi?
    Q. Yes, with Chalabi.
    The President. My meetings with him were very brief. I mean, I think 
I met with him at the State of the Union and just kind

[[Page 987]]

of working through the ropeline, and he might have come with a group of 
leaders. But I haven't had any extensive conversations with him.
    Mr. Brahimi made the decision on Chalabi, not the United States. Mr. 
Brahimi was the person that put together the group. And I haven't spoken 
to him or anybody on the ground as to why Chalabi wasn't taken.
    In terms of information----
    Q. I guess I'm asking, do you feel like he misled your 
administration in terms of what the expectations were going to be going 
into Iraq?
    The President. I don't remember anybody walking into my office 
saying Chalabi says this is the way it's going to be in Iraq.
    Let me step back there and remind you that going into Iraq, we had 
some--we had a belief that certain things--that we had to plan for 
certain courses of action, one, that the oil production, the Iraqi oil 
production, would be disrupted through sabotage or Saddam's own whims. 
And it didn't happen. We also thought there would be major refugee 
flows, and that didn't happen, or a lot of hunger, and it didn't happen.
    What did happen was, as a result of us storming through the country, 
many of Saddam's elite guard kind of saw what was happening, laid down--
well, didn't lay down their arms--stored their arms and hid and then 
regrouped. As well as what happened was is that some of the foreign 
fighters there were encouraged and bolstered by a foreign fighter that 
had been there during the period, Mr. Zarqawi. And it's been tough, 
tough fighting. I fully recognize that.
    However, I just want to remind you that the mission of the enemy is 
to get us to retreat from Iraq, is to say, ``Well, it's been tough 
enough, now it's time to go home,'' which we are not going to do. We 
will stand with this Iraqi government.
    Today the reason I'm out here is because this is a major step toward 
the emergence of a free Iraq. This is a very hopeful day for the Iraqi 
people and a hopeful day for the American people, because the American 
people want to see a free Iraq as well. They understand what I know: A 
free Iraq in the heart of the Middle East is going to be a game-changer, 
an agent of change. It's going to send a clear signal that the 
terrorists can't win and that a free society is a better way to lift the 
hopes and aspirations of the average person.
    Yes, Holly [Holly Rosenkrantz, Bloomberg News].

Energy

    Q. So far, sir, Congress hasn't responded to your call to do 
anything about rising oil prices. I mean, you've already said you want 
them to pass your energy bill, and they aren't. So what are you----
    The President. Yes, so go ask Congress why they haven't passed the 
energy bill. And I'll repeat it again: Congress, pass the energy bill.
    Q. But what more can you do as prices rise?
    The President. I can continue calling upon Congress to pass the 
energy bill and to make sure the American consumers are being treated 
fairly. But what you're seeing at the gas pumps is something I've been 
warning for 2 years, and that is that we're hooked on foreign sources of 
energy and that if we don't become less dependent on foreign sources of 
energy, we will find higher prices at our gas pumps. It's precisely what 
happened.
    Had we drilled in ANWR back in the mid-nineties, we'd be producing 
an additional million barrels a day, which would be taking enormous 
pressure off the American consumer.
    Yes, ma'am.

Possibility of Visits to Iraq and Afghanistan

    Q. Mr. President, you were saying that the United States wants to 
stand with Iraqi people. Would you like to go to Iraq before the end of 
the year and stand with the interim government and----
    The President. I would like to, but I'm not so sure that would be 
wise yet.
    Q. It's not secure?
    The President. Well, I don't know. You're asking me to project 6 
months down the road and--5 months down the road. And that's the classic 
hypothetical: Will Iraq be secure enough for me to go to Iraq? I would 
hope

[[Page 988]]

it would be. And if it is, then whether or not I can go is another 
question.
    Q. Would you like to go, though?
    The President. I'd love to go back to Iraq at some point in time. I 
really would. I'd like to be able to stand up and say, ``Let me tell you 
something about America. America is a land that's willing to sacrifice 
on your behalf. We sent our sons and daughters here so you can be free. 
And not only that, we are a compassionate country. We want to help you 
rebuild your schools and your hospitals.'' I'd like to do that. I really 
would.
    I'd like to also go to Afghanistan. And by the way, the reports from 
Afghanistan, at least the ones I get, are very encouraging. You know, 
we've got--people who have been there last year and have been back this 
year report a different attitude. And they report people have got a 
sparkle in their eye and women now all of a sudden no longer fear the 
future but believe that we're there to stay the course and we will help 
a free society emerge--both of which, a free society and a free 
Afghanistan, are very important to a future, a future world that is 
peaceful, because freedom is the bulwark of the value system inculcated 
in those countries.
    Yes. Yes, you, Dallas Morning News, Hillman [G. Robert Hillman].

Proposed U.N. Security Council Resolution on Iraq

    Q. How close are you to an agreement with the United Nations for a 
new resolution on Iraq?
    The President. Well, I think our negotiator, the Secretary of State, 
feels we're making good progress.
    Q. A week? Two weeks?
    The President. I don't know, Hillman. That's like saying, ``Can I go 
to Iraq in 5 months?'' Please. I thought I set the tone for 
hypotheticals. I don't know what it is.
    But as soon as possible--I'd like to get it done tomorrow, if 
possible. And so we're working with all the parties. But you know how 
the United Nations is. Sometimes it can move slowly, and sometimes it 
can move quickly, and the quicker the better as far as I'm concerned, 
because it sends a message to the new Iraqi government: The world stands 
with you.
    Yes, sir. Only one question per major paper. Nice try. [Laughter]

International Support for Iraqi Transition

    Q. You're about to have a series of meetings with foreign leaders in 
which Iraq certainly will loom very large. You ruled out, a moment ago, 
when you said you don't expect a major commitment of troops to come out 
of those meetings.
    The President. Right.
    Q. What, realistically, do you expect to come out of these meetings 
regarding----
    The President. A commitment to work together, a commitment that we 
all understand the importance of succeeding in Iraq, an understanding 
that terrorism will flourish and be emboldened if we're not successful 
in promoting a free government in Iraq, and a--and I think, from my 
conversations, people understand that. But it will give us a chance to 
sit in the same room and talk about that. And that's an important 
commitment.
    In other words, once you get that in your mind, that a free Iraq is 
important for world security, then it makes it easier for us to work 
together on certain matters. And look, we're still getting beyond the 
period where we had disagreements about Iraq. And now there's common 
ground, that a free Iraq is essential to our respective securities and, 
more important, is a very important signal to people in the Middle East 
that it's possible to live in a free society. And that's an important 
message as well.
    It's important for the Iranian freedom--those who love freedom in 
Iran to see. I mean, listen, a free Iraq on the border of Iran is going 
to send a very clear signal to those who want to be free that a free 
society is very possible. It's a hopeful period.
    And I'm so appreciative of the United Nations and Mr. Brahimi's 
work. It's hard work in Baghdad to do what he did. He did a lot of good 
work and came up with what looks like a very strong government.
    Deans [Bob Deans, Cox Newspapers], fine looking suit--the white's 
back. So are the bucks. [Laughter]

[[Page 989]]

Proposed U.N. Security Council Resolution on Iraq/Upcoming G-8 and NATO 
Summits

    Q. Thank you, sir. Mr. President, there have been several questions 
about this tightly sequenced statesmanship you have coming up in the 
next several weeks. I'm wondering if you can say, first, do you expect--
how soon do you think representatives of this interim government will 
actually go to the U.N. Security Council and plead their case for a 
resolution?
    The President. Right.
    Q. And two, do you expect to use the G-8--do you have the--will the 
resolution be on the agenda there at the G-8? And where do you think 
you'll be by the time we get to Istanbul?
    The President. Yes. I would hope that the new government sends 
somebody to New York soon. As a matter of fact, I don't think you're 
going to see much on the resolution, to answer your question, Bob, until 
the Iraqis come and make their case about why a resolution is needed. 
And I would like to see that person come as quickly as possible.
    We are going to have leaders from the greater Middle East in Sea 
Island. And as to whether or not a member of the new government shows up 
in Sea Island from Iraq, I just don't know. But we will talk about Iraq. 
We'll talk about Iraq in the context of the spread of democracy. And the 
countries that will be there will be sharing their experiences with 
democratic institutions in the Muslim world. And that will also serve as 
a reminder to the people of Iraq that they can succeed.
    In terms of NATO, obviously we'll be discussing Iraq at NATO. Again, 
I don't expect any additional troop commitments out of NATO. I do expect 
there to be continuing NATO interest in Iraq. As you know, NATO has 
provided a headquarters for--or support for the Polish multinational 
division--Polish-led multinational division. But we'll also make sure 
that we continue to focus NATO on Afghanistan. A peaceful and free 
Afghanistan is essential to the--to our mission, to our objectives of 
encouraging the spread of democracy.
    President Karzai, who I believe is coming soon--and will be at Sea 
Island, by the way--another good example of someone who has assumed 
responsibility in a country that had been savaged by barbaric 
leadership, is doing a fine job. And he will be able to help people 
understand how to ask for help as well as what help is available. He's--
I am very impressed by him and impressed by his leadership.
    Last question.

Peace Efforts in Sudan

    Q. Mr. President----
    Q. Mr. President, could you speak about Sudan, the peace agreement 
in Sudan and how that nation has turned away from terrorism?
    The President. Yes, I appreciate that. The question is on Sudan. 
Recently, there was a signature on a document that took us a step closer 
toward achieving our objective. However, it is very important for the 
Sudanese Government to understand we're watching very carefully the 
hunger, the brutal human conditions in the western part of their country 
and that we expect there to be an accommodation to the relief agencies 
as well as the American Government to get aid to those people. We're 
closer to an agreement in Sudan. It's a very important agreement. And we 
will continue to work the issue really hard.

Situation in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, can I ask about one of the things that the new 
Prime Minister in Iraq has said about your administration? He has said 
that many of the postwar problems in Iraq have been from lack of proper 
planning and that America bears direct responsibility for that. How do 
you answer that?
    The President. I would answer him that we had a plan in place, we 
succeeded in making sure that the oil flow continues so that he as Prime 
Minister has now got roughly 2.5 million barrels a day of Iraqi oil for 
the benefit of the Iraqi people, that there wasn't major disruptions of 
food so that people didn't starve. In other words, we were very 
successful in certain things.
    But there is no question that the security situation on the ground 
is hard and tough. And my comment to him is we will be flexible and wise 
and work with him to continue to secure Iraq, that our mission is his 
mission,

[[Page 990]]

which is to get to elections so the country can be a free country.
    Again, I think it's instructive that Mr. Brahimi picked leaders who 
are willing to speak their mind, which is fine with me. I fully 
understand a leader willing to speak their mind. I kind of like doing it 
myself, you know. And all the new Prime Minister needs to know is that I 
look forward to a close relationship with him, to do what's best for the 
Iraqi people. That's our interest. Our interest is a free Iraq. It's in 
their interest, and it's in the world's interest. And it's something--
these are historic times. And I am pleased with the progress, the 
political progress being made today, and vow to the people of Iraq that 
we will finish the mission. We will do our job. And we expect them to do 
their job, and we'll work with them to do so.
    Thank you all very much.

Note: The President's news conference began at 11:30 a.m. in the Rose 
Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary-
General Kofi Annan of the United Nations and Lakhdar Brahimi, Special 
Adviser to the Secretary-General; former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq; L. Paul Bremer III, Presidential Envoy to Iraq; Robert D. 
Blackwill, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for 
Strategic Planning to the National Security Adviser; Defense Minister 
Hazem Sha'alan of the new Iraqi interim government; Iraqi Governing 
Council Member Ahmad Chalabi; and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.