[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 24 (Monday, June 14, 2004)]
[Pages 1039-1041]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Tony Blair of the 
United Kingdom and an Exchange With Reporters at Sea Island, Georgia

June 9, 2004

    President Bush. Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much for your 
steadfast leadership, your clear vision, and your friendship.
    Yesterday was an important day for the Iraqi people. The United 
Nations Security Council unanimously expressed the desire for Iraq to be 
free and peaceful, and I want to thank you for your leadership on that 
issue. It's really important for leaders to have allies

[[Page 1040]]

that they can count on and rely on and who's got good judgment, and you 
do. Welcome to America.
    Prime Minister Blair. Thanks. Well, thanks very much, Mr. President, 
and thank you for your help and support in getting the resolution 
through. It's been a really important time.
    The crucial thing now is the people of Iraq know they've got the 
whole of the international community on side, for Iraq is a stable and 
democratic country. And the terrorists and the fanatics and the 
extremists who are trying to stop this democracy happening know they've 
got the whole of the world against them, and that's the key thing.
    President Bush. A couple of questions. Tom [Tom Raum, Associated 
Press].

NATO Involvement in Iraq/Iraqi Security Forces

    Q. Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, do you think you can 
translate this momentum from yesterday's vote into getting more debt 
relief for Iraq? And also, what are you looking for now as a next step 
in terms of NATO involvement in the process?
    President Bush. We discussed NATO--the NATO involvement over 
breakfast, and we believe NATO ought to be involved. We will work with 
our NATO friends to at least continue the role that now exists and 
hopefully expand it somewhat. There is going to be some constraints, 
obviously. A lot of NATO countries are not in a position to commit any 
more troops. We fully understand that. But I do think NATO ought to stay 
involved, and I think we have a good chance of getting that done.
    Prime Minister Blair. I think that's right. And I think also the key 
next step in this is going to be for the new Iraqi government to sit 
down with a multinational force and work out how, over time, the Iraqi 
capability for security can be established and built up. I mean, there 
is a capability that it is there at the moment, but we know that there 
are gaps in that capability. And we're there to help them and make sure 
that the Iraqis ultimately can take care of their own security, because 
that's, as the Iraqi Prime Minister has been saying, that's the key 
issue, and that's the one they want to deal with.

Iraqi Democracy

    Q. I mean, given what's wrong in Iraq as well as what's gone right--
do you see what I mean--is there any way you think that what's happening 
in Iraq can be a model for the rest of the Middle East, particularly 
given the fact that countries like Saudi Arabia have declined to come 
here?
    Prime Minister Blair. Well, I think that--the one thing that's 
interesting, when you talk to the Iraqi Prime Minister and the new Iraqi 
government, is that they do see the possibility of a democratic Iraq 
being a force for good in their region as well as obviously being good 
for the people of Iraq.
    I mean, I think this is a process of change, and we've got to help 
people manage it. And really what we're doing today is to say, ``Look, 
sensible people sitting down and looking at the situation in the Middle 
East know that there needs to be a process of reform and change.'' Now, 
that's not for us to dictate to people, but it is for us to help them 
get there. And that's what this is about. And I think it's all part of 
the same picture, which is to say to people, the security challenge we 
face obviously has to be dealt with by security measures, but it's not 
just about security measures. It's not just about force. It's also about 
political and democratic reform, and it's about helping people to get to 
where they know, I think, really, that they need to be, that they need 
some help to get there.
    President Bush. Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

President's Upcoming Meeting With President al-Yawr of Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, you're seeing the new President of Iraq today. 
What are you going to tell him? What do you want to hear from him? And 
how can he and the other leaders function properly in the atmosphere of 
violence there?
    President Bush. I'm going to tell him we're pulling for him and 
pulling for the people of Iraq, particularly those who have a deep 
desire to live in a free society. I'm going to thank him for having the 
courage to stand up and lead and tell him that America will help him. 
I'm also going to tell him that when we say transfer full sovereignty, 
we mean transfer full sovereignty. He is the President

[[Page 1041]]

of a sovereign nation, and therefore, he and the Prime Minister and the 
rest of the ministers must make decisions on--wise decisions on behalf 
of the Iraqi people.
    I'm looking forward to the meeting with the man, and in one of my 
conversations with him, he thanked me for the sacrifices of coalition 
troops, for which I was most grateful. The American people need to know 
that there are people in Iraq who are deeply grateful for the fact that 
our sons and daughters have died for their freedom. And I'm sure the 
people of Great Britain want to hear that same message. I look forward 
to reminding him of what he told me in that phone call.
    Final question--we've got to get ready. I've got to go over--I'm the 
host, so I've got to greet people. [Laughter]

Iraqi Opposition Forces

    Q. What do you both say to the men of violence in Iraq, who will 
probably want to take no notice of this resolution?
    President Bush. I will tell them that freedom will eventually 
prevail and that they are not going to drive us out of Iraq because of 
their random killing, that we will not be intimidated by their murderous 
ways.

Note: The President spoke at 8:50 a.m. at Dunbar House. In his remarks, 
he referred to President Ghazi Ujayl al-Yawr and Prime Minister Ayad al-
Alawi of the Iraqi interim government. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of these remarks.