[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 39 (Monday, September 27, 2004)]
[Pages 2107-2117]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of Iraq

September 23, 2004

    President Bush. Thank you all for coming. I'm honored to stand with 
the Prime Minister of a free and sovereign Iraq. Welcome, Mr. Prime 
Minister. I applaud your leadership and your courage. It's my honor to 
welcome a friend to the White House.
    Prime Minister Allawi. Thank you.
    President Bush. Mr. Prime Minister, you've accomplished a great deal 
in less--in the 3 months since the transition to a free Iraq that is 
governed by Iraqis. These have been months of steady progress, despite 
persistent violence in some parts of your country. Iraqis and their 
leaders are engaged in a great and historic enterprise to establish a 
new democracy at the heart of a vital region.
    As friends of liberty, the new leaders of Iraq are friends of 
America and all civilized nations. As enemies of tyranny and terror, the 
people of Iraq and the American troops and civilians supporting their 
dreams of freedom have been the target of acts of violence. The enemies 
of freedom are using suicide bombing, beheadings, and other horrific 
acts to try to block progress. We're sickened by the atrocities, but 
we'll never be intimidated. And freedom is winning.
    Mr. Prime Minister, America will stand with you until freedom and 
justice have prevailed. America's security and Iraq's future depend on 
it.
    The Iraqi people are showing great courage and great determination. 
As terrorists have attacked Iraqi security forces, still more brave 
Iraqis have come forward to volunteer to serve their country. As killers 
have attempted to assassinate Government officials, Iraq's leaders have 
refused to be intimidated, and the vast majority of Iraqis remain 
committed to democracy.
    The path to our safety and to Iraq's future as a democratic nation 
lies in the resolute defense of freedom. If we stop fighting the 
terrorists in Iraq, they would be free to plot and plan attacks 
elsewhere, in America and other free nations. To retreat now would 
betray our mission, our word, and our friends. Mr. Prime Minister, 
America will keep its commitments.
    The path ahead is difficult because a free Iraq has deadly enemies. 
Remnants of the old regime and terrorist groups want to prevent Iraq's 
elections and demoralize Iraq's allies. Because of that, Prime Minister 
Allawi and I believe terrorist violence may well escalate as the January 
elections draw near. The

[[Page 2108]]

terrorists know that events in Iraq are reaching a decisive moment. If 
elections go forward, democracy in Iraq will put down permanent roots, 
and terrorists will suffer a dramatic defeat. And because Iraq and 
America and our coalition are standing firm, the Iraqi people and not 
the terrorists will determine Iraq's future.
    There's much at stake. Mr. Prime Minister, you recently said, ``The 
war in Iraq now is not only an Iraqi war. It is a war for the civilized 
world to fight terrorists and terrorism, and there is no route but the 
route of winning.'' Prime Minister Tony Blair recently called the 
struggle in Iraq the crucible in which the future of global terrorism 
will be determined. I share the view of these strong leaders that Iraq 
is a central front in the war on terror, and our only option is victory.
    We're making steady progress in implementing our five-step plan 
toward the goal we all want, completing the mission so that Iraq is 
stable and self-governing and American troops can come home with the 
honor they have earned.
    The first step was achieved on June 28th, not only on time but ahead 
of schedule, when the coalition transferred full sovereignty to a 
Government of Iraqi citizens.
    The second step is to help Iraq's new Government establish stability 
and security. Iraq must be able to defend itself, and Iraqi security 
forces are taking increasing responsibility for their country's 
security. Nearly 100,000 fully trained and equipped Iraqi soldiers, 
police officers, and other security personnel are working today, and 
that total will rise to 125,000 by the end of this year. The Iraqi 
Government is on track to build a force of over 200,000 security 
personnel by the end of next year.
    With the help of the American military, the training of the Iraqi 
army is almost halfway complete. And in Najaf and other important areas, 
Iraqi military forces have performed with skill and success. In Najaf, 
Iraqi and coalition forces effectively surrounded, isolated, and engaged 
enemy militias. Prime Minister Allawi and his Government reached out to 
the local population to persuade citizens the path to a better future 
would be found in political participation and economic progress. The 
Interim Government then negotiated from a position of strength to end 
the standoff.
    Serious problems remain in several cities. Prime Minister Allawi 
believes this combination of decisive action and outreach to peaceful 
citizens is the most effective way to defeat terrorists and insurgents 
and secure the peace of Iraq. And America stands with him.
    The third step in our plan is to continue improving Iraq's 
infrastructure. On television sets around the world, we see acts of 
violence; yet in most of Iraq, children are about to go back to school, 
parents are going back to work, and new businesses are being opened. 
Over 100 companies are now listed on the Iraqi stock exchange, and an 
average of 5 new companies are joining each week. Electricity has been 
restored above prewar levels. Telephone service has increased 
dramatically. More than 2,000 schools have been renovated, and millions 
of new textbooks have been distributed.
    There is much more work to be done. We've already spent more than a 
billion dollars on urgent reconstruction projects in areas threatened by 
the insurgency. In the next several months, over $9 billion will be 
spent on contracts that will help Iraqis rebuild schools, refurbish 
hospitals and health clinics, repair bridges, upgrade the electricity 
grid, and modernize the communications system. Prime Minister Allawi and 
I both agree that the pace of reconstruction should be accelerated. 
We're working toward that goal.
    The fourth step in our plan is to enlist additional international 
support for Iraq's transition to democracy. The multinational force of 
some 30 nations continues to help secure a free Iraq. We honor the 
service men and women of Great Britain, Bulgaria, Denmark, El Salvador, 
Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, 
Spain, Thailand, and Ukraine who've died, besides Iraqis and Americans, 
for the cause of freedom and security of the world.
    Our coalition is grateful that the United Nations has reestablished 
its mission in Baghdad. We're grateful to the G-8 countries and the 
European Union for pledging support to the new Iraqi Government. We're 
grateful to the NATO Alliance for helping to train Iraqi forces. We're 
grateful to many

[[Page 2109]]

of Iraq's creditors, which have agreed to a further reduction of Iraq's 
debt. Because all nations have an interest in the success of a free 
Iraq, I urge all nations to join in this vital cause.
    The fifth and most important step in our plan is to help Iraq 
conduct free national elections no later than next January. An Iraqi 
electoral commission is now up and running and has already hired 
personnel and is making key decisions about election procedures. Just 
this week, the commission began a public education campaign to inform 
Iraqis about the process and encourage them to become voters. United 
Nations electoral advisers are on the ground in Iraq, though more are 
needed. Prime Minister Allawi and I have urged the U.N. to send 
sufficient personnel to help ensure the success of Iraqi elections.
    At every stage in this process of establishing self-government, the 
Iraqi people and their leaders have met the schedules they set, and have 
overcome their challenges with confidence. And under this good man's 
leadership, they will continue to do so.
    The war for Iraq's freedom is a fight against some of the most 
ruthless and brutal men on Earth. In such a struggle, there will be good 
days and there will be difficult days, but every day our resolve must 
remain firm.
    Prime Minister, today I want to leave you and the nation you serve 
with a clear message: You have not faltered in a time of challenge, and 
neither will America. Thank you for your leadership. You honor us with 
your visit.
    Prime Minister Allawi. Thank you.
    Mr. President, thank you for those kind words. It is an honor to be 
here today in your Nation's Capital. It is a great honor to share this 
platform with you, a leader who worked tirelessly for the liberation of 
my country.
    These last few days have been difficult for us Iraqis, for you 
Americans, and for all our allies. Let me start by saying that my 
thoughts and prayers are with the families of those fighting today in 
Iraq and, in particularly, with the families of those who have lost 
loved ones at the hands of the terrorists or the insurgents.
    Like this nation, which is--which in the face of such brutality is 
standing strong against terrorism, so we Iraqis will not be cowed by the 
terrorists. Your Government and my Government understand what is at 
stake today in Iraq. Today, we face a concentrated campaign by 
terrorists and by the enemies of all the values which we hold dear, a 
campaign to shake our resolve and to prevent Iraq and Iraqis from 
attaining the freedom and democracy which we have dreamed of for more 
than the last 30 years. These terrorists understand all too well that 
success in Iraq will be an enormous blow for terrorism worldwide and an 
enormous step forward for peace and stability in the Middle East and in 
the wider world.
    I thank you, Mr. President, for your determination to stand firm 
with us in Iraq and for the unflinching message which you are delivering 
to our enemies.
    Mr. President, I stand here today as a Prime Minister of a country 
emerging finally from dark ages of tyranny, aggression, and corruption. 
Like you, I knew how evil Saddam Hussein and his regime truly were. Like 
you, I knew the damage he had brought on his country. Like you, I knew 
of the wars he had started and the dangers he posed to my region and the 
world, or at least I thought I knew. For I, like millions of other 
Iraqis, were forced into exile, realizing that we could only fight 
Saddam from outside Iraq. Even then we were not safe, as I myself can 
testify.
    But when I returned to Iraq, following the liberation of my country, 
I was truly shocked by just how much damage Saddam had done to--in his 
30 years of rule. Iraq is a deeply scarred society in a very troubled 
region. Today, we are witnessing all too vividly the true extent of the 
damage which Saddam inflicted on our society.
    Mr. President, Iraqis thank God, thank America, and thank our allies 
that Saddam is gone. We are safer; the region is safer; the world is 
safer without him. But the scars will take time to--determination to--
time and determination to heal.
    Again, Mr. President, I thank you for your leadership. We had an 
excellent meeting today, building on the talks we had on Tuesday in New 
York. We discussed the challenges ahead of us and how to confront them. 
We discussed the plan to take Iraq through

[[Page 2110]]

these difficulties and to ensure that democratic elections take place on 
time next year. And we discussed the importance of maintaining the 
strength of the coalition and the support of the international community 
in helping us to succeed. As we discussed, the plan focuses on building 
democracy, defeating the insurgency, and improving the quality of life 
for the ordinary Iraqis.
    Our political plan is to isolate the terrorists from the communities 
in which they operate. We are working hard to involve as many people as 
we can in the political process, to cut the ground from under the 
terrorists' feet. Of course, we know that terrorism cannot be defeated 
with political tools alone, but we can weaken it. Ending local support 
helps us to tackle the enemy head on, to identify, isolate, and 
eradicate this cancer.
    Our military plan will enable us to build and maintain security 
across Iraq. Ordinary Iraqis are anxious to take over entirely this role 
and to shoulder all the security burdens of our country as quickly as 
possible. We do not want the multinational force to stay in Iraq any 
more than you want to remain there. But for now, we need you. We need 
the help of our American and multinational partners while we continue to 
accelerate the training of Iraqi security forces.
    The Iraqi Government now commands almost 100,000 trained and combat-
ready Iraqis, including police, national guard, and army. The Government 
have accelerated the development of Iraqi special forces and established 
a counterterrorist strike force to address the specific problems caused 
by the insurgency. Our intelligence is getting better every day. You 
have seen that in the successful resolution of the Najaf crisis and in 
the targeted attacks against insurgents in Fallujah.
    Finally, our economic plan is to improve the everyday lives of 
Iraqis as we deliver both political and security progress. Here, thanks 
to a large extent to the generous security and reconstruction funding 
approved by the United States Congress, work is underway. Oil pipelines 
are being repaired, basic services improved, streets and homes rebuilt, 
schools, hospitals, and clinics reopened. Thousands of Iraqis have new 
jobs. Salaries have been increased dramatically, in many cases five or 
four times over. Iraq's economy, freed from the stranglehold of a failed 
Ba'athist ideology, has finally started to flourish.
    Mr. President, we also discussed the importance of holding free and 
fair national and local elections this coming January as planned. I know 
that some have speculated, even doubted whether this date can be met, so 
let me be absolutely clear that elections will occur in Iraq on time in 
January, because Iraqis want election on time. In 15 out of 18 Iraqi 
provinces, the security situation is good for elections to be held 
tomorrow. Here, Iraqis are getting on with their daily lives, hungry for 
the new political and economic freedoms they are enjoying. Although this 
is not what you see in your media, it is a fact.
    The Iraqi elections may not be perfect. They may not be the best 
elections that Iraq will ever hold. They will no-doubtedly be an excuse 
for violence from those who despair and despise liberty, as we--as were 
the first elections in Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Indonesia. But 
they will take place, and they will be free and fair.
    Finally, Mr. President, a word about international resolve. Iraq 
cannot accomplish this alone. The international forces of tyranny and 
oppression are lined up against us. Iraq is now the main battleground 
between the forces of hope and the forces of fear. This is a struggle 
which will shape the future of our world.
    Already, Iraq has many partners. More than two dozen countries are 
represented in Iraq with troops on the ground. We Iraqis are grateful 
for each and every one of these courageous men and women. The United 
Nations, the European Union, the G-8 have lent their strong support. 
NATO, just yesterday, increased its commitment to Iraq. Many more 
nations have committed to Iraq future in the form of economic aid. I am 
grateful for the support. I look to my Arab brothers to join us fully.
    I know it is difficult, but the coalition must stand firm. When 
governments negotiate with terrorists, everyone in the free world 
suffers. When political leaders sound the sirens of defeatism in the 
face of terrorism, it only encourages more violence. Working

[[Page 2111]]

together, we will defeat the killers, and we'll do this by refusing to 
bargain about our most fundamental principles.
    I understand why, faced with the daily headlines, there are those 
doubts. I know too that there are--there will be many more setbacks and 
obstacles to overcome. But these doubters underestimate our country, and 
they risk fueling the hopes of terrorism.
    Mr. President, there are those who want to divide our world. I 
appeal to you, who have done so much already to help us, to ensure they 
don't succeed.
    Thank you.
    President Bush. We'll take a couple of questions now. Terry [Terence 
Hunt, Associated Press].

Support for the U.S. Military/Terrorists in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, two more Americans have been beheaded. More than 
300 Iraqis have been killed in the last week. Fallujah is out of 
Government control. And U.S. and Iraqi forces have been unable to bring 
security to diplomatic and commercial centers of Baghdad. Why haven't 
U.S. forces been able to capture or kill Al Zarqawi, who's blamed for 
much of the violence? And what's your answer to General John Abizaid's 
statement that, ``I think we will need more troops than we currently 
have''?
    President Bush. If that's what he says--he was in my office this 
morning. He didn't say that to me, but if he were to say that, I'd 
listen to him, just like I've said all along, that when our commanders 
say that they need support, they'll get support, because we're going to 
succeed in this mission.
    The first part of the question was, how come we haven't found 
Zarqawi? We're looking for him. He hides. He is--he's got a effective 
weapon, and that is terror. I said yesterday that our military cannot be 
defeated by these thugs, that--but what they do is behead Americans so 
they can get on the TV screens. And they're trying to shake our will and 
trying to shake the Iraqis' will. That's what they're trying to do.
    And like all Americans, I'm disgusted by that kind of behavior, but 
I'm not going to yield. We're not going to abandon the Iraqi people. 
It's in our interests that we win this battle in the war on terror. See, 
I think that the Iraq theater is a part of the war on terror. That's 
what the Prime Minister said as well. He believes the same thing. He 
understands what's going on there. After all, he lives there.
    And I believe that if we wilt or leave, America's security will be 
much worse off. I believe that if Iraq--if we fail in Iraq, it's the 
beginning of a long struggle. We will not have done our duty to our 
children and our grandchildren. And so that's why I'm consistently 
telling the Iraqi citizens that we will not be intimidated. That's why 
my message to Mr. Zarqawi is: You cannot drive us out of Iraq by your 
brutality.
    It's tough work. Everybody knows that. It's hard work. But we must 
not allow the actions of a few--and I emphasize that, I say that because 
there are 25 million Iraqis, by far the vast majority of whom want to 
live in a free society--and we cannot allow the actions of a few to 
determine the fate of these good people as well as the fate of the 
security of the United States.
    Prime Minister Allawi. May I, Mr. President?
    President Bush. Sure.
    Prime Minister Allawi. I just have a few words to say to this 
question.
    We cannot really substitute Iraq for Fallujah. Fallujah is a small 
part of Iraq. There are insurgents and terrorists who are active there 
for geographical reasons. The people of Fallujah are adamant that they 
should--whenever they are capable--to get rid of the insurgents. We have 
been talking to them. I have been talking to them, engaged in dialog. My 
deputy met with the Fallujah tribes 2 days ago. Things are moving in the 
right direction, and we are hitting insurgents and terrorists in this 
part of the world.
    To have more troops, we don't need. What we need really is to train 
more Iraqis, because this is ultimately for Iraqis, for Iraqi security 
forces to take responsibility for their own security and to defend the 
rest of the civilized world. What is happening, sir, in Iraq is, really, 
Iraq is becoming a frontline for a global fight against terrorists. So 
that's why Zarqawi is not alone. There are other groups similar to 
Zarqawi. There are groups

[[Page 2112]]

who are insurgents who have stained their hands with the murders of the 
Iraqi people, who are Saddam's loyalists. They are working together. We 
assure you that we are going to defeat these evil forces, in Iraq and 
throughout the world.
    President Bush. Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

Staying the Course in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, John Kerry is accusing you of colossal failures of 
judgment in Iraq and having failed to level with the American people 
about how tough it is there. How do you respond to him?
    President Bush. It's hard work in Iraq. Everybody knows that. We see 
it on our TV. My message is that we will stay the course and stand with 
these people so that they become free. It's in our national interest we 
do so. I believe this is a central part in the war on terror. I believe 
that when we succeed in Iraq, that America will be more secure. I also 
know that a free Iraq will send a clear message to the part of the world 
that is desperate for freedom.
    It's hard work. The American people know that. But I believe it's 
necessary work, and I believe a leader must be consistent and clear and 
not change positions when times get tough. And the times have been hard. 
These are hard times. But I understand that--what mixed messages do. You 
can embolden an enemy by sending a mixed message. You can dispirit the 
Iraqi people by sending mixed messages. You send the wrong message to 
our troops by sending mixed messages. That's why I will continue to lead 
with clarity and in a resolute way, because I understand the stakes. 
These are high stakes, and we'll succeed.
    Is anybody here from the Iraqi media? Why don't we--yes, please, 
sir. Standing next to a fine man in Deans [Bob Deans, Cox Newspapers].

Reconstruction of Iraq

[At this point, a question was asked in Arabic.]

    President Bush. I'm not so sure I agree with that. [Laughter]

[The interpreter then translated the question as follows.]

    Q. The question to the U.S. President: What are the plans to 
accelerate the arrival of the fund donated by various countries around 
the world, the countries that are contributing to the rebuilding of 
Iraq, in order to encourage investments in Iraq, particularly with a 
very high unemployment rate?
    President Bush. Right. There are at least three aspects to the 
reconstruction projects. One is our own money. And as I mentioned in my 
remarks, there's $7 billion committed. We've got more money to spend, 
and we will spend it when contracts are let and when there's enough 
security in certain neighborhoods to be able to spend the money wisely.
    Secondly, part of making sure that the Iraq balance sheet is in good 
shape is to continue to work on debt reductions. I named former 
Secretary Jim Baker to go around to the creditor nations. He received 
some commitments. And I believe that the world will make its decision 
later on this year as to how much debt reduction there will be in Iraq.
    And thirdly, as you mentioned, other nations have pledged help to 
the Iraqi people. And there will be a donors conference in Japan, kind 
of an accountability conference for people to come and explain where 
they are in meeting their different promises.
    Yes, NBC man, there--your name?
    Q. Gregory [David Gregory, NBC News], sir.
    President Bush. Gregory.

Saddam Hussein

    Q. Mr. President, you say today that the work in Iraq is tough and 
will remain tough. And yet, you travel this country, and a central theme 
of your campaign is that America is safer because of the invasion of 
Iraq. Can you understand why Americans may not believe you?
    President Bush. No. Anybody who says that we are safer with Saddam 
Hussein in power is wrong. We went into Iraq because Saddam Hussein 
defied the demands of the free world. We went into Iraq after diplomacy 
had failed. And we went into Iraq because I understand after September 
the 11th we must take threats seriously, before they come to hurt us.

[[Page 2113]]

    And I think it's a preposterous claim to say that America would be 
better off with Saddam Hussein in power. I certainly know that that's 
the case for America, and I certainly know it's the case for the Iraqi 
people. These are the people who were tortured. This good man was abed 
in a London flat, and he wakes up with two Saddam henchmen there with 
axes, trying to cut him to pieces with an ax. And fortunately, he's 
alive today. Fortunately, we call him friend and ally. But he knows what 
it means to have lived under a society in which a thug like Saddam 
Hussein would send people with axes to try to kill him in bed in a 
London flat. No, this world is better off with Saddam Hussein in prison.
    Q. Sir, may I just follow, because I don't think you're really 
answering the question. I mean, I think you're responding to Senator 
Kerry, but there are beheadings regularly, the insurgent violence 
continues, and there are no weapons of mass destruction. My question is, 
can you understand that Americans may not believe you when you say that 
America is actually safer today?
    President Bush. Imagine a world in which Saddam Hussein were still 
in power. This is a man who harbored terrorists, Abu Abbas, Abu Nidal, 
Zarqawi. This is a man who was a sworn enemy of the United States of 
America. This is a man who used weapons of mass destruction. Going from 
tyranny to democracy is hard work, but I think the argument that says 
that Saddam Hussein--if Saddam Hussein were still in power, we'd be 
better off is wrong.
    King [John King, CNN].

Decisionmaking on Troop Levels/National Intelligence Estimate

    Q. Sir, I'd like you to answer Senator Kerry and other critics who 
accuse you of hypocrisy or opportunism when on the one hand you put so 
much stock in the CIA when it said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass 
destruction and now say it is just guessing when it paints a pessimistic 
picture of the political transition.
    President Bush. Yes.
    Q. And I like to, if you don't mind, follow on something the Prime 
Minister just said. If General Abizaid says he needs more troops and the 
Prime Minister says he does not want more troops, who wins?
    President Bush. Let me talk to General Abizaid. As I said, he just 
came in to see me, and I want to make sure--I'm not suggesting any of 
the reporters here might be taking something out of context. That would 
never happen in America. But nevertheless, I do want to sit down and 
talk to him about it. Obviously, we can work this out. It's in the--if 
our commanders on the ground feel it's in the interest of the Iraq 
citizens to provide more troops, we'll talk about it. That's--that's 
why--they're friends--that's what we do about friends.
    First part of the question--oh, yes, yes----
    Q. They say you've been opportunistic----
    President Bush. Yes, got it. Listen, the other day I was asked about 
the NIE, which is a National Intelligence Estimate. This is a report 
that talks about possibilities about what can happen in Iraq, not 
probabilities. I used an unfortunate word, ``guess.'' I should have used 
``estimate.'' And the CIA came and said, ``This is a possibility, this 
is a possibility, and this is a possibility.'' But what's important for 
the American people to hear is reality. And the reality is right here in 
the form of the Prime Minister, and he is explaining what is happening 
on the ground. That's the best report. And this report was written in 
July, and now we are here in September. And as I said, ``estimate'' 
would have been a better word.
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Hold on for a minute. Hold on for a minute, please, 
please. We've got other people from--hold on for a second.
    Prime Minister Allawi. From the other----
    President Bush. From Iraq. Are you from Iraq?
    Q. No.
    President Bush. Okay. No, hold on for a second. We need people from 
Iraq first, please. One journalist from Iraq. You're not from Iraq, 
Allen [Mike Allen, Washington Post], and neither are you, Elisabeth 
[Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times].
    Prime Minister Allawi. Give Al Arabiya----

[[Page 2114]]

    President Bush. Is anybody here from CBS? Roberts [John Roberts, CBS 
News], there you are. Please.
    Q. ----happy to be here.
    President Bush. Happy to be here, thank you. [Laughter]
    Q. Sir, you----
    President Bush. Terry [Terry Moran, ABC News], you're next.

Iraqi Elections/Security Situation in Iraq

    Q. You have been accused on the campaign trail in this election year 
of painting an overly optimistic portrait of the situation on the ground 
in Iraq. Yesterday, in Valley Forge, you said that there was a 
``handful'' of people who were willing to kill to try to disrupt the 
process. Isn't that really understating the case, particularly when 
there are intelligence reports that hundreds if not thousands of foreign 
fighters are streaming across the border from Syria to take up the fight 
of the insurgency? And do you believe, given the situation on the ground 
in Fallujah and other northern cities in the Sunni Triangle, that 
elections are possible in 4 months?
    President Bush. I do, because the Prime Minister told me they are. 
He is--he's interested in moving this country forward. And you heard his 
statement, and I believe him.
    The first part of the question?
    Q. The first question was, aren't you being----
    President Bush. Yes, got it, got it. Yes. Yesterday----
    Q. ----disingenuous----
    President Bush. Right. I said--look, what we're seeing on our TV 
screens are the acts of suicide bombers. They're the people that are 
affecting the daily--the nightly news. And they know its effect. I said 
that the enemy cannot defeat us militarily. What they can do is take 
acts of violence that try to discourage us and try to discourage the 
Prime Minister and the people of Iraq.
    Look, I'm fully aware we're fighting former Ba'athists and Zarqawi 
network people. But by far, the vast majority of people, John, and--of 
25 million people--want to live in freedom. My point is, is that a few 
people, relative to the whole, are trying to stop the march of freedom.
    It is tough work. Everybody in America knows that, and the 
fundamental question is, are we going to allow the tough work to cause 
us to retreat, to waver? And my answer to the American people and the 
Iraqi people and to the enemy is that we will complete our mission. We 
will do our duty. We will adjust strategies on the ground, depending 
upon the tactics of the enemy, but we're not going to allow the 
suiciders to drive us out of Iraq.
    Terry.
    Prime Minister Allawi. May I----
    President Bush. Yes, please.
    Prime Minister Allawi. Let me explain something which is very 
important. I have noticed--and the media have been neglected and omitted 
several times--in the Western media--Iraq is made out of 18 provinces, 
18, 1-8. Out of these 18 provinces, 14 to 15 are completely safe; there 
are no problems. And I can count them for you, starting from Basra 
moving into Iraq Kurdistan. There are three areas, three provinces where 
there are pockets of insurgents, pockets of terrorists who are acting 
there and are moving from there to inflict damage elsewhere in the 
country.
    So really, if you care to look at Iraq properly and go from Basra to 
Nasiriyah to Kut to Diyala to Najaf to Karbala to Diwaniya to Samarra to 
Kirkuk to Sulaymaniyah to Dahuk to Arbil, there are no problems. It's 
safe. It's good. There are problems in Fallujah. Fallujah is part of a 
province; the province is called Al Anbar. It's vast, very big. It has 
many other important towns such as Ana, such as Rawa, such as Ramadi. 
There is nothing there. In Ana and Rawa, indeed, there is nothing, no 
problem, except on a small pocket in Fallujah.
    So really, I call upon the responsible media throughout the world, 
not only here, to look at the facts as they are in Iraq and to propagate 
these facts to the international community.
    I am not trying to undermine that there are dangers. There are 
dangers in Iraq. There are problems, and we are facing international 
terrorist onslaught on Iraq. I, personally, receive every day a threat. 
In the last 4 weeks, they found four conspiracies to kill me. And 
likewise, they are killing people--they are

[[Page 2115]]

killing officials; they are killing innocent people. But the Iraqis are 
not deterred, and we are not going to be deterred. I went the next day 
and saw our recruitment center for the police, after they killed, 
massacred 40, 45 people. I found hundreds of people coming to be 
volunteer--to volunteer to the police and to the army. I spoke to them. 
They are all upbeat. They are resolved to beat terrorism and to defeat 
the insurgents.
    These are facts that one really needs to explain to you, and you 
need to explain it to the people.
    President Bush. Terry.

Iraqi Support for Coalition Efforts

    Q. Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, I'd like to ask about the 
Iraqi people. Both of you have spoken for them today, and yet, over the 
past several months, there have been polls conducted by the Coalition 
Provisional Authority, by the Oxford Institute, and other reputable 
organizations that have found very strong majorities do not see the 
United States as a liberator but as an occupier, are unhappy with 
American policy, and want us out. Don't the real voices of the Iraqi 
people, themselves, contradict the rosy scenarios you're painting here 
today?
    President Bush. Let me start by that. You said the poll was taken 
when the CPA was there?
    Q. One poll----
    President Bush. Yes, okay, let me stop you. First of all, the Iraqi 
people now have got Iraqi leadership. Prime Minister Allawi and his 
cabinet are making decisions on behalf of the Iraqi people. Secondly, I 
saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than 
here in America. [Laughter] It's pretty darn strong. I mean, the people 
see a better future.
    Talk to the leader. I agree; I'm not the expert on how the Iraqi 
people think, because I live in America, where it's nice and safe and 
secure. But I talk to this man. One reason I'm optimistic about our 
ability to get the job done is because I talk to the Iraqi Prime 
Minister. I'm also optimistic that people will choose freedom over 
tyranny every time. That's what I believe.
    But Mr. Prime Minister, you might answer the question on the polls. 
There's a lot of polls. Sometimes they show you up and sometimes they 
show you down, as you might remember.
    Prime Minister Allawi. Let me take a minute to explain to you 
something, a factual event. I meet, personally, every now and then with 
the fringes of the so-called resistance to try and talk them into 
respecting law and order and withdraw their arms. And I ask them in a 
very honest, very open way, I say to them, ``What do you want to 
achieve? Could you know exactly what you want to achieve? Do you want to 
bring Saddam back from the hole in the ground, living like a rat? Do you 
want to bring him back to rule Iraq? Or do you want to bring bin Laden 
or similar persons to bin Laden to rule Iraq? If you want to do this, we 
will fight you room to room, house to house. If you want to be part of 
the political process, you have to be part of the political process, you 
are welcome.''
    ``If you do not want the multinational force in Iraq''--I was 
talking to Fallujah people recently, to tribes, ex-army officers, ex-
Saddam loyalists--``if you want the multinational force out, win the 
elections. Go to the United Nations, talk to the Security Council, and 
tell them we don't need the multinational forces. But I tell you what is 
going to happen. If you ask the multinational force to leave 
prematurely''--this is me talking to the Fallujah people--``your country 
will be in ruins, and we cannot now, on our feet, stand and fight 
terrorism and global terrorism.''
    These are realities. And once you are in Iraq, I will be your * 
host. I can put you together with these people in my home, and you can 
talk to them. And you can find out yourselves that the Iraqis 
tremendously, by and large, respect the United States and respect the 
other partners in the coalition for helping Iraq, not only in liberation 
but now in helping Iraq to rebuild itself and to rebuild its 
institutions.
    * White House correction.
    President Bush. Let me say one other thing about why I'm optimistic 
we'll succeed. By the way, you can understand it's tough and still be 
optimistic. You can understand how hard it is and believe we'll succeed.
    I remember when some were talking about the possibility of success 
in Afghanistan in

[[Page 2116]]

pretty stark terms. I don't know if you remember that period or not, but 
there was a period where some were saying that it wasn't possible for 
democracy to come forward in Afghanistan. Today, 10 million citizens 
have registered to vote, 41 percent of whom are women. It's a phenomenal 
statistic, I think. I think it shows what's possible if you believe--if 
you have certain beliefs from which you won't waver. And I believe 
people yearn to be free.
    Again, I think if you look at polls--which sometimes I do, and 
sometimes I don't, admittedly, Moran--that by far the vast majority of 
Iraqis want to vote. They want to live in freedom. And the fundamental 
question is, do we--is this: Do we have the will to stay? Do we have the 
will to put smart strategy in place? I've laid out the strategy. We're 
implementing the strategy. But really, do we have the will to complete 
the mission? And my message to the Iraqi people and to the enemy and to 
our troops in harm's way and to our allies is: We'll complete the 
mission.
    Listen, last question--Wendell [Wendell Goler, Fox News Channel]. 
And then we--I think it's probably time to head into the air-
conditioning----
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Excuse me, ma'am.
    Wendell.

Impact of Mixed Signals on Coalition Efforts

    Q. Thank you, sir. Mr. President, in the past couple of days you 
have been talking about the consequences of the mixed messages you say 
John Kerry sends. I want to ask you, sir, do you mean immediate 
consequences, not just if the Senator is elected? Do you mean that the 
messages being sent now have a negative effect on the effort in Iraq? 
And does making the war in Iraq a part of a campaign also have 
consequences on the situation there, sir?
    President Bush. Well, I think--look, in a campaign, it's--the war of 
Iraq is going to be part of a campaign. It's--this is a major moment in 
American history. These are historic times, and I view it as a great 
opportunity to help secure our country. As I said before, Iraq is a 
central part of the war on terror, and I believe it's important for us 
to succeed there because of that.
    See, 9/11 changed everything. September the 11th meant that we had 
to deal with a person like Saddam Hussein. Of course, I was hoping it 
could be done diplomatically. But diplomacy failed, and so the last 
resort of a President is to use force. And we did, and now we're helping 
the Iraqis.
    The Prime Minister said something very interesting a while ago, and 
it's important for the American people to understand. Our strategy is to 
help the Iraqis help themselves. It's important that we train Iraqi 
troops. There are nearly 100,000 troops trained. The Iraqi * national 
army is a part of the army. By the way, it was the Iraqi * national army 
that went into Najaf and did the work there. There's a regular army 
being trained. There are border guards being trained. There are police 
being trained. That's a key part of our mission.
    * White House correction.
    But Wendell, I think the world watches America. We're an influential 
nation, and everybody watches what we say. And I think it's very 
important for the American President to mean what he says. That's why I 
understand that the enemy could misread what I say. That's why I try to 
be as clearly as I can. I don't want them to be emboldened by any 
confusion or doubt. I don't want them to think that, well, maybe all 
they've got to do is attack, and we'll shirk our duties. See, they've 
been emboldened before. They have caused certain nations to withdraw 
from coalitions as a result of their action, such action reinforcing the 
ability for suiciders, for example, to affect free societies. I know 
that. I've seen firsthand the tactics of these killers. And so 
therefore, I think it's very important for all of us involved in the 
process not to send mixed signals. I don't know what the enemy thinks 
today. But I do know they're watching America very carefully. I do know 
they want to affect other nations by their acts of murder. I do know 
they were emboldened when Spain withdrew from Iraq as a result of 
attacks and election.
    And therefore, I have a duty to our troops, for starters--most 
importantly--not to send

[[Page 2117]]

a mixed signal. I want our troops to know that the sacrifices they are 
making are worthwhile and necessary for the security of this country.
    And I want--don't want the Iraqis to fear that, oh, all of a sudden 
there will be a change of heart, that there'll be tough times 
politically or that a poll might say something and, therefore, cause me 
to change my opinion. I don't want them to think that, because they have 
to make the hard choices for freedom. They have to go from a society 
that has been tortured by a brutal thug to a society in which they take 
responsibility for their daily lives.
    I don't want the coalition forces to feel like we're wavering. And 
so I understand that people watch our words, and that's an explanation 
of why I say what I say.
    Listen, thank you all very much.
    Mr. Prime Minister, appreciate you. Good job.
    Prime Minister Allawi. Okay. Thank you.
    President Bush. Proud you're here.

Note: The President's news conference began at 12:06 p.m. in the Rose 
Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister 
Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley, 
American citizens who were killed in Iraq on September 20 and 21, 
respectively, by militants led by senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al 
Zarqawi; Gen. John B. Abizaid, USA, combatant commander, U.S. Central 
Command; James A. Baker III, former Presidential envoy on the issue of 
Iraqi debt; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Usama bin 
Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization.