[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 46 (Monday, November 15, 2004)]
[Pages 2811-2812]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
Secretary General Jakob ``Jaap'' Gijshert de Hoop Scheffer and an 
Exchange With Reporters

November 10, 2004

    President Bush. It's my honor to welcome the Secretary General of 
NATO to the Oval Office. This is the first meeting I've had, since my 
reelection, with a leader from overseas. I'm proud you're the person, 
Secretary General, because, first of all, I've got a very close personal 
relationship. I've come to admire his leadership and his fortitude. And 
secondly, my Nation is committed to a strong and vibrant NATO.
    NATO is playing a very constructive role in Afghanistan. Today we 
had a chance to revisit one of the great moments of modern history, when 
millions of people went to the polls to vote for a President in a 
country that had been ruled by the Taliban only 3 years ago. And we were 
rejoicing in the fact that the first voter was a 19-year-old woman, and 
NATO is playing a very active role in Afghanistan.
    And NATO is playing a role in helping to train Iraqi citizens so 
that they can become the people that defend their country against those 
who are trying to stop freedom. And I want to thank you for that, Mr. 
Secretary General. We talked about the need to make sure NATO is 
relevant, that NATO is constructed in a way that is not only effective 
but one that continues to foster free societies and democracy around the 
world.
    And I thank you for your vision and your commitment. Welcome to the 
Oval Office.
    Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer. Thank you very much. Well, thank 
you very much, Mr. President. The fact that I am sitting here now in the 
Oval Office as the first foreign visitor is the best proof, I think, for 
the full commitment of the United States of America and this President 
Bush to NATO. And that's of the utmost importance, because NATO is the 
unique transatlantic forum where everything we have, the big challenges 
of the world we are facing in the world today should be discussed, and 
NATO is the only organization which can deliver.
    We delivered, as the President said, in Afghanistan. Less burkas and 
more ballot boxes, that's what it's all about. We are delivering in 
Kosovo. We are delivering by setting up a training implementation 
mission in Iraq. There is no second forum. There's no second 
organization in the world like NATO, where 26 democracies are defending 
values, democracy, respect for human rights, freedom of religion, and 
all those basic values which are at the heart of all these 26 societies.
    And it gives me pleasure to have the full support--I knew that 
already, of course--to have the full support of President Bush for this 
endeavor. Of course, I think NATO has a very challenging agenda, and 
I'll make sure that we can deliver--NATO can deliver, that we can face 
all those challenges successfully.
    Thank you so much, and it's a great pleasure to be here in the Oval 
Office once again.
    President Bush. Welcome back.
    We'll be glad to answer a couple of questions. Scott [Scott Lindlaw, 
Associated Press], why don't you start it off.

Future Cooperation With the Palestinian Authority

    Q. Thanks, Mr. President. In June 2002, you urged the Palestinian 
people to replace Yasser Arafat with a leader, in your words, ``not 
compromised by terror.'' Arafat today is gravely ill. In fact, 
Palestinians have already selected his successor. Do you see a new 
opening for peace here?
    President Bush. I do. There will be an opening for peace when 
leadership of the Palestinian people steps forward and says, ``Help us 
build a democratic and free society.'' And when that happens--and I 
believe it's going to happen, because I believe all people desire to 
live in freedom--the United States of America will be more than willing 
to help build the institutions necessary for a free society to emerge, 
so that the Palestinians can have their own state. The vision is two 
states, a Palestinian state and Israel, living side by side in peace. 
And I think we've got a chance to do that. And I look forward to being 
involved in that process.
    Adam [Adam Boulton, Sky News].

[[Page 2812]]

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell

    Q. Mr. President, today you met with your Secretary of State. Do you 
want him to stick around to lead your efforts to revive the Middle East 
peace talks?
    President Bush. I'm proud of my Secretary of State. He's done a heck 
of a good job.
    Heidi [Heidi Pryzbyla, Bloomberg News].

Troop Levels in Iraq

    Q. Yes, sir. Can elections in Iraq be free and fair without the 
participation of Sunnis? And you've also said you'll give the commanders 
in Iraq what they need. Does this mean that you're open to substantially 
increasing the level of troops?
    President Bush. That is a loaded question, and I don't blame you for 
asking it. The commanders on the ground will have that which they need, 
and they have yet to say, ``We need a substantial number of troops.'' As 
a matter of fact, I met with the commanders on the ground today--General 
Casey, and he--a commander on the ground, General Casey, the commander 
on the ground. And he said that things are going well in Fallujah and 
they're making very good progress in securing that country.
    But I haven't changed--the job of the Commander in Chief is to set 
the strategy and to set the direction of policy and say to those who are 
in charge of implementing the policy, ``You'll have that which you 
need.'' And I have said that ever since we've begun operations in Iraq. 
I said it when we began operations in Afghanistan, and it's still true. 
And if the commanders were to bring forth a request, I would look at 
it--I would listen to it very seriously and implement the request. They 
have yet to do so.

Sunni Participation in Iraqi Elections

    Q. Do you need Sunni participation to make the elections free and 
fair?
    President Bush. Well, I'm confident when people realize that there's 
a chance to vote on a President, they will participate. People want to 
be free. This is tough right now in Iraq because there are people that 
are willing to commit violent acts to stop elections. But as I reminded 
our citizens prior to the Afghanistan elections, there's a deep desire 
in every soul to vote and to be free and to participate in the 
Presidential elections, which is precisely what happened in Afghanistan 
in spite of the doubt of some and in spite of the violence that took 
place in Afghanistan prior to the vote. I believe that a lot of citizens 
in Iraq will want to vote for their leaders. And I believe that because 
I believe deep in everybody's soul is a desire to be free.
    Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 2:52 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Gen. George W. Casey, USA, 
commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq. A reporter referred to 
Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority.