[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 53 (Monday, January 3, 2005)]
[Pages 3017-3021]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Earthquake and Tsunamis in the Indian Ocean and an 
Exchange With Reporters in Crawford, Texas

December 29, 2004

    The President. Good morning. Laura and I and the American people are 
shocked and we are saddened by the terrible loss of life from the recent 
earthquake and the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. Our prayers go out to 
the people who have lost so much to this series of disasters. Our hearts 
are also with the Americans who have lost loved ones in this tragedy. 
Our embassies are working with host governments to locate American 
citizens who are still missing and to assist those who have been injured 
or displaced.
    This morning I spoke with the leaders of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, 
and Indonesia. I

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expressed my condolences and our country's condolences. I told them of 
our support. I praised their steadfast leadership during these difficult 
time. We're grateful to the American and international organizations 
that are working courageously to save lives and to provide assistance, 
and I assured those leaders this is only the beginning of our help.
    We are committed to helping the affected countries in the difficult 
weeks and months that lie ahead. We pledged an initial $35 million in 
relief assistance. We have deployed disaster experts to the region. All 
leaders expressed their appreciation for the hard work of our 
Ambassadors and their embassy staffs to help the countries in need. As 
well we're dispatching a Marine expeditionary unit, the aircraft carrier 
Abraham Lincoln, and the maritime preposition squadron from Guam to the 
area to help with relief efforts.
    Secretary Powell is working hard. He has spoken with his 
counterparts in Japan, India, Australia, as well as other nations who 
are helping with the response in order to begin building an 
international coalition for immediate humanitarian relief and long-term 
recovery and reconstruction efforts. Based on these discussions, we've 
established a regional core group with India, Japan, and Australia to 
help coordinate relief efforts. I'm confident more nations will join 
this core group in short order. Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman 
will lead a U.S. task force to work with these partners to help 
coordinate interagency response in our own Government and to encourage 
other nations to participate in the relief efforts.
    These past few days have brought loss and grief to the world that is 
beyond our comprehension. The United States will continue to stand with 
the affected governments as they care for the victims. We will stand 
with them as they start to rebuild their communities. And together the 
world will cope with their loss; we will prevail over this destruction.
    Let me answer some questions. Deb [Deb Riechmann, Associated Press].

Iraqi Elections

    Q. Mr. President, more than 50 people died yesterday alone in the 
Sunni Triangle area. And with the Sunnis backing out of the election, 
how concerned are you that the world and the Iraqis will view this 
election as credible?
    The President. Well, you said ``with the Sunnis backing out''; you 
mean a Sunni party has backed out, yes. I talked to President Yawr 
yesterday, who happens to be a Sunni, who on the one hand expressed 
concern about the security situation in Mosul and on the other hand 
reminded me that most people in Iraq, Sunni or Shi'a, want to vote. And 
so the task at hand is to provide as much security as possible for the 
election officials as well as for the people inside cities like Mosul, 
to encourage them to express their will.
    Now, Usama bin Laden issued a statement, as you know, which made the 
stakes of this pretty clear to me. His vision of the world is where 
people don't participate in democracy. His vision of the world is where 
people kill innocent lives in order to affect their behavior and affect 
their way of living. His vision of the world is one in which there is no 
freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and/or freedom of 
conscience. And that vision stands in stark contrast to the vision of, 
by far, the vast majority of Iraqis and leaders like Prime Minister 
Allawi and President Yawr, whose vision includes the freedom of 
expression, the freedom of the right to vote.
    And so the stakes are clear in this upcoming election. It's the 
difference between the ability for individuals to express themselves and 
the willingness of an individual to try and impose his dark vision on 
the world, on the people of Iraq and elsewhere. And it's very important 
that these elections proceed.
    We just got off a conference call with 
our acting--not ``acting''--Ambassador Negroponte is not in Baghdad, but 
Ambassador Jeffrey, his number two man, as well as General Casey, 
talking about how best to provide the security necessary for people to 
feel comfortable in voting.
    Yes, ma'am.

United Nations/International Disaster Assistance

    Q. Mr. President, were you offended by the suggestion that rich 
nations have been stingy in the aid over the tsunami? And is this a sign 
of another rift with the U.N.?

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    The President. Well, I felt like the person who made that statement 
was very misguided and ill-informed. The--take, for example, in the year 
2004, our Government provided $2.4 billion in food, in cash, in 
humanitarian relief to cover the disasters for last year. That's $2.4 
billion. That's 40 percent of all the relief aid given in the world last 
year, was provided by the United States Government. No, we're a very 
generous, kindhearted nation.
    You know, the--what you're beginning to see is a typical response 
from America. First of all, we provide immediate cash relief, to the 
tune of about $35 million. * And then there will be an assessment of the 
damage, so that the relief is--the next tranche of relief will be spent 
wisely. That's what's happening now. I just got off the phone with the 
President of Sri Lanka. She asked for help to assess the damage. In 
other words, not only did they want immediate help, but they wanted help 
to assess damage so that we can better direct resources. And so our 
Government is fully prepared to continue to provide assistance and help.
    * White House correction.
    It takes money, by the way, to move a expeditionary force into the 
region. In other words, we're diverting assets, which is part of our 
overall aid package. We'll continue to provide assets. Plus, the 
American people will be very generous, themselves. I mean, the 2.4 
billion was public money--of course, provided by the taxpayers--but 
there's also a lot of individual giving in America. In this case, I 
think it's very important for Americans who want to give to provide cash 
to organizations that will be able to focus resources and assets to meet 
specific needs. In other words, a lot of times Americans, in their 
desire to help, will send blankets or clothes. That may be necessary, 
but to me it makes more sense to send cash to organizations that could 
then use that cash to make sure we match resources with specific needs 
on the ground. There are many NGOs now involved that understand what is 
specifically needed to meet the needs of these countries.
    This has been a terrible disaster. I mean, it's just beyond our 
comprehension to think about how many lives have been lost. I know that 
our fellow citizens are particularly troubled to learn that many of the 
deaths were young children, and we grieve for their families, their moms 
and dads who are just, you know, heartsick during this--during these 
times.
    Yes, Holly [Holly Rosenkrantz, Bloomberg News].

Debt Moratorium for Somalia and Indonesia

    Q. Sir, Schroeder this morning said that the Paris Club nations 
should put a moratorium on the debt of Somalia and Indonesia. Is that 
something that people think the U.S. and other Paris Club nations should 
do, put a moratorium on these countries' debt?
    The President. Well, we'll look at all requests. Right now we're 
assessing the short-term needs. We are--there are two issues that are 
involved, obviously, in these disasters: One, what can we do immediately 
to help; and then, what needs to happen in the long term to help these 
countries rebuild? And we're still at the stage of immediate help. But 
slowly but surely, the size of the problem will become known, 
particularly when it comes to rebuilding infrastructure and community, 
to help these affected parts of the world get back up on their feet.

Tsunami Early Warning Systems

    Q. Mr. President, are you confident that the U.S. west coast 
residents, Hawaiian residents, Alaska residents, are well enough 
protected with early warning systems for possible tsunamis affecting 
this country in coastal waters?
    The President. No, I appreciate that question. It's a--I think that 
part of the long-term strategy in how to deal with natural disaster is 
to make sure we have--``we,'' the world, has a proper tsunami warning 
system. As a matter of fact, the President of Sri Lanka also mentioned 
that to me. She said that one of the things that she and the Prime 
Minister of India have discussed--I'm not sure if they discussed it, but 
they're both thinking the same way, let me put it to you that way--is 
the development of a proper warning system. And I think it's going to be 
very--I can't answer your question specifically, do we have enough of a 
warning system for the west

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coast. I am going to--I am now asking that to our agencies in 
Government, to let us know. I mean, that's a very legitimate question. 
Clearly, there wasn't a proper warning system in place for that part of 
the world, and it seems like to me it makes sense for the world to come 
together to develop a warning system that will help all nations.
    Q. And seeing that as we have, does it concern you that we may not 
have that mechanism in place? Or is this something we can use through 
our civil defense air raid siren system?
    The President. Yes, I just have to look into it. That's a very 
legitimate question. I am on the--I presume that we are in pretty good 
shape. I think our location in the world is such that we may be less 
vulnerable than other parts, but I am not a geologist, as you know. But 
I think it's a very legitimate question.
    I've so far focused on the international approach towards tsunami 
warning systems, and it seems like to me it's a--it makes sense for 
governments to come together and figure out how best to provide a 
warning system that will help all nations be prepared for such a 
disaster. Obviously, such a warning system was not in place.
    Yes, Richard [Richard Benedetto, USA Today].

Armored Humvees for U.S. Troops

    Q. Mr. President, there continues to be criticism of the speed with 
which American troops are being armed in Iraq. Are you satisfied with 
the way the----
    The President. In which the Iraqi troops are being armed?
    Q. No, the U.S. troops.
    The President. Oh, I beg your pardon.
    Q. Are you satisfied with the pace with which the U.S. troops are 
being armed in Iraq?
    The President. Are you talking about the armored vehicle issue, for 
example?
    Q. That and others.
    The President. Well, I have looked at the statistics on that, and we 
have stepped up the production of armored Humvees significantly. And the 
other issue is the rearmament of existing--of vehicles that are now in 
theater, vehicles that require a different armament structure than that 
which they initially were manufactured with. And I am told that those 
vehicles will be armed up by mid-summer of 2005. And what I know is, is 
that the Defense Department is working expeditiously with private 
contractors and with our military to get these vehicles armed up.
    Well, listen, thank you all for coming by. I'm sorry to disrupt your 
day, but I felt like it was important to talk about what is going to be 
one of the major natural disasters in world history. And it's important 
for the world to know that our Government is focused and will continue 
to respond to help those who suffer.
    Thank you.

New Year's Eve

    Q. Any plans for New Year's Eve?
    The President. Early to bed.
    Q. New Year's resolutions?
    The President. I'll let you know. Already gave you a hint on one, 
which is my waistline. I'm trying to set an example.
    Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 8:38 a.m. at the Bush Ranch. In his 
remarks, he referred to President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-Yawr and Prime 
Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government; Usama bin Laden, 
leader of the Al Qaida terrorist network; U.S. Ambassador to Iraq John 
D. Negroponte; Deputy Chief of Mission James Franklin Jeffrey, U.S. 
Embassy Baghdad, Iraq; Gen. George W. Casey, USA, commanding general, 
Multi-National Force--Iraq; President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga 
of Sri Lanka; and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India. A reporter 
referred to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany. A portion of these 
remarks could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.

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