Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Sept. 7

NOTE: The address was recorded at 11:35 Secretary on September 6 but was embar- a.m. on September 6 in the Cabinet Room goed for release until the broadcast. The Of- at the for broadcast at 10:06 fice of the Press Secretary also released a a.m. on September 7. The transcript was Spanish language transcript of this address. made available by the Office of the Press

Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and an Exchange With Reporters at Camp David, September 7, 2002

President Bush. It’s my honor to wel- work out the right strategy for dealing with come the Prime Minister back to Camp this, because deal with it we must. David. I look forward to spending a good President Bush. AP lady [Jennifer Loven, 3 hours talking to our friend about how Associated Press]. to keep the peace. This world faces some serious threat—and threats—and we’re Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction going to talk about it. We’re going to talk Q. Mr. President, can you tell us what about how to promote freedom around the conclusive evidence of any nuclear—new world. We’re going to talk about our shared evidence you have of nuclear weapons ca- values of—recognizes the worth of every pabilities of Saddam Hussein? individual. President Bush. We just heard the Prime And I’m looking forward to this time. Minister talk about the new report. I would It’s awfully thoughtful of Tony to come remind you that when the inspectors first over here. It’s an important meeting, be- went into Iraq and were denied—finally de- cause he’s an important ally, an important nied access, a report came out of the Atom- friend. ic—the IAEA that they were 6 months Welcome. away from developing a weapon. I don’t Prime Minister Blair. Thanks. know what more evidence we need. I’m looking very much forward, obvi- Prime Minister Blair. Absolutely right. ously, to discussing the issues that are pre- And what we—what we know from what occupying us at the moment with the Presi- has been going on there for a long period dent. And I thank him for his kind invita- of time is not just the chemical, biological tion to come here and his welcome. weapons capability, but we know that they The point that I would emphasize to you were trying to develop nuclear weapons ca- is that the threat from Saddam Hussein pability. And the importance of this morn- and weapons of mass destruction—chem- ing’s report is, it yet again shows that there ical, biological, potentially nuclear weapons is a real issue that has to be tackled here. capability—that threat is real. We only I mean, I was just reading, coming over need to look at the report from the Inter- here, the catalog of attempts by Iraq to national Atomic Energy Agency this morn- conceal its weapons of mass destruction, ing showing what has been going on at not to tell the truth about it over—not just the former nuclear weapons sites to realize over a period of months but over a period that. And the policy of inaction is not a of years. Now, that’s why the issue is im- policy we can responsibly subscribe to. So portant. And of course, it’s an issue not the purpose of our discussion today is to just for America, not just for Britain; it’s

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an issue for the whole of the international Saddam Hussein? And if the Prime Min- community. But it is an issue we have to ister could answer too. deal with. And that’s why I say to you that President Bush. Well, as you know, our the policy of inaction, doing nothing about Government in 1998—action that my ad- it, is not something we can responsibly ad- ministration has embraced—decided that here to. this regime was not going to honor its com- President Bush. Do you want to call on mitments to get rid of weapons of mass somebody? You don’t have to if you don’t destruction. The Clinton administration want to. [Laughter] supported regime change. Many members of the current Senate sup- United Nations Resolution on Iraq ported regime change. My administration Q. A question for the President and the still supports regime change. There’s all Prime Minister: Will you, Mr. President, kinds of ways to change regimes. seek a U.N. resolution prior to any action This man is a man who said he was going against Iraq? And for the Prime Minister, to get rid of weapons of mass destruction. would you sanction any action against Iraq And for 11 long years, he has not fulfilled before—without a U.N. resolution? his promise. And we’re going to talk about President Bush. Well, first, I’m going to what to do about it. We owe it to future give a speech next Thursday, and I’d like generations to deal with this problem, and you to tune in. that’s what these discussions are all about. Prime Minister Blair. As I said to you, Final question. I think at the press conference we gave Call on somebody. [Laughter] earlier in the week, this is an issue for Prime Minister Blair. Yes, sure. the whole of the international community. But the U.N. has got to be the way of President Bush. Yes? dealing with this issue, not the way of Q. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, avoiding dealing with it. Now, of course, do you have any support from any—— as we showed before in relation to Afghani- President Bush. Pardon me? stan, we want the broadest possible inter- Q. Do you have any support from any national support, but it’s got to be on the other countries in the world, apart from basis of actually making sure that the threat Britain? And Mr. Blair too. that we’ve outlined is properly adhered to. President Bush. Yes. A lot of people un- Because the point that I would empha- derstand that this man has defied every size to you is it’s not us—it’s not Britain U.N. resolution—16 U.S. resolutions he’s or America that’s in breach of United Na- ignored. A lot of people understand he tions resolutions. It’s Saddam Hussein and holds weapons of mass destruction. A lot Iraq. And therefore, this issue is there for of people understand he has invaded two the international community to deal with. countries. A lot of people understand he’s And we’ve got to make sure that it is a gassed his own people. A lot of people un- way of dealing with it. derstand he is unstable. So we’ve got a President Bush. Patsy [Patricia Wilson, lot of support. A lot of people understand Reuters]. the danger. Prime Minister Blair. Yes, and I can tell Regime Change in Iraq you from the discussions I’ve had with peo- Q. Mr. President—— ple—of course, there are people asking per- President Bush. Yes. fectly reasonable questions about this, but Q. ——what is your actual target in the one thing that no one can deny is that Iraq? Is it weapons of mass destruction or Saddam Hussein is in breach of the United

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Nations resolutions on weapons of mass de- President Bush. There’s no way that I struction—that is, chemical, biological, nu- could have possibly known what we were clear weapons—that that poses a threat not going to have to deal with. I’m a citizen just to the region, because there is no way, of a country that has had these two vast if those weapons were used, that the threat oceans protecting us. For all these years would simply stay in the region. we were safe. People couldn’t come and People understand that. Now, we’ve got attack us—so we thought. Of course, Ha- to make sure that we work out a way for- waii got attacked, but that’s not a part of ward that, of course, mobilizes the max- our mainland. We felt secure here in the imum support but does so on the basis country. of removing a threat that the United Na- There’s no way we could have possibly tions itself has determined is a threat to envisioned that the battlefield would the whole of the world. change. And it has, and that’s why we’ve President Bush. Thank you all for com- got to deal with all the threats. That’s why ing. I appreciate you. Thanks. Americans must understand that when a Q. Mr. President—— tyrant like Saddam Hussein possesses weap- President Bush. Pardon me? ons of mass destruction, it not only threat- President’s Reaction to September 11 ens the neighborhood in which he lives— it not only threatens the region—it can Q. Will you take one on 9/11, sir? threaten the United States of America or President Bush. Yes, go ahead. Great Britain, for that matter. The battle- Q. Let me ask you, sir, when you asked field has changed. We are in a new kind the American people for support—— of war, and we’ve got to recognize that. President Bush. The only reason why is, he’s a fine fellow. There’s no way I could have possibly pre- Go ahead. dicted that future. I’m honored to be the Q. When you asked the American people President. And so long as I am the Presi- for support 2 years ago, there was no way, dent, I’m going to work hard to make sir, anyone could have imagined the grim America safe and the world more peaceful. nature of the job you would take on. Had Thank you all. you known then what the job would entail, would you still have asked for it, sir? And NOTE: The President spoke at 3:51 p.m. In would you have had any compunction his remarks, he referred to President Saddam about—— Hussein of Iraq.

Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on United States Individuals Involved in the Antinarcotics Campaign in Colombia September 5, 2002

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) The report provides ‘‘the aggregate num- Pursuant to section 3204(f), title III, ber, locations, activities, and lengths of as- chapter 2 of the Emergency Supplemental signment for all temporary and permanent Act, 2000 (the ‘‘Act’’), as enacted in the U.S. military personnel and U.S. individual Military Construction Appropriations Act, civilians retained as contractors involved in 2001, Public Law 106–246, I am providing the antinarcotics campaign in Colombia.’’ a report prepared by my Administration.

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