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Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Monday, May 17, 2004 Volume 40—Number 20 Pages 817–901 VerDate May 04 2004 08:44 May 18, 2004 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 E:\PRESDOCS\P20MYF4.014 P20MYF4 Contents Addresses and Remarks Communications to Congress American Conservative Union 40th Budget amendment to establish a contingent anniversary gala—885 emergency reserve fund to support Arkansas, Butterfield Junior High School in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, letter— Van Buren—856 875 Execution of Nicholas Berg—870 Executive order blocking property of certain Maryland persons and prohibiting the export of Departure for Bethesda—870 certain goods to Syria, message reporting— Discussion at the National Institutes of 868 Health in Bethesda—870 Millennium Challenge Account nations, Executive Orders ceremony honoring—847 Missouri, Victory 2004 luncheon in Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Bridgeton—890 Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Radio address—846 Syria—865 Super Bowl champion New England Increasing Economic Opportunity and Patriots—855 Business Participation of Asian Americans Virginia, meeting with the national security and Pacific Islanders—882 team and military leaders in Arlington—849 West Virginia, discussion at Parkersburg South Interviews With the News Media High School in Parkersburg—875 Wisconsin Interviews LaCrosse, remarks—837 Al-Ahram International—817 Prairie du Chien, question-and-answer American Forces Radio and Television session—824 Service—851 (Continued on the inside of the back cover.) Editor’s Note: The President was in Mequon, WI, on May 14, the closing date of this issue. Releases and announcements issued by the Office of the Press Secretary but not received in time for inclusion in this issue will be printed next week. WEEKLY COMPILATION OF Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu- PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents will be furnished by mail to domestic subscribers for $80.00 per year Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Reg- ($137.00 for mailing first class) and to foreign subscribers for ister, National Archives and Records Administration, Washing- $93.75 per year, payable to the Superintendent of Documents, ton, DC 20408, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The ments contains statements, messages, and other Presidential charge for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing). materials released by the White House during the preceding The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is also week. available on the Internet on the GPO Access service at http:// The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub- www.gpo.gov/nara/nara003.html. lished pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Reg- ister Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under There are no restrictions on the republication of material regulations prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607; ments. 1 CFR Part 10). VerDate May 04 2004 09:51 May 18, 2004 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 E:\PRESDOCS\P20MYF4.014 P20MYF4 Contents—Continued Proclamations Statements by the President—Continued Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month—843 Panama-United States Proliferation Security Mother’s Day—845 Initiative ship-boarding agreement—874 National Physical Fitness and Sports Month— Senate passage of the proposed ‘‘Individuals 844 with Disabilities Education Improvement Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Act’’—882 Week—846 Supplementary Materials Statements by the President Acts approved by the President—901 Checklist of White House press releases—901 Executive order blocking property of certain Digest of other White House persons and prohibiting the export of announcements—898 certain goods to Syria—865 Nominations submitted to the Senate—900 VerDate May 04 2004 09:51 May 18, 2004 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 E:\PRESDOCS\P20MYF4.014 P20MYF4 VerDate May 04 2004 08:04 May 18, 2004 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 1249 Sfmt 1249 E:\PRESDOCS\P20MYF4.014 P20MYF4 VerDate May 04 2004 08:04 May 18, 2004 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 7969 Sfmt 7969 E:\PRESDOCS\P20MYF4.014 P20MYF4 Week Ending Friday, May 14, 2004 Interview With Al-Ahram people to send their kids to schools that work. International We want there to be health care. We want May 6, 2004 there to be a Palestinian state at peace with its neighbors. We want there to be reform. U.S. Goals in the Middle East We want people to have a chance to partici- Q. I have learned that President Mubarak pate in the process. sent you, recently, two important messages. But I’d say right now times are tough for I don’t know, I mean, the contents of these the United States and the Middle East. messages, but I assume that of course it be Q. I have four topics, Mr. President: Iraq, linked by the situation in Iraq and Palestine. the Israeli-Arab issue, the so-called greater I would like to ask, in the beginning, one Middle East, and bilateral—which one do general question about how do you look at you choose of them, Mr. President? this vision of the Middle East. The President. Whatever you want to do, The President. Well, first of all, I commu- sir. You’re the distinguished journalist. nicate with President Mubarak a lot, because I value his judgment, and we’ve got a frank Arab-Israeli Conflict relationship where if he thinks things are Q. Thank you very much, indeed. Okay, going badly, he’ll tell me. In other words, I will shoot for the Arab-Israeli conflict. he doesn’t gloss over. The President. Okay. I think that things in the Middle East for Q. Many Arabs feel that after the letter the United States are difficult right now. I of assurances you gave to Israeli Prime Min- think they’re difficult because people don’t ister Ariel Sharon, any future Palestinian really understand our intentions. I think state would exist on less than half what the they’re difficult because some people ascribe partition plan offered them in ’47. How do bad values and bad motives to the American you reconcile this with a moral concept of people and the American Government. justice? Our intentions are to work for free soci- The President. First of all, I made it very eties and peaceful societies. Our intentions clear in my letter that I recognized cir- are to protect our own security, on the one cumstances had changed, but I made it very hand, but also enable people to live in peace. clear of a couple of very important points. Obviously, our reputation has been damaged One, that any final status would be nego- severely by the terrible and horrible acts, in- tiated by the parties, that would be the humane acts that were conducted on Iraqi Israelis and the Palestinians, not the United prisoners. Today, I can’t tell you how sorry States. We won’t prejudge final status. I am to them and their families for the humil- Secondly, I made it clear that I supported iation. what the Prime Minister had done, because I’m also sorry because people are then able I think it’s a great opportunity for the estab- to say, ‘‘Look how terrible America is.’’ But lishment of a Palestinian state. I’m the first this isn’t America. That’s not—Americans are President ever to have articulated the vision appalled at what happened. We’re a generous of a Palestinian state. people. I don’t think a lot of people under- Q. I’m writing here, and I wanted to ap- stand that, so I’ve got to do a better job of preciate that very highly. explaining to people that we’re for a lot of The President. Well, I’ll tell you, and I’m things that most people who live in the Mid- somewhat amazed, sir, that the debate has dle East want. We want there to be peace. already started about what the end results We want people to have a living. We want are going to look like when we haven’t even 817 VerDate May 04 2004 00:00 May 18, 2004 Jkt 203250 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\PRESDOCS\P20MYT4.014 P20MYT4 818 May 7 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2004 really begun yet to establish a state. I think change is when there’s a Palestinian state to the focus ought to be on putting the institu- which Palestinians can go. There hasn’t been tions in place for a Palestinian state that is one. And my point was, was that when a state peaceful and prosperous to emerge. is set up and the institutions are in place and I think it’s very important for reform- people have a chance to make a living and minded Palestinians to step up and ask the it’s peaceful, the entrepreneurial class is world for help, in order to build the security growing, small businesses, people are partici- apparatus needed for a state to grow: Ask pating in the political process, that that’s for education help; ask for help to stimulate going to change the dynamic on the ground. the entrepreneurial class so businesses will I fully concede there’s a lot—the com- grow. I believe it’ll happen. And when it does pensation issue is an issue that’s still being happen, the final status issues will be much negotiated.