Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Monday, February 17, 2003 Volume 39—Number 7 Pages 175–211 Contents Addresses and Remarks Communications to Congress—Continued See also Meetings With Foreign Leaders Frontier Airlines, letter transmitting subsidy Congressional leaders, meeting—187 budget request—195 Florida Iraq, letter transmitting report—204 Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville—200 Small-business owners in Jacksonville—196 Communications to Federal Agencies Improving counterterrorism intelligence—204 Designation of Officers of the Department of Judicial nominee Miguel A. Estrada—187 Veterans Affairs To Act as Secretary of Radio address—175 Veterans Affairs, memorandum—195 Tennessee, National Religious Broadcasters Interagency Working Group on Assistive Convention in Nashville—179 Technology Mobility Devices, Virginia, small investors in Alexandria—188 memorandum—193 West Virginia, ‘‘Congress of Tomorrow’’ To Authorize a Drawdown for Afghanistan Republican retreat reception in White and Jordan, memorandum—204 Sulphur Springs—176 Interviews With the News Media Communications to Congress Exchange with reporters in the Oval Office— Amendments to the 1987 Treaty on Fisheries 184 Between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of Letters and Messages the United States of America, with Eid al-Adha, message—186 Annexes, message transmitting—187 Chemical Weapons Convention, message Meetings With Foreign Leaders reporting certification—195 Australia, Prime Minister Howard—184 (Continued on the inside of the back cover.) Editor’s Note: The President was at Camp David, MD, on February 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 regulations prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, approved by the President (37 FR 23607; 1 CFR Part 10). PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu- ments, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Reg- The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents will be ister, National Archives and Records Administration, Washing- furnished by mail to domestic subscribers for $80.00 per year ton, DC 20408, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- ($137.00 for mailing first class) and to foreign subscribers for ments contains statements, messages, and other Presidential $93.75 per year, payable to the Superintendent of Documents, materials released by the White House during the preceding Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The week. charge for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing). The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub- There are no restrictions on the republication of material lished pursuant to the authority contained in the Federal Reg- appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Docu- ister Act (49 Stat. 500, as amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under ments. Contents—Continued Statements by the President Statements by the President—Continued Colombia, terrorist attack—176 National Strategy for Combating Terrorism— Congress 207 Congressional action on 2003 appropriations National Strategy To Secure Cyberspace and legislation—203 the National Strategy for the Physical House of Representatives action on welfare Protection of Critical Infrastructures and reform legislation—203 Key Assets—208 Senate action on the nomination of Miguel A. Estrada to be U.S. Circuit Judge for Supplementary Materials the District of Columbia Circuit—187 Senate confirmation of William Donaldson Acts approved by the President—211 as Chairman of the Securities and Checklist of White House press releases—211 Exchange Commission—203 Digest of other White House Greenhouse gas emissions, initiatives to announcements—208 reduce—192 Nominations submitted to the Senate—209 Week Ending Friday, February 14, 2003 The President’s Radio Address standing, direct, and continuing ties to ter- February 8, 2003 rorist networks. Senior members of Iraqi in- telligence and Al Qaida have met at least 8 Good morning. On Wednesday, Secretary times since the early 1990s. Iraq has sent of State Powell briefed the United Nations bomb-making and document forgery experts Security Council on Iraq’s illegal weapons to work with Al Qaida. Iraq has also provided programs, its attempts to hide those weap- Al Qaida with chemical and biological weap- ons, and its links to terrorist groups. ons training. And an Al Qaida operative was The Iraqi regime’s violations of Security sent to Iraq several times in the late 1990s Council resolutions are evident. They are for help in acquiring poisons and gases. dangerous to America and the world, and We also know that Iraq is harboring a ter- they continue to this hour. rorist network headed by a senior Al Qaida The regime has never accounted for a vast terrorist planner. This network runs a poison arsenal of deadly biological and chemical and explosives training camp in northeast weapons. To the contrary, the regime is pur- Iraq, and many of its leaders are known to suing an elaborate campaign to conceal its be in Baghdad. weapons materials and to hide or intimidate This is the situation as we find it: 12 years key experts and scientists. This effort of de- after Saddam Hussein agreed to disarm and ception is directed from the highest levels more than 90 days after the Security Council of the Iraqi regime, including Saddam Hus- sein, his son, Iraq’s Vice President, and the passed Resolution 1441 by a unanimous vote, very official responsible for cooperating with Saddam Hussein was required to make a full inspectors. declaration of his weapons programs. He has The Iraqi regime has actively and secretly not done so. Saddam Hussein was required attempted to obtain equipment needed to to fully cooperate in the disarmament of his produce chemical, biological, and nuclear regime. He has not done so. Saddam Hussein weapons. Firsthand witnesses have informed was given a final chance. He is throwing away us that Iraq has at least seven mobile fac- that chance. tories for the production of biological agents, Having made its demands, the Security equipment mounted on trucks and rails to Council must not back down when those de- evade discovery. mands are defied and mocked by a dictator. The Iraqi regime has acquired and tested The United States would welcome and sup- the means to deliver weapons of mass de- port a new resolution making clear that the struction. It has never accounted for thou- Security Council stands behinds its previous sands of bombs and shells capable of deliv- demands. Yet, resolutions mean little without ering chemical weapons. It is actively pur- resolve, and the United States, along with a suing components for prohibited ballistic growing coalition of nations, will take what- missiles. And we have sources that tell us that ever action is necessary to defend ourselves Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi and disarm the Iraqi regime. field commanders to use chemical weapons, Thank you for listening. the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have. One of the greatest dangers we face is that NOTE: The address was recorded at 9:15 a.m. on weapons of mass destruction might be passed February 7 in the Cabinet Room at the White to terrorists who would not hesitate to use House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on February those weapons. Saddam Hussein has long- 8. The transcript was made available by the Office 175 VerDate Dec 13 2002 11:03 Feb 20, 2003 Jkt 200250 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\PRESDOCS\P07FET4.014 P07FET4 176 Feb. 8 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2003 of the Press Secretary on February 7 but was em- So on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you bargoed for release until the broadcast. In his re- all very much for the sacrifices you make. marks, the President referred to President Sad- I want to thank the Speaker and I want dam Hussein of Iraq and his son, Qusay; and Vice to thank Senator Frist for their leadership. President Taha Yasin Ramadan and presidential I’m confident in their abilities. I know we adviser Lt. Gen. Amir Al-Saadi of Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish lan- can work together. And I’m proud to call guage transcript of this address. them friends. I want to thank DeLay for serv- ing in the capacity he does. He brings a lot of Texas wisdom into the House of Rep- Statement on the Terrorist Attack in resentatives. [Laughter] Texas tough, and I’m Colombia proud to call him friend as well. I’ve known Tom a long time, and I’m confident by work- February 8, 2003 ing together we can get a lot done. Last night, terrorists attacked a nightclub I want to thank Santorum—Rick in Bogota, Colombia. The latest reports are Santorum, that is—and I want to thank that 25 innocent men and women were killed Deborah for putting on this event. Where and more than 150 wounded. are you, Santorum? There you are. I know it’s not easy to herd cats. It’s a lot easier when On behalf of the United States, I condemn you do it in a beautiful place like the this barbaric act of terrorism. I offer our Greenbrier though. [Laughter] deepest condolences to the Colombian fami- I want to thank Roy Blunt for being a good lies and friends of all who were murdered. vote counter, and we’re counting on you to We also hope and pray for the quick recovery count. And I appreciate—and Jon Kyl. Thank of those that were injured. you, Jon, I’m honored you’re up here with I extend to President Uribe and the people us today. of Colombia our deepest sympathy for this So we’ve got some big challenges facing horrible tragedy.