The world must focus on the issue of nonproliferation, says President George Bush.

"One of our goals and objectives must be to strengthen the nonproliferation regimes and get the whole world focused on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," he told Tom Brokaw of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) during an April 24 interview aboard Air Force One on his way to Canton, Ohio.

Of the U.S.-China-North Korea meetings held in Beijing this week, Bush said the message to the North Koreans and the world is: "(W)e're not going to be threatened."

"On the other hand we, the world, must come together to make sure institutions like the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) are effective at stopping proliferation," he said.

The president said "the Bush doctrine" is "defined by action, as opposed to by words."

With the end of Saddam Hussein's regime, he said, "we made it clear that people who harbor weapons of mass destruction will be dealt with." But he added: "Hopefully, most of it can be done diplomatically."

April 24, 2003

Q: .... You still have two big issues out there on the horizon: al Qaeda and North Korea. North Korea today saying that it's reprocessed 8,000 plutonium rods and if you don't start talking to them, they're willing to sell them.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. See, they're back to the old blackmail game. One of our goals and objectives must be to strengthen the nonproliferation regimes and get the whole world focused on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or the materials for weapons of mass destruction, and North Korea is making my case, that we've got to come together.

And we started that process in the North Korean peninsula that is coming together. The Chinese now, for the first time, are partners at the table. I look forward to hearing what the Chinese say about being rebuffed by the North Koreans because they, too, believe that the Peninsula ought to be nuclear weapons-free. This will give us an opportunity to say to the North Koreans and the world we're not going to be threatened. ON the other hand we, the world, must come together to make sure institutions like the IAEA are effective at stopping proliferation.

It's another reason, by the way for us to also advance the missile defense systems, because the missile defense system will make it less likely that a nuclear country could blackmail us or Japan or any one of our friends....

ON THE "BUSH DOCTRINE":

Q: ... Now that the war in Iraq is effectively over, have you thought about a Bush doctrine that is a comprehensive structure of some kind, on a global basis, for dealing with weapons of mass destruction and the need, even, of preemptive strikes against rogue nations?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, the Bush doctrine is actually being defined by action, as opposed to by words. Although, I think if you compile a lot of the speeches I've given, you could come up with the Bush doctrine.

The way I view the post-Saddam Iraq opportunities are these, one, that we can deal more effectively with weapons of mass destruction, that we made it clear that people who harbor weapons of mass destruction will be dealt with. Hopefully, most of it can be done diplomatically. And you'll see us -- see me, as well as members of my administration, begin to push for new international protocols that will make international organizations more effective at stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

I also believe that reform in the Middle East, as well as Middle East peace, is an initiative that we will continue to -- that I will push, and push -- particularly in the Middle East peace process, I will work hard to achieve the two-state solution. And we have a good opportunity to do so.

There are other parts of the Bush doctrine, if you want to call it that, that are equally important. One, the AIDS initiative in Africa is an incredibly important initiative and I intend to call upon Europe, particularly the wealthier nations in Europe, to join us in providing the medicines, the anti-retroviral drugs and the strategies necessary to start saving lives, more lives on the continent of Africa.

There's a lot of things where we can work together, is my point, to overcome any differences that might have existed on the Iraq policy....