President Bush Holds Press Conference
Press Conference of the President
Room 450
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
11:15 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Please be seated. Thank you for
coming to this, the last press conference of the year 2003.
Before I begin, I do want to talk a little bit about a meeting I
just attended. Rend Al-Rahim is here, she's the representative from
the Iraqi government, the interim government, to the United States, as
well as Dr. Khudair Abbas, who is the interim Minister of Health. We
just had an interesting discussion in the Roosevelt Room about the
health needs of Iraq, about the future of the health care system in
Iraq. And we were joined by doctors, Iraqi doctors who were anxious to
work with their fellow counterparts here in America to enhance
educational opportunities and to get caught up on the latest
technologies in health care.
The thing that struck me about the meeting was the kind of joy that
they expressed about being free. It was a touching meeting, and I want
to thank you all for coming. And, Doc, I want to thank you for your
good work. We are making progress together in improving the lives of
your citizens with better health care; immunization rates are up;
people are getting health care.
He was reminding me, I think the budget of Saddam Hussein's
government for health was, like, $16 million -- less than a dollar per
person. And, of course, we're spending a lot more than that now on
health care in Iraq. But it was a very meaningful meeting. I want to
thank you, please thank those good docs for being there.
This weekend's capture of Saddam Hussein was a great moment for the
people of Iraq. Iraqi citizens have lost a source of fear, and they
can now focus with confidence on the task of creating a hopeful and
self-governing nation. With the capture of the former dictator, the
enemies of a free Iraq have lost their leader, and they've lost any
hope of regaining power. The nightmare of the Baathist tyranny is
finally over.
The terrorists in Iraq remain dangerous. The work of our coalition
remains difficult, and will require further sacrifice. Yet, it should
now be clear to all, Iraq is on the path to freedom. And a free Iraq
will serve the peace and security of America and the world.
This achievement comes at the end of an extraordinary year for our
country, abroad and here at home. In 2003, we have become a safer,
more prosperous and better nation. Our armed forces, joined by our
allies, continue on the offensive against terrorist enemies around the
world. We continue our systematic hunt for al Qaeda leaders and al
Qaeda cells in many countries. I want to thank the Congress for
standing behind our military with needed resources, and for giving
vital support to the work of reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.
America's economy is growing at a robust pace, and beginning to
generate new jobs for America, American workers. I want to thank the
Congress for passing my jobs and growth package, which is doing just
what it was supposed to do. And we will continue pursuing a pro-growth
agenda next year.
In this year of accomplishment we passed Medicare reform.
America's seniors can now look forward to prescription drug coverage,
more choices and a stronger Medicare system. I want to thank the
Congress for coming together to get the job done.
This session of Congress has also produced vital action on homeland
security, healthy forests, global AIDS relief, housing assistance,
adoption, Amber alerts to capture kidnappers and rescue their victims,
and protection of children from partial birth abortion. Members of
both political parties can take pride in the important goals we have
met by working together.
We have a great deal to show for our efforts in 2003. Yet,
unfinished business remains. The majority in both Houses support a
comprehensive energy bill, as well as reforms in class action to
curtail junk lawsuits. The House also passed a medical liability
reform bill -- it is stuck in the Senate. These measures were blocked,
and they are needed. They are needed to help America become more
prosperous and they're needed to help America be a better place. When
the House and Senate return in January, there will be more to do and I
look forward to working with them -- I've got a few ideas about what we
can do together in the year 2004.
As we end 2003, we have a lot to be thankful for -- especially for
the fine men and women who wear our country's uniform, and who will
spend their holidays far from home. I hope all Americans will keep
these brave men and women in their thoughts and prayers during this
blessed season.
I will take some questions, starting with AP man.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. What's the United States going to
do with Saddam Hussein after questioning him? Will he be turned over
to Iraqis for trial? And based on what you know now about mass
executions and hundreds of thousands of graves, do you think that
execution should be an option?
THE PRESIDENT: He will be detained. We will work with the Iraqis
to develop a way to try him in a -- that will stand international
scrutiny, I guess is the best way to put it.
I shared my sentiments today with Prime Minister Martin of Canada.
He asked me about Saddam Hussein and his trial. I said, look, the
Iraqis need to be very much involved. He was the person that -- they
were the people that were brutalized by this man. He murdered them, he
gassed them, he tortured them, he had rape rooms. And they need to be
very much involved in the process. And we'll work with the Iraqis to
develop a process.
And of course we want it to be fair. And of course, we want the
world to say, well, this -- he got a fair trial. Because whatever
justice is meted out needs to stand international scrutiny. I've got
my own personal views of how he ought to be treated, but that's -- I'm
not an Iraqi citizen. It's going to be up to the Iraqis to make those
decisions.
Q And the question of execution?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I said I have my personal views. And this is
a brutal dictator. He's a person who killed a lot of people. But my
views, my personal views aren't important in this matter. What matters
is the views of the Iraqi citizens. And we need to work, of course,
with them to develop a system that is fair and where he will be put on
trial and will be brought to justice -- the justice he didn't, by the
way, afford any of his own fellow citizens.
Steve.
Q Thank you, sir. Will Saddam's capture accelerate the
timetable for pulling U.S. troops out, and increase the likelihood of
getting more foreign troops involved?
THE PRESIDENT: We will stay the course until the job is done,
Steve. And the temptation is to try to get the President or somebody
to put a timetable on the definition of getting the job done. We're
just going to stay the course. And it's very important for the Iraqi
people to know that. I've expressed that to Rend; I've told that to
the Iraqi citizens with whom I have met on a regular basis.
I tell them two things: one, you can count on America remaining
until the job is done. And it's important for them to hear that,
because there will probably be some that will continue to test our
will. They'll try to kill in hopes that we will flee. And the
citizens of Iraq need to know we will stay the course.
I also tell them that now is a chance to seize the opportunity and
show the world that which this government believes, and that is, you're
plenty capable of governing yourself. And the level of the troops in
Iraq will depend upon the security situation on the ground and those
decisions will be made by our commanders. I have not changed my
philosophy of how a President ought to act during wartime, which is to
set the strategy, lay out the goals and empower the military people --
both civilian and uniform -- to make the decisions necessary to achieve
the objective. And they will make those recommendations about troop
levels and what is necessary.
Go ahead, you've got a follow up? This is part of the holiday
spirit, to give you a follow up. (Laughter.)
Q -- opportunity to get more foreign troops involved?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, listen, we're constantly working to get
foreign countries involved, but I want to remind you we've got over 60
nations involved now. When you hear me talk about "our" efforts, I'm
talking about the efforts of a lot of countries, we've got a large
coalition involved. And of course we will accept the willingness of
nations to put troops on the ground. We're continuing to work --
whether it be troops on the ground or construction contracts or loans,
we're constantly reaching out to more nations to get them involved in
the process.
And, after all, there is a reason why nations should be involved in
the process. A secure and free Iraq is in their national interest. A
free country, a peaceful country in the heart of the Middle East is in
the interest of all nations. This is a transforming event. The
emergence of a peaceful Iraq will transform the region in a positive
way, that will make it more likely that the world is peaceful. And
that we're constantly talking about that message and encouraging people
to participate.
Gregory.
Q Mr. President, good morning. When Saddam emerged from his
hole on Saturday, he told a U.S. soldier that he was willing to
negotiate. Might there be room for negotiation, perhaps in exchange
for a public statement to the Iraqi people that may serve your
interest? And, secondly, this soldier also said to Saddam, reportedly,
that President Bush sends his greetings. You say this is not personal,
but you've also pointed out this was a man who tried to murder your
father. What is your greeting to him?
THE PRESIDENT: Good riddance. The world is better off without
you, Mr. Saddam Hussein. I find it very interesting that when the heat
got on, you dug yourself a hole and you crawled in it. And our brave
troops, combined with good intelligence, found you. And you'll be
brought to justice, something you did not afford the people you
brutalized in your own country.
And what was the first part of the question?
Q I know you scoffed at the idea of negotiation --
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, yes. How do you know I scoffed at it?
Laughing does not mean scoffing. (Laughter.)
Q Oh, I know, I'm just saying there were others who were
scoffing. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Okay.
Q If you were to do something that you might view as
constructive, like making a public statement, a video statement?
THE PRESIDENT: David, it's just way too early to tell. First of
all, I don't trust Saddam Hussein. I don't believe he'll tell the
truth. He didn't tell the truth for over a decade; I just can't
believe he's going to change his ways just because he happens to be
captured. And so I don't think we ought to trust his word.
I think what need to happen is he needs to be brought to justice.
And the Iraqi citizens need to be very much involved in the development
of a system that brings him to justice. And there needs to be a public
trial, and all the atrocities need to come out, and justice needs to be
delivered. And I'm confident it will be done in a fair way.
Terry.
Q Mr. President, do you believe that the capture of Saddam
Hussein will bridge some of the differences, the bitter differences
that have arisen in the world over Iraq? Or do you believe that the
Iraq war marks a dividing line, perhaps a long-term dividing line,
between those countries which fought to topple Saddam Hussein and those
which did not?
THE PRESIDENT: Interesting question. I think that -- well, first
of all, as I want to repeat, there's over 60 nations involved in the
reconstruction of Iraq now. So there's a -- a lot of people are
participating, and we're out working to encourage others to
participate.
You're talking -- what you're talking about is France and Germany,
truth be known, if I might clarify your question to me. Look, France
and Germany -- I have reached out to them; they've reached out to us.
It's in our national interests we work together. A whole and united
and peaceful Europe is in this country's interest. And we look forward
to working with them on a wide range of issues, whether it be
intelligence-sharing, or the reconstruction of Afghanistan. I want to
remind you, Germany has committed troops to Afghanistan. It's in this
country's interest that Afghanistan emerge as a peaceful country.
Germany is contributing to that effort. There's a lot of areas where
we do work together.
We had a disagreement on this issue about Saddam Hussein and his
threat. I obviously felt like September the 11th changed the equation
to the point where we needed to deal with emerging threats and deal
with them in a way that would make America more secure. And they
didn't see that, they didn't agree with that point of view. I can
understand that. And we are now reaching out to them, by the way --
Jim Baker, as you know, will be going to both those two countries
tomorrow, I think it is, to encourage them to work with us on debt
relief, all aimed at encouraging the development of a free and peaceful
Iraq.
So I don't agree that this is a dividing line. I think this is a
disagreement on this particular issue. And I know that we can work
together on a variety of other issues, and I'll cite one example --
Iran. I was most pleased that the French and Germans, as well as the
Brits, delivered a very strong message to the Iranian government about
the development of a nuclear weapon. It was a message that we agree
with, and that is, don't do so, otherwise there will be international
consequences at the United Nations. And it was a very important
message to be delivered. We agreed on that. And working together, it
made it easier for us to send that -- to send that message.
John. Working my way across here.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. The capture of Saddam Hussein is
something that has been universally applauded. But there still remain
a lot of lingering questions about the postwar phase of Iraq. This
administration has stated that it would like to see an interim Iraqi
government stood up by next June; the ability to be able to begin to
draw down troops if that's possible. Even a political novice would
have to say, well, there appears to be some political component to all
this, some way of making real progress ahead of the November
elections.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, people can read whatever they want to
read into it. My job is to keep America secure. That's my job. I've
got a solemn duty to do everything I can to protect the American
people. I will never forget the lessons of September the 11th, 2001.
Terrorists attacked us. They killed thousands of our fellow citizens.
And it could happen again. And, therefore, I will deal with threats --
threats that are emerging and real.
We gave Saddam Hussein plenty of time to heed the demands of the
world, and he chose defiance. He did. He said, forget it, I don't
care what the United Nations has said over a decade; I don't care about
all the resolutions passed. He chose defiance; we acted. And I acted
because I -- I repeat -- I have a duty to protect this country. And I
will continue to protect the country, so long as I'm the President of
the United States.
A free and peaceful Iraq is part of protecting America. Because I
told you before, and I truly believe this, this will be a transforming
event in a part of the world where hatred and violence are bred; a part
of a world that breeds resentment.
And, you know, look, we're going to an election; there's going to
be plenty of time for politics. And people can debate all they want.
I'm going to do my job. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to do
my job to make this country safer, and I believe we're making good
progress toward that objective.
Angle.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Until recently, a growing number of
Americans and a couple of presidential candidates were saying it might
be time to think about getting out of Iraq. I know you said that you
intend to stay the course, but I wonder what your view is of such
sentiments, how concerned you are about that view among the public, and
whether or not you think Saddam's capture should change people's
thinking?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I think Saddam's capture should make it
clear to the people of Iraq, most importantly, that he's through, that
people can no longer -- no longer have to hold back their sentiments
and their feelings toward living in a free society because he might
reemerge. That's the most important thing about this capture, is that
he can no longer provide any excuse for some who were afraid to act.
And I can understand why people would be afraid to act in Iraq,
afraid that Saddam might come back -- after all, he's a torturer and a
killer. I met with a doctor today, the guy took me aside and he said,
I want to thank you, my dad was murdered by Saddam Hussein. A lot of
people share that sentiment, by the way, because it's happened to
them. And you can understand why people feared him -- after all, he
stayed in power by fear, by ruling through fear.
You know, Jim, I will make the decisions based upon what I think is
right to achieve the objectives I've outlined, the objectives I
outlined prior to freeing Iraq from Saddam Hussein -- and that is to
make this country more secure and the world more free.
And I'm confident people aren't going to agree with every decision
I make. I understand that, and I don't expect people to agree with
every decision I make. But regardless of whether they do or not, I'm
going to continue making the decisions in the way that I think is best
for the country. There will be ample time to have the debate about
whether or not it's the right strategy or not. I look forward to the
debate. I look forward to making my case to the American people about
why America is more secure today, based upon the decisions that I've
made.
As I said, there's ample time for policy. I know you all want to
jump the gun, it makes exciting news, it makes the stories more
interesting and more vital from your perspective. Let me just -- so
that we can get this straight early in the process, I take my job
seriously, I will do my job and I look forward to the political debate
later on. So I'm confident during the numerous press conferences I'll
be having next year -- just like I had this year -- that you'll be
asking me questions about this political statement or that political
statement, and my answer is going to be the same until I'm ready to
engage, and that is, let me just tell you what the strategy is of this
administration. Forget politics. The strategy that I've outlined in
order to do my solemn duty -- and my duty is not only to keep the
country more secure, but more prosperous and a better country, as
well.
Dana.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. The dollar has fallen quite
sharply, Wall Street is increasingly worried about the deficit.
Sorry. Wall Street is increasingly worried about the deficit. Will
you have a specific plan for reducing the deficit, or will economic
growth alone take care of the problem?
THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate that question. Josh Bolten laid out a
plan that will shrink the deficit in half in a five-year period, and
that's based upon reasonable growth assumptions. And it's a plan that
depends upon Congress to continue to hold the line on spending. We
have a deficit because of, one, a recession; two, a war. I want to
remind you all that in order to fight and win the war, it requires an
expenditure of money that is commiserate with keeping a promise to our
troops to make sure that they're well paid, well trained, well
equipped.
And so we've exceeded -- we've spent a lot on defense budgets in
order to win the war. We've also spent a lot of money to secure our
homeland. And then of course, there was the tax relief -- a stimulus
package which was necessary to make sure that we had ample revenues
coming into the Treasury in the first place.
See, without the tax relief package, there would have been a
deficit, but there wouldn't have been the commiserate -- not
"commiserate" -- the kick to our economy that occurred as a result of
the tax relief. And the tax relief is working. When the Senate
finishes its work on the appropriations bill, we will have held
discretionary spending to 4 percent, and that's what we agreed to with
the Congress during the budget negotiations.
I want to remind you of a fact that I think you'll find interesting
-- or maybe you won't find interesting, but I find it interesting --
that nonmilitary, non-homeland security discretionary spending was at
15 percent -- increase from year to year was at 15 percent prior to our
arrival, then it was at 6 percent, 5 percent, and 3 percent. So we're
working with Congress to hold the line on spending. And we do have a
plan to cut the deficit in half.
Sanger.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, it's been nine
months now, and still there is relatively little evidence of WMD in
Iraq. In retrospect, if you think back over the year, would you have
been better to make more of your -- of the argument that you've made in
recent times, that democratization in the Middle East was the reason to
go to war, rather than WMD?
And since the CIA has been telling you that North Korea does have
two or more weapons, what lesson should Kim Jong-il draw from the
capture of Saddam Hussein?
THE PRESIDENT: Very deft at weaving in two questions. Here's what
I took away from September the 11th, 2001 -- that any time a President
sees a gathering threat to the United States, we must deal with it. We
can't pick or choose like we used to, could in the past. In the old
days, oceans protected us from harm's way, and a President could stand
back and say, well, maybe this gathering threat is an issue, maybe it's
not. After September the 11th, that complacency, I guess may be the
right word, no longer is relevant. And, therefore, I began to assess
threats.
And the threat of Saddam Hussein was a unique threat in this
sense: the world recognized he was a threat for 12 years, and 17
resolutions, I think it is -- I believe it was 17 resolutions -- for
the resolution counter, give me a hand here -- 17? Seventeen
resolutions. And he ignored them. He just treated the U.N. as an
empty debating society, as if their resolutions meant nothing. This is
a person who has used chemical weapons before, which indicated to me he
was a threat. He invaded his neighbors before. This is a person who
was defiant, he's a deceiver, and he was a murderer in his own
country. He was a threat.
And so I went to the United Nations, as you recall, September the
12th, 2002, and said to the United Nations, let's work together to
disarm this man; you recognized he had arms, we recognize he's got
arms, let's disarm him. And 1441 came about, it's when the world
spoke through the United Nations Security Council with one voice, and
in a unanimous voice said, disarm, or there will be serious
consequences. In other words, they agreed that Saddam was a threat.
And so we moved to disarm him. In other words, there were serious
consequences because he was defiant.
Since then, David Kay has reported back that he had weapons
programs that would have put him in material breach of 1441. What that
means, of course, is that had David Kay been the lead inspector, and
had done the work that he did prior to our removal of Saddam, he would
have reported back to the U.N. Security Council that Saddam was, in
fact, in breach of the Council resolutions that were passed.
Secondly, North Korea -- one of the things, David, I think you've
seen about our foreign policy is that I'm reluctant to use military
power. It's the last choice, it's not our first choice. And in Iraq,
there was a lot of diplomacy that took place before there was any
military action. There was diplomacy prior to my arrival, diplomacy
during my time here, and we tried all means and methodologies to
achieve the objective, which was a more secure America, by using
diplomatic means and persuasion.
In North Korea, we're now in the process of using diplomatic means
and persuasion to convince Kim Jong-il to get rid of his nuclear
weapons program. And that's changed by altering the dynamics between
the United States and North Korea this way, by inviting other parties
to be stakeholders in the process. And it's been successful, thus far,
of convincing others that they have a stake in the process.
This started in Crawford with Jiang Zemin, where we held a joint
press conference and he stepped out and said that we share a common
goal, and that is a nuclear weapons-free peninsula. And as you know
full well, that the relationship has evolved beyond just a statement,
where we're now co-participants in the process of convincing Kim
Jong-il to change his ways. And that's exactly where we are in the
process. And I'm pleased with the progress we're making, and I hope,
of course, he listens.
Suzanne.
Q Mr. President, you have justified your policy in awarding
prime Iraq contracts to members of the Coalition Authority because of
their sacrifice with the war in Iraq. At the same time, your
administration has indicated some room for negotiation. Your critics
have called this retaliation, and even blackmail. How do you respond
to that, and how is this policy helpful in generating international
support?
THE PRESIDENT: There are over 60 nations involved in Iraq. Make
sure everybody -- let's all start from the same basis, if you don't
mind. So there is international support. When you say there's over 60
nations involved in Iraq, that means that there's international support
in Iraq. Again, I think you're talking about one or two countries, if
I'm not mistaken. And we're reaching out to them, and we want them to
participate. But the idea of spending taxpayers' money on contracts to
firms that did not participate in the initial thrust is just something
I wasn't going to do.
And you know what? The American taxpayers understand that. They
understand that clearly. That's not to say there's not other ways to
participate, and we look forward to including them in the process.
Stretch. Big Stretch. I'm sorry. (Laughter.)
Q I know you said there will be a time for politics. But you've
also said you wanted to change the tone in Washington. Howard Dean
recently seemed to muse aloud whether you had advance knowledge of
9/11. Do you agree or disagree with the RNC that this kind of rhetoric
borders on political hate speech?
THE PRESIDENT: There's time for politics. There's time for
politics, and I -- it's an absurd insinuation.
Q In that case, sir, can I follow up on something unrelated?
(Laughter.) Tom Ridge recently seemed to discuss something you had
talked about pre-9/11, and that is finding a way to legalize some of
the illegal immigrants in this country. Could you clarify your policy,
what it is, short of blanket amnesty?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I have constantly said that we
need to have a immigration policy that helps match any willing employer
with any willing employee. It makes sense that that policy go
forward. And we're in the process of working that through now so I can
make a recommendation to the Congress.
Let me also clarify something. This administration is firmly
against blanket amnesty.
Let's see here. Judy.
Q Mr. President, do you have a sense yet of how involved Saddam
Hussein was in planning and directing attacks on coalition troops?
Should the American people expect that those attacks will now decrease,
or should they be prepared that they might, in the short-term, get
worse?
THE PRESIDENT: To answer your question, we're -- the Defense
Department will try to learn more from Saddam Hussein as time goes on.
And secondly, I believe there will be more violence because I believe
there's holdovers of Saddam that are frustrated, and I believe there
are foreign terrorists that cannot stand the thought of a free Iraq
emerging in the Middle East.
This is a -- a free Iraq will be a defeat for those who believe in
violence and murder and mayhem. And they will try to resist us there.
And that's -- I do believe that there are going to be some people who
are persuaded that since Saddam Hussein has been captured, that he will
never return, and therefore, they need to be a part of the emergence of
a free Iraq and a free society, and that there -- and it's going to be
very important for the Iraqi authorities to reach out to those people
and talk about a system that guarantees minority rights, and a system
which says that for some the future is bright.
And I think when people begin to realize that, when people begin --
that were, I would call them fence-sitters, when people begin to
realize that the Saddam regime is gone forever, and that the new
society that will emerge will be a fair society, it will protect
people, and protect people from the -- protect them based upon their
own religious views, for example, guarantee them rights -- is what I
mean by "protect," that it's more likely people will begin to sign on
to the future of Iraq. And that's positive. It's a very hopeful
thing.
But there will be terrorists, and they want to fight us. Remember
this is -- Iraq is a battle in the war on terror. The war on terror is
being fought on many fronts, and some of them obviously more visible
than others. Obviously, the Afghanistan front was a visible front.
Iraq is a visible front. The Philippines, for example, is a front in
the war on terror against Abu Sayyaf. And we've had fairly stealthy
operations there to bring to leadership of Abu Sayyaf to justice.
The war on terror encompasses more than just military action, of
course, or the use of special force strike teams. Cutting off money is
an important part in the war on terror. So, Judy, it's very important
for people to put this -- Iraq in a broader context about a war that
will continue on.
The reason I bring that up is that these -- the enemy, the
terrorists, the killers may continue to try to strike in Iraq. They
think they may be able to defeat us there. Yesterday was a clear
signal to them that they won't be able to. The other thing that's
happening in Iraq that's positive, and I think this -- some of you,
your papers and broadcasts have picked this up, is that the
intelligence on the ground is getting better, it's getting richer.
There's what they call "actionable intelligence," to which our military
has responded on a quick basis is improving.
And that's a very important development. Because as you notice,
when there's a hole in the ground and a person is able to crawl into it
in a country the size of California, it means we're on a scavenger hunt
for terror, and find these terrorists who hide in holes is to get
people coming forth to describe the location of the hole, is to give
clues and data. And we're on it. Our military is responding. And our
intelligence services are doing very good work. It's just a long
process that requires patience and perseverance.
Yesterday's arrest of this tyrant and killer was a good example of
persistence and fine tuning intelligence and gathering information, and
the hard work necessary to find people who are willing to hide in
holes.
Other Stretch.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset you said that you
will pursue next year, the election year, a pro-growth agenda. Up
until now, pro-growth in this administration has largely been
synonymous with tax cuts. Can you rule out the possibility of further
tax cut proposals next year?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, Stretch, it's a trick question.
(Laughter.) It's not very generous of you during the holiday season.
(Laughter.)
First of all, I'm pleased with the economic growth that we've
seen. I believe the economy is strong. I believe it's getting
stronger. I'm pleased with the productivity numbers. I appreciate the
fact that durable orders for durable goods are up. It looks like the
manufacturing sector is strengthening.
What I've been referring to, in terms of pro-growth, are an energy
bill, good tort reform coming out of the Congress. I thought we had a
chance to get some this year. It got stuck, unfortunately, in the
Senate. In my judgment it was a mistake. It was a mistake not to let
class-action lawsuit reform go forward, it was a mistake not to get
asbestos reform, a mistake not to get medical liability reform. All
three of those measures, in my judgment, obviously, are justifiable
reforms at the federal level, which would have made a difference in
terms of a pro-growth environment. We need more regulatory relief. We
certainly need to send a signal to the capital markets that we're going
to maintain spending discipline. Dana talked about the deficit. He
also mentioned the strong dollar.
And by the way, I didn't answer that part of your question. I'll
get back there right now. Part of the economic policy of this
administration is a strong dollar policy. We fully expect markets to
set the dollar. But we have a strong dollar policy, which is, in our
judgment, good for the economic vitality of this country. And so we'll
see, is the answer to your question.
Yes, Ed.
Q Mr. President, you said earlier this morning that in a trial
that all of Saddam's atrocities be brought up. He was in power more
than 30 years, that probably would make for a long rap sheet. Do you
believe --
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Ed, you're not supposed to prejudge.
Q I'm just counting the years.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good.
Q Do you believe that the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 should be
included, as well as his assassination attempt against former President
Bush?
THE PRESIDENT: That will all be decided by the lawyers. And I
will instruct this government to make sure the system includes the
Iraqi citizens, and make sure the process stands in -- withstands
international scrutiny. But we'll let the lawyers handle all that, and
as you know, I'm not a lawyer. And I delegate, and I'm going to
delegate this to the legal community, which will be reviewing all
matter.
Tamara.
Q Thank you, sir. Given your skepticism about Saddam Hussein's
ability to tell the truth, do you think his interrogation might help
resolve any lingering questions about what he did with his weapons of
mass destruction and his ties to terrorist groups?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. I would think not. I mean, he's a
deceiver. He's a liar. He's a torturer. He's a murderer. I can't
imagine why he would change his attitude, since he'll be treated
humanely by the U.S. coalition -- U.S. troops. And I would be very
skeptical of anything he said -- one way or the other, I might add.
You just don't know. He's a -- he's just -- he is what he is: He's a
person that was willing to destroy his country and to kill a lot of his
fellow citizens. He's a person who used weapons of mass destruction
against citizens in his own country. And so it's -- he is the kind of
person that is untrustworthy and I'd be very cautious about relying
upon his word in any way, shape or form.
Q Mr. President --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Bob.
Q -- when you asked the American people for their support three
years ago, there was no way anyone could have imagined the nature of
the job you would have before you. If you had known then what you know
now, sir, would you have wanted the job? Would you have had any
hesitation --
THE PRESIDENT: That's an interesting question.
Q -- about asking me the American people for it? And I have to
ask you since we're here, sir, have you chatted with your Dad since
Saddam was captured?
THE PRESIDENT: He called me -- let me answer your first question.
I absolutely would have wanted the job. I have come to realize this
job is a magnificent job, because you have a chance to use the position
of the United States of America to achieve peace and freedom. And that
is a rare opportunity for any person. I put together a fantastic
administration to help me with this task. I feel very comfortable in
the job because I've got great advice and advisors to whom I -- get
good advice from great advisors to whom I listen. I am comfortable
delegating the awesome responsibilities of -- in this administration's
case, war two times to incredibly capable and brave people.
At home, this job affords the opportunity to capture what I call
the American spirit, and to call people to serve in their communities
and their neighborhoods, and to help people who hurt. It's a fantastic
opportunity to try to lift up this country so everybody can realize its
full potential. I absolutely would seek the office again, and I intend
to do so in '04, by the way. (Laughter.)
I talked to my Dad. He called me Sunday morning. I got the call
from Donald Rumsfeld Saturday afternoon and made the decision there
until I was more certain about the facts that I would talk to very few
people. I talked to Condi and asked her to call Andy. And I talked to
Vice President Cheney. Because what I didn't want to have happen is
that there would be this rush of enthusiasm and hope and then all of a
sudden it turned out not to be the person that we would hope it would
be. So I didn't talk to my family. I told Laura, of course, and
pretty much went to bed early Saturday night. And Condi woke me at
5:15 in the morning, which was okay this time. (Laughter.) Just don't
do it again. (Laughter.)
But she said that the Jerry Bremer had just called her and there
was -- they were prepared to say this was Saddam Hussein, in which case
we got dressed and hustled over to the Oval Office to start making
calls.
One of the calls I did receive was from my dad. And it was a very
brief conversation. He just said, congratulations, it's a great day
for the country. And I said, it's a greater day for the Iraqi people.
And that's what I believe. I believe that yesterday was a day -- or
Saturday, when we captured Saddam, it was a day where America is more
secure as a result of his capture. But, more importantly, Saturday was
a great day for the people who have suffered under this tyrant.
I believe, firmly believe -- and you've heard me say this a lot --
and I say it a lot because I truly believe it -- that freedom is the
almighty God's gift to every person, every man and woman who lives in
this world. That's what I believe. And the arrest of Saddam Hussein
changed the equation in Iraq. Justice was being delivered to a man who
defied that gift from the Almighty to the people of Iraq. And justice
will be delivered to him in a way that is transparent and for the world
to see. And so I told my dad, I said, it's a great day for America,
but it's a better day for the people of this country, and that's why.
Thank you all for coming. I'll see you Thursday, coats and ties.
(Laughter.) This year, Gregory, don't take any silverware.
(Laughter.)