For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 15, 2001
Press Briefing By Ari Fleischer
(via Teleconference)
Smithsburg High School
Smithsburg, Maryland
12:35 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
woke up at his usual early hour. He walked Barney and Spot
at about 5:30 a.m. this morning. He went for a run. He also
called President Aznar of Spain and Fox of Mexico. Then he
had intelligence briefings, security briefings this
morning. And then recorded the radio address. You
all saw him at the pool, at the beginning of the NSC meeting.
The NSC meeting ended, as scheduled, at
noon. And as we speak, the President and the members of his
team are having lunch up at Camp David, and then they'll get back
together again for a dinner with the wives, spouses,
tonight. And that's my update on what he's done
today. So with that, I'm more than happy to take any
questions you may have.
Q Hi,
Ari. Could you describe this meeting and tell me whether it
was a decision-making meeting , any decisions have come out of it, et
cetera?
MR.
FLEISCHER: Yes. I saw somebody quoted saying, "a
decision-making meeting" - an official without a name. I can
only tell you all these meetings are for the purpose of making
decisions. I would not look at today's meeting in any
different light than the many meetings that have taken place before and
the many meetings that are going to take place after
it. It's part of an ongoing process where the President and
his team gather information, analyze information , make certain
determinations and decisions and get ready for the next round of
information that they collect.
Q Were there any
determinations or decisions made today?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not going to
get into any specifics of these meetings. The other thing I
know is it's a Saturday and, you know, it's different because everybody
is at Camp David. But this is the same ground rules that if
you knew about a meeting here in the Situation Room of the President
and his team, I wouldn't indicate what took place in this building, so
I certainly won't indicate what's taking place at Camp David.
Q And, finally,
does it resume tomorrow?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, at this
moment there is no scheduled meeting of the National Security
Council. The President will continue to have smaller,
individualized briefings, as he always does. But there is no
meeting of the entire National Security Council.
Q Good morning,
Ari.
MR. FLEISCHER: Good morning,
Mark. You don't need to use the phone, I can hear you here
from Camp David. (Laughter.)
Q Thanks a
lot. You said the meeting ended around noon. Did
it begin promptly at 9:30 a.m., so it was a two-and-a-half hour
meeting?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, you all
were in there, the pool. And it began as soon as you
left. So set your clock by when you walked out of that
room..
Q And this
afternoon, there are no further meetings? It's just the
dinner with spouses this evening?
MR. FLEISCHER: That's
correct. But I'd never rule out informal
chit-chat. But that's correct, no more planned, scheduled
meetings.
Q Could a U.S.
response come at any time?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, it
depends. As the President said in his radio address this
morning - let me find his exact words - he said, you'll be asked for
your patience, for the conflict will not be short; you'll be asked for
resolve; the conflict will not be easy - because victory may
be long.
You know, there is an enemy who wants to
know, so I'm not going to give any indications about -
Q That's not us,
right? (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: No, it is
not. (Laughter.) But I'm just not going to give
any indication to the enemy. Let them fret it and worry
about it. But patience will be required in many ways from
the American people.
Q Okay, thanks very much.
Q Hi, Ari. Can you describe some
of the thinking among top advisors that went into what was a distinctly
stepped-up and stronger tone today, if you look at the President's
language that he used, and describe to what extent the President now
feels it's important to frame issues differently for the public and how
that might have changed, even over the last couple of days?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the
natural reaction to an attack on our country is twofold. It
is reassuring and it is resolve. And they will both
continue. Having said that, there is a natural process where
the events - where at the timing of the event passes with each day, the
planning proceeds each day. And so there is an ongoing
process that shifts into the planning phase and the action
phase. And the President is preparing the nation for that.
Q But is there a
sense that the country is ready now, and needs to get ready -- in other
words, the President needs to really start setting some parameters and
start defining what's happening and what's about to happen to rally the
public and to educate them, in a sense?
MR. FLEISCHER: Actually, if
anything, it's a subtle variation of that. The country is
ready. The issue is, as the President has said, he will act
when the time is right, then he will act decisively. And so
while the public is ready today, the President will act when the moment
and the time is right. There is no question America is
rallied and ready. The President will only act when the time
is right.
Q Hi,
Ari. Let me follow on David's question. On
David's question, the President saying, we're at war, and steeling the
country for this in very, very stirring and urgent
language. How is he going to balance that with his request
that the country try and get back into its normal business?
MR. FLEISCHER: The history with
our country is, our country does both, and it does both very
well. The country is ready, and the country knows that as
the war preparations are made, that every citizen has a role to play -
by doing their job, by going to work, by resuming their life, by
enjoying their recreation.
The stronger the fabric of our country,
the stronger our ability to carry out the military mission.
Q On another issue,
the President once again said today that we'll deal not only with those
that dare attack America, we'll deal with those who harbor and feed and
house them. How ready are you to talk about whether that
means states and governments, or are you just looking for people hiding
in holes, as he said?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I'm not
going to define it. The President has left it undefined, but
he's made it clear that this will not be an exercise meant to move on a
level that is not comprehensive or fundamental.
Q Should states be
on notice?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
has not defined it. He has said, whoever engages in
activities that harbor -- he hasn't - or ruled anything
out. He's made it not a definition of geography or
geopolitics, but a definition based on actions taken that engages
terrorism or harbors terrorism. And he's done so by design.
Q Just following up
on David and Terry. Ari, when the President talks about, you
know, those terrorists are going to hide in the hills and we're going
to find them and we're going to smoke them out - is he preparing the
American people for the possibility that U.S. ground troops may have to
be used to try and have this sweeping and effective assault against
terrorism?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President is
preparing the public for all eventualities.
Q So we're not
ruling out that ground troops might have to be used in this assault
against terrorism.
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
has not ruled anything out.
Q One other
question. In terms of President Musharraf, is there, A, a
plan for President Bush to be calling President Musharraf
today? And is there any truth to the - we heard a report
that President Musharraf could be coming to the United States.
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll let you
know about phone calls, if there is anything that we'll be able to talk
about. That's the first I've heard, Kelly, on that one,
about Musharraf coming here.
Q Okay. First you've heard on him
coming here but, phone call, you can't talk if there's a possibility
that the President would reach out to him?
MR. FLEISHCER: Well, again,
you've asked me - I know we haven't called him at this
moment. But you're asking me future phone calls, I'm just
going to continue to give you a read out as future phone calls
develop.
Also, on your question about ruling things
out, I want to also remind you about actions that can be taken that
involve diplomacy, finance, economics, all of those are tools in
America's arsenal.
Q And one other
question. The ruling Taliban regime of Afghanistan basically
has said if neighboring countries go ahead and side with the United
States in any potential act, that would be, sort of, considered a war,
or it would be pushing a holy war. What's your response to
that?
MR. FLEISCHER: I refer you back
to what the President has said.
Q And he has said?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
has said that a war has been waged against us, and this is a war with
those who engage in these terrorist acts and those who harbor them.
Q Do you have
anything further for us on the attack that you say you have credible
evidence was going to be made against Air Force One? And
have all presidential travel plans for the immediate future been
scrubbed?
MR. FLEISCHER: On the first
part, I think we exhausted that topic about two days ago. On
the second question, we'll be releasing his travel schedule on a much
more closely-held basis, as I think most of you by now. And, no, not
all travel has been scrubbed. We're always considering when
and where it's appropriate for the President to travel. But
I leave it at that.
Q Hey,
Ari. Continental Airlines announced this morning that it's
cutting 20 percent of its flight schedule, laying off 12,000 people,
which is about one-fifth of its work force. Is the President
concerned that the country is inevitably headed for a recession, at
least in the short term?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know, that's
a question that I think only economists can answer.
Q I'm sure that
he's got some economists advising him. What are they
saying?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, it's
unclear what impact this will have. You know, to the degree
that there's a - well, let me address the question of the
airlines. The President is concerned about the economic
health of the airlines. The administration is in touch with
airline officials.
No matter what the state of the economy,
the country will have everything it needs and all the resources it
needs to prevail in this war.
Q Nobody is
questioning that, Ari. But I mean - huge pot of money to --
MR. FLEISCHER: If you're asking
me as the President's spokesman to give you a prediction about whether
we go into a recession, that's not something I can do.
Q I'm not asking
you as the President's spokesman to give us a prediction. Is
the President concerned that because of this attack and the drag on the
economy that we're going go into recession? And how is he
being advised by the people who are making those predictions?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the
President was concerned about the possibility of recession even before
the attack, and will just continue to receive updates about the state
of the economy as things develop -
Q Is anybody -
MR. FLEISCHER: Hold it,
John. His first focus has really been on national security.
Q I understand
that, Ari. But there's also an economy that he has to worry
about here and I'm just wondering if anyone has told him that we're
likely to go into a recession because of this?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I've not
heard anybody say that to him. He's been mostly in meetings
involving national security.
Q Hi,
Ari. Two quick questions. Number one, it's long
been no secret that Osama bin Laden and other terrorist organizations
around the world have meant to do us harm on a massive and lethal
scale. I wonder what you could tell the American people as
to why they should have greater confidence now that the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon have been destroyed, in some parts, that we
have the capability to rout them out and destroy them than we've had
over the past 10 years? And why haven't we been trying until
now?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the
difference is the events of the last four days. America's
footing has changed.
Q How does it make
us any more capable of routing them out than we were as of last
Monday?
MR FLEISCHER: Because the
nation is shifting from a footing - a peace footing to a footing based
on preparations for things military. And that puts
everything in an entirely different context of what our national
capacity is to act.
Four days ago, there was no authorization
from the Congress for a use of force. Everything has
changed. And that has put America on a different
footing. And as a result of that, America's ability to
mobilize and act is increasing.
Q My only other
question was, sort of a follow up on Kelly Wallace's
question. When you say that the President has not ruled any
options out for our response, does that include the use of nuclear
weapons, Ari?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know that's
a subject we never even get into. You're asking me operational
issues.
Q I'm asking you to
clarify your earlier statement that nothing has been ruled
out. Are you being absolute about it or not?
MR. FLEISCHER: Kelly was asking
me about ground troops.
Q Well, you said
nothing has been ruled out, no eventualities. I'm asking if
that's truly what you mean now?
MR. FLEISCHER: When I said
nothing has been ruled out, it was about ground
troops. But if you're asking me what type of
weapons we're going to use, that's a question that - if you
asked me that question in peace time, I wouldn't answer it; you're
asking me today, I don't' answer those questions.
Q I have two
questions. I just wondered if you could give us any more
details on the agreements that Pakistan made to help in any way it
could, and what that actually means? Also, does the U.S.
government have any reaction to Masood's death?
MR. FLEISCHER: I would just
refer you back to what Powell said on that. I think he was
asked that question this morning and there's nothing I can add to his
answer.
Q What about -
they're saying, out of Pakistan, at least, they're saying that they're
going to comply with U.N. Security Council decisions. Has the U.S.
made some sort of deal with them to cover them through the U.N. so that
they can do this without incurring the wrath of Afghanistan?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me try to
learn a little bit more about that. On the specifics of it,
I'd feel much more comfortable walking through each one of these
alleged specific things that we've asked for. Powell did not
address what the specific things we asked for - of course, as you know,
you heard him not get into that. He just, nevertheless,
expressed his appreciation for their cooperation so far.
Q What about
Masood?
MR. FLEISCHER: The question
is?
Q Does the U.S.
have any reaction to his death? I mean, he's the strongest
guerrilla leader, anti-Taliban leader that there was there.
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't have
anything on that. You may want to check with State.
Q I just want to go
back to one that was asked some time ago. It seems like the
President now is preparing the American people for a wider and longer
operation than they might be expecting. But is there also
the thought of preparing them for the idea there might not be anything
in the immediate or near term -- it's sort of inherent now, you know,
be patient, we'll do something, but we're not rushing into it.
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the
President said that we will act at an hour of our
choosing. The President's words speak for themselves on
that. I'll just leave it at that.
Q Can you give us
more of a sense, Ari, of how far advanced the planning is, whatever may
happen? And, secondly, can you say in any more detail what
sort of help you might be seeking from the United States' allies,
beyond the obvious expressions of support you've had?
MR. FLEISCHER: Obviously, on
the planning, I'm not going to get into that. The President
yesterday indicated his satisfaction about the pace of the planning and
its various aspects.
As for other nations, the United States is
talking to them about - you know, different nations can help in
different ways. Some nations will be able to help in many
ways, other nations in more limited ways. But among the ways
the nations can be helpful are diplomacy, things financial,
things economic, things military, things humanitarian. So
there can be a host of ways that different nations can
respond. And some nations will be in stronger positions to
respond in each and every one of those ways. Other nations may choose
to respond only in more limited ways or may only have the means to
respond in more limited ways.
Q So you're
suggesting, though, that you might be asking military support from
allies?
MR. FLEISCHER: I have indicated
that, yes.
Q Hey,
Ari. Do you have any more on these phone calls - how long
they were, what they talked about?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes. Sean is
with me. He'll give that to you right now.
MR. McCORMACK: The President
spoke with President Aznar for about 10 minutes this
morning. One note - (inaudible) -- the Spanish
government in public solidarity with the United States. He
said that Spain would stand together with the U.S., both as a NATO ally
and as a friend of the United States. We regard this as
another encouraging sign from a close friend of the emerging
international coalition.
President Fox and President Bush spoke for
approximately the same amount of time. President Fox
reiterated Mexico's solidarity with the President and the U.S.
people. President Fox noted Mexico is working with U.S.
authorities on border security and that Mexico is working with other
Latin American countries to help and cooperate with the U.S. in our
fight against terrorism.
Q Okay, thanks,
Sean. And, Ari, do you have any sort of week ahead?
MR. FLEISCHER: Not at this
moment, no.
Q Okay, thank you
very much.
Q Ari, we're
embarked on an effort that puts pressure on leaders in a part of the
world where our alliances, even the strong ones, such as with the
Saudis, have weak points. We are endeavoring to go after
fundamentalists who are, themselves, a large threat to the leadership
of places like Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
I'm wondering whether we have - and if I
can say parenthetically, we've had mixed success in getting help from
the Saudis in things like the Khobar Tower bombing. Do we
have, from the Saudis, from other Arab governments and from Western
financial centers, a new, stronger commitment that we will be able to
get at Osama bin Laden's finances, which are his real strength?
MR. FLEISCHER: Wendall, I think
you really very accurately put your finger on a big picture question
here. And that's why the President has referred to this as
the new war of the 21st century - that it doesn't have borders, it can
be nameless, can be faceless, can be shadowy.
The President, on January 20th, was aware,
that that is the new type of threat America faces from international
terrorism. And all the planning that's being done has taken
those vagaries and complexities into account. And that's why the
President, in his radio address today, is telling the American people
that this will be long, this will be difficult, this will be
complicated.
Only time will tell, is the answer to your
question about the specifics of it and the type of cooperation we're
going to get from others. And as I indicated earlier, different
nations will contribute in different ways - some will do more, some
will do less. Only time will tell. But it will be
discernable, it will be measurable and we will know.
Q Do I take by
that, that as of now, in the short-term, at least, we don't have new
commitments to choke off Osama bin Laden's financial network?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, you can't
reach that conclusion. That's the type of information that
we're not going to disclose as people cooperate in different
degrees. You won't know, and neither will our enemies until
the President is ready to make any type of announcement.
Q What is the
President's assessment of the security situation in this country right
now?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
has said to the American people very plainly, it's not business as
usual; it's important for everybody to resume what they do, their jobs,
their livelihoods, but to be on a higher state of
vigilance. And one of the reasons the President has called
up the Reserves is to make that easier.
Q Is the
administration working with - or how is the administration working with
state and local governments on civil defense issues at all? Is there
anything being done in that regard in this new environment?
MR. FLEISCHER: On that, Terry,
you probably need to check with DOD and the relevant agencies for
specifics. There are ongoing concerns about security, and
the government, in a host of ways, is moving to address them through
the various agencies - DOD, Coast Guard, et cetera - but you may want
to check with the agencies on the specifics.
Q Okay. And, finally, you mentioned
that the President and President Fox talked about border
security. What precisely is being done along that border?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'd just refer
you to what Sean said. We don't have details beyond that.
Q No more
information on what Fox has pledged to do on that border?
MR. FLEISCHER: Sean says we
don't have any more details right here.
Q All right,
thanks.
Q Ari, I wanted to
follow up. A couple of times you've mentioned financial and
economic options available to the United States and its
allies. Without announcing the President's plan, can you
talk about what options are available there? Is it freezing
assets or what?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I'm not
going to get into that level of specificity, but when the President
says this is a comprehensive effort, I think he's making pretty plain
that terrorism, wherever it exists and is found, whatever measures of
success it's had, has found resources and put its resources in a
variety of places. And that's, again, why I indicated when
the President talks about the new type of threat, 21st century war on
terrorism, all planning accounts for that, all planning knows that this
is not just an old-fashioned battle on a battlefield with tanks and
sand - that there are many aspects to it that involve things beyond
that just military.
And efforts the President is leading are
aimed at all of those areas. And, again, I just have to apologize, but
I think you'll understand, when the President says, we will let you
know when we have something to announce as far as our actions, those
type of specific questions - which are logical - will be learned when
the President decides to make information public about them.
Q Ari, Pakistanis
are saying among those things that they are willing to do is allow the
U.S. to store troops along its border. Can you confirm that
that's one of the things you guys would like to see happen?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not going to
talk about any military movement.
Q Ari,
hi. Two questions. What was the President's
evidence today for naming bin Laden as a prime suspect?
MR. FLEISCHER: What was his
evidence?
Q This was the
first day that he actually said bin Laden was a prime
suspect. I'm wondering why he is saying that now?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know I can't
reveal what his evidence is.
Q Let me ask you
another question, going back to this question of ruling out ground
troops or ground invasions. Does that mean - you're saying
we shouldn't rule out anything, does that mean that his phrase in his
radio address, where he said, this is a conflict without battlefields
or beachheads, was really a metaphoric - was really more of a metaphor
than a specific indication that there would be no amphibious or ground
assaults?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, what the
President is, in the war on terrorism it's not as if in the immediate
reaction to a hostile act against our country you can target another
nation's ships in a port, that you can target another nation's
airplanes on a tarmac or another nation's tanks on a
battlefield. It's not a 20th century war. And
that's what the President is talking about when he's talking about
terrorism being shadowy.
Q I understand
that, but specifically he said, this is without battlefields or
beachheads. So really, those are really -
MR. FLEISCHER: It's referring
to what I just indicated, to the traditional definition of a war as
being fought against an enemies planes, ships. It doesn't
mean that there will never be traditional aspects, it just means that
it's gone so much beyond that which is traditional.
Q There has been a
number of people with Middle Eastern names who have been stopped by the
IMS, by the police. Is there a concern at this point that
peoples' civil liberties are being violated, or is the coming war
effort so over-riding that that is incidental?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
has made it plain that we must be mindful of the rights of Arab
Americans - and he has done so not only publicly, in one of his very
first, most prominent live moments of that nation, when he was on the
phone with Mayor Guiliani and Governor Pataki. In private meetings
I've heard him call on members of congress and say that, all of you
have a leadership responsibility to speak out and make sure that there
are no actions taken against Arab Americans - they love our flag, too.
Law enforcement agencies are going to act
on legitimate law enforcement considerations. And they will
do so in accordance with all of our laws.
Q Ari, two days ago
a senior administration official said the U.S. had not reached out yet
to the Taliban. Has the U.S. reached out yet, or is it
planning to?
MR. FLEISCHER: You might want
to check with state. I can only tell you about the
President's phone calls.
Q You can't talk
about, you know, anyone else within the White House, that there's been
any sort of conversation through any diplomatic channels with the
Taliban?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, again, if
it had gone through diplomatic channels, State would probably be in a
better position. I don't know anything that I've heard about
that topic here, Kelly.
Q Okay. Let me just ask you, too, did
you get to talk to the President following his meetings with family
members or victims and the rescue workers about what that visit to New
York meant to him and if it gave him even more strength to go forward
with big decisions ahead?
MR. FLEISCHER: I talked to him
on the tarmac last night, when we arrived back in New Jersey and he
changed - as he headed off to Camp David, but that was mostly about the
joint resolution that the Congress was passing that evening.
But let me share this with you, from just
watching him in that room. That was a closed event, let me lay out a
little bit of the scene. It was the end of a very, very long
day, where the President had obviously addressed the nation at the
National Prayer Service. He had been to the site; he had
been told first-hand and pointed to where they believe some of the
bodies were; the whole description of what took place on the day the
World Trade Center came down; walking amidst the rubble of it and
talking to the fire fighters and the rescue workers; his remarks on the
bull horn.
At the end of it all, the President capped
his day by going up for what I think was the hardest of all moments,
which was a room at the Javitz Center - a very large convention hall
room that was cordoned off with pipe and drape. And about
200 family members are gathered there to meet the President -- family
members of those firemen and policemen who were missing.
People ere telling him that they knew
their children, their brothers, their wives, were not
dead. They said - I can't tell you, I had one person come up
to me and say, if anybody can get out, it's my brother; he was in
Desert Storm, he's a Marine, he knows how to get out, he can survive
under there for days; if anybody can get out, it's him.
And I think that's what everybody in that
room was saying. I don't think there was anybody in that
room who wanted to give up hope that the people who were missing will
come out alive. And that was so much of the conversations
with the President. And people were handing him pictures of
those who were missing.
The beginning of it, the President was
with about 200 people for an hour-and-a-half, and he spent time
listening and talking with everybody, just one on one, hearing their
individual stories of their family members. It was
gut-wrenching. There was not a dry eye in that
place. Literally at times family members were holding each
other up so they wouldn't fall; they were linked, arm in arm and you
could just hear cries and sobs. And I can only tell you,
just having watched the President throughout all of this, there was a
real transformation. At the beginning it was just
gut-wrenching and emotional.
And toward the end, my take on it - and I
have not talked to the President about this - but my take is that the
President somehow grew from their sorrow an incredible
strength. It was almost cathartic. That there was
something about hearing their sorrow on such a personal and deep and
sustained level, that it became pretty clear to the President that his
job is to take these peoples' anguish and sorrow and channel into
something positive for future generations.
And toward the end of it, he kind of
resumed his normal way of making people smile and feel good and have a
little bounce about himself and them. And I just watched him change in
the course of that meeting. And then at the very end of it,
the mom from Hicksville, Long Island, gave the President the badge of
her son, who had been pronounced dead. And he was a police
officer with the Port Authority. And when he died in the
World Trade Center, his badge was on him. And it was given
to his mom, and his mom turned around and gave it to the President
yesterday, and the President kept it clutched in his hand as he
continued walking around the room.
So I just share that with you,
Kelly. That's my read on what happened with the President
while he was in there.
Q Okay, thanks.
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm looking
forward to asking him about that - I want to talk to him about it,
also.
Q Yes, if we can
get that, too, that would be great.
MR. FLEISCHER: All right,
everybody. Well, thank you very much, and we'll be here if
you need anything.
END
1:17 P.M. EDT
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