For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 14, 2002
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
12:43 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. I'd like to give you a
walk-through of the President's day, and then I will have a statement
to make about the vote in the United Nations this afternoon on Iraq
sanctions.
The President began with his CIA briefing, followed by an FBI
briefing. Then the President signed into law the Hematological Cancer
Research Investment and Education Act, which helps provide research
into blood cancers. The President will, later this afternoon, meet
with the Sunshine Kids. This is a group of 20 children between the
ages of 11 and 19, all of whom have cancer, who are here in Washington
and will be visiting the White House and visiting with the President.
And then, in the afternoon, the President will sign into law the
Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act as part of our
protecting America on the homeland front. It's to provide more smart
and secure borders while also allowing for the free flow of commerce
and law-abiding citizens.
Following that, the President will meet with the Prime Minister of
Malaysia in the Oval Office. And then this evening the President will
attend the 2002 Republican National Committee Presidential Gala.
As I mentioned earlier, there was an important vote in the United
Nations just a little bit -- time ago. And the President welcomes
the United Nations Security Council Resolution number 1409. Today's
action is a step forward for the Iraqi people. The President believes
that firm, focused controls must remain on the government of Iraq until
it complies fully with its U.N. obligations.
The Security Council's new sanction system is designed to meet the
needs of the Iraqi people. Yet, for this new system to be effective in
bringing help to the people of Iraq, there must be a real commitment by
the government of Iraq to the same goal. Now Iraq's government has an
opportunity to prove that it seeks the same benefits for all its
citizens. The focus controls on military relevant goods and simplified
procedures for civilian goods eliminates excuses for inaction or
evasion of U.N. sanctions on Iraq.
With that, I'm happy to take your questions.
Q Ari, on these pictures, the DNC says that it's grotesque --
their word -- that congressional Republicans would use a photograph
of the President on Air Force One in the hours after the September 11th
attacks as part of a fundraising appeal, accompanied by a letter from
the Vice President. Does the President think it's appropriate for that
photo to be used, and did he sign off on it? And does the White House
know about this?
MR. FLEISCHER: David, there are three photos that I understand are
a part of the Republican National Senatorial Committee and the National
Republican Congressional Committee's fundraising efforts. One is the
President's State of the Union; one is an inaugural address; and the
third is a September 11th, the President aboard Air Force One. And
each of the pictures is a representation of the President of the United
States doing his job for the American people. And it's an event for
the party committees to decide if they want to make those pictures
available to their contributors, they have that right to do so. These
pictures represent the President at work for the country.
Q Doesn't it smack, however, of using September 11th and the war
on terrorism for political gain?
MR. FLEISCHER: David, I think that the party committees are free,
if they decide to use pictures of the President doing his job for the
American people.
Q They may be free to do so, but do you think it's proper,
morally correct to use these photos to raise money for a political
party? To use 9/11 to raise money?
MR. FLEISCHER: The White House was generally aware of the fact
that they wanted to use pictures for fundraising purposes, and no
objections were raised.
Q Are there any objections now to the fact that they're selling
these pictures?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, as I indicated, these three pictures, the
President's inaugural, the President's State of the Union, and the
President on September 11th, are part of the President's job, serving
all the people of this country.
Q Were there any federal employees involved in taking the
pictures, producing the pictures, distributing the pictures?
MR. FLEISCHER: I've looked into the question of who took the
pictures, and here is the following information. The State of the
Union picture was a picture taken by the White House press pool, a
photographer who works here, in this room, for the media. And then it
was released by the Reuters wire. The inaugural picture is a Reuters
picture. And the September 11th picture was a White House
photographer's picture, which is a standard practice, was then released
to the press pool. The press pool, in this case, Reuters, put it out
on the wire. And all three pictures were then provided by the media,
themselves, as part of a transaction -- commercial transaction to a
commercial photo vendor. So the media provided these pictures to a
commercial photo vendor. And then --
Q Do you know who the vendor was?
MR. FLEISCHER: Corbis.com. And then the party committee has made
payment to the commercial vendor.
Q It was the work of a federal employee who took the picture of
the President on Air Force One?
MR. FLEISCHER: The picture taken on Air Force One was taken by the
White House photographer, and then, as standardly done, was released
free of charge, as always, to the media. What the media does with
these pictures after they are released by the White House is the
media's business, between the media and a commercial vendor, not the
White House's business.
Q But, Ari, back to what congressional Republicans are doing
with it, the President has no problem with what the Democrats are
portraying as blood money here?
MR. FLEISCHER: Blood money? And how is that blood money?
Q That's how they're portraying it, using the tragedy of
September 11th as a fundraising tool.
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think that -- I'm hard-pressed to see how
that characterization can be anything even closely resembling anything
accurate or fair.
Q But the President has no problem with using the events of
September 11th as a fundraiser?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as I indicated, these are three pictures of
the President doing his job for the American people. And these
pictures have appeared in numerous forms and numerous ways. And the
pictures represent the President --
Q But it's the first time they've appeared as a fundraising
tool. So, to be straight here, he doesn't have a problem with it?
MR. FLEISCHER: As I indicated, the pictures represent the
President at work for the American people.
Q Ari, did the White House know which pictures were going to be
--
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, Helen.
Q That's all right, she had a follow-up. I'll go after.
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm sorry?
Q I was going to follow up. Does the White House know which
pictures the Republican Campaign Committees were going to use?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, the specific pictures were not run past the
White House first.
Q No one was signed off from the White House on using the
specific picture of the President on Air Force One?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, specific pictures were not run by the White
House first.
Q So you and the White House were just made aware that the
campaign committees wanted to use pictures in terms of a fundraising
tool, to raise money for the GOP?
MR. FLEISCHER: A couple different staffers, I'm not -- a couple
different staffers.
Q Is it something that Karl signs off on?
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't know if Karl, himself, knew ahead of time,
or not.
Q Can you find out?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll try to find out.
Q Ari, can you tell me about -- is Carter off beat to say that
he was not informed about the bioterrorism? And why did you drop the
story while he was in Cuba? Was it to plant some seeds of --
whatever?
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, as I know you know from watching testimony
in the United States Senate, this first mention of the United States'
concern about Cuba and bio-weapons was made back in -- actually,
March 19th, in testimony before the United States Senate by the
Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, Carl Ford.
That's when these statements were first made. And Secretary Bolton
reiterated Secretary Ford's statement, almost verbatim, in his speech
to the Heritage Foundation earlier this month. So this is a concern
that goes back several months.
Q Are you saying that President Carter should have known about
this, or just --
MR. FLEISCHER: No, I'm answering your question, when you said, why
did you drop it?
Q He should have followed the testimony?
MR. FLEISCHER: You asked me, why was this dropped in the middle of
President Carter's speech.
Q Yes, why, while he's on that trip?
MR. FLEISCHER: And I'm just pointing out to you that this was made
public in March.
Q Yes, but the reiteration while he's there, and you didn't
inform him of what your concerns were or the threats that you thought
existed.
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, going back to March, months before President
Carter's trip, the United States made clear --
Q That doesn't answer the question, Ari.
MR. FLEISCHER: -- the United States made clear that we have
concerns about Cuba's development of bio-weaponry.
Q Why didn't you tell Carter?
MR. FLEISCHER: In any of the meetings that I'm familiar with, with
President Carter --
Q Not you, per se, but --
MR. FLEISCHER: -- he did not raise those issues.
Q -- Condoleezza Rice, or whoever briefed him.
MR. FLEISCHER: Dr. Rice talked with President Carter for just a
few minutes prior to his trip. And the issues were very general and
broad about the trip.
Q But this was a major concern in connection with Cuba.
MR. FLEISCHER: Here's how President Bush looks at President
Carter's trip to Cuba. The President believes that President Carter is
a crusader for human rights; that President Carter has an opportunity
during this trip to do good things for the people of Cuba. The
President's concern in Cuba is the tyranny of the Castro regime.
Fidel Castro is one of the world's last great tyrants, and the
President hopes that as a result of this trip, as a result of other
policies, that Fidel Castro will change his tune and focus on bringing
freedom and rights to his people, and stop political oppression, stop
political imprisonment, stop inhibiting people's right to free speech,
free worship, free press.
Q So there was no attempt to sabotage Carter's trip, this
announcement?
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, given the fact that this statement was made
in March --
Q No, I'm sorry. When it's reiterated while the man is on the
trip, it doesn't --
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, actually, the statement was made prior to the
trip, Helen, as you know that, as well.
Q What about the issue of bio-weapons? I mean, you say that --
MR. FLEISCHER: Kelly. Kelly.
Q -- the President got it wrong, that President Carter got it
wrong, didn't you?
MR. FLEISCHER: You will forfeit your turn, Kelly, we go in order
here. You will forfeit -- Kelly.
Q No, I'm not forfeiting. Let me ask. Since the gaggle, were
you able to talk to any of your colleagues at the State Department to
find out more of what was discussed during those briefings between
President Carter and the State Department officials?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes -- I'd refer you to the agencies, they'll
have to explain their meetings.
Q But on the bio-weapons, specifically --
Q On trade, Evans says that he -- if Craig's amendment passes,
that he'll recommend the President veto it. Is the President inclined
to veto the bill?
MR. FLEISCHER: We have a number of concerns about an amendment
that is on the floor of the United States Senate, potentially to come
to the floor of the United States Senate by the Senator, and he has a
cosponsor on that, as well. And there is a veto threat out because it
would seriously undermine the cause and the purpose of free trade. So
that's a very sincere message to the Senate, to help protect free trade
and to defeat that amendment.
Q So the President would veto it if Craig's amendment passes?
MR. FLEISCHER: He has a recommendation from his advisors to veto.
I have not heard it from the President, himself, directly, but the
President understands the concerns made by his Cabinet members. It's a
serious concern and that's why they have recommended a veto to the
President. It is a serious problem.
Q Ari, one of the things Mr. Carter has said in Cuba was one of
the purposes of his asking for the briefings with high government
officials, including White House officials, was to share with him any
concerns the U.S. government could have had about possible terrorist
activities that were supported by Cuba. And he said, there were
absolutely no such allegations made or questions raised. In other
words, no one asked any questions about anything they were worried
about --
MR. FLEISCHER: I cannot in all possibilities anticipate any
question that former President Carter raised or brought up himself in
the course of briefings. I can't answer for you who it was who
President Carter asked to be briefed by and whether they had knowledge
of every program and every concern the government has. Many of these
types of briefings depend on who the people are, who President Carter
asked to be briefed by. There's an abundance of information. Whether
each and every topic of information that was known was discussed in the
course of a briefing is impossible for me to say. I can tell you about
the meeting that he had -- the conversation that he had with Dr.
Rice.
Q And Dr. Rice --
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, Dr. Rice talked to former President Carter, as
she does, and people throughout the government do when former
Presidents undertake visits to foreign countries. It's not uncommon
for them to talk to Dr. Rice or other officials. That conversation was
a very brief conversation on May 9th, on the morning of May 9th, if I
recall. And they talked generally about Cuba. This question of
bio-weaponry was not raised by President Carter or brought up by Dr.
Rice.
Q You just said what President Bush would like ex-President
Carter to do in Cuba. So far he has met with two of the most
distinguished or known dissidents on the island. I think he's speaking
today -- I don't know if he's spoken yet -- to the Cuban people on
live television -- to Havana. Does the President consider that so
far what Mr. Carter has done in Cuba fits what he would like him to
do?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, that's why I indicated, the President
believes that President Carter has been a champion of human rights
around the world. And President Carter will be in Cuba for a number of
days. And the President wishes President Carter every bit of success
in helping convince President Castro to change his regime, to change
his tyrannical system, to bring freedom and to end the repression of
the Cuban people.
Q Ari, back to the photos for a minute. Is the President aware
that these pictures are being sold? And is the President aware that
there's some criticism floating out there about the sale of these
photos?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President is aware of it.
Q Of both?
MR. FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q What was his reaction?
MR. FLEISCHER: Ken.
Q Can I follow up --
MR. FLEISCHER: I've shared it with you, Ron.
Q No, we've heard your reaction; what's the President's?
MR. FLEISCHER: I've shared it with you. I speak for the
President.
Ken.
Q Can you repeat for me what the President's reaction is to the
idea --
MR. FLEISCHER: The President's reaction is that the party
committees have made these three photos of him doing his job for the
American people available.
Q And you and he have had an opportunity to object, and you're
obviously not objecting to this --
MR. FLEISCHER: That's what I indicated. The party committees made
their decision and the White House did not object.
Ken.
Q His reaction to Democratic criticism?
MR. FLEISCHER: Ken. Ken.
Q Ari, different topic. Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah said in the
Saudi press he was very impressed with his time with President Bush.
However, he was concerned that he felt that the President was not very
informed about the situation in the Middle East, particularly relating
to the Palestinians. Do you buy those remarks, and is that something
that the Crown Prince --
MR. FLEISCHER: The President had a very productive meeting with
the Crown Prince, and they each shared a lot of information with each
other. And I think as a result of the meeting, they both feel better
informed about the views of each other.
Q What about specifically the charge that he felt the President
showed up for that session uninformed about many issues?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think I've addressed it.
Elizabeth.
Q Is the photo -- the White House photo of the President on
Air Force One, was that taken by Eric Draper? Was he the
photographer?
MR. FLEISCHER: I couldn't tell you exactly which White House
photographer it was. I think it may have been Mr. Draper.
Q That was the only one you released that day of that actually
scene, of the President talking to Cheney.
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't know how many photos the White House
released on September 11th. I'd be surprised if it was only one, but
--
Q There's one of Bush talking to Cheney on Air Force One that
you released to the general press. The Times ran it. Is that the one
you're talking about?
MR. FLEISCHER: I haven't seen the picture myself, so I couldn't
tell you. I just know that the photo was released to the press, and I
can't speak to how or why the press then provides it to commercial
vendors, and whether the press is paid by the commercial vendor for
their release of the picture. But then it was purchased by the --
from the commercial vendor, by the party committees.
Q Can I ask another question? So if you guys said you gave
approval in general to these pictures, the congressional committees
using these pictures for fundraising, if you had known that one of them
was going to be the Air Force One picture, would you have given your
approval?
MR. FLEISCHER: That's a hypothetical. I can't answer a question
about an event that didn't take place.
Q Sure you can answer that question. I mean, it's causing a lot
of trouble. If the President had known, if Karl Rove had known, do you
think he would have said, yes?
MR. FLEISCHER: I can't answer a question about an event that
didn't take place.
Terry.
Q Can I try one more on this? You say that these are pictures
of the President doing his job for the American people. On 9/11, that
job was one of those moments where he's acting not as a Republican or
the leader of his party, but as the Commander-in-Chief, at a moment
when he's the focus of the hopes and fears in the country. Why isn't
he concerned that now selling this photograph to raise money for
Republicans could undermine something that he frequently says, which is
that the war and its prosecution and the commitment to it should be
above and beyond partisan politics. Why isn't he concerned that
deploying this photograph for partisan politics undermines that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, every day that the President does his job
for the American people is a day that the President tries to bring the
nation together. That doesn't stop, in the President's opinion, the
rights of the American people, if they so choose, to participate in our
democracy through the party committees. The same question could be
asked of a State of the Union. The same question could be asked of any
picture ever taken by the President of the United States in the course
of doing his duties.
What the Democrats are really saying is, once somebody is elected
President, they should never be allowed to have any pictures taken of
them for any purpose at any time in the course of their administration
for the purposes of helping to build a Republican Party, or in the case
of the Democrats, a Democratic Party. Every day the President --
Q But 9/11 --
Q What Democrats --
MR. FLEISCHER: -- every day the President -- every day the
President is doing his job for the American people in a variety of
settings, in a variety of ways. And it's the right of people to
participate in our democratic system through their political parties,
as they see fit, to support the President.
Q Isn't the war a special case, though, as he himself reminds
the country, very frequently?
MR. FLEISCHER: The fact of the matter is, Terry, any picture taken
of the President in that context is a reminder of how this President
has brought the nation together, Democrats and Republicans alike.
Q But so -- just to be clear -- hold on, Ari, let me follow
up on that.
MR. FLEISCHER: David, you're going to keep going like we are.
Q You skip over the ones you don't want to take.
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm taking all the ones I don't want to take.
(Laughter.) Go ahead, Peter. You just want to ask them all.
Q Row by row?
MR. FLEISCHER: Go ahead. We'll come back.
Q For the record, does the President, as the ultimate head of
his party, have the power to reject or approve the use of his name or
image in this kind of a pitch?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the party committees, as you know, have the
right to engage in what manner of fundraising they see fit for
themselves. And as I indicated, the White House was made generally
aware by the party committees of their desire to use pictures. And the
White House did not object. But these decisions ultimately do belong
to the party committees, unless the White House objects.
Q But for the record, doesn't the President, by tradition, as
head of the party, have the power to approve or disapprove of the
efforts of his party?
MR. FLEISCHER: As I just said, these decisions are made by the
party committees, unless the White House objects. And as I indicated
earlier, I've discussed this matter with the President. These
decisions were made by the party committees; the White House did not
object, for the reasons that I gave, about the President doing his job
every day for the country and for the people of both parties.
Q Do you feel that the Democrats, or some of the watchdog
groups, including one who described this as a cheaper version of the
Lincoln Bedroom, are out of line in questioning the propriety?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the Democrats are having a very difficult
time coming to grips with the fact that this is a very popular
President. And I think that what they do is they take some of the
items that lend themselves to the President's popularity, and they try
to lash out without any solid basis about it. And that's Washington.
And that's just not the way the President does his business.
Ken.
Q Going back to the Cuba issue for a moment. If this issue was
important enough for Under Secretary Ford to raise on March 19th in
congressional testimony, why wasn't it important enough for Dr. Rice to
raise in a briefing with former President Carter a month or so after
that testimony?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as you can imagine, there are many officials
who testify about any number of items on Capitol Hill, or talk to any
number of groups and speeches about our policy toward Cuba. If you add
up every single instance about anything they ever talk about on Cuba,
it's probably too much for any one phone call, unless the phone call
lasts hours.
So again, I can't speak for what issues President Carter himself
raised, why he may have asked or may not have asked specific questions
about these programs. But I can just tell you, again, the issue about
Cuba engaging in biological warfare research and development is an
issue of concern to the United States.
Q But if it was enough of a concern to raise in congressional
testimony, if it was enough of a concern for Assistant Secretary Bolton
to raise it after the fact, why didn't Dr. Rice raise it with a former
President who is about to go to Cuba?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's also to remember the context of former
President Carter's trip to Cuba is something, as I indicated, the
President recognizing the former President's leadership on human
rights. The conversation Dr. Rice had was in the context of the
purpose of his trip, which was the focus on human rights. He is going
as a private citizen. We have many official capacities here -- you
saw the Secretary's testimony on the Hill -- to share any concerns
the United States has.
Q One more please, on this one. You went through this morning
the areas of concern to the administration on this issue. And you
focused on the possibility of duel-use biotechnology that might be
provided by Cuba to other countries. Isn't that an area in which --
I mean, duel-use biotechnology, that could include -- any piece of
equipment used to make vaccines could be characterized as duel use in
biotechnology.
MR. FLEISCHER: Which is exactly what makes it such a difficult
issue, when you're dealing with bio-weaponry. One of the issues about
bio-weaponry is it's hard to find. And therefore, if somebody says
that there's no hard evidence, that's the very nature of bio-weaponry,
itself. It is hard to find, it is hard to find evidence.
Nevertheless, based on what is well-known and has been publicly stated,
going back to March, by this administration, we have concerns about
Cuba's -- about Cuba's limited offensive biological warfare research
and development.
Q Can I try one more on that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Connie.
Q Thank you. Just to change topics, any reaction today, any
fresh reaction to the Likud vote on a Palestinian state, and any
reaction to Sharon's statement today?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, in reaction to the Likud vote, this is a
matter of internal Israeli politics, and I don't comment on internal
domestic political issues in foreign nations. But suffice it to say
that President Bush continues to believe that the best way to bring a
long-lasting peace to the region is through the creation of a
Palestinian state alongside Israel, that can live in security, side by
side.
Jim.
Q On Iraq, the only issue is that the sanctions is also
inspection. What is the administration's current position on
inspections? And do you have a timetable for when they might resume or
when there might be a move in the U.N. to push their resumption?
MR. FLEISCHER: That continues to be discussed at the United
Nations. And the American position is just as clear as ever, that
inspections are a means to an end, and the end is to make certain that
Saddam Hussein does exactly what he said he would do when he signed the
armistice ending the Persian Gulf War, which is a pledge not to develop
weapons of mass destruction.
Q As you know, a number of officials, including the Secretary of
Defense, has suggested that inspections are not that helpful, that most
of what we have learned has come from defectors, rather than
inspections. How much faith does the administration have in
inspections inside Iraq?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, that's why I've described them as a means to
an end, and the focus is on the end, more importantly, than the means.
The focus is on making certain that he does not have weapons of mass
destruction, not that he is able to have some people into his country
and then evade their ability to find out whether or not he, indeed, has
weapons of mass destruction. That's the bottom line and that's the
threat to the world: does he or does he not have weapons of mass
destruction. And that's the purpose of the United States' efforts.
Q If I could, one other thing. There was a report that 25
Islamic extremists had come into the United States as stowaways,
prompting one senator to say that the United States is "defenseless."
Any comment on that?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know, I've been looking into that since those
allegations were first made this week, and the best that I've been able
to glean at this point, that uncorroborated information, that's not
information that I can confirm.
Q Ari, back on the Cuba matter for a moment. Is it enough of an
issue that in his speeches next week the President is going to bring up
this "maybe they do/maybe they don't" matter?
MR. FLEISCHER: In terms of bio-weaponry?
Q Bio-weaponry, yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: Number one, I have not seen a draft of his speech
yet for next week, and so -- I don't think you're in a position to
know, either, whether he will or will not raise that issue. I would
invite you to attend Monday's speech.
Q But will he take the plunge?
MR. FLEISCHER: Will the President take the plunge?
Q The plunge, yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: You mean will he say that?
Q Something like --
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, if I tell you now you might not show up for
Monday's speech. You need to be there.
Q Under the terms of the new treaty with Russia, nuclear
warheads will not be destroyed, only stored. Doesn't this increase the
risk of warheads winding up in the hands of terrorists or rogue
states?
MR. FLEISCHER: The fact of the matter is this breakthrough in arms
reductions with Russia is, in terms of the issue of storage and in
terms of the issue of destruction, is being handled in the identical
manner of the previous arms control reductions, arms reduction
agreements. And some weapons will be destroyed, some weapons will be
dismantled, some weapons will be put into storage. Those are the facts
of this arms control agreement.
And we will continue to work with Russia, through the Nunn-Lugar
program and other programs that we have, to ensure that the safekeeping
of Russian weaponry is maintained no matter what the status of the
warhead.
Q Thank you.
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