For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 18, 2003
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Manila, Philippines
10:37 A.M. (L)
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me go through the President's day and then jump
into questions after that. The President, as usual, had briefings
before departing the Ambassador's residence this morning. Upon arrival
at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, the President will participate
in a greeting to Embassy personnel. Then we will depart for the Rizal
Monument, where the President will participate in a wreath-laying
ceremony to honor Dr. Jose Rizal who was a patriot, physician and
writer, whose literary works inspired the Philippine nationalist
movement during the Spanish occupation. In 1896, Dr. Rizal wrote a
lengthy poem called the Ultima Adios, or My Last Farewell. And in his
-- this was in his prison cell before being put to death.
Q Can you say a few lines?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the text of it appears on the monument.
That's why I was pointing that out. It was his martyrdom that inspired
the country. And later, revolution broke out and Asia soon had its
first independent republic.
From there, the President and Mrs. Bush will participate in a
welcoming ceremony with President and Attorney Arroyo at the Malacanang
Palace. Then the President will participate in bilateral meetings with
President Arroyo. We've got pool coverage at the end of the first part
of that.
Q Got what?
MR. McCLELLAN: Pool coverage at the end of the first part of that,
bilaterals. Never rule anything out. Just pool coverage.
Later, the President looks forward to making remarks to the
Philippine National Congress. And as a reminder, he is the first
American President since President Eisenhower to do so. The address is
expected to be televised nationally in the Philippines. In his
remarks, the President will talk about how the Philippines is a
longstanding ally and valued friend, in fact our oldest ally in Asia.
He will talk about our shared history and shared sacrifice for
democracy. And the President will also highlight the importance of our
efforts to fight terrorism and the Philippines' and President Arroyo --
the commitment of the Philippines and President Arroyo for their
efforts to combat terrorism, particularly groups like Abu Sayyaf.
And the President will also talk about our military alliance and
how the United States is prepared to support the Philippines as the
government moves forward to modernize and reform the military and to
make it more effective, make a more effective fighting force. And he
will also herald the Filipino people in their commitment to democracy
in the remarks. And then this evening, the President and Mrs. Bush
look forward to participating in the state dinner hosted by President
and Attorney Arroyo, again at the Malacanang Palace.
And, finally, I just want to make a couple remarks. This has been
an important week for progress and success. The United Nations
unanimously passed another resolution that will help broaden
international support in Iraq even more, and sends the message that the
world does have a stake in helping the Iraqi people build a secure,
free and democratic future. We also -- Japan and Spain both have
stepped forward with welcome and significant financial assistance to
the reconstruction in Iraq.
Q Who? Japan and Spain?
MR. McCLELLAN: Japan and Spain both have announced financial
assistance.
And finally, the Congress acted yesterday to pass the President's
wartime supplemental, which will help us prevail on the central front
of the war on terrorism, as we help the Iraqi people transition to a
sovereign and democratic future.
And with that --
Q How are you going to get the Senate drop their insistence on
some of the money being loans?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, you have the President's remarks today.
The President has made it very clear that it sends the wrong message
that we will work to remove that -- urge the Conference Committee
leaders to remove that during the conference. You know, the Iraqi
people are already saddled with debt from Saddam Hussein's regime, and
we don't believe that they should be saddled with new debt. It sends
the wrong message to the international community as well, as we are
working to increase financial assistance from other nations as well, as
we head into the Madrid conference.
Q On the walk-up to the war, several administration officials,
looking beyond the war into postwar Iraq, including Wolfowitz, said
that, in particular, the Iraqi oil industry was well equipped to help
pay for the restoration of Iraq and the rebuilding of Iraq.
MR. McCLELLAN: Right.
Q Has the administration changed its view on that?
MR. McCLELLAN: No. We've stated that there's additional funding
that will come from both the international community as well as the
Iraqi people, in the form of their own -- to help with the
reconstruction efforts. And we've always been very up front, as we
knew what the cost would be, what our commitment would be for the
United States, as well as what we needed from others as well.
Q Scott, the President held a meeting with senators last week
and was pretty firm with them and they didn't listen to him. What more
can he do --
MR. McCLELLAN: He also dropped by meetings with House members as
well, and House members heeded his call. We will continue to emphasize
that it sends the wrong message, for the very reasons he stated in his
statement today and the very reasons I just stated to you all.
Q You say -- if a bill comes out of conference that says it has
to be loans, will the President accept that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we believe it's important for Congress to
remove -- remove the loans from the legislation and make this in the
form of grants. It's important that we send the right message with
this legislation and that we not, as I said, saddle the Iraqi people
with additional debt.
Q Would he veto the bill if it came down that way?
MR. McCLELLAN: We're going to work to remove it as they move
forward in the Conference Committee. We believe it needs to be removed
from this wartime supplemental.
Q But you won't say he's going to veto it?
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I think I've just addressed it. We're going
to -- the President has made a very strong statement. He's met with
some members to urge that this be in the form of grants. And we will
continue to send that message as they work in Conference Committee.
Q How quick are you going to be able to establish this
multinational force in Iraq now that this U.N. resolution has been
passed?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, some of that -- one, we're in
discussions with Turkish officials about their commitment. We're also
in discussions with the Iraqi governing council on those issues. But I
think Secretary Powell and Dr. Rice both said that, yes, that would
come over time; that it's not expected to come necessarily right away.
But we will continue to work to broaden international participation
even more. And this resolution sends a clear message that the world
does have a responsibility to help the Iraqi people transition to a
secure, free and democratic future.
Q Scott, the radio address was recorded, right? The radio
address was recorded? What was the subject?
MR. McCLELLAN: This month is all on Iraq, the progress in Iraq.
What else?
Q Scott, on Tuesday, the President apparently had a meeting
with one of his officials in which he told them firmly, no more leaks
and no more anonymous officials quoted in the paper. It was a
Knight-Ridder report this week. Was there a meeting of such --
MR. McCLELLAN: I didn't see the Knight-Ridder report. I'm not
sure what it said. What did it say?
Q That basically he sort of read the riot act essentially to a
lot of the administration officials about no more leaks and no more
anonymous officials being quoted in the paper.
MR. McCLELLAN: Where did this supposedly happen?
Q The White House, on Tuesday.
Q The story quoted an unnamed official.
MR. McCLELLAN: During what kind of meeting.
Q It was just a meeting --
MR. McCLELLAN: With administration officials?
Q Yes, top administration officials.
MR. McCLELLAN: When was our Cabinet meeting? That was last week.
This was this week? I'll have to look at the report. I haven't seen
it, I haven't heard anything like that.
Q The gist was you're all supposed to speak completely on the
record now.
MR. McCLELLAN: I haven't heard anything like that. But I'll look
at it, I'll look at the report.
Anything else?
Q Are we going to hear from anybody today? Is there a briefing
scheduled?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, we're working to get someone over to the
filing center, I think after the bilateral meetings and before the
state dinner, a senior administration official.
Q With a look ahead to tomorrow, as well as --
MR. McCLELLAN: Talk a little bit about today and then touch on
tomorrow a little bit.
Q So it won't be on the plane; it will be at the file?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, it will be at the filing center.
All right.
10:47 A.M. (L)
* * *
11:21 A.M. (L)
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll add one thing. I looked into that last
question. I read the report. So I just wanted to add to it -- on
Knight-Ridder that you asked about, so we'll just close it off on the
gaggle.
All right, I looked into the report about the Knight-Ridder article
where it had an unnamed senior administration official saying that the
President didn't want to see any more unnamed senior administration
officials quoted in articles. And I can tell you that there is no
truth to it -- only on the condition that I am an unnamed senior
administration official.
Q Are you on the record?
MR. McCLELLAN: That was on background. (Laughter.)
11:22 A.M. (L) END
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