For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 4, 2003
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One
En route Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California
8:00 A.M. PST
MR. McCLELLAN: Good morning. Let me go through the President's
day. He had his usual briefing earlier, en route to California. And
upon arrival, the Freedom Corps greeter today will be Sue Mayberry.
She is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, she has been
since 1992; and she is a team leader with the Southern San Diego County
Disaster Action Team of the American Red Cross. And she has
volunteered more than 100 hours in the past week assisting San Diego
residents who were forced to evacuate because of the wildfires.
Following that, we will board the helicopters and the President
will participate in an aerial tour of areas that have been damaged by
the wildfires. The Governor and Governor elect will join him on board
Marine One, as will the division chief of the California Department of
Forestry, Bill Clayton, and FEMA head Mike Brown.
And then the President following that, the President will
participate in a walking tour of the Harbison Canyon community that has
been damaged by the wildfires.
Then the President will receive a briefing on the wildfires from
area fire chiefs.
Q Is that fire division chief spelling in the schedule, the
name of Bill it sounded like Playton?
MR. McCLELLAN: Sounded like what?
Q Sounded like, Bill Playton, is that name in the schedule, the
fire division chief?
MR. McCLELLAN: We're going to get you a backgrounder that will
have all this information in it.
Then the President will participate in a greeting and make remarks
to off duty firefighters and volunteers. I expect the President will
touch on the strength and the character of the people in the area in
the face of great adversity and I expect he will talk about the concern
they have shown for one another during this time period. And I also
expect he will personally thank the firefighters, the first responders,
rescue workers, emergency managers, military personnel, volunteers and
other state and local and federal officials who have been involved in
the response and recovery efforts.
And then we return to our nation's capital, and that's the
schedule. With that, I'll be glad to take whatever questions you might
have.
Q The First Lady's birthday this evening or anniversary?
MR. McCLELLAN: Actually, he's already celebrated Mrs. Bush's
birthday. They celebrated with some close friends this weekend at the
ranch in Crawford. Mrs. Bush also received a call from the President's
parents this morning, the President and Mrs. Bush wished her a happy
birthday.
The President gave her a John Clem Clarke painting. He's a close
friend, a New York Artist John Clem Clarke.
Q Would you mind spelling that for us?
MR. McCLELLAN: John, J o h h, Clem, C l e m, and Clarke, is C l a
r k e.
Q A major friend of the family?
MR. McCLELLAN: A friend and a New York artist.
Q What does the painting depict, do you know?
MR. McCLELLAN: It was wrapped.
Q Her birthday is today?
MR. McCLELLAN: Today, yes; their anniversary is tomorrow.
Q Any plans tomorrow for their anniversary?
MR. McCLELLAN: No updates on their anniversary at this point.
Q Is the President going to announce any additional aid, that
has not yet been announced, for California?
R. McCLELLAN: Well, I think today he'll, one, receive a briefing
on the state and local and federal response and recovery efforts. He's
going to hear from the officials that are involved in those efforts
firsthand. We already some of this information will be in the
backgrounder, as well. We have already provided a significant amount
of assistance from the federal level in the response and recovery
efforts from the grant money that is going out to help individuals and
families who have been affected by these wildfires, to the one stop
centers that have been set up by FEMA. So there are a number of
efforts already underway.
Q Do we know if federal aid has been provided?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think that that will be in your backgrounder,
kind of the latest numbers, some $3 million in grants has already been
provided.
Q Did I read there was more put into the supplemental yesterday
for that, as well?
MR. McCLELLAN: Into the wartime supplemental? I'll check that, I
don't know. I don't know about that.
Q Is he going to sign the Iraqi supplemental bill?
MR. McCLELLAN: Hopefully, I'll have more to announce on that
tomorrow.
Q -- next week?
MR. McCLELLAN: No updates to the schedule on that. I'll try to
get you more on that tomorrow.
Q A couple questions on Iraq for you, Scott. Mohammed
ElBaradei is seeking -- is asking the United States to let U.N.
inspectors back in. Do we have any intention of doing that?
MR. McCLELLAN: I saw his comments. Our coalition continues to
oversee those efforts. The Iraq survey group, headed by Dr. Kay, is
leading those efforts, and they continue to remain in charge of those
efforts.
Q The other question on Iraq, too, is it seems like the
strategy is shifting almost completely to Iraqification on security.
Have we given up hope of getting more international military and
financial aid in there?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, we have had a strategy in place when it
comes to bringing about a secure, peaceful, free and democratic Iraq.
And then of course you've heard me talk about how important that is to
winning the war on terrorism. A free and peaceful and democratic Iraq
will serve as an example to the rest of the Middle East, which has been
a breeding ground for terrorism. And the strategy that we have put in
place really centers around the security efforts, the transfer -- the
transition to self-government by the Iraqi people, and the economic and
-- the economic reconstruction efforts, which will also help improve
the security situation, so that we can achieve our objectives there.
And we are -- certainly on this, it's important to be able to have
some flexibility within that strategy. Certainly on the security front
we are accelerating our efforts to involve more and more Iraqis in the
security of the country. We are staying on the offensive, from the
military standpoint. We are working to improve the intelligence
gathering, so that we can act on that intelligence.
And so we are adapting and adjusting to the enemy -- the foreign
terrorists and the Baathists, the criminals that were released. We are
continuing to accelerate our efforts to transition sovereignty to the
Iraqi people, as well, and accelerate our efforts on the reconstruction
front. It's important that we move quickly to restore the essential,
basic services for the Iraqi people. It's important that -- that's
part of our efforts to create a civil and stable society, which will
also help improve the security situation.
Q What are the prospects, in your assessment, that we'll be
able to draw more international financial and military aid as part of
this --
MR. McCLELLAN: We already have significant international
participation in Iraq. We welcome the recent passing of the third
U.N. resolution in the post-war aftermath. And we welcome the
commitment by nations at the Madrid donors conference. Those are some
significant commitments of financial assistance to the Iraqi people.
The Iraqi people are the ones who will benefit from the international
participation, and are benefiting from the international participation
in Iraq.
Q But my question is going forward. Do you hope -- do you
expect more military, financial aid?
MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to talk with nations about additional
ways that they can participate and help the Iraqi people realize a
better future. I think the international community recognizes the
importance of building a secure, peaceful, free and democratic Iraq for
the Iraqi people, and what that will mean to the -- to building a safer
and better world.
Q Tariq Aziz apparently has been telling investigators or
interrogators that Saddam Hussein was using his weapons of mass
destruction image as a ruse, that he didn't really have them, he was
merely claiming to have them to try to scare off the United States or
attackers. Is there any credibility there?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not going to get into discussions of any of the
interrogations or classified information of that nature.
Q Well, what do you think of the notion that he was --
MR. McCLELLAN: Look, what I know is that Saddam Hussein has been
removed from power, and his regime is no more, and they will not be
coming back. The Iraqi people have a better and brighter future ahead
of them because of the actions we took. The world is also a safer and
better place because of the action we took to remove Saddam Hussein and
his regime from power.
Q Is it possible that major fighting could resume in Iraq? I
mean, you say he's not coming back, but he hasn't been caught yet.
Some people say he's behind some of these attacks. Could there be a --
MR. McCLELLAN: We've indicated we have no evidence that he is
involved. And in terms of the questions about military activity, I
think those are best directed toward the military leaders in the region
to make those assessments.
Q You have no evidence that he's not involved, either.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that, one, Saddam Hussein is in a
survival mode. Again, we have no evidence that he is involved in any
way. I think it would be -- as Dr. Rice pointed out last week -- hard
or difficult for him to be very involved in any of that.
Q Can we expect reactions from the President or from you on
elections today?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's tonight, I guess. I'm sure that you
all will ask us about it later, or tomorrow.
Q If there's a call, an official call in a race, can we look to
you for reaction this evening?
MR. McCLELLAN: We'll make sure we've got at least our duty officer
prepared for any reaction.
Q The President hasn't taken questions in a week. Do you think
he'll be inclined to do that today?
MR. McCLELLAN: He takes questions on a regular basis. And while
you say he hasn't taken questions for a week, he had a news conference
last week and took extensive questions. Those are always
possibilities.
All right? Thank you.
* * * * *
Q Scott, what's your take of the President's take on this
mushrooming mutual fund scandal and how these various agencies are
doing in their investigations?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, the SEC and the Justice
Department are working to address these issues through the Corporate
Fraud Task Force. The President has great confidence in Chairman
Donaldson and the SEC to address these issues. And beyond that, I
really can't get into commenting on ongoing investigations.
Q The SEC said yesterday that a quarter of mutual fund traders,
or the big traders, had engaged in an illegal practice of trading
mutual fund shares after hours. It's the kind of behavior the
President has condemned in the past, corporate behavior. Is that
something that you want to weigh in on, or he would?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, I don't -- I can't get into commenting
about ongoing investigations that may be underway. But we do have
great confidence in Chairman Donaldson and the SEC to address these
issues. It's important that these issues are addressed and they are --
they are being addressed by the appropriate agencies.
Q Scott, is the President concerned that this mutual fund
scandal might hurt the economy the same way the corporate scandals
earlier did?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, I would go back to what the President
has always talked about. The corporate responsibility -- or corporate
America has a responsibility to address these matters.
Q To address these matters?
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, to address these matters -- to address these
matters and ensure confidence in our markets.
Q Is there anything the President could do to help keep that
confidence from sagging?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, the appropriate agencies are
addressing these matters. They are looking into it. And we have full
confidence in the SEC's ability to address these issues. But I'm not
in position to where I can comment on specific ongoing investigations.
Okay? Thanks.
Q Thanks very much.
END 8:17 A.M. PST
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