For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 18, 2004
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Fort Campbell, Kentucky
11:15 A.M. EST
MR. McCLELLAN: Good morning. Let me run through the President's
day. The President spoke with the new Greek prime minister,
Karamanlis. The President called to congratulate the prime minister on
the recent victory in the parliamentary elections in Greece that took
place on March 7th.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of finalizing the Cypress
agreement in the coming weeks, through the process that the Secretary
General outlined. And the two leaders also discussed the close,
ongoing cooperation in providing for a safe and successful Olympics, as
the Olympics return to their land of birth. I would describe it as a
warm, introductory call.
Then the President had his usual briefings --
Q Did the President say anything about going to the Olympics?
MR. McCLELLAN: We always keep you posted on his schedule -- but,
no.
Let's see, the Freedom Corps greeter upon arrival at Fort Campbell
is Billy Colwell, Sr. He is a retired member of the 101st Airborne
Division at Fort Campbell. And he began volunteering with the Fort
Campbell Armed Services YMCA in 1994, which provides programs and
services at no cost to junior enlisted military personnel and their
families.
Then the President will make remarks to the troops at Fort
Campbell. Just a little refresher on Fort Campbell. Fort Campbell is
the third largest military -- or has the third largest military
population in the Army, and the seventh largest in the Department of
Defense. The 101st Airborne Division Screaming Eagles and the 160th
Special Operations Aviation Regiment are stationed at Fort Campbell.
The 101st served both in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom. The 160th served in Iraq. Fort Campbell sent 20,000 soldiers
to Iraq, who just returned in February.
And following the remarks, the President will have lunch with --
President and Mrs. Bush will have lunch with the troops. And then
following the lunch, the President and Mrs. Bush will meet with and
visit with more than 40 families of fallen soldiers.
Then we return back to the White House this evening. And that's
what I've got.
Q How many times has the President met with families of
soldiers who died in Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: I didn't bring those exact numbers with me, but on
several occasions he has --
Q Fourth or fifth or --
MR. McCLELLAN: -- visited the families of fallen and visited with
wounded soldiers, as well, on numerous occasions, as he will do again
tomorrow at Walter Reed.
Q How many casualties have they had at Fort Campbell, do you
know?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I would double check with them on the exact
numbers in Afghanistan and Iraq. I would double check with Fort
Campbell on those numbers. I think I have -- I think that what we have
is -- but double check these numbers with Fort Campbell -- but they
lost 14 in Afghanistan and 60 in Iraq.
Q How many in Afghanistan?
MR. McCLELLAN: Fourteen.
Q You know, Senator Kerry says that the U.S. is bogged down in
Iraq. How do you respond to that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think you've heard from -- earlier from
some of our military leaders and others in Iraq, talking about the
progress that we are making in Iraq. I think the -- you know, if you
look at the Iraqi people, the Iraqi people strongly support the efforts
of the coalition to help them move forward to a sovereign and
democratic and peaceful future. And we are making important progress
in those efforts. Most Iraqis believe that they are better off with
the removal of the regime in Iraq. And I think the President will talk
today about the important progress we are making in Iraq and how we are
helping the Iraqi people move forward on a brighter and better future.
There is important progress being made. And, obviously, I think the
President will touch on yesterday's terrorist attack in Baghdad. There
are enemies of freedom who want to prevent the Iraqi people from
realizing a sovereign and democratic future. And they realize that the
stakes are high in Iraq, and they recognize that a free and peaceful
Iraq will be a major blow in the war on terrorism.
Q Does the President worry about the troops' morale at all,
given the ongoing casualties?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think he'll speak to this in his remarks, as
well. The President will express how we are forever grateful to our
troops for their service and sacrifice, and how we are forever grateful
to the families of our troops. Our troops are doing an outstanding job
in helping the people in Afghanistan and the people in Iraq realize a
much brighter future than what they had under the oppressive regimes
that were formerly in power.
Q Scott, there was a -- there have been some reports about a
letter from either al Qaeda or some extreme Muslim group late yesterday
or overnight promising further attacks against what they called lackeys
of the U.S. -- Italy, U.K., Poland, some of the other countries. Are
you familiar with that letter? Have you checked into it, heard about
it at all? Do you have anything on that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me just say that terrorists want to shake the
will of the civilized world. But our resolve and strength are firm.
This is the war on terrorism. This is a time of testing in the war on
terrorism. We are making significant progress.
But the terrorists want to shake our will. And we must continue to
stay on the offensive and show -- and stand together with strength and
resolve.
Q Do you know about the letter, though? Have you seen the
reports?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I've heard the same reports you've heard.
Q What's the difference between today's speech and tomorrow's
speech?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, today, one, he's speaking to our troops and
thanking them for all that they do to defend freedom and help advance
democracy in the world, and thank them for the tremendous job they are
doing to help us win the war on terrorism. He will also -- he will
obviously talk about Afghanistan and Iraq, within the remarks.
Tomorrow the President will be speaking in the East Room. The
audience will be made up primarily of ambassadors from many countries
who are standing strongly with us in the global war on terrorism. I
expect he will talk about how this is a time of testing, and the
terrorists are trying to shake our will, but the terrorists are finding
out that they cannot shake our will and resolve.
Q When you say, standing --
MR. McCLELLAN: I expect in the remarks he will talk about what we
are achieving in Afghanistan and what we are achieving in Iraq, as
well. The stakes are high. The civilized world is at war with
terrorists. The terrorists declared war on the civilized world. And I
expect tomorrow in his remarks he will touch on last Thursday's attack
in Spain, and how that is a grim reminder that the civilized world is
at war. So I think, you know, tomorrow, he'll put the war on terrorism
in context and talk about its scope.
Q Will France and Germany be represented there? I mean, when
you say, "standing with us," do you just mean Iraq and --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, certainly they have been standing with us in
the global war on terrorism. You know, the President -- I think he'll
touch some on that. There are many different missions in the global
war on terrorism. And countries are helping in a lot of different
ways. I mentioned Germany. I mean, Germany, I would point out, has
been helping with some police training in Iraq. And certainly they
have been standing shoulder to shoulder with us in the global war on
terrorism, as has France in Afghanistan, as well.
Q But have those -- France and Germany, their ambassadors,
going to be there tomorrow? Do you know?
MR. McCLELLAN: Mark, I didn't bring the list with me. There are
going to be many, many countries represented.
Q Did you invite those countries?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sure they were, I just didn't bring that list
with me. But we'll get you that list tomorrow. There are going to be
many, many countries represented tomorrow in the East Room.
Q --
MR. McCLELLAN: Global war on terrorism.
Q But the audience is not just Iraq coalition countries?
MR. McCLELLAN: Certainly there are many countries helping in
Iraq. And I pointed out Germany helping with some police training
there. But no, I'm talking about the global war on terrorism. And
certainly Iraq is a part of that. The terrorists recognize that Iraq
is the central front in the war on terrorism.
Q Did the President do anything on Kosovo today? Has he talked
to anybody in Europe about that?
MR. McCLELLAN: We are -- he has been meeting with some of his
national security team on that -- Dr. Rice, for instance -- and been
briefed on the situation, obviously, there. We are continuing to
monitor the situation closely. We're working with NATO to deploy
additional forces as a precaution. One U.S. company is already en
route as part of a 350 person NATO force today. We continue to call on
all groups to end the violence and refrain from violence. Admiral
Johnson, who is the commander of NATO's -- one of NATO's forces, is
visiting Kosovo today to make an assessment of the situation there.
And then we still -- and certainly the Kosovo force is fully up to
addressing this matter, fully up to addressing this matter.
Q Scott, you talk about progress in Afghanistan. What's the
President's reaction to President Karzai's statement that elections
could well be delayed into late summer or beyond?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think, one, that they're working to move
forward as quickly as they can in Afghanistan on elections. And
Secretary Powell visited the region and has met with President Karzai.
And we will continue to work with them and others in the international
community to help them move forward as quickly as they can to get those
elections underway.
Q This is a setback, though?
MR. McCLELLAN: But I -- I'm sorry, go ahead.
Q Isn't this a setback?
MR. McCLELLAN: To?
Q To progress in Afghanistan.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think they're making -- they've made
significant progress in Afghanistan, and they are continuing to move
forward. And we are there to support those efforts. But, no.
Q All right.
MR. McCLELLAN: Thanks.
END 11:28 A.M. EST
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