For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 16, 2004
Press Gaggle by Scott Mcclellan
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Tampa, Florida
9:13 A.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN: The President had his usual briefings before we
departed. Here shortly on board Air Force One, the President is going
to participate in a roundtable interview with some veterans service
organizations publications. Let me just tell you what publications
those are, so you have that.
It will include The American Legion Magazine, VFW Magazine, The
Military Officers Association of America Magazine, The Disabled
American Veterans Magazine, The -Paraplegia News, and The National
Guard Magazine, and The Voice, which is the retired enlisted
association. Secretary Principi is on board, as well, traveling with
us today. He'll be there, in addition to the President.
Following that, we will land at MacDill Air Force Base. The last
time the President was at MacDill was during the first week of
Operation Iraqi Freedom and I gave you a little bit of a readout on his
remarks yesterday, so I'll skip over that. He'll make remarks to the
military personnel there, and remember that it will be fed, via
satellite, to military personnel who are in Iraq and Afghanistan, as
well as carried on Armed Forces Radio and TV.
Just as a reminder, MacDill Air Force Base, it is home to the 6th
Air Mobility Wing and it is also home to the Central Command and the
Special Operations Command. There are about 6,500 military personnel
located there. And Central Command's area of responsibility includes
27 nations in the Middle East and South and Central Asia. And the
coalition village is also at Central Command, which houses liaisons
from more than 60 nations who are involved in the global war on
terrorism.
Following the remarks to the military men and women there at
MacDill Air Force Base, the President will receive a briefing -- or
participate in a briefing from Central Command and the Special
Operations Command. We've got pool coverage at the top of that. Then
following that briefing, the President will meet with some families of
fallen soldiers. I think right now we expect there will be 11
different families represented there, and it includes fallen from Iraq
as well as Afghanistan. I think there are at least four families of
fallen from Afghanistan that will be present for that meeting.
And then we return back to the White House. That's the President's
schedule. I'll just go straight to your questions.
Q Have you seen the poll that was commissioned by the former
governing authority, taken last month in Iraq, that shows overwhelming
number of Iraqis wish we would leave?
MR. MCCLELLAN: No, I haven't seen the specific poll, but I think
we've -- the President has previously said on a number of occasions
that no one wants to be occupied. We don't want to be occupiers.
That's why we're moving forward on the President's five point plan for
transitioning to self-government in Iraq. And we're making good
progress on the President's five point plan for success in Iraq. And I
think he's going to be talking about some of that in his remarks. And
he will be giving an update about how we're moving forward on that five
point plan.
He'll talk about how the Iraqis are assuming more and more
responsibility for their future as we move toward transferring
sovereignty. And I expect he'll talk about how the coalition is
working to equip and train Iraqi security forces so that, ultimately,
they'll be in a position to provide for their security in the future.
I think in his remarks he'll touch on the challenges that remain,
as well, and talk about how every step we get closer to moving forward
on the transfer of sovereignty and moving forward on the election
process, the terrorists will become more desperate and seek to become
more violent. And, you know, we have a responsibility to help Iraqis
as they move forward on the transition to a democratically elected
representative government. So we'll be there to help them address
these security threats as we move forward.
Q What's the administration doing about Paul Johnson, the
American held hostage in Saudi Arabia?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think any time there is an American citizen
involved in a situation like this it's a high priority for the
administration. We are in close contact with Saudi officials and
working closely with Saudi officials. We're in close contact with Mr.
Johnson's family, as well. The President is being briefed and kept
informed of the situation on a regular basis. And that's where things
stand.
Q Has he been in touch with his family, at all?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, but we are in close contact with the family.
Q Did you ask if the President was in touch?
Q Yes.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, but we are -- officials are in close contact
with his family.
Q There are several Americans who were killed -- three, I
believe, from the Tampa area who were killed Monday morning in Iraq. I
believe they were contractors. Has the President ever met with any of
the civilian families, aside from the families of the fallen soldiers?
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me get you -- I didn't bring the -- I can get
you a list of -- or I can provide you more information on some of the
fallen that the President has met with. I know he's met on -- today's
visit with family of fallen soldiers will probably mark about I think
around the eleventh or twelfth time he has visited with families of
fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan.
But, obviously, any time an American citizen loses their life in a
situation like Iraq, our thoughts and prayers are with their families.
And there are a number of Americans who are not in the military who are
working in Iraq to help the Iraqi people realize a brighter future, and
we are grateful for their sacrifices, as well.
Q Do you know whether the President has met in the past with
any of the civilian families?
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't remember off the top of my head. I'll
double-check it.
Q The President, the last few times he's talked about Iraq, has
mentioned Zarqawi. Do you think he'll mention him today, and his links
to terrorism and pre-war Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you'll be there for his remarks. But,
certainly, we know that Zarqawi is someone who was in Iraq prior to the
decision to go in and remove the regime from power. And he remains in
Iraq. He is one of the enemies of freedom who are seeking to derail
the transition to a free and democratic Iraq. But like the other
enemies of freedom, he will not prevail.
You know, I think the Iraqi people recognize the importance of
taking decisive action against those who would seek to undermine a
brighter future for the Iraqi people. And that's why you have strong
comments from Prime Minister Allawi, saying that those terrorists do
not represent the Iraqi people and that they are prepared to take
decisive action to go after these terrorists.
But the President will talk about in his remarks how, as we move
each step closer to self-government in Iraq, the terrorists will become
more desperate and seek to become more violent, because they recognize
how high the stakes are. The stakes are high in Iraq. And this will
be a critical blow to the terrorists, when we realize a free and
democratic Iraq.
Q Will he discuss the issue of long deployments and the effect
it has on morale?
MR. MCCLELLAN: In his remarks?
Q Yes.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think -- well, part of his remarks is focused on
thanking our men and women in the military who are serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan. They are making tremendous sacrifices, as are their
families, in defense of freedom. And I think that our men and women in
the military recognize the importance of the job that they are
undertaking and that they have undertaken in both Iraq and
Afghanistan. It is part of winning the war on terrorism and advancing
freedom in the world.
But I think he will talk about their service and sacrifice and
thank them for that service and sacrifice.
Q Scott, are there any members of Congress on board?
MR. McCLELLAN: No. I'll try to double-check to see who might be
present at the event, though.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END 9:23 A.M. EDT
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