For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 21, 2004
President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Allawi in New York Tuesday
Remarks by President Bush and Prime Minister Allawi of the Interim Government of Iraq in a Photo Opportunity
The Waldorf-Astoria
New York, New York
12:52 P.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: A couple of opening statements. We'll answer --
I'll answer a couple of questions from the U.S. media, AP and Reuters,
and I'll answer a question from the Iraqi media, as well.
First, Mr. Prime Minister, it's been my delight to visit with you.
I appreciate your courage. I appreciate your leadership. I am -- I
share the same confidence you share that Iraq will be a free nation,
and as a nation, our world will be safer and America will be more
secure. We look forward to working with you, sir. I'm proud that you
have -- you and your administration have stood strong in the face of
the terrorists who want to disrupt progress in Iraq.
Today -- yesterday an American citizen was beheaded. We express
our heartfelt condolences. We send our prayers to the Armstrong
family. We also stand in solidarity with the American that is now
being held captive, while we send our prayers to his wife.
These killers want to shake our will --
PRIME MINISTER ALLAWI: Yes.
PRESIDENT BUSH: They want to determine the fate of the Iraqi
people. We will not allow these thugs and terrorists to decide your
fate, and to decide our fate. As your election draws closer, I'm
confident the terrorists will try to stop the progress by acts of
violence. And I appreciate your will, and I appreciate your strength.
And we'll stand with you, Mr. Prime Minister. Welcome.
PRIME MINISTER ALLAWI: Thank you very much. I would like to pay
my condolences really to the people who lost their lives in defending
-- fighters of freedom and democracy. The barbaric action of yesterday
really is unbelievable. It demonstrates how much these criminals are
wanting to damage our worth across Iraq, as well as in the civilized
world.
We in Iraq appreciate tremendously the courage President Bush took
in deciding to wage war to destroy Saddam. The atrocities and tyranny
and -- atrocities that have been committed when Saddam was around was
unbelievable. We show a lot of -- hundreds of thousands of mass graves
in Iraq.
The war now in Iraq is really not only an Iraqi war, it's a war for
the civilized world to fight terrorists and terrorism. And there is no
route but the route of winning, and we are going to prevail and we are
going to win, regardless of how much damage they are going to make and
cause in Iraq and elsewhere. They want to undermine us in Iraq and to
move from Iraq, to undermine the region. And once they do this, they
will hit hard at the civilized world -- in Washington and New York and
London and Paris and Ankara and Geneva, elsewhere -- everywhere in the
civilized world.
So we are adamant and determined that we, together, will stand and
win against the aggressors, and peace and stability will prevail in the
Middle East. And we thank you very much for your support.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.
Scott.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. You've answered some of Senator
Kerry's criticisms in the last couple days about your Iraq policy. A
couple of Republicans have raised some questions, as well, in the last
couple days. Senator Hagel said that, "sharp analysis of our policies
is required. We didn't do that in Vietnam, to the point where we
finally lost." Senator McCain, you're not being "as straight as we
would want him to be," about the situation in Iraq. What do you say to
them?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Both Senators you quoted strongly want me elected
as President. We agree that the world is better off with Saddam
Hussein sitting in a prison cell. And that stands in stark contrast to
the statement my opponent made yesterday when he said that the world
was better off with Saddam in power.
I strongly disagree. It is in our interests that we deal with
Prime Minister Allawi. It's in our interests that we work toward a
free society in Iraq. And I believe we'll have a free society in Iraq,
and I know that a free society in Iraq makes America safer and the
world better off.
My opponent has taken so many different positions on Iraq that his
statements are hardly credible at all.
Who is from the Iraqi media?
Q Mr. President, how do you evaluate Mr. Allawi's visit to
America? And in what way -- how can we -- what the result will be
reflected on the situation of Iraq, as a result of this visit?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, first, I'm glad to be able to look him in
the eye -- (laughter) -- and tell him how much I appreciate his
courage. I believe that Iraq needed a strong government to lead the
people toward a free world. And this group of gentlemen here are doing
just that.
This is an important visit because the Prime Minister will be able
to explain clearly to the American people that not only is progress
being made, that we will succeed. The American people have seen
horrible scenes on our TV screens. And the Prime Minister will be able
to say to them that in spite of the sacrifices being made, in spite of
the fact that Iraqis are dying and U.S. troops are dying, as well, that
there is a will amongst the Iraqi people to succeed. And we stand with
them. It's also an important visit for me to say to the people of Iraq
that America has given its word to help, and we'll keep our word.
Who is the Reuters man here?
Q Right here, Mr. President, thank you. Why do you think the
CIA's assessment of conditions in Iraq are so much at odds with the
optimism that you and Prime Minister Allawi are expressing at the
moment?
PRESIDENT BUSH: The CIA laid out a -- several scenarios that said,
life could be lousy, like could be okay, life could be better. And
they were just guessing as to what the conditions might be like. The
Iraqi citizens are defying the pessimistic predictions. The Iraqi
citizens are headed toward free elections. This government has been in
place for a little over two months, and the Iraqi citizens are seeing a
determined effort by responsible citizens to lead to a more hopeful
tomorrow. And I am optimistic we'll succeed.
Listen, I understand how tough it is. The Prime Minister
understands how tough it is -- he has to live with the few who are
trying to stop the aspirations of the many. And we are -- we're
standing with the Iraqi people because it's in our nation's interests
to do so. We're standing with the people of this good country because
we understand that, as Prime Minister has said, that we must defeat
them there; otherwise we'll face them here at home.
And we'll prevail. We will succeed. It's an historic
opportunity. And that's why I'm so honored to be with the Prime
Minister. It's an historic opportunity not only to change this good
country for the better and secure America, but it's an historic
opportunity to set example for people in the broader Middle East that
free societies can, and will, exist.
And I want to thank you for your leadership, sir.
PRIME MINISTER ALLAWI: Thank you, Mr. President. It's very
important for the people of the world really to know that we are
winning, we are making progress in Iraq. We are defeating terrorists.
Najaf, Samarra, Mosul, Basra are all live examples that a lot of
progress have been made. Unfortunately, the media have not been
covering these significant gains in Iraq. And this is all because of
the determination of the Iraqi people. The light that they are seeing
at the end will -- democracy will prevail, the rule of law will
prevail. The issues and culture of human rights will prevail. And the
friendship with the United States and with the civilized nations are
comfortable there.
So, really, the winning, it's unfortunate, is not being portrayed
in the media. This is very unfortunate. I always say that we are
welcoming any media who wants to come to Iraq and see for themselves
the grounds we are covering and the winning we are doing in Iraq.
PRESIDENT BUSH: One thing is for certain. My discussions with
Prime Minister Allawi reconfirm to me that the world is much better off
with Prime Minister Allawi and his government in power. And any
statement to the contrary is wrong. The idea somehow that the world
would be better off with Saddam Hussein in power is an absurd notion.
Thank you all.
END 1:02 P.M. EDT
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