10/12/2001 Transcript: White House Briefing, October 12, 2001 President's schedule, Argenbright, Inc., post Taliban Afghanistan,
independent Palestinian state, Northern Alliance troops,
Taliban/second chance, al Qaeda, airline security, Congressional Black
Caucus, missile defense, Afghanistan help, vaccines, March of Dimes,
threats, President's mood, coalition, House Ways and Means Committee
White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer briefed.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 12, 2001
PRESS BRIEFING BY ARI FLEISCHER
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
4:21 P.M. EDT
INDEX
President's schedule
Argenbright, Inc.
Post Taliban Afghanistan
Independent Palestinian state
Northern Alliance troops
Taliban/second chance
al Qaeda
Airline security
Congressional Black Caucus
Missile defense
Afghanistan help
Vaccines
March of Dimes
Threats
President's mood
Coalition
House Ways and Means Committee
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. The President, this morning, called
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, to congratulate him on
winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The President told the Secretary
General "what a magnificent honor" it was for him to have won the
100th Nobel Peace Price.
In addition to congratulating the Secretary General, the President
expressed his determination to carry through with the battle against
terrorism. And he told the Secretary General that he thought the
United Nations would have an important role to play in the future of
Afghanistan.
The President will also, on a separate note, welcome the Prime
Minister of Thailand, Thaksin, to Washington on November 30th.
And, finally, before I take your questions, an announcement just
concluded by the Attorney General, he indicated that the federal
government has taken action against Aviation screening firm
Argenbright, Incorporated, for failure to do background checks on
airline screeners. This action taken by the Attorney General
underscores the President's determination to make certain that his
proposal for aviation security is passed by the Congress.
If you recall, the President has proposed that the federal government
will take over responsibility for all background checks for screeners
at airports. The action taken today by the Attorney General is a
reminder to the Congress the importance of taking action on that
legislation so the President can sign it.
Ron.
Q: I asked this question kind of awkwardly this morning. When did the
White House and the President begin considering the idea of having the
United Nations get involved in rebuilding a post-Taliban Afghanistan?
And when did the President propose it to Kofi Annan, or Kofi Annan to
the President?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, in a conversation the President had with Kofi
Annan yesterday, the President raised the issue of the United Nations'
role in the future of Afghanistan.
Q: Yesterday?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yesterday. And Kofi Annan said the United Nations was
interested in pursuing this subject. During the course of all the
conversations in the Security Council meetings, in accordance with the
Afghanistan declaratory policy, this has been a topic. And if you
remember in the declaratory policy it says that "we do not want to
choose who rules Afghanistan, but we will assist those who seek a
peaceful economically developing Afghanistan free of terrorism."
Obviously, what the President is saying in his conversations with the
Secretary General is the United Nations may be able to help as one of
those groups, as the President said, to assist in creating such a
peaceful developing Afghanistan, free of terrorism.
Q: But they are getting into any more detail, Ari? You said today, an
important role. Is he going beyond that, are they beginning to talk
about options?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, they're not. It's way too early. But it's wise to
be thinking long-term, to be thinking ahead, about what to do, in
context with the President's statement.
Q: Who initiated that call? And I have a follow up.
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't know. Very often on these calls, both parties
want to talk to each other, and staff sets them up. They both call
each other at the same time.
Q: What can you tell us about a plan for an independent Palestinian
state with Jerusalem as its capital, that the administration is
reportedly working on?
MR. FLEISCHER: I know nothing beyond what the President said last
night.
Q: Ari, can I go on to nation-building? In the conversation then with
the Secretary General yesterday, is that the first time that the
President expressed the U.S. would like to see the U.N. have a role,
and that the U.S. would take part as well?
MR. FLEISCHER: Is that the first time the President said it to the
Secretary General?
Q: Or the first time the President sort of came forward with that.
MR. FLEISCHER: No, the President came forward with that in the Afghan
declaratory policy.
Q: But the Afghan declaratory is more that we're going to assist --
U.S. will assist those who seek for a peaceful, democratic
Afghanistan. It doesn't really talk about the U.S. playing a role or a
U.N. playing a role.
MR. FLEISCHER: When it says, we will assist, that means the U.S. will
play a role to assist.
Q: What about the U.N., it doesn't talk about a U.N. taking over --
MR. FLEISCHER: That's why it's an indication that the first group the
President has cited, when he says we will assist those groups, is the
U.N.
Q: So thinking about working with the U.N. is something that's been in
the works prior to yesterday's call to Kofi Annan? Something that
administration officials have been discussing as they've gained this
out?
MR. FLEISCHER: I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of the topics that
came up at the NSC meetings. That's what the President indicated to
me, that it's the type of thing they've talked about in the NSC
meetings.
But I think, Kelly, this addresses something you were driving at
earlier this morning, involving military in peacekeeping, and playing
a role in the future of Afghanistan. What the President could not have
made any plainer during the campaign, which he repeats emphatically
today, is the purpose of the military is to fight and win wars. The
purpose of the military is not, as he said on October 12th, during the
course of the campaign, to use troops all around the world to serve as
social workers or policemen or, you know, school walking guards. I'm
not for that, the President said.
That's the complaint the President had about the use of military in
nation-building. Obviously, what's going on in Afghanistan with
America's military is just the opposite. The military is being used
for the purpose the President has said in the campaign: to fight and
win wars.
After the military mission is complete, as the President said last
night, then it will be appropriate to work with other nations just as
we standardly do when we talk about foreign aid, when we talk about
diplomacy, when we talk about things of a nonmilitary nature to help
create stability in Afghanistan.
Q: You won't be any role, then, after the military operation is over
for U.S. troops with other countries to keep the peace, to make sure
that any kind of UN structure is in place? Isn't it possible that U.S.
troops would be involved in that way with --
MR. FLEISCHER: I think if you want to ask me what's possible, one,
two, three, four, who knows how many years from now, it's an
appropriate question at that time. At this time, it's very premature.
What the President has said, again, is that we will assist those who
seek a peaceful, economically developing Afghanistan free from
terrorism. That's obvious. Of course, we're going to do that.
Q: This is a country that's been at war for years, I mean, more than
decades. And you're basically saying that when the U.S. military pulls
out, there's going to be no need for any sort of peacekeepers or
military presence there, that this sort of government is going to rise
up and exist without something there to ensure stability. I mean, are
you ruling out that we would play a role in that sense?
MR. FLEISCHER: Campbell, you're asking me to predict the future in
one, two, three, four years from now. I think it's a fair question at
the appropriate time.
Q: But it may not be that long. We may be talking about six months.
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's a good question six months from now. But I
think it's important to first let the United States military fight and
win this war.
Q: Can I ask something about something that's happening right now?
There are a lot of groups and individual warlords staking claim to
power in Afghanistan. Does the President consider the Northern
Alliance troops who are fighting the Taliban to be allies of the
United States in this military operation?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me remind you what this military operation is
about. Our country was attacked and the President is going to defend
this country. And the best way to defend that country is to take
military action, as well as political action and financial action and
diplomatic action, against Osama bin Laden, his lieutenants, the al
Qaeda organization and the Taliban. That necessarily means the actions
that you are seeing in Afghanistan now are underway and will remain
underway until the mission is complete.
During the course of that, the United States will work with a number
of groups throughout Afghanistan and the region who have an interest
in helping to secure an Afghanistan that is free of terrorism.
Q: Is that a yes, that we are working militarily with the Northern
Alliance?
MR. FLEISCHER: You're asking me operational details about what we're
doing with various groups and I won't do that.
Q: Does the President consider them to be allies in the war on terror
in Afghanistan?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President has indicated that he will work in a
number of ways with different groups that are interested in securing
an Afghanistan that is free from terrorism.
Q: One more on this. Does the President believe the Northern Alliance
should have a prominent place at the table in the reconstitution of a
peaceful government there?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the President would like to first see the
military fight and win this war, then I'll be happy to consider any of
the implications for, as he says in the declaratory policy, how to
work with others to get a peaceful Afghanistan.
Q: Ari, last night the President said that he is willing to give
second chance or kind of amnesty to the Taliban. What prompted or --
have you got some indications that they are willing to settle the
issue or hand over Osama bin Laden to the United States?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's always a sign that if somebody wants to
sue for peace by doing everything that the President asks for, that
would be a satisfactory result. They have to do everything the
President asks for.
Q: Is there any indication that they're willing to do that?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, we have not heard that. The President has not
received a positive response to this message.
Q: Isn't there some kind of, Ari, some kind of negotiation when the
President last time said we are not going to negotiate at any cost?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the President reiterated what he said to the
American people in his speech to the Congress about what they would
have to do.
Q: Ari, the President said in his news conference last night that al
Qaeda is believed to be operating in 68 different countries. You've
said that this war is designed to protect the American people from al
Qaeda, wherever it may be operating, that the President will, that
this administration will root out those terrorists wherever they're
operating.
Do the American people deserve to know which of those countries are
harboring, playing active host to al Qaeda, and will you ever tell us
if not which exact nations are hosting them, how many?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the reason that I've deliberately not answered
that question, as you've been asking me to for weeks, is because the
President has said that this is phase one of the operation. Phase one
begins in Afghanistan with the al Qaeda. The President has put other
nations on notice that if they continue to harbor terrorists that
they, too, shall meet the same fate as the terrorists.
But phase one is focused on what you have seen before you today, which
is Afghanistan. And I'm not going to get ahead of the President and
indicate that there may or may not be any actions taken against any
other nations.
I appreciate your asking for a list of nations that may or may not be
next. I'm not prepared to go down that road.
Q: On airline security, how long is the President willing to wait for
the House to bring their bill to the floor before he decides to take
executive action and fill in the gaps?
MR. FLEISCHER: You know, I was just talking to the President about
that. He just completed a meeting reviewing a number of domestic
issues that are pending in the United States Congress. And the
President said that he wants Congress to be able to get this done.
He'd like Congress to be able to figure out a way to do it. He does
have broad authority, and his goal is exactly as he announced, if you
will recall, when he went to Chicago and announced an airline security
package that would have safer cockpit doors, providing air marshals.
Obviously, some of these things he does have the ability to do on his
own.
But his preference is for Congress to be able to figure it out, work
together and get it done.
Q: So we know what the red lines are in Congress; how does he help to
bridge the difference?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as always, he's going to keep talking to
Congress, have the bipartisan meetings. Obviously, there is a dispute
between the Senate and the House on this. I think it's fair to say
when the President urged the country to go back to normal, Congress
itself has gone back to normal, too.
Q: Well, is that the end of bipartisanship?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. It's regular order in Congress, and it's a sign of
things are returning to normal. And it will be accompanied by a heavy
dose of bipartisanship from the President. Q The leadership of the
Congressional Black Caucus has been complaining last week that they've
been trying for about two weeks to get the President's ear, and his
attention to bring forward their -- what they think about this crisis
and issue, that bombs and bullets alone will not gain the victory that
the United States seeks.
And they've tried in vain to reach the President. Is he ignoring the
Congressional Black Caucus? Does he think that -- what views that they
might be able to share of diplomacy, that they might be able to
advise, is not helpful in this situation?
MR. FLEISCHER: Obviously that's a message the President agrees with.
As the President made clear, our actions in Afghanistan involve a
heavy element of humanitarian assistance, $320 million, to be
specific. We have military planes that are dropping food into
Afghanistan to help feed people who are starving. And as I indicated,
the President wants to work with the United Nations on a way to create
a peaceful Afghanistan. So the President agrees with that message.
Q: The President last night said that he believed that the attacks
helped build his case for a missile defense shield. How so, given that
a missile defense shield would not have helped prevent what happened
on September 11th, nor would it have helped prevent some of the
threats that we're now talking about, with bio-terrorism?
MR. FLEISCHER: What the President was referring to was the very sad
fact that we have now seen proof positive that there are people, if
they can get their hands on a weapon, they will show no hesitation
about using it against the United States of America and its cities.
And it's only a matter of time, given technology, until some of these
nations or some of these rogue groups try to acquire nuclear weapons
that they may be able to deliver to the United States. And that's why
the President believes that from this we have learned the motives of
those who would do harm to the United States, making it even more
important that the United States be able to protect itself from
accidental missile launch or a deliberate one if it ever got to that
point.
Q: But we don't have any indication at this point that any of those
groups or states possess nuclear technology now.
MR. FLEISCHER: I hardly think that's a good reason for the United
States to do nothing. That's why the President has proposed what he's
proposed.
Q: Last night, the President when he asked himself the question about
why do they hate us -- basically, that question. He said he was amazed
that they didn't understand the goodness of Americans and so on. We
can do more, he said. What's more?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, part of it is the humanitarian effort in
Afghanistan. Part of it is also through the actions of the Agency for
International Development, the Voice of America, reaching out to
different nations around the world, particularly in Afghanistan, to
the people of Afghanistan, so they hear the facts, the truth. Many of
these people live in -- in Afghanistan, for example, the Taliban
regime does not provide information to its people; it's totally
Taliban controlled, they don't hear another side of the news. So Voice
of America's ability to present fair and factual information -- all of
that is part of what the President is referring to.
Q: A number of news organizations have done some very in-depth
reporting on why they hate us -- if you want to use that phrase. And
it's not just they don't understand our goodness. I mean, you hear a
lot of policy issues -- troops in Saudi Arabia, our Israeli policy,
Iraqi women and children -- you know, you hear those things over and
over again. The President in his response to his question did not
mention any of the policy things that some Muslims have problems with.
Is there any reexamination of our policy going on right now?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, the policies of the government remain the same and
it's important to communicate those policies to people around the
world.
Q: If I could go back briefly to this question of the U.N. and so
forth. Confine this question to a narrow time period, not six months
or a year out. The President said last night that the lesson from the
previous engagement in the Afghan area was we should not simply leave
after a military objective has been achieved.
Clearly, your concern is that once the Taliban collapses, there's a
power vacuum, and you don't want a free-for-all to go into that. Can
you tell us, has there been any planning underway for a temporary
administration of Afghanistan that may well precede getting in the
United Nations protectorate or anything else like that, something you
might have to do over the very short-term?
MR. FLEISCHER: Nothing that I'm immediately aware of, David. But I
know that there are many smart people who work on future
contingencies. So I wouldn't be surprised if somebody may be doing
some thinking about that topic. But there's nothing that I can report
to you today.
Q: The events of today have brought bio-terrorism back to the fore as
a concern. Yet, the United States, for anthrax vaccine, is depending
on a company called BioPort in Michigan, which has numerous problems,
which I won't go into. For smallpox, we're depending on a Danish
company, I believe.
Is there going to be any move by the government to harness the U.S.'
pharmaceutical industry, which is the best in the world, to help
tackle the issues of supplying vaccines or ramping up production or
doing anything? Because at the moment, it doesn't seem like much is
coming off the production lines.
MR. FLEISCHER: Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson,
has said that the United States, and he has given the specific numbers
about the amount of medication we have, the anti-bodies for anthrax,
for example, to combat other types of illnesses. I think he's
indicated that he has the resources, the ability to go beyond that,
and acquire more, if necessary. But that's a question really HHS is
handling.
Q: Back on post-war Afghanistan for a moment. Without trying to
predict the future, can you share with us the current thinking of the
U.S. policymakers on questions like, for example, the one Campbell was
pursuing earlier? Will there be a need for a follow on force, under
whose auspices would it be done, would the United States be willing to
-- simply the current thinking of U.S. policymakers on --
MR. FLEISCHER: Ken, it really is too early. The military action in
Afghanistan has been underway for five days. And as the President
indicated last night, it could go on for a length that is uncertain
and unclear right now. So I appreciate an attempt to look ahead into a
crystal ball, but I'm not able to do that right now.
Q: I'm not asking you to look into a crystal ball, I'm asking you to
share with us whatever the current thinking is of U.S. policymakers on
this question?
MR. FLEISCHER: You're asking David Sanger's question in a different
way, and my answer is the same as it was to Mr. Sanger. Q How does the
March of Dimes program work, Ari? The monies collected here are turned
over to the Red Cross, and you send it to NGOs, or how does it work?
MR. FLEISCHER: The checks will arrive at the White House. And the
checks will be turned over to the Red Cross. The Red Cross will be
responsible for the administration of the program, for public
reporting on the program, for the audits of the program. The Red Cross
has a long and good history of dealing with the receipt of financial
donations, to provide for charities around the world. And so this is a
very helpful program, in the view of the Red Cross. And they'll be
able to provide you updates, as well as how much has come in.
Q: Ari, could you tell us a little bit about that, where the idea
originated, to the Red Cross --
MR. FLEISCHER: Wait a minute, I did promise Kelly after Ken.
Q: Let me just ask you, Ari. The President talked today about the
latest incident of anthrax in New York, and he said that the federal
government working closely with local agencies to respond quickly, he
said, our nation is still in danger. Was he referring to the alert
from yesterday, or was he referring to a concern about more and more
incidents of anthrax?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, the President was addressing his broad concern
about given the fact that our country was attacked on September 11th,
that we need to remain on alert. The President was reiterating the
same message he was saying there.
Q: Can I just follow that? One other concern is he said the federal
government is doing everything it possibly can. But we're certainly
hearing that federal resources are certainly starting to feel a little
strapped, trying to follow up leads connected to September -- is there
any sense that federal --
MR. FLEISCHER: I have not heard either the director of the FBI or the
Secretary of Health and Human Services indicate that.
Q: What about a concern about -- the President tried to address this
-- about people just getting scared? Calling their doctor for
antibiotics; every package that comes in, calling their local law
enforcement authorities -- what to do about that?
MR. FLEISCHER: This is why the President has done everything he can to
be forthright with the American people. And that's why when the
President heard this morning about the case at NBC News, the White
House asked officials to make sure they shared information with the
public. And that's why you saw Secretary Thompson, Attorney General
Ashcroft give all information to the public today to address it
directly.
I think this is a time where the American people say to the
government: tell us the facts, we want to know what is going on. And
the American people will, in their own way figure out how to move
forward and deal with this and, given the history of our country,
they're going to figure it out and move forward well.
And I think people are also becoming sensitized to the fact that there
are going to be false alarms out there. There are going to be
instances such as what took place at the State Department with the
talcum powdery substance, which for moments in this room, of course,
prompted many questions to me about what could be going on. We're
going to answer those questions.
But I think the American people want a government that remains
vigilant; but they want to live their lives. They don't want terrorism
to win, they don't want to alter what they do. But they do want to be
vigilant, they want to be alert and they're entitled to the facts.
Q: Can you please tell us how this idea originated? Did the Red Cross
come to the White House and say, this is a good idea? Did somebody
here in the White House think that the President wanted to reach out?
MR. FLEISCHER: The idea came up in the speech-making process for the
address to the Congress, where the President has heard the message of
a lot of the American people, what can we do. And so the President --
actually, it was the President's idea about helping the children of
Afghanistan. I think that's something that he and Mrs. Bush had talked
about. And then I don't know which particular aide in the White House
thought about or came up with the idea of the Red Cross. But that's
the genesis of it.
Q: You mentioned the State Department. Has there been anything like
that, with a package or anything sent here, anybody -- any suspicious
incidents or anybody testing -- being tested, or anything like that?
MR. FLEISCHER: I've not been told about any incidents involving any
mail here that raised those questions.
Q: Has the President received an anthrax vaccine?
MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, on any type of question involving how or if the
President is taking any steps to protect himself, from a security
point of view, obviously if I were to answer questions like that, I
could be indicating what he has or has not been protected from, which
is information somebody else might want to get. So matters dealing
with the security of the President are things I'm not going to answer.
Q: Fair enough. Just a follow-up on a different topic. He was very
spirited today in his remarks. He was also very emotional, as he has
been in recent days. Have you noticed any greater degree of
emotionalism? Is he wearing his heart on his sleeve in these days at
all?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, you know, I only go back two and a half, three
years with him -- Governor Bush and now President Bush, two years. And
I can tell you from my time with him, I've always known him to be
compassionate. He is a person who cares deeply, and it shows visibly
every now and then. That's the man that I see.
Q: Ari, has there been any change in the level of threat that the
government is assessing? It's been more than 24 hours now since that
threat was issued. Has that changed at all? Has it gone up? Has
anything changed?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, the current notice that went out yesterday remains
in place.
Q: Have any specifics changed in that, though? Have you received any
more information that would suggest anything over the weekend?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. Nothing that's been brought to my attention, and
nothing that I'm aware of. So, no.
Q: I'd like to go back to the President's statement last night that
the United States has to do a better job of making the case that this
isn't a war against Islam. Is that an acknowledgement that that issue
is straining the coalition?
MR. FLEISCHER: No. I think, actually, when it comes to the coalition,
not at all. As the President indicated, the 56 nations that make up
the organization of Islamic Conferences, the OIC, came out with a
statement that condemned the terrorist attack on the United States and
expressed to some degree a level of support for the United States.
I think it's a reflection of the fact that no nation around the world
is loved by 100 percent of the people around the world. The United
States, though, if you take a look at how many people want to come to
our country for a better way of life is probably loved more than most.
And that's a very good thing. That's one of the strengths of our
country.
Look at how many Arab Americans have come to this country because they
enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that this country provides. So
that's a reflection of the rich melting pot that we are. We all come
from somewhere else, so many of the people here who are the
immigrants, and I think that's what the President's reflecting on.
Q: Well, then, flip it around. If it's not hurting the coalition to be
callus about it, why should we care? Why do we need to make a better
case, if the case we made has convinced our allies to stick with us?
MR. FLEISCHER: Because it's always important for sovereign nations to
continue to know that their nations support the activities of the
United States. And as I've indicated many times from here, different
nations are going to do different things for different reasons, and to
the degree that their country supports the United States' efforts, it
will give those nations more flexibility and ability to work with us.
Q: Since September the 11th, has there been a single agency or
individual that reports to the President in which, or in whose
performance he has been less than satisfied? And is there anything he,
himself, would have done differently if he had the events since
September 11th to do over again? (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: Gordon, Sean, Claire, Scott, Ari. (Laughter.) The
President has not expressed any thought like that to me. And I think
the President is focused on the mission ahead of him and I have just
not heard any thoughts like that from the President.
Paula and then John. Well, this is my attempt to get everybody at
least one new question in before we go to the repeaters.
Q: Ari, on an ordinary day, the fact that the House Ways and Means
Committees put together a $100 billion stimulus package would draw a
response from the White House. And I just wonder if you have a
response today?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes. The President is pleased that action is beginning
in the House on a stimulus package. The measure before the Ways and
Means Committee includes many of the items that the President has
proposed. And the President is very pleased by that.
The President urges the House to take action, and he hopes that the
end product will be a very bipartisan product. He wants to work
closely with the Democrats on this. The House includes some items that
the President did not ask for. It was a little broader in the Ways and
Means Committee than that which the President asked. But the President
understands this is the beginning of the process, and he's pleased
that the House is beginning to take action, and that it includes a
package to help the country get the economy going again.
Q: At the risk of engaging in some unfortunate alliteration, has there
been any thought given to the idea of a Marshall Plan for Afghanistan
after this is all over?
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, this is Mr. Sanger's question, Mr. Fireman's
question, now the Roberts version thereof.
Q: No, no, no. They were talking about government; I'm not talking
about rebuilding the government, I'm talking about rebuilding the
infrastructure.
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, the military effort is five days old, and I
think this is premature.
Q: -- done a lot of damage in five days. There's a lot to rebuild.
MR. FLEISCHER: There's a little more work to do.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
Q: Week ahead? Week ahead?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President is going to China next week.
(end transcript)
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