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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 10, 2002
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
12:40 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. Let me give you a report on
the
President's day. I'll be happy to take your questions.
The President this morning had his briefings from the Central
Intelligence agency and the FBI. And then he convened a National
Security Council meeting.
Late this morning the President met with a group of Republican
House and Senate leaders to discuss the upcoming agenda. He
specifically talked about an update on the war in Afghanistan, events
in the Middle East, as well as important domestic issues --
specifically, the need for the Congress and the Senate to pass an
energy plan. The House has already passed one. He talked about the
need to have trade agreements put in place, terrorism insurance, a
budget, a supplemental appropriation bill. And I'll return in a moment
to one of the topics that was discussed at this meeting.
Early this afternoon, the President will make remarks in the East
Room, where he will push for a comprehensive ban on human cloning. The
President is going to talk about the importance of medical science, the
importance of advances in health care to solve and to cure people from
some of the diseases that we have in our society, while at the same
time doing so in a way that is always ethical, that bans the cloning of
humans or the taking of life through human cloning.
Later this afternoon, the President will meet with a group of
Republican House members to talk about the importance of welfare
reform. And tomorrow the President will welcome the bipartisan
leadership of the House and Senate to the White House for continued
discussions about our shared agenda.
One foreign policy announcement, then I'm going to return to
something at the meeting this morning. The President will welcome
President Andres Pastrana of Colombia to the White House on April
18th.
Finally, from the meeting this morning, one topic that came up that
is currently under consideration in the United States Senate is the
energy plan, the first comprehensive energy plan that our nation has
had debated in considerable amount of time. As the American consumers
know, they are increasingly paying for more -- paying more money at
the gas pump to fill up their car. And Saddam Hussein has just said
that he will cut off oil to the United States.
The President thinks it is vital that the Senate pass comprehensive
energy legislation to help the American consumer and to protect
America's energy independence. One issue that is pending in the United
States Senate is the question of whether or not exploration should be
allowed in the ANWR region of Alaska.
And the President knows that ANWR represents 46 years' worth of
imports of oil from Saddam Hussein's Iraq. And the President thinks
that Saddam Hussein's threat, promise to cut off oil, is another reason
why our nation needs a comprehensive energy plan that is independent of
such threats. And the President hopes the Senate will agree, he hopes
that the bill will go to conference, and that, ultimately, what comes
out of a House-Senate conference, the House has already acted, but
hopes the Senate will as well.
And with that, I'm more than happy to take your questions.
Q Will the President consider cutting off any form of aid to
Israel as the Sharon government continues to defy his request to
withdraw from the Palestinian territories without delay?
MR. FLEISCHER: Secretary Powell made crystal-clear before his trip
that the answer to that is no.
Q What, then, are the consequences, the real-world consequences,
for Sharon and for the Israeli government in their defiance of the
President's request?
MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, democracies talk to each other on the basis
of respect and on the basis of principle. And the United States
presents its reasons to Israel about what the United States believes is
the best course to pursue in order to create an environment for peace
in the Middle East. We do so on the basis of friendship, on the basis
of respect.
The President reiterates that all parties in the region need to
step up to their responsibilities in order to create that environment.
Q Aside from that reiteration, there's really nothing more the
President can do. And doesn't that put his own credibility at risk?
MR. FLEISCHER: The Secretary of State is looking forward to
meeting with Prime Minister Sharon. There have been a series of
contacts, have been for quite some time and will continue to be, with
the government of Israel, as well as with the Arab allies and other
nations in the region.
So conversations will continue, the point will continue to be
stressed, and the President will remain persistent.
Q One more. Does the President believe that Israeli use of
American-made weapons in these operations is consistent with the
obligations that Israel has in use of those weapons for defensive
purposes in accordance with understandings with the United States?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President has made abundantly clear that he
believes in Israel's right to defend herself. The President has also
indicated regardless of type of weaponry, that the time has come,
that Israel should pull back.
Q Does he also believe that the Israelis have a right to lay
siege on the West Bank and Gaza? Will Powell see Arafat on Sunday?
Does America have any peace plan, any plan to try to bring about a
cease-fire and to get this friendly nation to cooperate a little?
MR. FLEISCHER: Secretary Powell has already announced that he will
be meeting with Chairman Arafat and the President has made clear what
he thinks needs to be done in order to create peace.
The President has a long-term goal, that is an Israel that can live
in security, and the creation of a Palestinian state, living side by
side with Israel. To get to that goal, that is the essence of the
diplomatic mission that Secretary Powell is involved in right now. It
is a challenge, it is difficult. That is nothing new in America's
foreign policy, but that is the commitment of the United States.
Q What is the short-term terms?
MR. FLEISCHER: The short term is represented by Secretary Powell's
mission, which is to get the parties to agree to a cease-fire, as well
as a focus on the political talks that need to begin, so that all
parties in the region can have hope. And that's the purpose of the
Secretary's visit. That's why he began meeting with the Arab nations
that can have good influence on the Palestinian Authority, to
demonstrate their commitment to peace. And he will meet with Israel
and he will meet with Chairman Arafat.
Q To follow up, is the President aware that there is the
widespread perception that he has given a green light to Sharon to keep
on the siege until he finally can -- will agree to a cease-fire, that
the killing will go on?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think everybody has heard the President talk
directly, himself, and they know that's not the case.
Q But if this is the way democracies talk to one another, it
seems that the other democracy isn't listening. The President has made
repeated demands -- not requests, but demands that Sharon pull back
or begin to withdraw. It's gone completely unheeded.
MR. FLEISCHER: Welcome to the Middle East. This is the situation
in the Middle East that has been an ongoing issue for decades. And
because it's so important, because so much is at stake, because it's so
crucial, the President is committed. And that is why he has directed
his Secretary of State to go to the region, despite the difficulties
that are present not from one side, but from all sides.
Israel remains America's friend. America remains a trusted ally
and partner of Israel, a democracy. And in that process the President
will continue to make clear to all parties what he believes the
obligations are in order to achieve peace. The difficulty, Bill, is
the violence has gotten to the point now where both parties are so
engaged in the ongoing struggle for the Middle East that the President
wants to find a way to help the parties to help themselves.
It will be difficult, it will be a challenge, but the President
remains committed to it.
Q Why do you have any reason to believe that both parties want
to help themselves?
MR. FLEISCHER: What alternative do the parties have? The future
for the Middle East cannot be endless violence. The future for the
region has got to be where statesmen step up, where people can be found
on all sides who are willing to commit themselves to the process of
peace. And that is the purpose of Secretary Powell's visit, is to work
with those elements, to give those elements political hope, to give
those elements more reason to work with each other so that peace can
again take root.
Q I guess what I'm getting at is it's been almost a week since
the President asked Israel to pull back and asked the Palestinians to
stop the suicide bombings. Neither side has paid heed. What glimmer
of hope have you seen in the last six days that there is going to be a
breakthrough in the problems?
MR. FLEISCHER: Ron, no matter how difficult this is, this
President will not give up. The United States has no choice but to
help, and help we will. Under President Bush's direction, the
Secretary is in the region, and that's the challenge of his mission.
But I don't think it surprises the American people that this is a
challenge, that this is difficult, and that people in the region don't
simply stop, salute the United States and say yes, sir. That is not
how diplomacy works. But it will not stop this President from doing
everything in his power to find ways to bring the parties together.
Q The meeting between Powell and Arafat -- Sharon today called
it a tragic mistake, Powell's decision to meet with Arafat. What's
your reaction to that? And has Sharon given you any assurances that he
will even give Powell access to Arafat, that he'll allow the meeting to
take place?
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't think -- the Secretary always said he
would meet with Arafat if the circumstances permit, and we have every
indication that the circumstances will permit, in terms of his being
able to have access to Chairman Arafat.
Q So you have gotten assurances from Sharon that he would allow
them to meet?
MR. FLEISCHER: We anticipate that the meeting will take place.
Having said that, no one can predict what the results will be. There
have been a series of events in the Middle East that depended in good
part on Chairman Arafat, and the results were not favorable. And so
the President is looking at this as a chance to see what Yasser Arafat
can or cannot do. The President is looking at this as an opportunity
to see what Chairman Arafat wants to do or doesn't want to do. And
that will be a very important measure of Chairman Arafat's future
intentions in the region.
There are many other people the Secretary of State is meeting with,
that he will continue to meet with. There are many people that he's
met with already this week who have demonstrated a desire for peace.
Q What's your reaction to Sharon calling the meeting a tragic
mistake?
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't comment on -- the policy of the United
States is that the Secretary of State will work with whoever he can
work with to try to bring peace to the region, and he'll spend more
time with the people who can be most productive.
Q Former Prime Minister Netanyahu is going around saying that
Israel is held to a different standard than the U.S. and other
countries in the war against terrorism. Is it? And whom does the U.S.
consider to be the terrorists in this, Israel or the Palestinians?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, here is the standard that the President has
set for the war against terrorism. If you recall, the President has
made very clear that in America's war against terrorism, we are
fighting on a multi-front level. It's a multi-front war. And one of
those fronts is cooperation, is diplomacy, is working with other
nations around the world to build the coalition against terrorism. And
that's why the Secretary's first visit was to Morocco. That's why the
President met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia -- the Secretary
of State, I'm sorry -- went to Egypt and met with President Mubarak.
That's part of the way to fight terrorism, is to build a coalition
that's dedicated to stopping terrorism. That's why the President has
called on the Arab states to speak out against terrorism, to stop
financing terrorism, to stop the hatred in the press against Israel or
against Jews. Those are all the statements that the President has made
that needs to be done from the Arab perspective.
From the Israeli perspective, as you know, the President has said
enough is enough, Israel needs to pull back. Enough is enough applies
to the Palestinians as well, and to the Arab neighbors as well. That's
the difference in the approach.
The President also believes that events in the Middle East have
gotten to the point where Israel exercised its right to self-defense,
Israel acted against what can only be viewed as terrorist attacks
against Israel.
The suicide bombings are murder bombings. They are acts of
terrorism. And Israel acted to defend herself. But the President was
increasingly worried that once Israel had acted that the situation was
going beyond where it could contribute to peace that it would start to
contribute to increased violence in the region that could impact the
United States' goals and Israel's goals of working with others to
achieve peace.
Q Are the Palestinians terrorists or freedom fighters?
MR. FLEISCHER: Clearly, in the President's view, and he has said
this many times, anybody who engages in a suicide attack is an act of
murder. They're not just suicide attackers, they're murder attackers.
Q Ari, many of the European allies have been critical of the way
the United States is handling itself in the Middle East. How important
is it to the White House the fact that Colin Powell has met today with
the European leaders from Spain and the Foreign Minister of Russia? Do
they feel they need the support of Europe or do they feel that
Washington should go at it alone if they don't agree with Washington's
policies?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, let me assure you that the President will
always consult and work closely with our European allies. And the
United States will always be Israel's best friend. The President will
receive advice, will receive guidance, the President understands
America's vital role in helping Israel and being Israel's friend. And
the President will not waver from that.
The President feels that it is a crucial part of America's
involvement in that region. So the Secretary of State is listening, is
consulting and is aware there are a number of voices on these issues
and it's important to listen to them. But the President will remain
committed to the state of Israel.
Q Two quick questions on the Middle East. Is the administration
receiving any assurances privately from Israel that it will pull out
more troops from the Palestinian areas before Secretary Powell gets on
the ground in Jerusalem?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think by the very definition of your
question, without indicating whether the answer is yes or no, if you
ask me if something is happening privately, how can I answer that
question?
Q Well, but are you getting any signals? Because obviously
there's a concern that Secretary Powell's mission, the success of it,
could really hinge on if there's more pull-outs.
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it's fair to say that Israel has heard the
message that the President has sent and the President is a man of
results and we will wait and see what actions are taken.
Q You're not getting any signal one way or the other that --
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the signals that the President is looking
for are actual results from all parties.
Q One other thing. Is the administration absolutely against
having any armed monitors or armed peacekeepers in the Middle East to
try to keep the peace between Israel and the Palestinians when and if
there's any settlement?
MR. FLEISCHER: Going back to the summer of 2001, the President
made clear -- and said so publicly at the time -- that the United
States would support monitors in the Middle East if that's what the
parties, themselves, agreed to and requested.
Q Would they be armed?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the modalities of all that would be
something that would be reviewed and arranged. You should not view
this as an interpositional force. This would be monitors to help the
parties to adhere to a cease-fire.
Q Ari, can I take you for a moment to your statement on the
energy issues? You said that Saddam Hussein's announcement was another
reason that the Senate should act. Are you suggesting from that that
the oil that we get from Iraq -- a fairly small amount as a total of
our imports -- that that will make a difference on price or supply?
Or is that oil likely just to go to other countries and we would end up
buying elsewhere --
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, markets ultimately determine the answer to
your question. And observation of the market for the last 48 hours
showed that prices immediately spiked up and now the prices have very
quickly come right back down again in the futures market in reaction to
what Saddam Hussein declared. So it's unclear.
But the point that the President is making is why should the United
States' energy security rest, in part, on the actions of Saddam
Hussein? Why should the United States take any chances? Why shouldn't
the United States have an energy policy that is more independent? This
is an issue that the United States faces year after year after year.
And the President believes that instead of lurching, herky-jerky, from
one crisis to the next, year after year, that it's about time we had a
comprehensive, long-term strategy so we don't, every spring going into
summer, ask ourselves the same question: why is the price of gas going
up? Whether it's a result of seasonal concerns, or whether it's a
result of instability in the Mideast.
Q If I could just follow up on that, the fact that the futures
have come back down tells you that the market's view is that in the
end, this is supply-neutral, that Saddam's oil will go someplace else,
and that we will obtain our oil from someplace else. In that
particular case, why is the cutoff just to the United States any more
of an argument for an energy bill than you had before he made the
announcement?
MR. FLEISCHER: Because the United States should not risk being
vulnerable to the actions of Saddam Hussein or any other nation when it
comes to creating energy independence and energy security for our own
people here at home. The United States has, within its own disposal
and its own borders, the answers to many of our energy problems. Those
answers rely on conservation, greater efficiency and increased
exploration -- all of the above.
What the President is saying to the Senate is we need conservation,
we need more efficiency, but don't turn your back on making America
more energy-independent because you're not willing to explore within
our own lands. And we'll see exactly what the markets do. They will
be monitored. But this is not an issue that goes away; this is an
issue the American people have seen rise up before, and the President
doesn't think good policy is to move from crisis to crisis. The
President thinks now is the time and the Senate should vote to make
sure we have a long-term plan in place to avert potential crises.
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