For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 18, 2004

President Bush Condemns Murder of Paul Johnson
Statement by the President Upon Departure
Boeing Field/King County Airport
Seattle, Washington

12:54 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT: I want to express my deepest condolences to the family of Paul Johnson. We send our prayers and sympathies to them during this very troubling time.

The murder of Paul shows the evil nature of the enemy we face. These are barbaric people. There's no justification whatsoever for his murder, and yet they killed him in cold blood. And it should remind us that we must pursue these people, and bring them to justice before they hurt other Americans. See, they're trying to intimidate America. They're trying to shake our will; they're trying to get us to retreat from the world. America will not retreat. America will not be intimidated by these kinds of extremist thugs.

May God bless Paul Johnson. Thank you.

END 12:55 P.M. PDT