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President
Bush, Italian President Ciampi Discuss Iraq
Remarks
by President Bush and Italian President Ciampi in Photo
Opportunity
The Oval Office
November 14, 2003
11:55 A.M. EST
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all for coming. Mr. President,
it is my honor to welcome you to the Oval Office. You
come at a difficult period for your country. You come
at a time when your nation grieves for the brave sons
who lost their life. I send our nation's gratitude and
prayers to the loved ones who are grieving today in Italy.
I want to thank you for the friendship between our two
nations. I want to thank you for your strong leadership
in standing up to the terrorists who are trying to create
fear and chaos. And I want to thank you for your understanding
that a free and peaceful Iraq will help make the entire
world more peaceful.
So it is my privilege and honor to welcome a close friend
to the Oval Office.
PRESIDENT CIAMPI: Today I come to the United States
as President of the Italian Republic and as a staunch
advocate of European integration. I will go to Arlington
Cemetery this afternoon. No Italian, no European can ever
forget how much democratic Europe owes to the young Americans
who gave their lives for our freedom. On Sunday I will
go to Ground Zero to honor the victims of terrorism.
I want to thank President Bush for his words for expressing
solidarity in connection with the horrible attack against
Italian forces in Iraq. Italy went to Iraq not to take
part in a war, but to contribute to rebuild a country.
This is the identity of the Italian Republic, to build
peace, to solve post-conflict situations. We have done
it in the past, and we do it in many parts of the world
today.
With President Bush, we agreed on the goal to accelerate
full implementation of United Nations Resolution 1511.
We support the idea of drawing a roadmap for the Iraqi
political process, in order to establish a full-fledged
government.
The ideals of democracy and freedom have their roots and
their strongest foundation in Europe and North America.
As it happens even among friends, there have been problems
between us on specific aspects of transatlantic cooperation.
We are committed, especially us Italians, to put them
fully behind us, for they do not stand and cannot stand
the -- solidarity between Europe and the United States.
Upholding Atlantic cohesion is a duty and a necessity.
I already mentioned to President Bush, and we will continue
to do so during the working lunch, about the rational
of what the European Union wants to do to become more
united and speak with a single voice. We are progressing
in bringing about and completing a constitutional treaty
which will enable the European Union to function better,
and again, to speak with a single voice.
A united, stronger, with a new configuration Europe will
be a stronger Europe, will be 25 member states and over
450 million citizens, and will reinforce and span a vast
area of security and peace. And they will become a better
partner also for the United States.
I intend to continue on my conversation with President
Bush so that we can work together, United States, Italy,
Europe, to reinforce pressures to bring about a solution
to the conflict of Israel and Palestinian problem, so
that we can arrive to a right and just solution. And this
will help us to fight, better, terrorists. And we have
to find terrorists, terrorism in a better way, so that
the Islamic world will know that we view them as a civilization
both near and friendly to ours.
In conclusion, I think that we should reinforce our actions
to increase the actions also within the international
institutions, such as the United Nations, to whose establishment
the United Nations has made a fundamental contribution.
Italy will continue to fight with determination terrorists.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you. Listen, we'll have a
couple of questions here. We'll alternate between the
American press and the Italian press. We expect there
to be some order here during the question and answer period.
In order to set the example, Jennifer, would you like
to begin in a calm and rational way?
Q I would. With the speeding up of the transfer
of power in Iraq, do you envision that meaning a quicker
reduction of U.S. forces there?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, we are -- I instructed Ambassador
Bremer to take -- to go back to Iraq with the instructions
that we will work with the Governing Council to speed
up the political process in a rationale way. That's what
he's going to do on the belief that we've made a lot of
progress on the ground, that the Governing Council is
better prepared to take more responsibility.
In terms of security, we will do whatever it takes to
help Iraq develop into a free and peaceful country. That
is our goal. And we will stay there until the job is done.
And then we'll leave. And the enemy has changed tactics
on the ground, and so we're changing our response. And
that's what you're beginning to see now -- the discussions
with General Abizaid, and the discussions with Bremer,
and all the different pieces of evidence to that effect,
are really saying that as the enemy changes, so will we.
And we'll bring them to justice, and Iraq will be more
secure, and Iraq is going to be free. And that's in the
nation's interest that it be so.
Would you like to call on an Italian member of the press?
There is a traveling press from Italy, isn't there? Would
anybody care to ask a question.
Q It's a question to both you, President Bush,
and President Ciampi. Italy is going through a very difficult
time as it is the case for other countries who are present
in Iraq. And so the question is, will the presence of
U.S. and Italian troops in Iraq change their strategy
in order to respond to the deterioration of the situation?
PRESIDENT BUSH: That's a very good question. I'll
go first, if you don't mind. The answer to your question
is, yes. It's very important that our commanders on the
ground be given flexibility to be able to adjust tactics
to an enemy that is changing its tactics. First of all,
the enemy wants to create the condition of fear. They
want people to fear them. They will lose that aspect of
the battle because we -- our will will remain strong.
And secondly, we must use more Iraqis to gather intelligence
and to be on the front line of securing their own country.
And that's exactly what we're doing.
And third, when we find actionable intelligence, we will
strike fast to bring killers to justice. And that's what
we're doing, as well.
PRESIDENT CIAMPI: I only want to add a few words,
and this concerns exclusively tactical maneuvers that
have to be decided by the commanders who are on the field,
on site. Our military forces received specific and very
clear instructions when they went to Iraq. The implementation
of these instructions stem from the assessment of their
commanders on the field.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Steve.
Q Can you envision pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq
before Saddam Hussein is found?
PRESIDENT BUSH: We will stay until the job is done.
And the job is for Iraq to be free and peaceful. A free
and peaceful Iraq will have historic consequences. And
we'll find Saddam Hussein. The goal is for a free and
peaceful Iraq. And by being strong and determined, we
will achieve that objective.
Final question here. I promised the President I would
buy him lunch, and if we keep answering questions, we
won't be able to eat lunch.
PRESIDENT CIAMPI: I have nothing else to add.
Q I have a question to President Bush. Given the
difficult security situation in the country and given
the fact that the Red Cross left the country, what can
be done to ensure a guaranteed protection of the return
of the Red Cross, and also of other humanitarian organizations?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, that's an excellent question.
Thank you for asking that. First, there are Red Cross
workers still there. The headquarters left Baghdad, but
many workers are still there. Secondly, there are -- besides
the Red Cross, there are other organizations still in
place that are delivering the humanitarian help that is
needed to help Iraq rebuild herself.
It is very important for the leaders of the NGOs to recognize
that if they don't go into Baghdad, they're doing exactly
what the terrorists want them to do. The situation on
the ground for the Iraqi citizens, the humanitarian situation
is improving, and the main reason why is because there
are ministries up and running, staffed by very capable
Iraqi citizens.
We will stay the course, and as more and more Iraqis realize
freedom is precious and freedom is a beautiful way of
life, they will assume more and more responsibilities,
not only for security, but for humanitarian reasons, as
well.
Finally, I want to thank the Italian people once again
for working toward a world that is more humane and more
decent and more peaceful. The Iraqi people deserve to
live a life of freedom. The Iraqi people deserve to have
their children go to schools. The Iraqi people deserve
to be free of torture chambers and mass graves. And the
work we are doing together is humane and compassionate
and necessary for peace. And I thank the people of Italy.
Thank you all.
PRESIDENT CIAMPI: I just want to add that the Italian
Red Cross is still in Iraq, and they're still carrying
out their duties, and they're giving assistance to the
people who is really in need of assistance.
PRESIDENT BUSH: All right. We've got to go eat.
I hope you do, too.
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