philosophicCURIOUS The United States, which edited Iraq's weapons declaration before distributing it to other members of the U.N. Security Council, removed the names of 150 companies that were listed as contributors to Iraq's arms programs.
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politics COMMENTdeep thoughtsJanuary 19, 2003
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon and happy New Year to everybody. The President began his day with an intelligence briefing, followed by an FBI briefing. Then he had a series of policy briefings. And this afternoon, the President will look forward to a Cabinet meeting where the President will discuss with members of his Cabinet his agenda for the year. The President is going to focus on economic growth, making America a more compassionate country, and providing for the security of our nation abroad and on the homefront. And with that, I'm more than happy to take your questions. Helen. Helen Thomas: At the earlier briefing, Ari, you said that the President deplored the taking of innocent lives. Does that apply to all innocent lives in the world? And I have a follow-up. MR. FLEISCHER: I refer specifically to a horrible terrorist attack on Tel Aviv that killed scores and wounded hundreds. And the President, as he said in his statement yesterday, deplores in the strongest terms the taking of those lives and the wounding of those people, innocents in Israel. Helen Thomas: My follow-up is, why does he want to drop bombs on innocent Iraqis? MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, the question is how to protect Americans, and our allies and friends -- Helen Thomas: They're not attacking you. MR. FLEISCHER:-- from a country -- Helen Thomas: Have they laid the glove on you or on the United States, the Iraqis, in 11 years? MR. FLEISCHER: I guess you have forgotten about the Americans who were killed in the first Gulf War as a result of Saddam Hussein's aggression then. Helen Thomas: Is this revenge, 11 years of revenge? MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, I think you know very well that the President's position is that he wants to avert war, and that the President has asked the United Nations to go into Iraq to help with the purpose of averting war. Helen Thomas: Would the President attack innocent Iraqi lives? MR. FLEISCHER: The President wants to make certain that he can defend our country, defend our interests, defend the region, and make certain that American lives are not lost. Helen Thomas: And he thinks they are a threat to us? MR. FLEISCHER: There is no question that the President thinks that Iraq is a threat to the United States. Helen Thomas: The Iraqi people? MR. FLEISCHER: The Iraqi people are represented by their government. If there was regime change, the Iraqi -- Helen Thomas: So they will be vulnerable? MR. FLEISCHER: Actually, the President has made it very clear that he has not dispute with the people of Iraq. That's why the American policy remains a policy of regime change. There is no question the people of Iraq -- Helen Thomas: That's a decision for them to make, isn't it? It's their country. MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, if you think that the people of Iraq are in a position to dictate who their dictator is, I don't think that has been what history has shown. Helen Thomas: I think many countries don't have -- people don't have the decision -- including us. © Copyright iriguchi 2003 |
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CONTACT
The following exhange occurred January 6, 2003 in the James S. Brady press briefing room between White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer and news correspendent Helen Thomas. It can be found word for word on the White House official website.
