13 June 2001

White House Briefing on Mideast, NATO, Missile Defense

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters aboard Air Force One June 13 that President Bush had phoned CIA Director George Tenet in Tel Aviv to congratulate him on the cease-fire he negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Bush told Tenet: "The United States is looking for progress, and so is the world."

"What's important next, in the President's opinion," said Fleischer, "is that there be action on the ground so the cease-fire can take hold and endure as a necessary first step in leading up to more confidence-building measures.

"The President is pleased," he said. The President was expected to discuss the Middle East during his news conference at NATO the afternoon of June 13.

Fleischer said the President had scheduled no solo news conferences on this trip because of the "tradition" of joining the host leader in a joint session.

White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card briefed reporters a few minutes later:

The President has been staving off jet lag by drinking "lots of water."

"He's in good shape, right on top of his game," said Card.

Asked about the views of Hungary, Poland, Italy and Spain on the President's plans for a missile defense shield, Card said, "I think they've given the President a good listen. The paradigm of the past is something that we should move away from."

Asked about the harsh perception of Bush in Europe, Card said, "Every new President is some kind of caricature in Europe until the first trip. There's a caricature of the president until he comes here." In Bush's case, Card said, it was "similar to Ronald Reagan's." Asked if the caricature of Bush was unfair, Mr. Card said, "They don't know him yet. They'll come to know him."

Following is the White House transcript:

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
(Brussels, Belgium)
June 13, 2001
Press Briefing By Ari Fleischer
Aboard Air Force One
En route Brussels, Belgium
10:00 A.M. (L)

Mr. Fleischer: Good morning. The President just got off the phone with CIA Director Tenet. He called to congratulate the Director on the signs of progress from the Middle East. He said, "The United States is looking for progress, and so is the world." And what is important next in the President's opinion is that there be action on the ground, so that the cease-fire can take hold and endure, as a necessary first step in leading up to more confidence-building measures. The President is pleased, and I think you will hear directly from the President about this later today.

Other than that, the President looks forward to his meeting with our NATO allies. There are a host of issues that they're going to discuss -- ESDP to missile defense to NATO enlargement. I think you'll hear from many interesting voices at the NATO meeting today. You know, there are 19 NATO nations -- or nations that make up NATO, and many of them believed very strongly in what the President has been advocating. You're going to hear those voices today.

So that's the outlines for the day. You know about all the meetings with NATO. Then he's going to meet with the King and Queen of Belgium tonight, and then the Prime Minister of Belgium tomorrow morning, before departing for Sweden.

Q: What was the quote he said to Tenet?

Mr. Fleischer: "The United States is looking for progress, and so is the world." That's in regard, of course, to peace in the Middle East, and maintaining the fragile cease-fire.

Q: So is he going to give NATO leaders any greater level of detail on NMD than he has so far?

Mr. Fleischer: It's going to be a discussion of the reasons for missile defense, how it's in the interest of our allies, how as President Aznar was talking yesterday, how it's a system that he doesn't understand why people can't show their willingness to move forward with it.

But if you're looking for specificity in terms of the missile defense system, of course not. The United States is not at that stage, yet. The United States is at the stage of talking broadly about the need for missile defense. And that's a message, frankly, that's been well received by many of the NATO allies -- not all, but many. And you're going to hear those voices today.

Q: Is he going to talk at all to them about ways in which they can become involved, you know, a la the offer that was -- the trial balloon that was floated a couple of weeks ago to Russia, to buy us 300 missiles for European defense? Will he talk to these leaders about what might be in it for them?

Mr. Fleischer: I think the President's focus will be on the vision of a missile defense, how it's in our allied interest to have a system to protect against rogue launch of missiles and how it helps to preserve the peace. That will be the tenor of the President's remarks.

Q: So, Ari, when you say that there are many NATO allies who support -- are you saying that there are many NATO allies who support the abrogation of the AMB Treaty and the development of missile defense, who do you mean exactly? How many?

Mr. Fleischer: You'll have to listen to the words they'll say today, that's what -- trying to kind of tip you off in advance to something I think you can anticipate. I'll talk about a little later with specificity on the countries. I want to allow you to hear them for themselves, first.

But keep in mind when you talk about the NATO nations, there are 19 that make it up. And there are several strong supporters.

Q: Aren't they --

Mr. Fleischer: No, no, no, these are --

Q: Traditionally, at meetings like this a President will have a couple of little bilaterals to the side. Is he going to have any private talks with any of the NATO partners who are there?

Mr. Fleischer: It's not built into the schedule. If it does, it will happen during this other plenary session or at other points during it.

Q: Anything more on what he did last night or will do this evening?

Mr. Fleischer: The President last night went to the Embassy, gave an address to the Embassy employees. And then he had dinner and then retired for the evening.

This morning he had breakfast at the Embassy, talked with Condoleezza Rice, talked with Andy Card, talked with Secretary Powell. And then he's had a series of meetings on Air Force One, preparing for NATO; a phone call with CIA Director Tenet.

Plans for this evening, we'll keep you filled in on, in case there's any impromptus.

Q: Is the Ambassador's residence right by the Embassy?

Mr. Fleischer: You know, I think so.

Q: We couldn't see. But it's all in the same complex?

Mr. Fleischer: I'd have to check. I don't know.

Q: Where was Tenet when he called him?

Mr. Fleischer: Still in the Middle East, I believe. I don't know where. The President was in the conference room talking to him.

Q: Tenet, if you know where Tenet was?

Q: Any reaction to the congressional vote on getting rid of vouchers?

Mr. Fleischer: Actually, the margin was better than expected, to have that much support for something that the President does believe is important. Three Democrats voted for it, 11 Republicans voted against it. It was not unexpected. But the President is pleased that there was as much support.

But, you know, already this year there has been two very significant changes in federal education policy, one of which is now law of the land, the other is expected to be -- all of which are steps in the direction the President supports, because it gives more choice to parents.

One is the tax bill that was just passed for the first time allows parents to set aside money for tax-free savings in educational accounts that can be used now for the first time for grades K through 12. Previously, it could only be used for college -- that was the '97 act. It is expanded now, you can set aside $5,000 a year instead of $2,000, to be used for K through 12.

In the education bill, which could pass in the Senate this week, there is a provision for the first time which would allow parents of children whose schools are failing to use a portion of their funds for limited private activities -- not necessarily for schools, to pay tuition at schools, but to pay for private tutors, to pay for transportation to private schools.

So there is progress being made on giving parents more choice, which the President thinks is a helpful way to improve education for all. He'd like to see more done and he was disappointed in the outcome of the vote, but it was not unexpected.