*EPF501 06/07/2002
Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, June 7
(Philippines/hostage killed, homeland security/Congressional meeting, week ahead, Bush/Mubarak upcoming meeting in Camp David, Middle East, Gov. Ridge to testify on homeland security, FBI/CIA/intelligence sharing) (2980)

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer briefed on Air Force One as President Bush visits Des Moines, Iowa in a day trip June 7.

Following is the White House transcript:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Des Moines, Iowa)
June 7, 2002

PRESS GAGGLE WITH ARI FLEISCHER
Aboard Air Force One

En Route Des Moines, Iowa

11:35 A.M. EDT

MR. FLEISCHER: Let me pick up from where we left off. You know about this morning, so I won't belabor that. The President, before he left the White House, spoke with the parents of Martin Burnham, the hostage who was killed in the Philippines, to personally express his condolences.

Upon arrival in Des Moines, the President will meet with Annie Wignall, who is an 8th grader, she just finished her 8th grade year at Berg Middle School in Newton, Iowa. Two years ago, Annie founded the Care Bags Foundation, to collect and distribute clothes, toys and personal care items to children who are victims of abuse or neglect. And Seventeen Magazine and Cover Girl honored her as an outstanding volunteer.

The President will make remarks at the 14th Annual World Pork Expo. The World Pork Expo is the largest trade show and product showcase for the pork industry, with nearly 500 exhibitors expected to be displaying the latest products, services and technology. This year attendance is expected to pass 50,000 over the three day period, with more than 2,000 international guests visiting from 50 countries.

In his remarks, the President will call on Congress to pass homeland security, will discuss the importance to the nation of creating a Department of Homeland Security. And just so you know, in the private meeting the President had with members of Congress this morning, he received strong signs of report for his proposal. He and the members understand there will be some pockets of resistance to it but, nevertheless, they feel that it is time to do something big for the country and the President was very heartened by the message of support he received on a bipartisan basis.

Q: The last part, say that again?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President was very heartened by the bipartisan support he received for his proposal.

Q: Who exactly was in the meeting this morning?

MR. FLEISCHER: Senator Lieberman, Senator Specter, Jane Harman -- let me get you the full list, because I hate to leave anybody out. I'm just trying to get it off the top of my head, from who I saw. Let me do the week ahead now, and then I'll take your questions.

This afternoon, the President will depart for Camp David, where he will host the President of Egypt. Saturday morning, the President will participate in a press avail with the President of Egypt at Camp David. The President will return to the White House on Sunday.

On Monday morning, the President will meet with the Prime Minister of Israel in the Oval Office. That evening, the President will have dinner with the International Democratic Union leaders at the White House.

Q: Who?

MR. FLEISCHER: International Democratic Union leaders. It's an international group committed to democracy and free trade and capitalism.

The President will travel to Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, where he will tour a water treatment facility and make remarks on homeland security. That evening, the President will attend a Talent for Senate reception, before returning to Washington.

Wednesday morning, the President will make remarks at the Homeland Security Advisory Council meeting in the Indian Treaty Room. That afternoon, the President will participate in the presentation of the National Medals of Science and the National Medals of Technology in the East Room.

Thursday, the President will meet with the Prime Minister of Australia in the Oval. That afternoon, the President will make remarks at the 21st Century High Tech Forum in the EOB. On Friday, the President will travel to Columbus, Ohio, participate in the Ohio State University commencement, where the President will talk about public service. And from there he will travel to Houston, Texas, where he will tour and make remarks to a group of specific name we'll provide to you shortly. That evening he will attend the Texans for Perry dinner before departing for Crawford, Texas, where he will spend the remainder of the weekend.

Q: You don't know if he's coming back on Sunday or Monday yet?

MR. FLEISCHER: I think he's staying Sunday night, and then we're departing for another location Monday, and then coming back to the White House later on Monday.

Q: -- two events in Houston?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm getting the formal name of the first group he's talking to. It's a civic group, and I just want to make sure I've got their name right. So the transcript will not be altered. The asterisk you will see will be a prior reference to my leaving blank right now information I don't currently have, asterisk, asterisk, asterisk. (Laughter.)

Q: Can you repeat Tuesday? I picked up Kansas City, homeland security, but not to what group and that last event on Tuesday.

MR. FLEISCHER: Tuesday is Kansas City, Missouri, water treatment facility. That evening the President will attend a Talent for Senate fundraiser reception.

Q: Sorry, who for Senate?

MR. FLEISCHER: Jim Talent, Talent for Senate.

Q: Can you tell us about the meetings with Mubarak, what they'll look like up at Camp David, what he has planned for the Egyptian President?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President is going to be there to, one, listen to President Mubarak's ideas for how to bring peace to the region. The President welcomes President Mubarak's leadership in this area. That will be the heart of what they talk about.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about what he's going to do, though? Are they going to have a barbecue tonight or --

MR. FLEISCHER: Tonight is a private dinner between the two Presidents. I anticipate Condi Rice will be there and one person from President Mubarak's side will be there. And that's it for tonight.

Q: The First Lady? Mrs. Bush isn't going to be there?

MR. FLEISCHER: The dinner is just the two.

Q: A working dinner or a social dinner?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, any time two Presidents get together, there is an element of business that gets discussed. The President enjoys doing these meetings at Camp David, number one, because President Mubarak and Egypt are very important to the United States. But, two, it does create a little more of an informal environment and the President enjoys that.

On Saturday morning there will be an expanded meeting, the Vice President will be coming up, for example, others will be coming up, I'll be in that meeting. And then they'll have the news conference afterwards.

Q: Because we're hearing that he already knows what Mubarak is going to say, and that the President will say, that's really nice but we're not there yet; I need you to do more; I'm not ready to do what you want on a Palestinian state yet. Is there truth to those reports? That this was all pretty much laid out beforehand?

MR. FLEISCHER: These meetings are a chance for the two leaders to listen to each other, to share ideas. Keep in mind, one of the major thrusts of President Bush's diplomacy in the Middle East is the active participation and involvement of Arab nations. The President believes it is essential to have the involvement of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, if peace is going to be brought to Israel and the Palestinians.

These Arab nations can play a uniquely constructive role in helping the Palestinians, particularly, to see the importance of entering into a meaningful peace with Israel. After all, Egypt has done it.

Q: Is there anything you can tell us in terms of Mubarak's proposals, that Bush needs to move ahead more quickly on parameters for a Palestinian state?

MR. FLEISCHER: I think the President looks forward to talking to the press tomorrow, after the meeting, and he'll reflect on what's been discussed.

Q: -- this morning to making some sort of address to the nation on the Middle East. What kinds of plans are in work for that?

MR. FLEISCHER: I think the President was asked about a media report about an address, and the President indicated that he always is interested in advancing the case for peace in the Middle East, and he's made no decisions about whether or not he's going to do anything beyond what he's done to date in any forum. That's why the President talked about a paper or a meeting, something of that nature.

So the President is still in the process of reminding the leaders he meets with about the importance of his April 4th address, responsibilities on the Arab nations, responsibility on Israel, responsibility on the Palestinians -- the responsibility on all parties to fight terrorism. And he'll meet with Prime Minister Sharon on Monday, and he'll keep listening, and that's where we are.

Q: -- that after those meetings with Mubarak and Sharon -- he said that, I'll let the American people know how I plan to move forward or how I think that we should move forward. And that made it sound like there's actually a draft plan in the works that he'll then reveal in a major speech next week, or in a white paper, something like that. Are there plans at work?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President has before -- and he talks about the Middle East on a regular basis. And whatever forum his discussions may come in, he'll decide when he wants to decide. He's still in the phase now of listening and gathering thoughts and ideas.

Q: But, Ari, after the Mubarak and then the Sharon visit, he will have met with those two, King Abdullah, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, sort of all those key players that you mentioned. So are we now, having had the opportunity for him to articulate his views and listen to them, is it now -- are we at a place where he can pull something together --

MR. FLEISCHER: As the President said, he already has pulled something together. The fundamental underpinning which has not and will not change is the President's April 4th Rose Garden address, where he laid out the responsibilities on the three parties to achieve an end result. And the end result is a Palestinian state and an Israeli state that lives side by side in peace and security.

Q: -- how did the Sharon meeting come about? He was only here like three weeks ago. Did he ask to come back or --

MR. FLEISCHER: These meetings are always mutual. President Mubarak was here within the last two months. I think it's just a sign again of how uniquely helpful a role the United States plays in bringing peace to the Middle East. And this administration is determined to do its part to help the parties find agreements.

Q: Do you think that he might have been concerned that the President was doing a lot of consulting with Arab leaders and he wanted to get his own voice out there again?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, like I say, many of these leaders have been here before and return again, and I think it's just a sign of how much people like to talk to the President. But these meetings are mutually established.

Q: -- talking on Sunday, and sort of what are you bracing for, expecting in terms of reaction to last night's speech?

MR. FLEISCHER: Sunday, Andy Card and Governor Ridge will be out on the Sunday shows discussing the need to create the Department of Homeland Security. I think what's happening now and what you'll see is, as the President said, Governor Ridge is going to go up and testify about the need to create the department. I think what you're going to see now is we're very heartened by the good reaction to it. It will be very interesting to see, as this now becomes real, whether or not any of the historical turf issues that are very problematic for the Congress will slow down the actual enactment of this legislation. But all the initial reports are good. But a lot of the hard work has yet to begin.

Q: Why will Ridge go up and testify about the need for this, and not about his other sort of responsibilities? Is he only going up to talk about this one issue and not any appropriations issues or anything else like that?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, he'll follow what we refer to as the Schlesinger precedent, and that was former Assistant to the President Jim Schlesinger who worked for Jimmy Carter in the '70s, was Assistant to the President and Advisor and Counselor to the President. President Carter proposed creation of the Department of Energy. He directed then Assistant to the President Schlesinger to go up and make the case for the creation of the department -- not to go up and be compelled to testify about any advice he gave the President.

So when the President announced this morning he's following the Schlesinger precedent is for Governor Ridge to go up and the President is directing him to go up to testify about why it's important to create the department. So there's a distinction and it's an important one. But we also -- the Hill seems very satisfied.

Q: In addition to being encouraged by the initial reaction from the Hill, did the President get any signs this morning of the Hill's willingness to act as quickly as he wants on legislation?

MR. FLEISCHER: Our initial reactions were very strong and would, at first blush, indicate Congress wants to move quickly. But the experience on issues this big with this many important players on the Hill is first reactions can yield to second reactions. And this is a difficult issue for the Congress. This passage of the President's proposal will require important and powerful people on the Hill to give up a little of their importance and a little of their power. But the nation needs that to happen. So this will not be easy, despite the good first reactions. This will be a test of the Congress, and the President is determined to work shoulder to shoulder with the Congress to help make it happen.

Last question.

Q: If there was one sort of maybe common complaint or criticism this morning, it was that the intelligence sharing problem with the FBI and the CIA wouldn't necessarily be -- or directly addressed by this because, even though you have this new intelligence analysis placed within this homeland security department, if they're not given the information by the people out in the field collecting it, they don't have anything to analyze. What do you all say to that?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, one, I think it shows clearly that this announcement is so much bigger than any of the recent issues between the FBI and CIA, which predated September 11th. So the solution the President proposed to the Congress is a solution for a different problem, a much bigger problem, which is how broadly to protect the government and have the key people in one agency.

The issue you raise about information sharing, which was a problem prior to September 11th, has been addressed as a result of the reforms that President Bush, Director Tenet and Director Mueller have already put in place. Keep in mind, the remarks about information sharing apply to the climate between the FBI and the CIA prior to 9/11. The criticisms do not seem to be leveled at problems today between the FBI and CIA. As a result of the changes already made by Director Tenet and Director Mueller, the President is satisfied that information is flowing between the two agencies.

Q: -- for the new department, though, which will not --

MR. FLEISCHER: I said last question.

Q: I know, but it's a follow-up. What does it mean in terms of her question -- it's not about the CIA, the FBI, but this new department that would be created, but not getting that raw data? Are you already thinking of ways to get around that? Because the problems were relevant in the raw data, not in intelligence sharing.

MR. FLEISCHER: The President believes that as a result of the reforms that have already been put in place months and months ago at the FBI and CIA, there's a better sharing of data and a better analysis of data.

Q: -- (inaudible.)

MR. FLEISCHER: At the FBI and at the CIA. As a result of this new department, there will be one other place for a centralized sharing of data that goes way beyond the FBI and CIA, that will get information or intelligence provided by Customs, by NSA, by a host of federal agencies that also have their eyes and ears open and their antennae up.

Q: On Camp David, just to clarify, you said Condi is going to be in the dinner tonight with an Egyptian counterpart, so it will just be four? Is Mrs. Bush not at Camp David at all this weekend?

MR. FLEISCHER: Either that, or she's just not listed on my official -- no, no, I think she'll be there, but that is the list of people I saw for the dinner tonight. If there's any clarification to it I'll have it provided. But on the sheets I saw, that's who's listed for dinner.

Q: In the morning meeting, you said Cheney comes up. Does Powell also go up?

MR. FLEISCHER: Yes.

Q: Thank you.

END 11:53 A.M. EDT

(end White House transcript)

(end transcript)

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