*EPF202 03/23/2004
White House Report, March 23
(Bush Cabinet Meeting, Colombia, NATO, Portugal) (540)

BUSH DISCUSSES AL QAEDA AND 9/11 AT CABINET MEETING

President Bush told reporters following his Cabinet meeting March 23 that he would have acted more quickly against al Qaeda if he had had information before September 11, 2001, that a terror attack against New York City was imminent.

"The facts are these, Central Intelligence Agency Director (CIA) George Tenet briefed me on a regular basis about the terrorist threat to the United States of America, and had my administration had any information that terrorists were going to attack New York City on September 11, we would have acted," Bush said.

Responding to the recent assassination of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the president said Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas but urged the Israeli government to keep "the consequences in mind."

Bush said he hoped to send a U.S. delegation to Israel next week -- "if the circumstances on the ground allow" -- in an attempt to move forward on a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

BUSH WELCOMES COLOMBIA'S PRESIDENT TO WHITE HOUSE

President Bush met with Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe in the Oval Office at the White House March 23. "The United States and Colombia have a strong partnership and President Bush reaffirmed our commitment to building upon that partnership," White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said.

During the meeting, Bush commended Uribe for his strong leadership, particularly in standing firmly against terrorism and drug trafficking.

McClellan also said that the two leaders talked about the importance of continuing to work together to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. He added, "They also discussed our shared commitment to expanding trade and open markets by entering into discussions on a free trade agreement between our two nations. They also discussed other regional issues as well."

WHITE HOUSE TO HOST CEREMONY FOR NEW NATO COUNTRIES

The spokesman told reporters that President Bush will welcome the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia as well as NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to the White House March 29 for a meeting and ceremony marking the formal accession of these nations to NATO that day.

"President Bush will also welcome the prime ministers of Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia, the three nations seeking NATO membership and participating in NATO's action membership plan," McClellan said.

The press secretary noted, "These Central and Eastern European democracies have already acted as allies with their strong solidarity and actions in the war on terrorism and in helping to strengthen peace and democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"As NATO acts to face these new challenges of the 21st Century, the membership of these seven nations in NATO will advance the cause of freedom and strengthen the Atlantic alliance, the central pillar of transatlantic relations."

BUSH DISCUSSES IRAQ, WAR ON TERROR WITH PORTUGAL PRIME MINISTER

The president called Portugal's Prime Minister Jorge Sampaio March 23 and discussed the importance of international solidarity to fight terrorism and to help the Iraqi people consolidate their freedom and security.

"President Bush also expressed his appreciation for the prime minister's leadership on these critical issues," the White House press secretary said.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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