My Edited Essence of President Bush's April 13, 2004 Press Conference

A: I THINK THE ANALOGY IS FALSE. I ALSO HAPPEN TO THINK THAT ANALOGY SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO OUR TROOPS, AND SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO THE ENEMY.

Q. WHAT'S YOUR BEST PREDICTION ON HOW LONG U.S. TROOPS WILL HAVE TO BE IN IRAQ?

A. IN TERMS OF HOW LONG WE'LL BE THERE: AS LONG AS NECESSARY, AND NOT ONE DAY MORE. THE IRAQI PEOPLE NEED US THERE TO HELP WITH SECURITY.

Q. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WILL HAVE TO ADD SOME TROOPS; IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT?

A. THAT'S UP TO GENERAL ABIZAID, AND HE'S CLEARLY INDICATING THAT HE MAY WANT MORE TROOPS. IT'S COMING UP THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. IF THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS, THAT'S WHAT HE GETS.

Q. HOW DO YOU ANSWER YOUR OPPONENTS, WHO SAY THAT YOU TOOK THIS NATION TO WAR ON THE BASIS OF WHAT HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE A SERIES A FALSE PREMISES?

A. FIRST, THE LESSON OF SEPTEMBER THE 11TH IS, WHEN THIS NATION SEES A THREAT, A GATHERING THREAT, WE'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH IT. WE CAN NO LONGER HOPE THAT OCEANS PROTECT US FROM HARM. EVERY THREAT WE MUST TAKE SERIOUSLY.

SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS A THREAT. HE WAS A THREAT BECAUSE HE HAD USED WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ON HIS OWN PEOPLE. HE WAS A THREAT BECAUSE HE CODDLED TERRORISTS. HE WAS A THREAT BECAUSE HE FUNDED SUICIDERS. HE WAS A THREAT TO THE REGION. HE WAS A THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES. THAT'S THE ASSESSMENT THAT I MADE FROM THE INTELLIGENCE, THE ASSESSMENT THAT CONGRESS MADE FROM THE INTELLIGENCE; THAT'S THE EXACT SAME ASSESSMENT THAT THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL MADE WITH THE INTELLIGENCE.

A. THERE ARE SOME THINGS I WISH WE'D HAVE DONE WHEN I LOOK BACK. I MEAN, HINDSIGHT IS EASY. IT'S EASY FOR A PRESIDENT TO STAND UP AND SAY, NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS IN PLACE; FOR EXAMPLE, A HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT.

AND THE OTHER THING I LOOK BACK ON AND REALIZE IS THAT WE WEREN'T ON A WAR FOOTING. THE COUNTRY WAS NOT ON A WAR FOOTING, AND YET THE ENEMY WAS AT WAR WITH US. AND IT'S -- IT DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO PUT US ON A WAR FOOTING. AND WE'VE BEEN ON WAR EVER SINCE. THE LESSONS OF 9/11 THAT I -- ONE LESSON WAS, WE MUST DEAL WITH GATHERING THREATS. AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I DEALT WITH IRAQ THE WAY I DID.

THE OTHER LESSON IS, IS THAT THIS COUNTRY MUST GO ON THE OFFENSE AND STAY ON THE OFFENSE. IN ORDER TO SECURE THE COUNTRY, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO FIND THESE KILLERS AND BRING THEM TO JUSTICE, BEFORE THEY HURT US AGAIN. I'M AFRAID THEY WANT TO HURT US AGAIN. THEY'RE STILL THERE.

Q. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CRITICISMS OF YOU IS THAT WHETHER IT'S WMD IN IRAQ, POSTWAR PLANNING IN IRAQ, OR EVEN THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THIS ADMINISTRATION DID ENOUGH TO WARD OFF 9/11, YOU NEVER ADMIT A MISTAKE. IS THAT A FAIR CRITICISM?

A. NOBODY IN OUR GOVERNMENT, AT LEAST, AND I DON'T THINK THE PRIOR GOVERNMENT, COULD ENVISION FLYING AIRPLANES INTO BUILDINGS ON SUCH A MASSIVE SCALE. THE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE I STAND. I MEAN, IN TERMS OF IRAQ, I WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I BELIEVED. AND, OF COURSE, I WANT TO KNOW WHY WE HAVEN'T FOUND A WEAPON YET. BUT I STILL KNOW SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS A THREAT, AND THE WORLD IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT SADDAM HUSSEIN.

Q. I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE AUGUST 6TH PDB. DID THAT TRIGGER SOME SPECIFIC ACTIONS ON YOUR PART AND THE ADMINISTRATION, SINCE IT DEALT WITH POTENTIALLY HUNDREDS OF LIVES AND A BLACKMAIL ATTEMPT ON THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT?

A. NOW, IN WHAT'S CALLED THE PDB, THERE WAS A WARNING ABOUT BIN LADEN'S DESIRES ON AMERICA, BUT, FRANKLY, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS ANYTHING NEW. MAJOR NEWSPAPERS HAD TALKED ABOUT BIN LADEN'S DESIRES ON HURTING AMERICA. WHAT WAS INTERESTING IN THERE WAS THAT THERE WAS A REPORT THAT THE FBI WAS CONDUCTING FIELD INVESTIGATIONS. AND I -- THAT WAS GOOD NEWS THAT THEY WERE DOING THEIR JOB.

Q. WE LEARNED TODAY IN THE SEPTEMBER 11TH HEARINGS THAT THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE FBI AT THE TIME SAYS -- NOW SAYS THE FBI TELLS HIM THAT NUMBER WAS WRONG, THAT HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW IT GOT INTO YOUR PDB. DO YOU NOW BELIEVE YOU WERE FALSELY COMFORTED BY THE FBI?

A. I HEARD ABOUT THAT TODAY, OBVIOUSLY, AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT WAS I EXPECT TO GET VALID INFORMATION. AS THE ULTIMATE DECISION-MAKER FOR THIS COUNTRY, I EXPECT INFORMATION THAT COMES TO MY DESK TO BE REAL AND VALID. AND I PRESUME THE 9/11 COMMISSION WILL FIND OUT -- WILL FOLLOW UP ON HIS SUGGESTIONS AND HIS RECOLLECTION AND GARNER THE TRUTH.

I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYBODY TODAY. BUT I WILL, THOUGH. WE'LL FIND OUT Q. DO YOU BELIEVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE A SIMILAR APOLOGY FROM YOU, AND WOULD YOU BE PREPARED TO GIVE THEM ONE?

A. HERE'S WHAT I FEEL ABOUT THAT. THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACKS WAS OSAMA BIN LADEN. THAT'S WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING AMERICANS. AND THAT'S WHY WE WILL STAY ON THE OFFENSE UNTIL WE BRING PEOPLE TO JUSTICE.

Q. YOUR CRITICS, INCLUDING YOUR DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT, SAY THAT'S PROOF TO THEM YOUR COALITION IS WINDOW DRESSING. HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THOSE CRITICS?

A. MY RESPONSE IS, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE OUGHT TO DEMEAN THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR FRIENDS INTO IRAQ. PEOPLE ARE SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES IN IRAQ, FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. WE OUGHT TO HONOR THAT, AND WE OUGHT TO WELCOME THAT.

Q MR. PRESIDENT, WHY ARE YOU AND THE VICE PRESIDENT INSISTING ON APPEARING TOGETHER BEFORE THE 9/11 COMMISSION?

A. BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD CHANCE FOR BOTH OF US TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT THE 9/11 COMMISSION IS LOOKING FORWARD TO ASKING US, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ANSWERING THEM.

Q YOU HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF LETTING THE 9/11 THREAT MATURE TOO FAR, BUT NOT LETTING THE IRAQ THREAT MATURE FAR ENOUGH. FIRST, COULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT GENERAL CRITICISM?

A. I GUESS THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THAT SAID, WELL, WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PREEMPTIVE ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN, AND THEN TURNED AROUND AND SAID WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN PREEMPTIVE ACTION IN IRAQ. AND MY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS, IS THAT, AGAIN I REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER -- PRIOR TO 9/11 THE COUNTRY REALLY WASN'T ON A WAR FOOTING. AND THE, FRANKLY, MOOD OF THE WORLD WOULD HAVE BEEN ASTOUNDED HAD THE UNITED STATES ACTED UNILATERALLY IN TRYING TO DEAL WITH AL QAEDA IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD.

Q. SECONDLY, IN THE WAKE OF THESE TWO CONFLICTS, WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE THREAT LEVEL TO JUSTIFY ACTION IN PERHAPS OTHER SITUATIONS GOING FORWARD?

A. AFTER 9/11, THE WORLD CHANGED FOR ME, AND I THINK CHANGED FOR THE COUNTRY. IT CHANGED FOR ME BECAUSE, LIKE MANY, WE ASSUMED OCEANS WOULD PROTECT US FROM HARM, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE, IT'S NOT THE REALITY OF THE 21ST CENTURY. OCEANS DON'T PROTECT US. THEY DON'T PROTECT US FROM KILLERS. WE'RE AN OPEN COUNTRY, AND WE'RE A COUNTRY THAT VALUES OUR OPENNESS. AND WE'RE A HARD COUNTRY TO DEFEND. AND, THEREFORE, WHEN WE SEE THREATS OVERSEAS, WE'VE GOT TO TAKE THEM -- LOOK AT THEM IN A NEW LIGHT. AND I'VE GIVEN MY EXPLANATION OF IRAQ. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW MY LAST CHOICE IS THE USE OF MILITARY POWER. IT IS SOMETHING THAT -- IT IS A DECISION THAT -- IT'S A TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE FOR ANY PRESIDENT, BECAUSE I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE DECISION. AND, THEREFORE, WE'LL USE ALL OTHER MEANS NECESSARY, WHEN WE SEE A THREAT, TO DEAL WITH A THREAT THAT MAY MATERIALIZE, BUT WE'LL NEVER TAKE THE MILITARY OFF THE TABLE.

Q THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. SIR, YOU'VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR TONIGHT THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE MISSION IN IRAQ. YET, AS TERRY POINTED OUT, INCREASING NUMBERS OF AMERICANS HAVE QUALMS ABOUT IT. AND THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR. WILL IT HAVE BEEN WORTH IT, EVEN IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOB BECAUSE OF IT?

A. I DON'T PLAN ON LOSING MY JOB. I PLAN ON TELLING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT I'VE GOT A PLAN TO WIN THE WAR ON TERROR. AND I BELIEVE THEY'LL STAY WITH ME. THEY UNDERSTAND THE STAKES.

Q. AFTER 9/11, WHAT WOULD YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE BE, WOULD YOU SAY, AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM IT?

A. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE I'VE MADE NO MISTAKES. I'M CONFIDENT I HAVE. I JUST HAVEN'T -- YOU JUST PUT ME UNDER THE SPOT HERE, AND MAYBE I'M NOT AS QUICK ON MY FEET AS I SHOULD BE IN COMING UP WITH ONE.

Q. YOU MENTIONED YESTERDAY THAT YOU THINK PERHAPS THE TIME HAS COME FOR SOME REAL INTELLIGENCE REFORMS. THAT CAN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT REAL LEADERSHIP FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. WILL YOU, AND HOW WILL YOU?

A. I'M OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE 9/11 COMMISSION COMES UP WITH; I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE SILBERMAN/ROBB COMMISSION COMES UP WITH. I'M CONFIDENT CONGRESS WILL HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, LET THE DISCUSSIONS BEGIN. AND I WON'T PREJUDGE THE CONCLUSION. AS THE PRESIDENT, I WILL ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER THESE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE JOBS OF THE PRESIDENT IS TO LEAVE BEHIND A LEGACY THAT WILL ENABLE OTHER PRESIDENTS TO BETTER DEAL WITH THE THREAT THAT WE FACE.

Q. HAVE YOU FAILED IN ANY WAY TO REALLY MAKE THE CASE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC?

A. I GUESS IF YOU PUT IT INTO A POLITICAL CONTEXT, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THE VOTERS WILL DECIDE NEXT NOVEMBER. THAT'S WHAT ELECTIONS ARE ABOUT. THEY'LL TAKE A LOOK AT ME AND MY OPPONENT AND SAY; LET'S SEE, WHICH ONE OF THEM CAN BETTER WIN THE WAR ON TERROR? WHO BEST CAN SEE TO IT THAT IRAQ EMERGES AS A FREE SOCIETY?

DON, IF I TRIED TO FINE-TUNE MY MESSAGES BASED UPON POLLS, I THINK I'D BE PRETTY INEFFECTIVE. I KNOW I WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF. I HOPE TODAY YOU'VE GOT A SENSE OF MY CONVICTION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. IF YOU DON'T, MAYBE I NEED TO LEARN TO COMMUNICATE BETTER.

I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE COURSE THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN WILL MAKE AMERICA MORE SECURE AND THE WORLD MORE FREE, AND, THEREFORE, THE WORLD MORE PEACEFUL. IT'S A CONVICTION THAT'S DEEP IN MY SOUL. AND I WILL SAY IT AS BEST AS I POSSIBLY CAN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DEBATE AND THE CAMPAIGN. I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING -- FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO HEAR, WHAT IS A PROPER USE OF AMERICAN POWER; DO WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO LEAD, OR SHOULD WE SHIRK RESPONSIBILITY. THAT'S HOW I VIEW THIS DEBATE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING IT, DON. I'LL DO IT THE BEST I POSSIBLY CAN. I'LL GIVE IT THE BEST SHOT. I'LL SPEAK AS PLAINLY AS I CAN.

ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN, THOUGH, ABOUT ME -- AND THE WORLD HAS LEARNED THIS -- WHEN I SAY SOMETHING, I MEAN IT. AND THE CREDIBILITY OF THE UNITED STATES IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR KEEPING WORLD PEACE AND FREEDOM.

Q. How do you answer the Vietnam comparison?
A: I think the analogy is false. I also happen to think that analogy sends the wrong message to our troops, and sends the wrong message to the enemy.
Q. What's your best prediction on how long U.S. troops will have to be in Iraq?
A. In terms of how long we'll be there: as long as necessary, and not one day more. The Iraqi people need us there to help with security.
Q. It sounds like you will have to add some troops; is that a fair assessment?
A. That's up to general Abizaid, and he's clearly indicating that he may want more troops. It's coming up through the chain of command. If that's what he wants, that's what he gets.
Q. How do you answer your opponents, who say that you took this nation to war on the basis of what have turned out to be a series of false premises?
A. First, the lesson of September the 11th is, when this nation sees a threat, a gathering threat, we've got to deal with it. We can no longer hope that oceans protect us from harm. Every threat we must take seriously.
Saddam Hussein was a threat. He was a threat because he had used weapons of mass destruction on his own people. He was a threat because he coddled terrorists. He was a threat because he funded suiciders. He was a threat to the region. He was a threat to the United States. That's the assessment that I made from the intelligence, the assessment that congress made from the intelligence; that's the exact same assessment that the United Nations Security Council made with the intelligence.
Q. Do you feel any sense of personal responsibility for September 11th?
A. There are some things I wish we'd have done when I look back. I mean, hindsight is easy. It's easy for a president to stand up and say, now that I know what happened, it would have been nice if there were certain things in place; for example, a homeland security department.
And the other thing I look back on and realize is that we weren't on a war footing. The country was not on a war footing, and yet the enemy was at war with us. And it's -- it didn't take me long to put us on a war footing. And we've been on war ever since. The lessons of 9/11 that I -- one lesson was, we must deal with gathering threats. And that's part of the reason I dealt with Iraq the way I did.
The other lesson is, is that this country must go on the offense and stay on the offense. In order to secure the country, we must do everything in our power to find these killers and bring them to justice, before they hurt us again. I'm afraid they want to hurt us again. They're still there.
Q. One of the biggest criticisms of you is that whether it's wmd in Iraq, postwar planning in Iraq, or even the question of whether this administration did enough to ward off 9/11, you never admit a mistake. Is that a fair criticism?
A. Nobody in our government, at least, and I don't think the prior government, could envision flying airplanes into buildings on such a massive scale. The people know where I stand. I mean, in terms of Iraq, I was very clear about what I believed. And, of course, I want to know why we haven't found a weapon yet. But I still know saddam Hussein was a threat, and the world is better off without saddam Hussein.
Q. I'd like to ask you about the August 6th pdb. Did that trigger some specific actions on your part and the administration, since it dealt with potentially hundreds of lives and a blackmail attempt on the United States government?
A. Now, in what's called the pdb, there was a warning about bin laden's desires on America, but, frankly, I didn't think that was anything new. Major newspapers had talked about bin laden's desires on hurting America. What was interesting in there was that there was a report that the FBI was conducting field investigations. And I -- that was good news that they were doing their job.
Q. We learned today in the September 11th hearings that the acting director of the fbi at the time says -- now says the fbi tells him that number was wrong, that he doesn't even know how it got into your pdb. Do you now believe you were falsely comforted by the fbi?
A. I heard about that today, obviously, and my response to that was I expect to get valid information. As the ultimate decision-maker for this country, I expect information that comes to my desk to be real and valid. And I presume the 9/11 commission will find out -- will follow up on his suggestions and his recollection and garner the truth.
I haven't talked to anybody today. But I will, though. We'll find out q. Do you believe the American people deserve a similar apology from you, and would you be prepared to give them one?
A. Here's what I feel about that. The person responsible for the attacks was osama bin laden. That's who's responsible for killing Americans. And that's why we will stay on the offense until we bring people to justice.
Q. Your critics, including your democratic opponent, say that's proof to them your coalition is window dressing. How would you answer those critics?
A. My response is, I don't think people ought to demean the contributions of our friends into Iraq. People are sacrificing their lives in Iraq, from different countries. We ought to honor that, and we ought to welcome that.
Q Mr. President, why are you and the vice president insisting on appearing together before the 9/11 commission?
A. Because it's a good chance for both of us to answer questions that the 9/11 commission is looking forward to asking us, and I’m looking forward to answering them.
Q you have been accused of letting the 9/11 threat mature too far, but not letting the Iraq threat mature far enough. First, could you respond to that general criticism?
A. I guess there have been some that said, well, we should have taken preemptive action in Afghanistan, and then turned around and said we shouldn't have taken preemptive action in Iraq. And my answer to that question is, is that, again I repeat what I said earlier -- prior to 9/11 the country really wasn't on a war footing. And the, frankly, mood of the world would have been astounded had the united states acted unilaterally in trying to deal with al Qaeda in that part of the world.
Q. Secondly, in the wake of these two conflicts, what is the appropriate threat level to justify action in perhaps other situations going forward?
A. After 9/11, the world changed for me, and I think changed for the country. It changed for me because, like many, we assumed oceans would protect us from harm, and that's not the case, it's not the reality of the 21st century. Oceans don't protect us. They don't protect us from killers. We're an open country, and we're a country that values our openness. And we're a hard country to defend. And, therefore, when we see threats overseas, we've got to take them -- look at them in a new light. And I’ve given my explanation of Iraq. The American people need to know my last choice is the use of military power. It is something that -- it is a decision that -- it's a tough decision to make for any president, because I fully understand the consequences of the decision. And, therefore, we'll use all other means necessary, when we see a threat, to deal with a threat that may materialize, but we'll never take the military off the table.
Q thank you, Mr. President. Sir, you've made it very clear tonight that you're committed to continuing the mission in Iraq. Yet, as terry pointed out, increasing numbers of Americans have qualms about it. And this is an election year. Will it have been worth it, even if you lose your job because of it?
A. I don't plan on losing my job. I plan on telling the American people that I’ve got a plan to win the war on terror. And I believe they'll stay with me. They understand the stakes.
Q. After 9/11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have you learned from it?
A. I don't want to sound like I’ve made no mistakes. I'm confident I have. I just haven't -- you just put me under the spot here, and maybe I’m not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one.
Q. You mentioned yesterday that you think perhaps the time has come for some real intelligence reforms. That can't happen without real leadership from the white house. Will you, and how will you?
A. I'm open for suggestions. I look forward to seeing what the 9/11 commission comes up with; I look forward to seeing what the silberman/robb commission comes up with. I'm confident congress will have some suggestions. What I’m saying is, let the discussions begin. And I won't prejudge the conclusion. As the president, I will encourage and foster these kinds of discussions, because one of the jobs of the president is to leave behind a legacy that will enable other presidents to better deal with the threat that we face.
Q. Have you failed in any way to really make the case to the American public?
A. I guess if you put it into a political context, that's the kind of thing the voters will decide next November. That's what elections are about. They'll take a look at me and my opponent and say; let's see, which one of them can better win the war on terror? Who best can see to it that Iraq emerges as a free society?
Don, if I tried to fine-tune my messages based upon polls, I think I’d be pretty ineffective. I know I would be disappointed in myself. I hope today you've got a sense of my conviction about what we're doing. If you don't, maybe I need to learn to communicate better.
I feel strongly about what we're doing. I feel strongly that the course this administration has taken will make America more secure and the world more free, and, therefore, the world more peaceful. It's a conviction that's deep in my soul. And I will say it as best as I possibly can to the American people.
I look forward to the debate and the campaign. I look forward to helping -- for the American people to hear, what is a proper use of American power; do we have an obligation to lead, or should we shirk responsibility. That's how I view this debate. And I look forward to making it, don. I'll do it the best I possibly can. I'll give it the best shot. I'll speak as plainly as I can.
One thing is for certain, though, about me -- and the world has learned this -- when I say something, I mean it. And the credibility of the United States is incredibly important for keeping world peace and freedom.
Thank you all very much.

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