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WASHINGTON DC (The White House) July 2, 2003
Q Mr. President, a posse of small nations — like the Ukraine and Poland — are materializing to help keep the peace in Iraq. But with the attacks on U.S. forces and the casualty rates rising, what is the administration doing to get larger powers, like France and Germany and Russia, to join the American occupation there?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, we’ll put together a force structure who meets the threats on the ground. And we’ve got a lot of forces there, ourselves. And as I said yesterday, anybody who wants to harm American troops will be found and brought to justice. There are some who feel like that if they attack us that we may decide to leave prematurely. They don’t understand what they’re talking about, if that’s the case.
Let me finish. There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring them on. We’ve got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.
Cont’d …
I also said yesterday an important point, that those who blow up the electricity lines really aren’t hurting America, they’re hurting the Iraq citizens; their own fellow citizens are being hurt. But we will deal with them harshly, as well.
Mourners walk with the coffins of photographer Nami Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh during their funeral procession in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
Four years on … Fighting the terrorists on the front lines in Iraq.
THE PRESIDENT: We’ve entered a fourth phase: deploying reinforcements and launching new operations to help Iraqis bring security to their people. I’m going to explain why the success of this new strategy is vital for protecting our people and bringing our troops home, which is a goal shared by all Americans. I’ll brief you on the report we are sending to Congress.
- In 2000, George W. Bush said he would restore dignity and honor to the oval office and give us an administration that we could be proud of.
Very telling moment for President Bush, the question and answer session followed the introduction of …
THE PRESIDENT: It’s good to see Richard Lee Armitage, who is the Deputy Secretary of the Department of State. Thank you for coming, Rich. I appreciate the Tobias family for joining us. Marianne, thanks for coming; and Paige and Tim and Todd and Amy, I’m honored you all are here, as well.
…
To direct this mission, I have chosen a superb leader who knows a great deal about lifesaving medicines, and who knows how to get results. I’m pleased to announce my nomination of Randall Tobias to serve as the Global AIDS Coordinator.
Randall Tobias, civic leader and philanthropist.
Randy is one of America’s most talented and respected executives. He was Vice Chairman of AT&T International and Chairman of ATT International, guiding the firm through immense organizational challenges. He went to head Eli Lilly and Company, one of our nation’s largest and most innovative pharmaceutical companies.
He is a highly regarded civic leader and philanthropist in his home state of Indiana. Throughout his career, Randy has shown the ability to manage complex organizations and to navigate government bureaucracies. He has earned a reputation as an executive of great energy, resourcefulness, good judgment and integrity.
Four years on … Senior Official Linked to Escort Service Resigns
April 27, 2007 – Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias submitted his resignation, one day after confirming to ABC News that he had been a customer of a Washington, D.C. escort service whose owner has been charged by federal prosecutors with running a prostitution operation.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."