(relevant excerpts from USA President Bush's brief interaction with the media)
Q: Mr. President, are you preparing to activate plans for evacuating American civilians and troops from Pakistanand India? And how much concern do you have that the stand-off over Kashmir is allowing al Qaeda to regroupand operate in Pakistan?
President Bush: Well, first of all, the Secretary is -- both Secretaries are analyzing what it would take to protect Americanlives, if need be. Secondly, we are making it very clear to both Pakistan and India that war will not servetheir interests. And we're a part of a international coalition applying pressure to both parties, particularlyto President Musharraf. He must stop the incursions across the line of control. He must do so. He said hewould do so. We and others are making it clear to him that he must live up to his word.
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Al Qaeda is a -- they'll find weakness and we are doing everything we can to continue to shore up ourefforts and -- on the Pakistani-Afghan border. And they shouldn't think they're going to gain any advantage asa result of any conflict that may be -- or talk of conflict between India and Pakistan, because we're stillgoing to hunt them down.
This is a long war. You know, I was just reflecting the other day, we've only been at this for -- we'vehaven't even been fighting this war for a year yet. And we've got a lot of work to do. And there will bemoments where the al Qaeda thinks that, you know, maybe America is not after them, and they'll feel safe andsecure. And, you know, they think they'll kind of settle into some cave somewhere. But they don't understandthe intention of this administration, which is to patiently hunt these people down. And that's exactly whatwe're going to do.
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Q: Are you sending Secretary Rumsfeld next week to the region?
President Bush: Yes, he's going there; Deputy Secretary of State Armitage is going this week. And then Secretary Rumsfeld isgoing, as well.
Q This week or next, sir?
President Bush: Next week.
Secretary Rumsfeld: Next week.
President Bush:Yes, early next week.
