Lawrence Ari Fleischer

“ It's now more important than ever to get energy legislation passed to help protect and promote American energy independence. It remains important, in the President's opinion, for the faith-based initiative to pass and move forward, because there still are millions of Americans who are in need who can find solutions to their problems through some of these more community- and faith-based solutions. So the domestic agenda continues, and part and parcel of that, too, is always in the need, both in war and peace, to keep a careful eye on taxpayer dollars. ”

“ They are working with us, because they believe us. They're working with us because of things they know, and because of the trust they hold in the United States government. Q Ari, I just want to follow on the Pakistan question. Without getting too much into the fine details of this, one of the groups that's on the list is the Harakat ul-Mujahidin, which provides a lot of the funding for the resistance in Kashmir, the rebels in Kashmir. Do you have a commitment from Pakistan yet to cut off funding -- or if by freezing the assets of that group you would cut off funding to the rebels in Kashmir? ”

“ These nations recognize that they have terrorist threats, as well. They share an interest with us in drying up the assets of those nations that practice terrorism or those organizations that practice terrorism. And so it's beginning with a fresh cooperation that is unparalleled or unprecedented. That's the context in which this action begins. And we'll see where it goes over time. Q On the question of evidence, has the United States received information from other countries that have supported America's case against bin Laden? ”

“ They don't want these terrorist organizations operating within their own boarders. And they're aware of the internal threats that these organizations present to them. And as a result of the manner in which the United States is putting together this coalition and leading the world, this provides these nations an opportunity to have meaningful action taken which will result in hopefully more security for these states. ”

“ And I think it's one of the most insidious signs of what these organizations and front groups represent, because there may very well be elements to these groups that help people, that help children, that do work. And they can very well have received money from Americans or from others abroad who thought they were doing good for people who need relief. But then there's another side to these organizations, and that's why they're listed today as terrorist organizations. ”

“ Q Working with Canada, especially in terms of preventing future attacks, terrorists coming in the country through Canada, the discussions today, are they focused at all on the immigration laws on how people are getting in, coming through Canada? MR. FLEISCHER: Number one, cooperation with Canada on border issues, on immigration issues has always been very, very strong. I would not be surprised -- and the meetings, as I indicated, wrapped up just as I began this briefing, so I'm not in a position to give you any information about it right now. ”

“ It still is terribly important, in the President's opinion, to have public schools that serve our children, to have a patients' bill of rights so patients can continue to get the protections they need in their dealings with HMOs. ”

“ Q Bin Laden was a known and indicted terrorist when he came to office. And the President in the campaign called terrorism one of the great threats of our times. Why wasn't this done seven months ago? MR. FLEISCHER: Well, if you noticed, what was done today goes beyond anything that was previously done. And there had already been an executive order in place, signed by President Clinton. What this does is allow the United States government to go well beyond anything that was previously done. ”

“ But in terms of these groups -- and that's why they call them fronts, they do raise money from innocent people who give for good reasons, but then unknown to many of those people, they take that money and they use it for insidious purposes, including terrorism. ”

“ Right from the beginning that question was asked, and right from the beginning Secretary Rumsfeld and the administration said no, it had not been. Q Getting back to the list of terrorist individuals and organizations, it encompasses people across a wide variety of countriesEgypt, Libya, Palestinian groups, Pakistani. And there is concern in the Arab and Muslim world that the U.S. is out to achieve other objectives, regional objectives, settle old scores, as this war on terrorism proceeds. ”