    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 9, 1991]
    [Page 491]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With Secretary-General
    Javier Perez de Cuellar de la Guerra of the United Nations
    May 9, 1991

    Iraq

        The President. Welcome everybody.
        Q. ----police force in northern Iraq?
        The President. We're not taking any questions today. Thank you very
    much. The Secretary-General might want to, but I----
        Q. Are you hoping that all of the American forces will be out of
    Iraq soon?
        The Secretary-General. Well, I think that that is the wish of our
    American friends, and as well as the wish of the United Nations.
        The President. That's for sure.
        The Secretary-General. I think the stations in Iraq are properly
    settled, but I think we have to be patient.
        Q. Are you in favor of a police force--a U.N. police force in
    northern Iraq?
        The Secretary-General. That's what we are going to discuss with the
    President and with his collaborators. But today I have received a very
    clear rejection from the Iraq Government. They do not want a United
    Nations police presence in the area. Right now, as we----
        Q. They don't want the U.N.?
        The Secretary-General. They don't want the U.N.
        Q. That's par for the course, isn't it? I mean, so what? [Laughter]
    Does that mean you have to comply?
        The President. Well, listen, we've got to get to work here. We've
    got to get to work. I want to discuss all this with the Secretary-
    General.
        Q. Does that mean you have to comply?
        The President. And we will discuss all this and then figure out what
    to do.
        Q. Did it come from Saddam?
        The Secretary-General. Well, I think--I have a special envoy there,
    Mr. Goulding, and he was the one who received from the Minister of
    Foreign Affairs the negative reaction.

                        Note: The exchange began at 11:05 a.m. in the Oval
                            Office at the White House. A reporter referred
                            to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The
                            Secretary-General referred to Marrack Goulding,
                            U.N. Under Secretary-General, and Foreign
                            Minister Ahmad Husayn Khudayir al-Samarra'i of
                            Iraq.