    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [April 26, 1991]
    [Pages 432-435]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at an Arbor Day Tree-Planting Ceremony and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    April 26, 1991

        The President. Good morning, and welcome back. It's good to see
    Secretary Madigan here, Mike Deland, and the Deputy EPA Administrator,
    and the U.S. Forest Service Director. I'm glad that you're all here on
    this beautiful day on the South Lawn. We're competing with Randy Travis,
    who's about to appear over here, so it's tough competition. But I think
    what we've got going here is very, very important.
        As J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day, said: ``Other
    holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.'' Our
    tree-planting initiative to plant and maintain a billion trees a year
    for 10 years is a major component of our America the Beautiful program.
    It's an initiative that relies on voluntary individual effort. And it is
    a program that will enhance the appearance and the quality of our
    environment.
        I welcome this opportunity to thank all the organizations
    represented here today who have committed themselves to the stewardship
    of our environment. We cannot succeed without your help. There is no way
    that government alone can get this important job done.
        Later today on the White House lawn, we're going to be having a
    National Celebration of Community Service. And it is therefore fitting
    that today, Arbor Day, our 440th daily Point of Light is TreePeople of
    Los Angeles, California, an organization that has trained volunteer
    citizen foresters for 18 years and has planted over 180 million trees
    around the globe. Andy Lipkis and Katie Lipkis, the cofounders, are here
    with us this morning.
        I was reminded by a fellow schoolmate here in Washington the other
    day that every Arbor Day in our little grade school we planted a tree
    every Arbor Day. And Secretary Madigan and the Forest Service Chief
    Robertson are here today to help me plant this beautiful purple leaf
    beech donated by Russell Watson, who's with us today. And I also have
    some great helpers back

    [[Page 433]]

    here--look at them over there--from Washington, DC's, own Trees for the
    City program.
        So, with no further ado, again, you're most welcome. Please keep up
    this dedication to our precious environment. And now, shall we begin?
    You guys want to do the heavy shoveling here? And I'll stand by and
    critique it.

    [At this point, the tree was planted.]

        Q. Mr. President, any word on the Mideast peace process?
        The President. Let me finish the tree ceremony here before I address
    myself to Iraq, if that's all right. I may not address myself to Iraq,
    either, but----
        Now what was the one question?

    Administration Travel Policy

        Q. The L.A. Times says that the White House--that you are very
    unhappy with John Sununu and you are going to change the travel policy.
        The President. He has my full support, and I've said I'm going to
    review the travel policy. And there might well be changes in it because
    I want this administration to continue to be above the perception of
    impropriety. So, if that requires changes, fine. As I said before, John
    Sununu acted in accordance with existing policy. But if there's reason
    to change it, I'll be out there in the front making some suggested
    changes.
        Q. Have you made up your mind yet?
        The President. I haven't made up my mind yet. We're taking a good,
    hard look at the whole travel policy.
        Q. When do you think you'll have it?
        The President. I have no idea, Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press
    International]. But we'll be out there and get it to you as soon as we
    get it. I think you may be among the first to get it.
        Q. Call me up. My number is--[laughter].

    Middle East Peace Talks

        Q. Sir, has Secretary Baker made any progress in the Middle East as
    far as moving forward the----
        The President. Yes, he's made progress. I just talked to him.
    There's sadness in his family--his mother just passed away, so he will
    be coming home, stopping short of the two meetings that he had hoped to
    have in Israel. But it is most appropriate. I mean, they're a very close
    family. And, incidentally, Barbara and I expressed our regrets to him.
    We've known Mrs. Baker for many, many years. She's one of God's very
    special people. And so, he has this personal sadness.
        But he did have a meeting with Prime Minister Shamir. And I think
    it's fair to say that, though problems remain, I think the bottom line
    is there's some reason for optimism. I don't want to state why; I'm not
    going to go into the details of it. I will get debriefed by him when he
    gets here. And there are still some sticky problems, but we're not going
    to give up. We're going to continue to try to bring peace to that
    troubled corner of the world.

    Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, are you confident that the Iraqis, in fact, will
    keep their military out of the refugee zones?
        The President. Yes, they're not going to--they don't want to tangle
    with the U.S. again. They----
        Q. Do you think their promise is good?
        The President. ----learned that the hard way, and the forces are
    there to be sure that it's good; put it that way. We're not looking for
    any fight. We want to help these Kurds, and we are. What the United
    States has done in terms of bringing relief to these pitiful people is
    just--we all ought to take great pride in the way our country is
    responding--and I might say at considerable cost. We're doing it because
    it's right.
        But I do not want to intervene and get our troops hauled into some
    conflict that's been going on for years. But when it comes to helping
    people, the United States is today doing what it's always done--being
    out in front on the relief effort. But I don't expect, Rita [Rita
    Beamish, Associated Press], any complication. I don't think Saddam
    Hussein is dumb enough to want to run into the U.S. troops again.
        Q. What about the long-term prospects?
        The President. This isn't a press conference.
        Q. What about the long-term prospects, Mr. President? What happens
    when the U.S. leaves, even if there's a small U.N.

    [[Page 434]]

    force there?
        The President. I don't know that there's going to be lasting peace
    in Iraq. Peace has escaped those people for years. So, I would hope,
    though, that the lesson having been taught to Saddam Hussein about
    aggression, that some of that lesson might spill over in terms of his
    own internal problems. I would hope that maybe out of the talks he's
    having with the Kurdish leaders you'll see some long-sought-after peace.
    But I can't certify that. And I would hope that--I would hope----
        Q. How long will the troops stay there?
        The President. They're going to stay there as long as it takes to be
    sure these refugees are taken care of, and not a minute longer. We're
    continuing to pull troops back. I want these kids home, and so do the
    American people want them home. P.s.: We will do what's necessary to see
    that this refugee aid gets to the people that need it, and gets there so
    that they can have it in safety. And then beyond that, we talked
    yesterday to the Secretary-General, and the U.N. has a major role to
    play here. Some of the United Nations critics ought to open their eyes,
    because the United Nations not only had a significant role in the
    repelling of aggression, which was our objective, but it is also playing
    a significant role in this refugee relief. So, we're going to continue
    on that track.
        I've got to--this is the last one.
        Q. Do you still think that Saddam Hussein will be deposed? And what
    do you think----
        The President. I'm confident he will because there will not be
    normal relationships with the United States or many other countries as
    long as he is in power. Those sanctions are going to stay there as far
    as we're concerned, and undoing some evil that is not going to--by that,
    I mean, working out something possibly with the Kurds--that's only part
    of the problem. And so, there will not be normal relations with this man
    as long as I'm President of the United States. I'll guarantee you that.
        Q. Sir, he's lasted this long. What's going to put him out of power?
    What's it going to----
        The President. The fact that he's been whipped bad in the military.
    His aggression--he's been forced to that which he said he would never
    do. His people don't like him, and it's only terror that's keeping him
    in power. And someday history will show you these things manage to take
    care of themselves. And I hope it happens soon because we want him out
    of there.
        We don't have any fight with the Iraqi people. I've said that from
    day one. Go back and look at the text back in August, September,
    October. Our fight is not with the Iraqi people. Our objective was to
    repel aggression, and we did it. And the American troops deserve
    enormous credit, and they're getting it every single day they come home.
    But beyond that, this internal matter has been going on for years--years
    and years. And I'd like to see it ended. And one good way to end it is
    to have somebody with a little more compassion as President of Iraq. But
    let them worry about that problem. I worry about it because there won't
    be normal relations until he's gone. But history has a way of taking
    care of tyrants.

    Soviet-U.S. Relations

        Q. ----up of the CFE treaty assure a summit this year----
        The President. I honestly didn't hear the question.
        Q. ----summit, sir. A summit?
        Q. Soviets.
        The President. No set date on a summit. I don't know where that came
    from.
        Q. Has there been progress with the Soviets, sir?
        The President. On what?
        Q. With the summit.
        The President. On the arms control agenda?
        Q. Yes.
        The President. Modest progress.

                        Note: The President spoke at 8:49 a.m. on the South
                            Lawn at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to Secretary of Agriculture Edward R.
                            Madigan; Michael R. Deland, Chairman of the
                            Council on Environmental Quality; F. Henry
                            Babicht II, Deputy Administrator of the
                            Environmental Protection Agency; F. Dale
                            Robertson, Chief of the Forest Service; country
                            musician Randy Travis; Andy and Katie Lipkis,

    [[Page 435]]

                            cofounders of Tree-People; Russell G. Watson,
                            Sr., owner of Robin Hill Farm Nursery; John H.
                            Sununu, Chief of Staff to the President;
                            Secretary of State James A. Baker III; Mrs.
                            James A. Baker, the Secretary's deceased mother;
                            Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel;
                            President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and United
                            Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de
                            Cuellar de la Guerra.