    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [March 8, 1991]
    [Page 228]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 228]]

    Remarks Prior to a Meeting With President Cornelio Sommaruga of the
    International Committee of the Red Cross
    March 8, 1991

        The President. I might take this opportunity just to salute the
    International Red Cross. And from the very beginning, it seemed to the
    Americans that you tried very hard to do what was compassionate and
    right, and you ran into some obstacles, but you stayed with it. And I
    think we owe you a vote of gratitude. And I want to assure you of our
    continuing interest and support, and of course, we're very proud of the
    new president of the American Red Cross because Elizabeth Dole being
    there, I think, is more than a symbol--it shows a part of the commitment
    that we all feel to the work of the Red Cross.
        So, it gives me a chance anyway to welcome you back and to say thank
    you.
        Mr. Sommaruga. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I am extremely
    glad to be here today; also to express appreciation for the excellent
    cooperation we were able to have in the field with the military, with
    the commands of the coalition forces, in order to carry out our mandate,
    which is a mandate given us by the Geneva convention. And we will
    continue to carry out this mandate. And I think that what happened in
    the Gulf will also be for us all a sort of lesson on how one has to
    proceed in the implementation of internationally maintained law and
    possibly also in the enlargement of it.
        Q. Mr. President, is there any indication that the POW's were
    mistreated?
        The President. I'll not take any questions here. I am concerned
    about reports that some of them were clapped on the ears and it affected
    their hearing. But I don't know the details yet on all of that.

                        Note: The President spoke at 11:35 a.m. in the Oval
                            Office at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to former Secretary of Labor Elizabeth
                            Dole, president of the American Red Cross. A
                            tape was not available for verification of the
                            content of these remarks.