[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.