[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.