[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[April 5, 1991]
[Pages 332-334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Meeting With Hispanic Business Leaders and an Exchange With 
Reporters in Newport Beach, California
April 5, 1991

    The President. Is this it? A modest turnout. [Laughter] First, I 
want to thank everybody for coming here because the importance that I 
place on this Fast Track negotiating authority is critical, a highest 
priority. I look around this room and I see many who know of my interest 
in and have been terribly supportive in strengthening a relationship 
with Mexico. Mexico is in the big middle of this, and so is our free 
trade with the Europeans. The Uruguay round relies on our getting Fast 
Track authority.
    So, I'm glad to see so many of you again. And what I wanted to do on 
this point, this business point, is to encourage your strong support to 
the Members of the Congress for Fast Track negotiating authority. And if 
we get it, I believe we can get a free-trade agreement with Mexico. I 
think it will be good for the United States of America, I think it will 
be good for jobs in this country, and I think it will be darn good for 
Mexico as well.
    We're starting down that free-trading hemisphere, which is a 
wonderful concept. Those that worry about loss of jobs, they don't 
need--take a look at history. When you get this kind of an agreement, it 
expands job opportunities. And in this case, it also strengthens a 
friend, President Salinas of Mexico, who's seen on his end relations 
between Mexico and the United States have never been better. They really 
have never been better. So, that's one point.

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    The second point I wanted to make--and we can talk about it in a 
minute--is about the human suffering in Iraq. I've just put out a 
statement that shows that we will be doing more. We've already tried to 
help with the refugees, but we're going to step that way up, and we are 
going to be dropping supplies to these Kurdish refugees. Jim Baker will 
be going to the area to talk to other countries, but starting with the 
conversations in Turkey itself--Turkey threatened by an enormous amount 
of refugees pouring across their border.
    I made my positions clear yesterday, and I'll say it again here, 
that I have no intention of putting American troops into this situation. 
We've fulfilled our objectives in that regard. But we are going to do 
what America has always done, and that is, when people are hurting and 
being brutalized, we're going to help. We're going to continue to help. 
I saluted in this statement I put out to the British and the--
[applause]. And you know, it's heartbreaking when you see these families 
on the road, pushed out by a brutal dictator. So, we will do what we can 
to help there without being bogged down into a ground force action in 
Iraq. That is not our intention, never has been, and won't be. But we 
can help a lot, and we will. And we are, as a matter of fact.

Aid to Iraqi Refugees

    Q. Mr. President, has the United States informed the Iraqis of your 
plans for this air drop? And if so, have they given you any kind of 
clearance or----
    The President. I wanted these guys to hear about it first, and then 
we'll notify them later on. They'll know about it now by this statement.
    Q. So, you have not formally communicated these plans then as yet?
    The President. No. It's been all--no----

Middle East Peace Negotiations

    Q. Can you tell us also, on Secretary Baker going to the Middle 
East, is this because something has developed in the few short weeks or 
the little time that's left since he was there last, or is it because 
the window of opportunity is rapidly closing over there?
    The President. I think there's been--I have reason to be hopeful on 
it. We don't want to miss an opportunity to move forward on the peace 
process. He'll be talking about the security and stability in the Gulf 
area itself, but he'll also be talking about the question that's divided 
the Palestinians and Israelis for a long, long time. So, I think it's a 
mission that has an underpinning of hope, Norm [Norman Sandler, United 
Press International], but I don't think we're at the verge of having 
some deal, if that's what your question is.
    Q. Any new proposals?
    The President. It's not that we don't--the other side of your 
question was, or is it because the window is closing with no progress--
and it's not that, either. It's a follow-on to an earlier trip. And of 
course, it has this dimension now of assistance to these refugees. But 
it's got both components to it.

Aid to Iraqi Refugees

    Q. Are you prepared in any way to give asylum or to take some of the 
refugees? Apparently President Ozal is closing the border unless some of 
the other countries, the United States and Europe, will agree to take 
these massive----
    The President. I think every country should do its part, and we 
certainly would be open-minded. But certainly what I think they ought to 
do is to be able to peacefully stay in their own area, their own 
country. And that means a real difference in the way they're being 
treated. I notice that there was some offer of peaceful return, but 
that's what should happen. But the United States will do its part in the 
humanitarian sense.
    Q. Mr. President, that doesn't help the refugees that are being 
fired on by the Iraqi troops. They can have all the food and 
humanitarian supplies they need. How is this going to help them from the 
violence of the Red Guard?
    The President. I'm very much concerned about the violence and I'm 
hopeful that that will calm down. But it is not a question where the 
United States or its coalition partners plan to intervene militarily. 
We're not going to do that.

                    Note: The President spoke at 1 p.m. in

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                        Room 1801 of the Four Seasons Hotel. In his 
                        remarks, he referred to President Carlos Salinas 
                        de Gortari of Mexico, Secretary of State James 
                        A. Baker III, President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, 
                        and President Turgut Ozal of Turkey. A tape was 
                        not available for verification of the content of 
                        these remarks.