[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
[April 20, 1993]
[Page 465]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 465]]


Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President Vaclav Havel 
of the Czech Republic
April 20, 1993

Bosnia

    Q. Mr. President, President Havel is here for the Holocaust Museum 
opening, and you toured the museum last night. All this focus on the 
Holocaust, how does that weigh on your decisionmaking process as far as 
Bosnia is concerned?
    The President. Well, I think the Holocaust is the most extreme 
example the world has ever known of ethnic cleansing. And I think that 
even in its more limited manifestations, it's an idea that should be 
opposed. You couldn't help thinking about that. That's not to compare 
the two examples. They're not identical. Everyone knows that. But I 
think that the United States should always seek an opportunity to stand 
up against--at least to speak out against inhumanity.
    Q. Sir, how close are you to a decision on more sanctions on Bosnia?
    The President. Well, of course, we've got the U.N. vote. Ambassador 
Albright was instrumental in the U.N. vote to strengthen the sanctions, 
and they are quite tough. And we now are putting our heads at the 
business of implementing them and looking at what other options we ought 
to consider. And I don't have anything else to say, except to tell you 
that I spent quite a bit of time on it and will continue to over the 
next several days.
    Q. Following your meeting today, sir, are you any closer to some 
sort of U.S. military presence there?
    The President. I have not made any decisions.

[At this point, one group of reporters left the room, and another group 
entered.]

Meeting With President Havel

    Q. President Clinton, why have you decided to meet with Mr. Havel?
    The President. Well, I'm just honored that he would come and see me. 
I'm glad he's here in the United States for the dedication of the 
Holocaust Museum. He is a figure widely admired in our country and 
around the world and a very important person in Europe and a very 
important person to the United States. So I'm hoping that we'll have a 
chance to talk about the new Czech Republic and what kinds of things we 
can do together to support the causes we believe in.

Note: The exchange began at 5 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of this 
exchange.