[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[February 3, 1994]
[Pages 178-181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Lifting the Trade Embargo on Vietnam and an 
Exchange With Reporters
February 3, 1994

    The President. Thank you very much. I want to especially thank all 
of you who have come here on such short notice. From the beginning of my 
administration, I have said that any decisions about our relationships 
with Vietnam should be guided by one factor and one factor only: gaining 
the fullest possible accounting for our prisoners of war and our missing 
in action. We owe that to all who served in Vietnam and to the families 
of those whose fate remains unknown.
    Today I am lifting the trade embargo against Vietnam because I am 
absolutely convinced it offers the best way to resolve the fate of those 
who remain missing and about whom we are not sure. We've worked hard 
over the last year to achieve progress. On Memorial Day, I pledged to 
declassify and make available virtually

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all Government documents related to our POW's and MIA. On Veterans Day, 
I announced that we had fulfilled that pledge. Last April, and again in 
July, I sent two Presidential delegations to Vietnam to expand our 
search for remains and documents. We intensified our diplomatic efforts. 
We have devoted more resources to this effort than any previous 
administration. Today, more than 500 dedicated military and civilian 
personnel are involved in this effort under the leadership of General 
Shalikashvili, Secretary Aspin, and our Commander in the Pacific, 
Admiral Larson. Many work daily in the fields, the jungles, the 
mountains of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, often braving very dangerous 
conditions, trying to find the truth about those about whom we are not 
sure.
    Last July, I said any improvement in our relations with Vietnam 
would depend on tangible progress in four specific areas: first, the 
recovery and return of remains of our POW's and MIA; second, the 
continued resolution of discrepancy cases, cases in which there is 
reason to believe individuals could have survived the incident in which 
they were lost; third, further assistance from Vietnam and Laos on 
investigations along their common border, an area where many U.S. 
servicemen were lost and pilots downed; and fourth, accelerated efforts 
to provide all relevant POW/MIA-related documents.
    Today, I can report that significant, tangible progress has been 
made in all these four areas. Let me describe it. First, on remains: 
Since the beginning of this administration, we have recovered the 
remains of 67 American servicemen. In the 7 months since July, we've 
recovered 39 sets of remains, more than during all of 1992. Second, on 
the discrepancy cases: Since the beginning of the administration, we've 
reduced the number of these cases from 135 to 73. Since last July, we've 
confirmed the deaths of 19 servicemen who were on the list. A special 
United States team in Vietnam continues to investigate the remaining 
cases. Third, on cooperation with Laos: As a direct result of the 
conditions set out in July, the Governments of Vietnam and Laos agreed 
to work with us to investigate their common border. The first such 
investigation took place in December and located new remains as well as 
crash sites that will soon be excavated. Fourth, on the documents: Since 
July, we have received important wartime documents from Vietnam's 
military archives that provide leads on unresolved POW/MIA cases.
    The progress achieved on unresolved questions is encouraging, but it 
must not end here. I remain personally committed to continuing the 
search for the answers and the peace of mind that families of the 
missing deserve.
    There's been a substantial increase in Vietnamese cooperation on 
these matters over the past year. Everyone involved in the issue has 
affirmed that. I have carefully considered the question of how best to 
sustain that cooperation in securing the fullest possible accounting. 
I've consulted with my national security and veterans affairs advisers, 
with several outside experts, such as General John Vessey, the former 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has been an emissary to 
Vietnam for three Presidents now. It was their view that the key to 
continued progress lies in expanding our contacts with Vietnam.
    This was also the view of many distinguished Vietnam veterans and 
former POW's who now serve in the Congress, such as Senator Bob Kerrey 
and Congressman Pete Peterson, who are here. And I want to say a special 
word of thanks to Senator John Kerry--is he here? There he is. He just 
came in--and Senator John McCain, who had to go home on a family matter 
and could not be here. But I thank the two of you so much for your 
leadership and your steadfastness and all the rest of you, Senator Robb 
and so many others, especially those who served in Vietnam, for being 
counted on this issue and for taking all the care you have for such a 
long time.
    I have made the judgment that the best way to ensure cooperation 
from Vietnam and to continue getting the information Americans want on 
POW's and MIA's is to end the trade embargo. I've also decided to 
establish a liaison office in Vietnam to provide services for Americans 
there and help us to pursue a human rights dialog with the Vietnamese 
Government.
    I want to be clear: These actions do not constitute a normalization 
of our relationships. Before that happens, we must have more progress, 
more cooperation, and more answers. Toward that end, this spring I will 
send another high-level U.S. delegation to Vietnam to continue the 
search for remains and for documents.
    Earlier today I met with the leaders of our Nation's veterans 
organizations. I deeply respect their views. Many of the families they 
represent have endured enormous suffering and uncertainty. And their 
opinions also deserve special

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consideration. I talked with them about my decision. I explained the 
reasons for that decision. Some of them, in all candor, do not agree 
with the action I am taking today. But I believe we all agree on the 
ultimate goal: to secure the fullest possible accounting of those who 
remain missing. And I was pleased that they committed to continue 
working with us toward that goal.
    Whatever the Vietnam war may have done in dividing our country in 
the past, today our Nation is one in honoring those who served and 
pressing for answers about all those who did not return. This decision 
today, I believe, renews that commitment and our constant, constant 
effort never to forget those until our job is done. Those who have 
sacrificed deserve a full and final accounting. I am absolutely 
convinced, as are so many in the Congress who served there and so many 
Americans who have studied this issue, that this decision today will 
help to ensure that fullest possible accounting.
    Thank you very much.

Vietnam

    Q. Mr. President, aren't you giving up some leverage, though? Could 
we ask about that? And what do you anticipate in terms of American 
trade? What's the size of the market? What do you think the 
opportunities are?
    The President. I have no idea. I wanted to make sure that the trade 
questions did not enter into this decision. I never had a briefing on 
it, and we never had a discussion about it. I thought it was very 
important that that not be a part of this decision.
    I don't think we're giving up anything. It was the consensus of all 
those who had been there, who had worked there that we had gotten so 
much more cooperation that we needed to keep moving the process forward 
and that we would lose leverage if there were no forward movement. Have 
we given up anything? I don't think so. Nothing we are doing today is 
irreversible if the cooperation ceases. So I am convinced we are moving 
in the right direction for the right reasons.
    Q. Mr. President, you mentioned people who had been to Vietnam, had 
served; you did not. Did this have any role in your decision, and did it 
make it more difficult for you to reach this decision?
    The President. No. I do think, however, everybody my age, whether 
they were in Vietnam or not, knew someone who died there, knew someone 
who was wounded there. And I think people in our generation are perhaps 
more insistent on trying to get a full accounting, more obsessed with it 
than perhaps people who are younger and people who are older, except 
those who had children there. I think that was the only thing.
    I have spent an enormous amount of time on this issue. I got a 
personal briefing when I was in Hawaii last summer. I have talked to 
some of the young people who were there digging in the jungles for the 
remains. I have really thought about this, and I have tried to listen 
hard. When Senator Kerry and Senator McCain and their delegation came 
back, we had a long meeting here about it. I think the people, all the 
people my age just want to know we've done everything we can. And I 
think this is consistent with doing that.

Immigration

    Q. Mr. President, on another subject, what do you hope to achieve 
with the immigration crackdown that was announced today? And do you have 
any concerns that people's rights will be violated?
    The President. Well, we're going to do our best not to violate 
anybody's rights. What we hope to achieve is a continued environment in 
which America will be open for legal immigration--we are a nation of 
immigrants--but in which we can do our best to protect our borders.

Health Care Reform

    Q. You've had, sir, two influential business groups say that they 
prefer other plans than yours for health care. Does that hurt you?
    The President. [Inaudible]--what the Chamber of Commerce said.
    Q. Does their stand, saying that other directions are the way to go, 
particularly the Business Roundtable, does that hurt you in negotiations 
as you move forward?
    The President. I don't want to make too much of it, because the 
people who came in here to see me said it was a negotiating strategy. 
And I said, ``Well, if all of you are providing health care coverage to 
your employees, I don't think you want to come out for a position 
against providing guaranteed health insurance to all American workers.'' 
So I don't know what to make of it, but I wouldn't read too much

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into it. This is the beginning of what will be a protracted legislative 
discussion.

Former President Ronald Reagan

    Q. Tonight, sir, Ronald Reagan is apparently going to take issue 
with some of your criticisms of him. Do you feel that you have been 
unfairly savaging his record in the 1980's?
    The President. Gee, I don't think I've been very critical of him at 
all. You know, I disagreed with the economic policy, I said so. I think 
if you go back over the rhetoric of this last year, it's been fairly 
free of obsession with the past. I'm not much into that. I'm looking 
toward tomorrow.
    Q. You hired Gergen, after all. [Laughter]
    The President. What greater compliment could I pay President Reagan?

Note: The President spoke at 5:06 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House.