[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[March 24, 1994]
[Pages 542-543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 542]]


Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters
March 24, 1994

Air Collision at Pope Air Force Base

    The President. Hello. I just wanted to make a brief statement. This 
morning, I called General Shelton at Fort Bragg and General Floyd at 
Pope Air Force Base to personally express my sorrow and condolences 
because of the tragedy yesterday, and to thank them, and through them, 
the members of our armed services who do the work that they do.
    As I said in my statement yesterday, it's sometimes easy for those 
of us who enjoy the protection of the United States military to forget 
that it is a dangerous business, even in peace time, because of the 
training which must be carried out. And I think the hearts and thoughts 
and prayers of all Americans go out to the families of those who were 
killed yesterday, those who were injured, and all of those who were 
involved in this tragedy. We wish them only the best, and we are all 
thinking of them.

Assassination of Luis Donaldo Colosio

    I'd also like to say a brief word about the tragic murder of Mr. 
Colosio in Mexico yesterday. As you know, I called President Salinas 
last night, and we had a conversation about it which was entirely 
personal. And again, the United States, all of us, particularly the Vice 
President and I and Secretary Cisneros and others who had met Mr. 
Colosio, feel a great sense of loss and feel the pain of the Mexican 
people and the pain of his family.
    The United States has done what we could do today to try to support 
the people of Mexico and the Government by making it clear that we think 
that the country's institutions are fundamentally strong. There was a 
brief delay in the trading of Mexican securities today to give the 
investors the opportunity to find out the facts in the hope that we 
would avoid any undue movement there. That delay lasted somewhere around 
30 minutes or an hour. And I think it did have a good, salutary effect 
to make, just to make sure that the investors have all the facts and 
were not under any misapprehension about what had occurred. And it 
appears that things are proceeding normally there. So our best wishes go 
out to the Mexican people and our grief and our condolences and our 
prayers to them in this terrible time of loss.

Mexico

    Q. Mr. President, are there steps the United States Government can 
or should take to try to make sure that there's stability in Mexico?
    The President.  Well, what we can do and what I think we should have 
done, first of all, is to take the steps we took on the trading. 
Secondly, I did talk to Secretary Bentsen last night to make sure that 
if there was serious trading in Mexican currencies, that we could try to 
help to stabilize that.
    But, as you know, their financial institutions were all closed down 
today. So they took that step, and we'll just have to see whether 
anything else happens on that regard tomorrow. But I think things will 
settle down here. And I think fundamentally they are in sound shape. And 
I hope that will be the case. We'll have to wait and see what happens 
tomorrow.

Middle East Peace Process

    Q. Mr. President, what did you tell the American Jewish leaders 
today about the status of a united Jerusalem?
    The President. I told them that the position--I told them what I've 
always told you in public. I'll tell you the exact words I used. I said, 
``My position has not changed on that issue. But my position is also 
that the United States and other countries should refrain from 
intervening in these peace talks between the parties themselves. And 
part of the Declaration of Principles between Israel and the PLO was 
that the disposition of that issue would be a so-called final status 
issue to be resolved at the end of the talks. And I have respected that 
process.'' So I have made it clear that the United States has not 
changed it's position. The way we handled the resolution on the Hebron 
massacre in the U.N. gave us the opportunity to make that clear again. 
But we are trying to get these peace talks going, and we are going to 
let the parties make their decisions for the future of the Mid-


[[Page 543]]

dle East on their own, and we are going to do everything we can to 
facilitate it.

News Conference

    Q. What do you hope to accomplish in your press conference tonight?
    The President. Basically, I'm going to make a report to the American 
people about what we're trying to do up here, about the work we're doing 
on the crime bill, on health care, on a number of other important 
issues. And if I don't get to the Hill now, I'll be behind the curve on 
health care. So I've got to go.

Note: The President spoke at 12:06 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House, prior to his departure for Capitol Hill. In his remarks, he 
referred to Lt. Gen. Henry H. Shelton, USA, Commanding General, 18th 
Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg; and Brig. Gen. Bobby O. Floyd, USAF, 23d 
Wing Commander, Pope Air Force Base.