[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[October 10, 1994]
[Pages 1725-1726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Address to the Nation on Iraq
October 10, 1994

    Good evening. Tonight I want to speak with you about the actions we 
are taking to preserve stability in the Persian Gulf in the face of 
Saddam Hussein's provocative actions. But first, let me take just a 
minute to report to you on today's events in Haiti.
    Three weeks ago today, our troops entered Haiti. They went there to 
keep America's and the world community's commitment to restore the 
democratically elected government to power by October 15th. Today 
Lieutenant General Cedras and Brigadier General Biamby, the two 
remaining coup leaders, have resigned. They have said they will leave 
Haiti shortly. I am pleased to announce that President Aristide will 
return home to resume his rightful place this Saturday, October 15th.
    I want to express again my pride in what our men and women in 
uniform have done in Haiti and how well they have measured up to their 
difficult mission. In just 3 weeks, the level of violence is down, the 
Parliament is back, refugees are returning from Guantanamo. And now the 
military leaders are leaving.

[[Page 1726]]

    But I also want to caution again, the job in Haiti remains difficult 
and dangerous. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. But our troops 
are keeping America's commitment to restore democracy. They are 
performing their mission very, very well with firmness and fairness, and 
all Americans are proud of them.
    The strength of America's foreign policy stands on the steadfastness 
of our commitments. The United States and the international community 
have given their word that Iraq must respect the borders of its 
neighbors. And tonight, as in Haiti, American troops with our coalition 
partners are the guarantors of that commitment, the power behind our 
diplomacy.
    Three and a half years ago, the men and women of our Armed Forces, 
under the strong leadership of President Bush, General Powell, and 
General Schwarzkopf, fought to expel Iraq from Kuwait and to protect our 
interests in that vital region. Today we remain committed to defending 
the integrity of that nation and to protecting the stability of the Gulf 
region.
    Saddam Hussein has shown the world before, with his acts of 
aggression and his weapons of mass destruction, that he cannot be 
trusted. Iraq's troop movements and threatening statements in recent 
days are more proof of this. In 1990, Saddam Hussein assembled a force 
on the border of Kuwait and then invaded. Last week, he moved another 
force toward the same border. Because of what happened in 1990, this 
provocation requires a strong response from the United States and the 
international community.
    Over the weekend I ordered the George Washington Carrier Battle 
Group, cruise missile ships, a Marine expeditionary brigade, and an Army 
mechanized task force to the Gulf. And today I have ordered the 
additional deployment of more than 350 Air Force aircraft to the region. 
We will not allow Saddam Hussein to defy the will of the United States 
and the international community.
    Iraq announced today that it will pull back its troops from the 
Kuwait border. But we're interested in facts, not promises, in deeds, 
not words. And we have not yet seen evidence that Iraq's troops are in 
fact pulling back. We'll be watching very closely to see that they do 
so.
    Our policy is clear: We will not allow Iraq to threaten its 
neighbors or to intimidate the United Nations as it ensures that Iraq 
never again possesses weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, the 
sanctions will be maintained until Iraq complies with all relevant U.N. 
resolutions. That is the answer to Iraq's sanctions problems: full 
compliance, not reckless provocation.
    I'm very proud of our troops who tonight are the backbone of our 
commitment to Kuwait's freedom and the security of the Gulf. I'm also 
proud of the planners and the commanders who are getting them there so 
very quickly and in such force. They all are proof that we are 
maintaining and must continue to maintain the readiness and strength of 
the finest military in the world.
    That is what we owe to the men and women of America who are putting 
their lives on the line today to make the world a safer place. And it is 
what we owe to the proud families who stand with them. They are 
protecting our security as we work for a post-cold-war world of 
democracy and prosperity.
    Within the last 2 weeks, America hosted two champions of post-cold-
war democracy. South African President Nelson Mandela came to thank the 
United States for our support of South Africa's remarkable democratic 
revolution and to seek a partnership for the future. And Russian 
President Boris Yeltsin came to further the partnership between our two 
nations so well expressed by the fact that now Russian and U.S. missiles 
are no longer pointed at each other's people and we are working to 
reduce the nuclear threat even more.
    In short, we are making progress in building a world of greater 
security, peace, and democracy. But our work is not done. There are 
difficulties and dangers ahead, as we see in Iraq and in Haiti. But we 
can meet these challenges and keep our commitments. Our objectives are 
clear, our forces are strong, and our cause is right.
    Thank you, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 8 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White 
House.