    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [March 7, 1996]
    [Pages 381-382]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to Discussions With King Hussein of Jordan and an Exchange
    With Reporters
    March 7, 1996

    Middle East Peace Process

        The President. Let me say that I am delighted to have King Hussein
    here today, especially at this important time for the Middle East. As
    ever, the United States is grateful for his leadership and his courage.
    And I look forward to discussing with him today what we can do together
    to continue to stand against the forces of terrorism and for the forces
    of peace in the region. We'll have a number of other things to talk
    about, but I'm so glad that he's here.
        Q. Your Majesty, what do you think the prospects are for resuming
    the peace negotiations? And what do you think the goal is of the
    bombings?
        King Hussein. As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to thank you, sir,
    for giving me the pleasure and privilege of being with you here today
    and with our friends.
        I would like to say that we are more than shocked; we are really
    angered by what we have seen in the way of violence in our part of the
    world. And we must do everything we can to put an end to this.
        And I believe it is the action of a small group against an
    overwhelming majority of people in

    [[Page 382]]

    our region who are seeking peace, who have seen the taste of peace and
    the new beginnings and the breaking of a new dawn. I hope that they will
    be mobilized to do whatever they can to help and be vocal in the face of
    extremism. And I think the objective is very clear: These people are
    trying to scuttle the peace process and destroy all that has been
    achieved. And they must never succeed, and we will do whatever we can
    towards that end.
         Q. Mr. President, is there anything else that the United States can
    do to help the Israelis and the Palestinians deal with these immediate
    threats?
        The President. Well as you know, we've taken some extra actions in
    the last few days, and we'll be discussing other options in the days
    ahead. There may be some other things we can do, but I'd rather not
    discuss it now until we've actually made some decisions.
        Q. Mr. President, Chairman Arafat has called for an international
    conference to map a strategy to combat terrorism. Do you favor such a
    meeting?
        The President. Well, we've been in contact, obviously, with Chairman
    Arafat and with Prime Minister Peres and others about all the options,
    and we haven't ruled out anything. We're working on the things that we
    ought to do, and we'll have some decisions in the next couple of days
    about where we go from here.

    NAFTA

        Q. Mr. President, Canada and Mexico are both raising alarms with the
    Helms-Burton bill, saying it will violate NAFTA. What's your reaction to
    that, and would you maybe consider waiving the provision before the
    election?
        The President. Well, I believe that the bill as now written permits
    compliance with international law, and that is why I said that I would
    support and sign it.
        Q. Does it also----

    1996 Election

        Q. Are you looking forward to running against Bob Dole?
        The President. We ought to give it--I'm looking forward to getting
    everything settled down here and getting back to work in Washington. We
    need to go back to work. The main campaign we need to be waging now is a
    campaign for peace at home--I mean, peace abroad and prosperity at home.
    We've got a lot of work to do.

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

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, can you give us any reaction from Syria about the
    bombings in Israel? And are you satisfied with the actions of the Arab
    world so far?
        The President. Well, I think that Chairman Arafat has made some real
    efforts, but I think that all of us will have to do more. And we're
    talking together, working together about what we can do to do more. And
    I have been in touch with all of our friends in the region and all the
    countries that are interested in what is going on there and all the
    countries that have a stake in continuing the peace process, and we're
    going to do everything we can to keep it going and also to combat
    terror.
        Q. Do you think the peace process is endangered now, continuing,
    especially the Syria-Israeli track?
        The President. Well, it doesn't help--what's happened. But I hope
    that if we all rally to the cause of peace and to the work of combating
    the terror, that that will permit the peace process to continue. I
    believe all the leaders want it to continue.
        Q. If there was some--[inaudible]--against Iran, and the United
    States said that Iran is involved, would the United States back any
    action by Israel against Iran?
        The President. Oh, I think it's inappropriate to speculate about
    such matters. I think that what we're going to do is to talk about what
    we can do to restore security, restore a basic sense of safety, and to
    keep going with the peace. And I think that's what we ought to focus on.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:07 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Chairman Yasser Arafat of the
    Palestinian Authority and Prime Minister Shimon Peres of Israel. A tape
    was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.