    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [November 24, 1997]
    [Pages 1652-1653]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President Jiang Zemin
    of China in Vancouver
    November 24, 1997

    Situation in Iraq

        Q. President Clinton, if we might, could we have a question about
    Iraq? I wondered why it was so important that the U.N. inspectors be
    able to--why is it critical that they see these palaces which Saddam
    Hussein now has made off limits?
        President Clinton. Well, let me say, first of all, like all issues,
    this should be looked at on the basis of the real underlying facts. The
    term ``palace'' has a different meaning in Iraq than it would to the
    ordinary American. The ordinary American would hear the word ``palace,''
    and they would think, a very fancy residence for a head of state or a
    member of a royal family.
        There are 78 such palaces in Iraq. Many of them are huge compounds.
    Some of them actually encompass more land than Washington, DC, does. So
    to put 78 palaces, when you look at what they really are, off limits
    according to Mr.

    [[Page 1653]]

    Butler and our inspectors would mean that they could not adequately
    search for chemical and biological weapons operations. Our position is,
    if the inspector team says they ought to do it, that's a lot of land, a
    lot of buildings, and they ought to be able to do what they think is
    necessary.
        Q. Well, do you suspect that he's using these palaces to hide
    illegal arms?
        President Clinton. Well, they have acknowledged that in 1995--as
    late as 1995, that they had quite substantial stores of weapons and
    potential weapons that would be prohibited and subject to inspection and
    destruction under the U.N. resolution. And I just want the inspectors to
    be able to do their job. My suspicions are not important. The only thing
    that matters here is that the inspectors can do their job under the U.N.
    resolutions.
        Q. President Jiang, does China support--you have one more week as
    President of the Council--does China support the U.S. position that
    there should be unimpeded inspections in Iraq?
        President Jiang. I'll ask the Foreign Minister to answer your
    question.
        Q. All right.
        Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. We have supported always the
    completion of inspection in Iraq in the United Nations.

    Wei Jingsheng

        Q. Mr. President, is Wei Jingsheng going to be able to come home
    ever, do you think?
        President Jiang. Well, this matter will be handled according to
    China's judicial procedures.

    International Agreement on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

        Q. President Clinton, do you think you'll press China on global
    warming?
        President Clinton. We've discussed this before, and I hope we get a
    chance to discuss it again today. I think we have a framework that's
    good for China, good for the United States, good for the world. We're
    going to talk about it some more today.

    Wei Jingsheng

        Q. Mr. President, have you talked with Wei Jingsheng?
        President Clinton. No, we just got here. [Laughter] We haven't
    talked about anything.

    Note: The exchange began at 12:45 p.m. in the Princess Louisa Suite at
    the Waterfront Centre Hotel. In his remarks, the President referred to
    Wei Jingsheng, Chinese dissident recently released for medical treatment
    in the United States.