    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [February 5, 1998]
    [Pages 174-178]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom and an Exchange With Reporters
    February 5, 1998

        The President. Sorry about the rain, guys. Let me just say, to start
    out, the reason we're kind of hanging around like this is we're about to
    go into the back dining room there so we can have a working lunch. And
    I'm looking forward to this. We're going to have 2 good days, and we
    have a lot to discuss, not only Iraq, which everyone knows about, and
    Ireland but also the plans that we're making together, or at least in
    common, for our countries domestically and a lot of other issues that
    will affect both the people of Great Britain and the people of the
    United States. This is going to be a good meeting.

    [[Page 175]]

    Independent Counsel's Investigation

        Q. Mr. President, would you like to use this occasion to tell the
    American people what kind of relationship, if any, you had with Monica
    Lewinsky?
        The President. Well, I've already said that the charges are false.
    But there is an ongoing investigation, and I think it's important that I
    go back and do the work for the American people that I was hired to do.
    I think that's what I have to do now.
        Q. Are you going to assert executive privilege, sir?
        The President. First, let me make it clear, for 4 years we've been
    cooperating exhaustively. And that's a hypothetical question, as far as
    I know. Should it arise, I will await a recommendation from the White
    House Counsel about the institutional responsibilities of the
    Presidency. And then, when I get it, then I'll make a decision.

    Situation in Iraq

        Q. Mr. President, there are a lot of Republican leaders and armchair
    generals who want you to change your policy toward Iraq and to take out
    Saddam. What is your feeling about that now?
        The President. Well, I would make two--first of all--and I believe
    that the Prime Minister has also made this point--what is the cause of
    the present standoff? It is the suspension of the inspections by the
    United Nations inspectors and the restrictions on where they can
    inspect. Our interest is in preventing Saddam Hussein from building biological, chemical, nuclear weapons
    capability, the missiles to deliver such weapons. That is our interest.
    That's where the authority from the United Nations resolutions rests.
    That's the first thing.
        Now, the second thing, as a practical matter we can pursue that
    interest with available options. Would the Iraqi people be better off if
    there were a change in leadership? I certainly think they would be. But
    that is not what the United Nations has authorized us to do; that is not
    what our immediate interest is about.
        Now, we intend to be very firm on this, and I hope that we will have
    the world community with us. But what I really hope most of all is that
    there will be a diplomatic resolution of this, that Saddam Hussein will
    move away from his present position.
        Q. But if you were to order military strikes, I mean, they would not
    be directed specifically at him?
        The President. Well, first of all, there's an Executive order that's
    been in place for over 20 years on that subject.
        Q. Does that apply?
        The President. It does. But let's not discuss hypothetically what
    targets might be there or what we might do. I think it is important that
    he understand that we are very resolute on the issue of the inspection
    system. And it's not an American issue. You might want to ask the Prime
    Minister about that.
        Q. Are you saying there's an order to take him out?
        The President. No, no, no. No, no, I was referring to the Executive
    order, I believe first issued by President Ford, saying that it is against--that political killing, or
    assassination if you will, is against American foreign policy interests,
    that we don't do that. But we are very firm in our resolve. And I was
    very heartened by the Prime Minister's statement in the White House
    there about his position.
        Q. Are you concerned that Mr. Yeltsin's comments about the
    possibility of leading towards a war--I know he backed off that a little
    bit, but what are your views on that?
        The President. Well, I doubt that that would happen. We had a good
    talk the other day, President Yeltsin and I
    did. And I know that he very much hopes that a violent confrontation can
    be avoided. So do I. But in the end, it is up to Saddam Hussein. It is
    not up to the rest of us. I haven't talked to a single soul who hopes
    there will be some sort of violent encounter here, not a soul.
        Prime Minister Blair. That's absolutely right.
        Q. There are a lot of diplomatic efforts by the French and the
    Russians in Baghdad right now. Do you think they can bear fruit and
    avoid a military strike?
        Prime Minister Blair. Everyone hopes that a diplomatic solution is
    available and can work. We all want that. But I think all of our
    experience with Saddam Hussein teaches us that diplomacy has very little
    chance of working unless it is clear to him that if diplomacy does not
    work, then the threat and the reality of force is there.
        And the reason why it's important for us to take the position we are
    is because over these past few years, the U.N. weapons inspectors

    [[Page 176]]

    have uncovered literally thousands of chemical weapons; they've
    discovered biological warfare capability; they've discovered the
    beginnings of nuclear capability. It is for that very reason that the
    inspectors are there. It's for that very reason that the U.N. has made
    it quite clear that the U.N. inspectors have got to go in, so that we
    destroy that capability to develop weapons of mass destruction.
        And I think that the entire international community, whatever
    varying degrees of enthusiasm for using the military option, understands
    that Saddam Hussein has to be stopped and that it is absolutely
    essential in the long-term interests of world peace that we make sure
    that he can't develop these weapons of mass destruction, because he is a
    man who's used those weapons before. He will use them again if he's give
    the opportunity to do so.

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. Prime Minister, aside from your role on Iraq, do you have a
    specific role in the Middle East peace process now?
        Prime Minister Blair. Well, we obviously want to do everything we
    can, both as Great Britain and also as the President of the European
    Union at the moment, to back up the efforts that are being made here to
    try and secure a peace settlement in the Middle East. I myself have both
    seen and corresponded regularly with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Yasser
    Arafat, and we continue the whole time to see what we can do to move
    that process forward, because there is a process underway. It is a very
    difficult situation at the moment. But as we know from our own attempts
    to secure peace in Northern Ireland, if we don't try and push these
    processes forward, they very quickly slip back. So I think there is a
    great deal of urgency there, and we will obviously work with our
    American colleagues to see what we can do to help.
        The President. We're going to talk about this quite a bit. I view
    the Prime Minister's interest in the Middle East in a very positive
    light. As you know, we are working--Secretary Albright has been working very hard to jumpstart these
    negotiations again, to get them through this next phase so we can go on
    to final status talks. And we're going to need all the help we can. And
    we need all the help we can in the world to rebuild the economic fabric,
    as well as--of the Palestinian areas--as well as a climate of confidence
    and trust between all the parties. So I'm hopeful we can make some
    headway, and we're going to talk about it.

    Independent Counsel's Investigation

        Q. Are you prepared to answer any questions on the Monica matter
    tomorrow?
        The President. I can only say--I've said the charges aren't true.
    There's an investigation going on. And while that's going on, it's my
    duty to keep doing the job I was hired to do by the American people, and
    that's my position.
        Q. Don't tell them anything we didn't find out.
        The President. Don't worry, I give you my word on that. I'll protect
    you.
        Q. Thank you.

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

    Situation in Iraq

        Q. Does the fact that you're drawing up a battle plan mean that
    action against Iraq is now well nigh inevitable?
        The President. No, no. That's up to Saddam Hussein. I do not want a conflict. I don't believe the Prime
    Minister wants a conflict. I want a diplomatic resolution of this. But
    we know from the sheer volume and diversity of material that has been
    found by the UNSCOM inspectors since 1991 that Saddam Hussein had been
    aggressively pursuing a weapons of mass destruction program, including
    biological and chemical weapons, as well as the capability to deliver
    them by missile.
        Now, what we want is for the U.N. inspectors to be able to do their
    job, to finish looking at all the sites, and then for monitors to be
    able to check on a regular basis to make sure there's no rebuilding.
    It's as simple as that. And if that assurance can be given in reasonable
    form, that anyone with sound judgment would accept, then nothing is
    inevitable here. No one wants this. This is about trying to protect our
    children and their world in the next century from chemical and
    biological weapons.
        Q. Could I ask you both if you believe you can undertake military
    action despite the vociferous opposition from the Russians and clear
    opposition from the French and the Chinese as well, because it does seem
    that the two of you are somewhat against the grain of international
    opinion at the moment?

    [[Page 177]]

        Prime Minister Blair. Well, I certainly wouldn't accept that. I
    believe that there is a very clear understanding in the international
    community that the U.N. security resolutions about the weapons
    inspections have to be upheld. Saddam Hussein, after all, agreed at the
    end of the Gulf war that he was going to allow the inspectors in in
    order to destroy all the weapons of mass destruction. They have been, as
    the President has just been saying, for the last 6 years carrying out
    their work. They have uncovered vast arsenals of weapons and the
    possibility of making many more. So it's absolutely clear, I think, to
    everybody in the international community, that Saddam Hussein has to be
    stopped, that the capability to develop these weapons of mass
    destruction has to be destroyed and taken out. And of course we want to
    do that by diplomatic means. We all do. No one wants a conflict. But the
    bottom line has got to be that he is prevented from developing those
    weapons of mass destruction and brought back into line with the
    agreements that he entered into and is now in breach of.
        The President. I think, to be fair, the Russians and the French have
    made strenuous efforts to get Saddam Hussein
    to comply, to do something reasonable and consistent with the United
    Nations resolutions. I think they share many of our frustrations. They
    started from a different place. But we are working very hard. I've had
    good conversations with President Yeltsin,
    with President Chirac, and with others around
    the world. We will continue to work to try to build the strongest
    consensus we can.
        But let me say that the best solution is to have the weapons
    inspection program reinserted, have all the sites open, and have some
    system for regular monitoring. If you look at the astonishing results
    they have achieved--far more weapons, bigger volume of chemical and
    biological stocks found and destroyed by these UNSCOM inspectors than
    was destroyed during the Gulf war--that is the answer. And it's up to
    Saddam Hussein. No one wants a battle over this.
        But if you think about the potential even a small amount of
    biological agent--the damage, the number of people that can be killed--
    if you think about the potential of it and you think about the evidence
    we have that the Prime Minister mentioned earlier, that he had actually
    used chemical weapons on the Iranians and on the Kurds, his own people,
    the United Nations resolution is right, and it needs to be seen through.

    Northern Ireland Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, we've had a few rocky weeks in the Ulster peace
    process. How optimistic are you that a solution can be found?
        The President. Well, the thing I found heartening is that with these
    various actions, violent actions, that the main bedrock parties--nobody
    has quit yet. There was a time when with this level of provocation the
    whole thing would have just come apart. And I think that's a tribute to
    the trust that the parties have in the Prime Minister. I think it's a
    tribute to the efforts of the Irish Government. And frankly I think it
    reflects an understanding by the people who are around the edges of this
    process that the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland want a
    peaceful resolution to this.
        So for those reasons, even though I don't minimize for a moment the
    enormous hurdles that lie ahead, I'm fairly optimistic. I think the fact
    that the blows that have been rained on this process by people who
    thought that if they could go out and kill a few people it would come
    apart--the fact that it hasn't is a tribute to the Prime Minister, to
    the Irish Government, to the people of Northern Ireland working for
    peace, and to the public in Northern Ireland. That's where they are.
    They want this worked out in a peaceful way.

    Public Responsibilities

        Q.  Can we take it from what you said on TV this morning that it
    matters what politicians get up to in their private lives? And could I
    ask you also whether you have any reason to be jealous of President
    Clinton in any way?
        The President. I don't think so. [Laughter]
        Prime Minister Blair. What I was saying, so that I can repeat it for
    you very, very clearly, is that what is important is that we focus on
    the issues, which are the issues that we were elected to focus upon by
    our people. And from my own point of view, what I was elected to do was
    to sort out the school system that wasn't working under the last
    Conservative government, sort out our welfare state, make sure that we
    produced a stable, well-managed economic situation, rebuild our
    relations with Europe, put through the program of constitutional change,
    developed the possibility of peace in Northern Ireland, tackled the
    issues of crime in our

    [[Page 178]]

    streets, dealt with the international problems we face like Iraq in a
    proper, mature, and sensitive way. And that's precisely what we're
    doing, and that is what people would expect us to do. That is what,
    actually, our people want us to do, the people in Britain and the people
    in America.

    Independent Counsel's Investigation

        Q.  Might I just ask, sir, what is your next move with regard to the
    Kenneth Starr investigation? Is there going to come a time soon when you
    will again be able to address the American people and perhaps give them
    a fuller explanation of your relationship with this young woman?
        The President. Let me just say what I just said to the American
    press. I have already denied the legal charges, strongly, and I do so
    again. But there is an ongoing investigation. Under those circumstances,
    the right thing for me to do is to go back and do the job the American
    people hired me to do, and that's what I am doing. And I feel very
    comfortable with it. I feel good about where we are. I'm gratified by
    the response of the American people to the State of the Union and the
    plans I have for the coming year. And I'm going back to work.

    United Kingdom-U.S. Relations

        Q. Mr. President--[inaudible]--important your relationship with the
    Prime Minister is?
        The President. I think the relationship of the United States and
    Great Britain is very important. It is changing; it is maturing. Britain
    is a clear leader in forging a new Europe, and a lot of interesting
    questions have to be worked out.
        Q. But your personal--[inaudible]--chemistry?
        The President. Let me finish. But I think if you look at the success
    of the British economy, if you look at the commitment that Britain has
    to the kind of internal reforms under Prime Minister Blair's leadership
    that we have tried to undertake here, if you look at the things we have
    in common, and if you look at the--[inaudible]--I think that it's not
    surprising that there would be very good personal chemistry between us.
    I think it's good for the people of your country, good for the people of
    our country, that we recognize that we share values, we share interests,
    and now we have a common vision of the future. And I personally feel
    very good about it. I think it will help us in a whole variety of ways.
        But I have to say I've never accepted the idea that there was ever
    an end to the so-called special relationship between the United States
    and Britain. I don't believe that. But I think the fact that he and I
    have--are sort of on the same wavelength about the present and the
    future is something that may well redound to the benefit of both our
    people. I certainly hope it does, and it's something I enjoy very much.
        Q. What is this 21st century alliance you talked about?
        The President. Well, I talked about it in there. I mean, if you look
    at what we did in Bosnia, I think that's a pretty good indication of the
    kind of things we'll have to do in the 21st century. Basically, what are
    the great questions of the 21st century? Will this explosion of markets
    and the movement of people around the world and the movement of ideas
    and the movement of technology, will it lead to greater prosperity for
    all or just for a few? Will it lead to a stronger sense of global
    community, or will it lead to more chaos?
        If you know what the answer is that you want, then it makes it
    easier to decide that you ought to do what we did together in Bosnia,
    just for example.
        No one can chart the future with exactitude, but I think the fact
    that we have the same orientation and the same--where trying to build
    the same future for our children increases the chances that together
    we'll be able to make a difference.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:01 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq;
    President Boris Yeltsin of Russia; and President Jacques Chirac of
    France. The President also referred to the following series of Executive
    orders on U.S. intelligence activities: Executive Order 11905, signed by
    President Gerald Ford on February 18, 1976 (41 FR 7703); Executive Order
    12036, signed by President Jimmy Carter on January 24, 1978 (43 FR
    3674); and Executive Order 12333, signed by President Ronald Reagan on
    December 4, 1981 (46 FR 59941). A tape was not available for
    verification of the content of these remarks.