[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[July 25, 1999]
[Pages 1322-1323]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the American Embassy Community in Rabat, Morocco
July 25, 1999

    Thank you very much. First, thank you for your warm welcome. To 
those of you who brought the children here today, thank you, especially 
for bringing them. I would like to thank Congressman Gilman and Congressman Martin Frost, who is with him from Texas, for joining us. I thank 
Secretary Christopher and Secretary 
Baker for dropping everything at a 
moment's notice to make this trip, to manifest their respect for King 
Hassan and the friendship between the United 
States and Morocco.
    I'd like to say a special word of thanks to President Bush, who came here, again, on a moment's notice and had to 
leave early because he now has to go down to Casablanca to take a plane 
to Belgium to meet another appointment. But I'm very grateful to him for 
making this trip.
    I'd like to thank all the people from the State Department and the 
National Security Council, represented by Mr. Berger up here, for putting this trip together in a hurry. And 
Ambassador Gabriel, thank you and 
Kathleen and the other members of our 
Embassy community for making us so welcome.
    I'd also like to say that the First Lady would very much like to be here to thank you for 
making her trips to Morocco so successful. And Chelsea is here, and Hillary's mother is here, who, as I'm sure you know, has been here at 
least twice, maybe more, since I've been here. I think she's thinking of 
moving to Morocco. [Laughter]
    We are all profoundly grateful for the friendship between Morocco 
and the United States and for the personal kindness and friendship that 
His Majesty, King Hassan, displayed to me, to 
my family, to many of us on this podium, and to President Bush and to so many others over the years. So this is an 
important day for us. And Hillary 
would be here, but she and Chelsea and my 
mother-in-law have gone to visit with the 
mother and the sisters of the new King, and 
that is why they are not here. But they asked me to give you their best 
and to thank you.
    Now, let me say, especially to the Moroccans who work for the 
American Embassy here, I know this is a difficult day for many of you. 
King Hassan was the only King most Moroccans 
ever knew, and I hope it is some measure of comfort to the people of 
this nation that, among the throngs, the millions of his fellow citizens 
who came out to honor his passing today, were leaders from every part of 
the world, from every political and religious background, united in 
their support for Morocco and their respect for the life that he lived.
    King Hassan knew every American President 
since John Kennedy. He, himself, endured great turbulence and personal 
risk. The thing that always impressed me about him is he was never 
embittered by the dangers that he faced and, over time, he grew in 
wisdom, stature, and standing in the world; and as he grew, so did 
Morocco. I'm told he was known as the great survivor and, of course, we 
all know those survivor stories. We had another laugh about them on the 
plane over and shook our head in amazement.
    But I think that, in effect, to call King Hassan a survivor is not to do justice to him. Because when we 
think of a survivor, we think about someone who is very clever, all 
right, but just--

[[Page 1323]]

just enough to escape the slings and arrows that fortune places in our 
path, just enough to survive, and His Majesty King Hassan did more than 
that. I think of him instead as a pathfinder, a leader who survived, 
yes, but who survived to expand the possibilities of the Moroccan people 
and all the people of this region.
    He showed it is possible to be commander 
of the faithful and a champion of tolerance and a bridge between faiths. 
He showed it is possible to represent continuity and stability and to 
build the society that is more and more democratic and open--open to 
competing ideas and other people. He showed it is possible to promote 
Islam's holy sites in Jerusalem and to reach out to Israel and the dream 
of peace, dignity, and security for all God's children in this region. 
He was a leader of the Arab world and a friend of America.
    With our modern world still so bedeviled by ancient animosities of 
race and religion, King Hassan believed that 
there is no inevitable clash of civilizations but, instead, a clash 
between those brave enough to seek a future of peace, prosperity, and 
harmony and those who fear it. He was brave enough to seek that kind of 
world. He belonged to a generation of brave leaders--King Hussein of 
Jordan, Yitzhak Rabin of Israel, Sheik Isa of Bahrain--a generation that 
brought this region to the turning point we now face. The opportunity 
for lasting peace is now at hand.
    I met with your new King this afternoon. 
I spoke with him also shortly after I learned that his father had passed away. I have confidence in him. We spoke 
about the challenges ahead. We spoke about my family's gratitude for all 
the trips that they have taken to Morocco and the kindnesses that His 
Majesty extended to them. King Hassan made her feel not only at home but a part of his family, and I 
told King Mohammed that now we would be proud to have him feel a part of 
our family.
    The people of Morocco should know they are in the thoughts and 
prayers of the American people today, and that our partnership can only 
grow stronger. You know, sometimes we come together to mourn the death 
of a friend and we are heavy with sorrow because we think about what 
might have been. Today we pay tribute to the long life of a wise 
King and a good man. And we think about what 
still might be because of the life he lived. We are grateful for that 
life, and we pray for the future that he worked for. We pray for the 
future partnership and peace of the peoples of this region; and we hope 
our prayers will be answered, for we remember the words of the prophet 
that rewards for prayers by people assembled are twice those said at 
home.
    Thank you for assembling for our country every day. God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 7:05 p.m. in the Hilton Hotel. In his 
remarks, he referred to former Secretaries of State Warren M. 
Christopher and James A. Baker III; former President George Bush; 
Ambassador Edward M. Gabriel and his wife, Kathleen; the First Lady's 
mother, Dorothy Rodham; and King Mohammed VI, successor to King Hassan 
II.