[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 9 (Monday, March 8, 1993)]
[Pages 352-353]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Receiving the Rotary International Award of Honor and an 
Exchange With Reporters

 March 4, 1993

Award of Honor

    Mr. Dochterman. Mr. President, as the former president of Rotary 
International, I have the occasion on several occasions to present an 
award called the Rotary International Award of Honor presented to 
selected heads of state. We've only presented this on about 12 
occasions. This award is given for humanitarian service. And the service 
that you're giving for Rotary International's programs of support for 
immunization of children in the world, as well as our programs of 
humanitarian aid in Bosnia and Croatia, gives me the opportunity--if you 
would accept this award on behalf of 1,100,000 Rotarians of the world in 
187 countries--it would be a great pleasure--to accept this award.
    The President. Thank you for your good work, and thank you for the 
award. I appreciate that.
    Mr. Dochterman. It has a ribbon there, but I'll not be so 
presumptuous to put it over your----
    The President. Isn't it beautiful? Thank you.
    Mr. Dochterman. This award has been presented on selected occasions 
on behalf of those who support humanitarian efforts throughout the 
world.
    The President. I'm deeply honored.

World Trade Center Bombing

    Q. Excuse me, Mr. President, can you tell us anything about the 
arrest and whether the American people can now believe that they are 
secure in that someone has been arrested?
    The President. I can tell you that I was informed this morning about 
it. And the authorities are still working on a statement that I think 
will be issued to you later this afternoon. I think they'll be able to 
give you some more information later this afternoon.
    Q. Now the suspect though is linked to terrorism, should Americans 
feel less secure about their safety?

[[Page 353]]

    The President. I think you should wait until the--I think, first of 
all, the American people should be very proud of the work done by the 
law enforcement authorities. They worked hard together. They worked 
aggressively. They worked without stopping until they made, I think, a 
very quick arrest. But I'd like for you to wait until the proper 
authorities have a chance to make their statement to you later this 
afternoon. And then tomorrow I will have a chance to make some more 
comments on it.
    Q. Can we assume that it's terrorism?
    The President. I don't think you should assume anything until you 
hear the statement today. I know that an arrest was made. I know who was 
arrested. I think that at the time I was informed this morning there 
were a lot of other questions we did not know the answers to. And 
they're trying to get as much information together as possible to give 
you later this afternoon.

Note:  The presentation began at 3:07 p.m. in the Oval Office at the 
White House.