[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 9 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[Pages 376-377]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for Chicago, Illinois

February 28, 1994

Bosnia

    Q. Can you give us any sense of what is going on in Bosnia and what 
has happened----
    The President. Well, you know the essential facts, that last evening 
after midnight our time, United States aircraft, flying under NATO 
authority, warned some fixed-wing Serbian aircraft, Bosnian Serbian 
aircraft, to land, and when they didn't, they were shot down. There were 
two warnings. Every attempt was made, to the best of our information, to 
avoid this encounter.
    We have had responsibility for enforcing the no-fly zone since last 
April. It has been since last fall that there were any fixed-wing 
aircraft that we knew of violating the no-fly zone, and we're attempting 
to get more facts now. We're also trying to brief everyone involved in 
this effort to bring peace to Bosnia about the facts, and if we find out 
any more

[[Page 377]]

information, of course, we'll be glad to give it to you. But it seems 
to----
    Q. Why now? Why now? Is this a new get-tough policy?
    The President. No, no. The violations--the principal violations of 
the no-fly zone have been by helicopters, which could easily land. We've 
not had a fixed-wing violation reported of any kind, much less one we 
were in a position to do something about, to the best of my information, 
since last fall, since September. Those are much more serious because of 
the capacity they have to engage in military conduct from the air. Our 
mandate under the United Nations was to enforce the no-fly zone to 
eliminate the prospect that the war could be carried into the air.
    Q. How were you informed, President Clinton? How did you learn of 
this, sir?
    The President. Early, early this morning I was notified.

Note: The exchange began at 8:05 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.