[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 14 (Monday, April 10, 1995)]
[Pages 522-523]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
 Haiti in Port-au-Prince

March 31, 1995

Assassination in Haiti

    Q. President Aristide, was your Interior Minister involved in the 
Tuesday assassination?
    President Aristide. No.
    Q. Have these allegations cast a damper over the President's visit?
    President Aristide. No.
    Q. Have you asked the FBI to look into the possibility that he might 
have been involved in the Bertin death?
    President Aristide. We welcome help from the international 
community, from the United States in helping us finding proof of this 
violence for months--for days. And together we'll be working.
    Q. Mr. President, are you satisfied the Interior Minister was not 
involved?
    President Clinton. President Aristide asked the FBI to help 
investigate this. They are doing an investigation. I think we should 
applaud this quick and decisive action and let the investigation proceed 
and not presume its results.
    This is a day of celebration, and nothing can cast a cloud on it. 
It's a day of mission accomplished for the United States, a day of 
celebration for Haiti and for the United Nations force, and a day for 
looking ahead for the work still to be done.

President's Visit

    Q. How did you like your reception, Mr. President?

[[Page 523]]

    President Clinton. I liked it a lot. It was very nice. It was great.
    Q. Must be a little bit tired--all the handshaking.
    President Clinton. It was quite wonderful.
    Q. [Inaudible]--was your idea?
    President Clinton. No, but I liked it, though.

Note: The exchange began at 12:05 p.m. at the National Palace. In his 
remarks, President Aristide referred to Interior Minister Brig. Gen. 
Mondesir Beaubrun of Haiti and political opponent to President Aristide, 
Mireille Durocher Bertin who was assassinated on March 28. A tape was 
not available for verification of the content of this exchange. This 
item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate issue.