[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 8 (Monday, February 23, 1998)]
[Pages 283-284]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters on Departure for Baltimore, 
Maryland

February 19, 1998

Situation in Iraq

    The President. Good morning. I have just had a very good 
conversation with the President of France, Jacques Chirac. We agreed 
that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's mission to Baghdad is a 
critical opportunity to achieve the outcome that all of us would prefer, 
a peaceful and principled end to this crisis.
    The Secretary-General is backed by the unambiguous position of the 
Security Council. Saddam Hussein must give the weapons inspectors full, 
free, unfettered access to all suspected sites anywhere in Iraq. That is 
the clear standard which Saddam himself agreed to at the end of the Gulf 
war and that the Security Council has reiterated on many occasions 
since. He simply must adhere to that standard.
    Let me also say that I have asked Vice President Gore to postpone 
his planned trip to South Africa. In the coming days I want my full 
national security team on hand to take part in our deliberations and 
decisions on this vitally important issue.
    We hope the Secretary-General's mission will succeed. But let me be 
clear: If diplomacy fails, we must be--and we are--prepared to act. The 
choice is Saddam Hussein's. We hope he will accept the mandate of the 
world community. He has, after all, agreed to it already, years ago. If 
not, he must bear the responsibility for the consequences.
    Q. Mr. President, what did you learn, sir--sir, what did you learn 
from the divided town meeting yesterday?
    The President. Well, I thought it was a good old-fashioned American 
debate. But I would say, I was, first of all, very proud of the 
Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and Mr. Berger. I thought 
they answered the questions well. And I believe strongly that most 
Americans support our policy. They support our resolve. I think an 
overwhelming majority of Americans also want a peaceful resolution of 
this, but if it's necessary for us to act, I believe America will do 
what it always does. I believe it will unite, just as we did in 1991. I 
believe it will unite behind taking the necessary action.
    Q. Mr. President, do you think Saddam Hussein is emboldened to 
stiff-arm the international community based upon what happened in 
Columbus yesterday?
    The President. Not if he understands the first thing about America.
    Q. Mr. President, are you ready to deal with a deadline if Saddam 
Hussein----
    Q. Does that mean you're going to start bombing next week?
    The President. I've made no decision about a deadline.

Independent Counsel's Investigation

    Q. Mr. President, are you prepared to assert executive privilege in 
connection with the testimony of Bruce Lindsey and John Podesta, other 
of your top assistants before the grand jury?
    The President. It's my understanding that the White House Counsel is 
trying to resolve that issue today, and while he's working on it, I 
don't think I should comment about it.
    Q. Thank you, Mr. President.

Situation in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, are you considering delivering a more formal 
address to the American people about the need to deal with Saddam--
[inaudible]?
    The President. Well, if further action becomes necessary, I will 
obviously speak directly to the American people about it.
    Q. Mr. President, do you feel like you have articulated the goals of 
this policy, if we do, indeed, have to attack Iraq?
    The President. I believe that the speech I gave at the Pentagon was 
quite clear about that. We want to significantly reduce his capacity to 
produce chemical and biological weapons and his capacity to delivery 
them and to visit them on his people, his neighbors, and people 
throughout the world. I believe the more the American people learn about 
the dangers of chemical and biological warfare, the kinds of problems 
they can

[[Page 284]]

present to us now and in the future, the stiffer their resolve will be.
    And so I feel that time is on our side. And I believe that 10 years 
from now, not in the heat of this moment, 15 years from now, when people 
look back at this time, they will want to look back at a period when 
those of us in positions of responsibility fulfilled our responsibility 
by trying to rid the world of this danger.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 10:25 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.