THE PRESIDENT: Well, I've already said that the charges are
false. But there is an ongoing investigation, and I think it's
important that I go back and do the work for the American people that I
was hired to do. I think that's what I have to do now.
QUESTION: Are you going to assert executive privilege, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: First, let me make it clear, for four years we've
been cooperating exhaustively. And that's a hypothetical question, as
far as I know. Should it arise, I will await a recommendation from the
White House Counsel about the institutional responsibilities of the
presidency. And then when I get it, then I'll make a decision.
QUESTION: Mr. President, there are a lot of Republican leaders and
armchair generals who want you to change your policy toward Iraq and to
take out Saddam. What is your feeling about that now?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I would make two -- first of all -- and I
believe that the Prime Minister has also made this point --what is the
cause of the present stand-off? It is the suspension of the inspections
by the United Nations inspectors and the restrictions on where they can
inspect. Our interest is in preventing Saddam Hussein from building
biological, chemical, nuclear weapons capability, the missiles to
deliver such weapons. That is our interest. That's where the authority
from the United Nations resolutions rests. That's the first thing.
Now, the second thing, as a practical matter we can pursue that
interest with available options. Would the Iraqi people be better off
if there were a change in leadership? I certainly think they would be.
But that is not what the United Nations has authorized us to do; that is
not what our immediate interest is about.
Now, we intend to be very firm on this and I hope that we will
have the world community with us. But what I really hope most of all is
that there will be a diplomatic resolution of this, that Saddam Hussein
will move away from his present position.
QUESTION: But if you were to order military strikes, I mean, they would
not be directed specifically at him?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, there's an executive order
that's been in place for over 20 years on that subject.
QUESTION: Does that apply?
THE PRESIDENT: It does. But let's not discuss hypothetically
what targets might be there or what we might do. I think it is
important that he understand that we are very resolute on the issue of
the inspection system. And it's not an American issue. You might want
to ask the Prime Minister about that.
QUESTION: Are you saying there's an order to take him out?
THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no. No, no. I was referring to the
executive order, I believe first issued by President Ford, saying that
it is against -- that political killing, or assassination if you will,
is against American foreign policy interests, that we don't do that.
But we are very firm in our resolve. And I was very heartened by the
Prime Minister's statement in the White House there about his position.
QUESTION: Are you concerned that Mr. Yeltsin's comments about the
possibility of leading towards a war -- I know he backed off that a
little bit, but what are your views on that?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I doubt that that would happen. We had a
good talk the other day, President Yeltsin and I did. And I know that
he very much hopes that a violent confrontation can be avoided. So do
I. But in the end it is up to Saddam Hussein. It is not up to the rest
of us. I haven't talked to a single soul who hopes there will be some
sort of violent encounter here -- not a soul.
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: That's absolutely right.
QUESTION: There are a lot of diplomatic efforts by the French and the
Russians in Baghdad right now. Do you think they can bear fruit and
avoid a military strike?
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: Everyone hopes that a diplomatic solution
is available and can work. We all want that. But I think all of our
experience of Saddam Hussein teaches us that diplomacy has very little
chance of working unless it is clear to him that if diplomacy does not
work, then the threat and the reality of force is there.
And the reason why it's important for us to take the position we
are is because over these past few years the U.N. weapons inspectors
have uncovered literally thousands of chemical weapons; they've
discovered biological warfare capability; they've discovered the
beginnings of nuclear capability. It is for that very reason that the
inspectors are there. It's for that very reason that the U.N. has made
it quite clear that the U.N. inspectors have got to go in, so that we
destroy that capability to develop weapons of mass destruction.
And I think that the entire international community -- whatever
varying degrees of enthusiasm for using the military option --
understand that Saddam Hussein has to be stopped and that it is
absolutely essential in the long-term interests of world peace that we
make sure that he can't develop these weapons of mass destruction,
because he is a man who's used those weapons before. He will use them
again if he's given the opportunity to do so.
QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister, aside from your role on Iraq, do you have a
specific role in the Middle East peace process now?
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: Well, we obviously want to do everything we
can, both as Great Britain and also as the President of the European
Union at the moment, to back up the efforts that are being made here to
try and secure a peace settlement in the Middle East. I myself have
both seen and corresponded regularly with Prime Minister Netanyahu and
Yasser Arafat and we continue the whole time to see what we can do to
move that process forward, because there is a process underway. It is a
very difficult situation at the moment. But as we know from our own
attempts to secure peace in Northern Ireland, if we don't try and push
these processes forward, they very quickly slip back. So I think there
is a great deal of urgency there and we will obviously work with our
American colleagues to see what we can do to help.
THE PRESIDENT: We're going to talk about this quite a bit. I
view the Prime Minister's interest in the Middle East in a very positive
light. As you know, we are working -- Secretary Albright has been
working very hard to jump start these negotiations again, to get them
through this next phase so we can go on to final status talks. And
we're going to need all the help we can. And we need all the help we
can in the world to rebuild the economic fabric, as well as -- of the
Palestinian areas, as well as a climate of confidence and trust between
all the parties. So I'm hopeful we can make some headway and we're
going to talk about it.
QUESTION: Are you prepared to answer any questions on the Monica matter
tomorrow?
THE PRESIDENT: I can only say -- I've said the charges aren't
true. There's an investigation going on. And while that's going on
it's my duty to keep doing the job I was hired to do by the American
people, and that's my position.
QUESTION: Don't tell them anything we didn't find out.
THE PRESIDENT: Don't worry, I give you my word on that. I'll
protect you.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Does the fact that you're drawing up a battle plan mean that
action against Iraq is now well nigh inevitable?
THE PRESIDENT: No, no. That's up to Saddam Hussein. I do not
want a conflict. I don't believe the Prime Minister wants a conflict.
I want a diplomatic resolution of this. But we know from the sheer
volume and diversity of material that has been found by the UNSCOM
inspectors since 1991 that Saddam Hussein had been aggressively pursuing
a weapons of mass destruction program, including biological and chemical
weapons, as well as the capability to deliver them by missile.
Now, what we want is for the U.N. inspectors to be able to do
their job, to finish looking at all the sites, and then for monitors to
be able to check on a regular basis to make sure there's no rebuilding.
It's as simple as that. And if that assurance can be given in
reasonable form, that anyone with sound judgment would accept, then
nothing is inevitable here. No one wants this. This is about trying to
protect our children and their world in the next century from chemical
and biological weapons.
QUESTION: Could I ask you both if you believe you can undertake military
action despite the vociferous opposition from the Russians and clear
opposition from the French and the Chinese as well, because it does seem
that the two of you are somewhat against the grain of international
opinion at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: Well, I certainly wouldn't accept that. I
believe that there is a very clear understanding in the international
community that the U.N. security resolutions about the weapons
inspections have to be upheld. Saddam Hussein, after all, agreed at the
end of the Gulf War that he was going to allow the inspectors in in
order to destroy all the weapons of mass destruction. They have been,
as the President has just been saying, for the last six years carrying
out their work. They have uncovered vast arsenals of weapons and the
possibility of making many more. So it's absolutely clear, I think to
everybody in the international community, that Saddam Hussein has to be
stopped, that the capability to develop these weapons of mass
destruction has to be destroyed and taken out. And of course we want to
do that by diplomatic means. We all do. No one wants a conflict.
But the bottom line has got to be that he is prevented from
developing those weapons of mass destruction and brought back into line
with the agreements that he entered into and is now in breach of.
THE PRESIDENT: I think, to be fair, the Russians and the French
have made strenuous efforts to get Saddam Hussein to comply, to do
something reasonable and consistent with the United Nations resolutions.
I think they share many of our frustrations. They started from a
different place. But we are working very hard. I've had good
conversations with President Yeltsin, with President Chirac, and with
others around the world. We will continue to work to try to build the
strongest consensus we can.
But let me say that the best solution is to have the weapons
inspection program reinserted, have all the sites open, and have some
system for regular monitoring. If you look at the astonishing results
they have achieved -- far more weapons, bigger volume of chemical and
biological stocks found and destroyed by these UNSCOM inspectors than
was destroyed during the Gulf War -- that is the answer. And it's up to
Saddam Hussein. No one wants a battle over this.
But if you think about the potential even a small amount of
biological agent -- the damage, the number of people that can be killed
-- if you think about the potential of it and you think about the
evidence we have that the Prime Minister mentioned earlier, that he had
actually used chemical weapons on the Iranians and on the Kurds, his own
people, the United Nations resolution is right and it needs to be seen
through.
QUESTION: Mr. President, we've had a few rocky weeks in the Ulster peace
process. How optimistic are you that a solution can be found?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, the thing I found heartening is that with
these various actions, violent actions, that the main bedrock parties --
nobody has quit yet. There was a time when with this level of
provocation the whole thing would have just come apart. And I think
that's a tribute to the trust that the parties have in the Prime
Minister. I think it's a tribute to the efforts of the Irish
government. And frankly I think it reflects an understanding by the
people who are around the edges of this process that the vast majority
of the people of Northern Ireland want a peaceful resolution to this.
So for those reasons, even though I don't minimize for a moment
the enormous hurdles that lie ahead, I'm fairly optimistic. I think the
fact that the blows that have been rained on this process by people who
thought that if they could go out and kill a few people it would come
apart -- the fact that it hasn't is a tribute to the Prime Minister, to
the Irish government, to the people of Northern Ireland working for
peace, and to the public in Northern Ireland. That's where they are.
They want this worked out in a peaceful way.
QUESTION: Can we take it from what you said on TV this morning that it
matters what politicians get up to in their private lives? And could I
ask you also whether you have any reason to be jealous of President
Clinton in any way?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think so. (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: What I was saying, so that I can repeat it
for you very, very clearly, is that what is important is that we focus
on the issues, which are the issues that we were elected to focus upon
by our people. And from my own point of view, what I was elected to do
was to sort out the school system that wasn't work under the last
Conservative government, sort out our welfare state, make sure that we
produced a stable, well-managed economic situation, rebuild our
relations with Europe, put through the program of constitutional change,
developed the possibility of peace in Northern Ireland, tackled the
issues of crime in our streets, dealt with the international problems we
face like Iraq in a proper, mature, and sensitive way. And that's
precisely what we're doing and that is what people would expect us to
do. That is what, actually, our people want us to do, the people in
Britain and the people in America.
QUESTION: Might I just ask, sir, what is your next move with regard to the
Kenneth Starr investigation? Is there going to come a time soon when
you will again be able to address the American people and perhaps give
them a fuller explanation of your relationship with this young woman?
THE PRESIDENT: Let me just say what I just said to the American
press. I have already denied the legal charges, strongly, and I do so
again. But there is an ongoing investigation. Under those
circumstances, the right thing for me to do is to go back and do the job
the American people hired me to do, and that's what I am doing. And I
feel very comfortable with it. I feel good about where we are. I'm
gratified by the response of the American people to the State of the
Union and the plans I have for the coming year. And I'm going back to
work.
QUESTION: Mr. President -- important your relationship with the Prime
Minister is?
THE PRESIDENT: I think the relationship of the United States and
Great Britain is very important. It is changing, it is maturing.
Britain is a clear leader in forging a new Europe, and a lot of
interesting questions have to be worked out.
QUESTION: But your personal -- chemistry?
THE PRESIDENT: Let me finish. But I think if you look at the
success of the British economy, if you look at the commitment that
Britain has to the kind of internal reforms under Prime Minister Blair's
leadership that we have tried to undertake here, if you look at the
things we have in common, and if you look at the -- I think that it's
not surprising that there would be very good personal chemistry between
us. I think it's good for the people of your country, good for the
people of our country, that we recognize that we share values, we share
interests, and now we have a common vision of the future. And I
personally feel very good about it. I think it will help us in a whole
variety of ways.
But I have to say I've never accepted the idea that there was
even an end to the so-called special relationship between the United
States and Britain. I don't believe that. But I think the fact that
he and I have -- are sort of on the same wavelength about the present
and the future is something that may well redound to the benefit of
both our people. I certainly hope it does, and it's something I enjoy
very much.
QUESTION: What is this 21st century alliance you talked about?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I talked about it in there. I mean, if you
look at what we did in Bosnia, I think that's a pretty good indication
of the kind of things we'll have to do in the 21st century. Basically,
what are the great questions of the 21st century? Will this explosion
of markets and the movement of people around the world and the movement
of ideas and the movement of technology, will it lead to greater
prosperity for all or just for a few? Will it lead to a stronger sense
of global community, or will it lead to more chaos?
If you know what the answer is that you want, then it makes it
easier to decide that you ought to do what we did together in Bosnia,
just for example.
No one can chart the future with exactitude, but I think the fact
that we have the same orientation and the same -- we're trying to build
the same future for our children increases the chances that together
we'll be able to make a difference.