The President's News
Conference
International
Issues
The President. On the networks at
last! [Laughter] Good evening. Before I take your questions, I have a brief
opening statement.
Secretary
of State George Shultz today reported to me on his recent trip to
In
the
There's
another regional conflict that has serious implications for our country's
security interests:
So,
our message to the people of
So,
there's no argument that all of us seek peace and democracy in
We've
already seen what happens when pressure is removed. In just 2 short weeks, the
Sandinistas threatened the only free press in that country and rejected a
cease-fire proposal made by the mediator, Cardinal Obando,
which incorporated the essential elements laid out and agreed to last August.
And in the first 2 months of 1988, Soviet military assistance to
There
is a choice. We must act to ensure that freedom is not smothered in
End
of statement, and Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International]?
Q.
Mr. President, through the years you've been very eloquent on the subject of
human rights in the
The President. Helen, we have spoken
to the Government there, and we've also spoken to the Palestinian leadership,
because there is every evidence that these riots are
not just spontaneous and homegrown. But we have spoken, and that's part of the
reason why the Secretary of State is going back over there. We don't support
that sort of thing, and we are trying to persuade all the participants to try
to arrive at a solution representing justice for all.
Q.
Well, if you want that and you say you believe in security for
The President. Well, I don't think
it's up to us to dictate the settlement in the
Q.
Well, we certainly are great supporters of
The President. Yes, and we have used
that a number of times and are using it now. But we think that -- and the thing
that is taking the Secretary of State there -- we think that the necessity is
for all who are represented in that situation, on both sides, should come
together, when you stop to think that legally a state of war still exists there
in the Middle East, between the Arab nations and Israel, and that it's time for
us to arrive at a true peace and recognize the rights of all.
American
Hostages in
Q.
Mr. President, Shi'ite militiamen are scouring
southern
The President. We have never given up
on that. As you can realize, it's very frustrating to try and establish a
location, knowing of course that you are governed by the fact that unwise
action on our part could bring about harm to the hostages. But we've never let
up, and we never will, in trying to obtain the freedom of all the hostages.
Q.
Sir, Pat Robertson said today that his Christian Broadcasting Network once knew
the location of American hostages in the Middle East, and that the United
States, in effect, missed an opportunity to rescue them. I understand he's
clarified that remark, but I wonder if you have any thoughts about the tone
that he's setting in this campaign.
The President. Well, all I can say --
I don't want to comment on the campaign, but I can only say this: that it would
be very strange if he actually did have information as to the location of those
hostages. Isn't it strange that no one in our administration was ever apprised
of that? We have tried our best, and through every kind of channel, to
establish their whereabouts, because that's the beginning of efforts to try and
get them free. But if he thought that he knew, he kept it to himself.
Trude [Trude Feldman, Transfeatures]?
Q.
Mr. President, as of now, is there any change in our policy of not talking with
the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization], in light of the fact that there
are reports out of
The President. Well, I know that this
is one other thing we're pursuing. If he really is, and if he is willing to
acknowledge the right of Israel to exist as a nation -- this has been one of
the blocking points, that how do you sit down and try to get into a talk about
peace when someone says they have no right to even exist? And I'm sure that the
Secretary of State is apprised of that fact and will see what we can do there.
Q.
And given -- may I follow up?
The President. Yes?
Q.
And given the 40-year hostility in the area which has been built up, how can
you as the ``Great Communicator'' try to alleviate some of the antagonism
between the Israelis and the Palestinians before you leave office?
The President. Well, we are trying to
and will continue to try to. That's a goal that I would think
would be one of the greatest achievements of this administration -- if before I
leave, we could bring about a peace in the
Q.
Mr. President, whom precisely are you criticizing when you say that the riots
are not homegrown and not spontaneous?
The President. Well, we have had --
it's a little difficult for me, because there's some
things that I shouldn't be saying. But we have had intimations that there have
been certain people suspected of being terrorists, outsiders coming in, not
only with weapons but stirring up and encouraging the trouble in those areas.
Now, that isn't something you can go out and say we absolutely know, but
certainly the violence is both ways.
Q.
But it would seem, sir, that that's still a generalization if you say some
people from the outside. Can't you not be specific and say just who it is?
The President. No, because I get into
areas there that would be violating security rules, and I don't think I should.
Q.
The PLO? Russians?
The President. What?
Q.
PLO? Russians?
The President. No, no.
Iraqi
Pipeline Plan
Q.
Mr. President, it's my understanding that in 1985 your national security
adviser, Robert McFarlane, briefed you on the Iraqi pipeline project and got
and gained your approval for it. In light of the difficulties that your Attorney General, Mr. Meese,
is encountering now, could you explain your position on the pipeline and tell
me if you think it was a good idea at that time?
The President. I have no recall of
knowing anything about this pipeline plan until fairly recently, and then found
out with regard to the transmittal of the letters that have now been turned
over to the special investigator. And this was about the first information that
I recall having. Now, I can't say to you that I was given information earlier,
because I just have to tell you if I was I have totally forgotten -- that I
have no knowledge of anything of that kind.
Q.
Well, Mr. President, does it trouble you at all that your dear friend Mr. Meese has become entangled in this project, and it has yet
been another case which has brought him, some would say, embarrassment?
The President. Let me just say one
thing. I have every confidence in his integrity. I've known him for more than
20 years, but I cannot comment in any way on this case that is now before a
special investigator.
Sam [Sam Donaldson, ABC News]?
Q.
Mr. President, the white minority government of
The President. Well, the State
Department has already contacted them about that, and we are making our own
feelings clear that they should be working toward a multiracial democracy and
not oppressing political organizations there. And we've made our feelings clear
about that.
Q.
Well, sir, may I follow up? Have you considered sending aid to the freedom
fighters -- the ANC [African National Congress] or any other organization --
against this oppression just as you send aid to other freedom fighters around
the world?
The President. No, we have not
involved ourselves in that, other than things such as the sanctions and so
forth. We have tried our best to be persuasive in this very difficult problem
and to find -- or to encourage a better solution.
Q.
Well, what's the difference?
The President. Well, the difference is
that we don't have an armed insurrection going as we have in some other
countries, and we have a great division even among the people who are being
oppressed. It is a tribal policy more than it is a racial policy, and that is
one of the most difficult parts here.
Bill [Bill Plante, CBS
News]?
Government
Ethics
Q.
Mr. President, throughout your administration, when members of your Cabinet or
members of the administration have been accused of any kind of wrongdoing or
simply of bad judgment, it's been your policy generally to say nothing. Is your
loyalty more important to you than the perception that the members of the
Government must be above reproach?
The President. No, Bill, and I have to
say that I do not favor violations of ethics or laws at all in or out of
government, but I do want to call your attention to one thing. I think -- and
this has gone on pretty much throughout the time that I've been here -- that
there is a kind of lynch mob atmosphere that takes place, and people are -- the
memories are there of this person, that person, and so forth. But no attention
is paid to the fact of how many of them, when it actually came to trial, was
found to be totally innocent, but in the meantime, they have been smeared
nationwide. And it's very difficult for people to remember what the outcome
was. They only remember the other of the -- in other words, guilt was by
accusation and not by actual trial and conviction. And I could call to your
attention to Ray Donovan, Jim Beggs of the space
program -- both of them totally cleared of any wrongdoing whatsoever. And this
has been true of a great many others. But those that were doing something wrong
and were apprehended and it was proven on them, they're no longer with us.
Q.
Well, sir, people have asked if -- as in the case of the Iran-contra affair,
when the committee which investigated it noted that you never condemned the
actions of those members of your staff who were involved -- the question was
raised whether your silence meant that you did not find their actions objectionable?
The President. No, when they came
under the judgment of the law and the judgment was made and -- great regret if
someone was guilty of wrongdoing -- but they were punished accordingly.
Soviet-U.S.
Trade
Q.
Mr. President, what are you doing to make things easier for corporations to
trade with the
The President. Well, I can't relate to
you discussions about those particular things with him. But I do know that
there has been consideration of them involving themselves in the GATT
procedure; and that, of course, is being reviewed among those of us who are
participants now. But I don't know whether that answers your question or not,
but our trade with the Soviet Union is restricted mainly on the basis of where
we might be giving them technology and information that could be used one day
against us.
Q.
Mr. President, I know you have to remain neutral in the Republican race, but
you could clear up a major issue right now by telling us whether George Bush,
in fact, did have reservations about the sale of arms to Iran; whether he had reservations
about Israel's role in that policy; and whether, in fact, he's telling the
truth when he tells us that he did have those reservations?
The President. Yes, in the general
discussion, and that's not unusual here. I've ordered our people on Cabinet
matters or anything else, and I want to hear what they really feel. I don't
want to be surrounded by yes-men. And, yes, there were reservations, but I'm
not going to go into -- just as he wouldn't go into the private discussions
that we may have had.
But
I think it's time for me to point out what the opposition was based on of
anyone who did oppose. Particularly, it's been revealed that Secretary
Weinberger and George Shultz both objected. They did not object, the idea that
we were trading arms for hostages. Their objection -- they knew what we were
trying to do. This had been a request that came to us from some people not in
the Government of Iran but who wanted to privately meet with us on how there
could be a better relationship if and when the day came that there was a new
government in
Their
objection was -- what we had done, we'd gotten this request; and in dealing
with it, in this conversation with these private individuals, we pointed out
our feelings about terrorism and so forth. They agreed with us. And the thing
was that they, the Hizballah, as we know, is philosophically attuned to
But
their objection was that if and when this became known, as it would be, it
would be made to appear that we were trading hostages for -- or arms for
hostages. Now, we were giving these arms to these individuals, because we felt
that maybe they could influence the Hizballah. We
weren't dealing with the kidnapers at all. And this was what the whole
situation was. But it turned out that George and Cap and those who had doubts
were right in that when it did become known, by way of a henchman of the
Ayatollah, then everyone just automatically said that -- and to this day are
saying -- it was arms for hostages.
Republican
Presidential Campaign
Q.
On the issue of George Bush and his role though, this has become one of the
major issues between the Vice President and Senator Dole. Now, although you have
to remain neutral, as the author of the 11th Commandment, thou shall not
criticize one's fellow Republican, do you have any advice for these two men,
and aren't you getting a little concerned that they might be hurting the
Republican chances by their very bitter political feud?
The President. Well, whether I am
concerned or not, I am not going to comment on things like that. I am going to
say that they know my feelings, all of them, about the 11th Commandment.
Q.
No advice at all to them?
The President. Jerry
[Jeremiah O'Leary,
Defense
Spending
Q.
Mr. President, the resignation of Secretary of the Navy Webb has ignited a
controversy about your buildup of the United States Navy. And the question is:
Are you satisfied -- [inaudible] -- the budget cuts in the military have not
damaged our national security, and are you still committed to a 600-ship Navy
at a time when the Soviets are not cutting their navy?
The President. I am committed at the
600-ship Navy. And I want you to know, Jerry, that from the very beginning,
since I've been here, the Congress has cut my request for defense every time.
And sometimes, they have tried to pretend that that is in an effort to reduce
the deficit spending and so forth. But in a 5-year period, the Congress cut my
defense budgets a total of $125 billion at the same time that they increased my
request for domestic programs by $250 billion. And this budget which is now
being attributed to me -- no, this isn't as low as they originally wanted to
cut it, but it was as high as we could get it in the negotiations for the
present budget. And it has been harmful.
But
let me tell you that in 1980, when we came here, the Navy had 479 vessels, and
by 1987, we had 568. And by next year, it will be 580. And so, what has
happened is that there will be a little delay in the achieving of the 600-ship
Navy. But I can't help but remind -- or tell all of you, when I was campaigning
in 1980 and knew the state of our defenses, I was faced with the question. And
some of you will recall I did a lot of campaigning on, question-and-answer
basis. At almost every gathering, there would be a question: Well, if I came to
a choice between deficit spending and buildup of our defense structure, which would I choose? And every time, I said, in responsibility, I
would have to choose the buildup of our defenses. And every time, in every
audience in
Q.
The second part of the question was: Is it a threat to the national security
that the Navy is not going to have 600 ships on the schedule that you had in
mind?
The President. I don't think right at
the moment -- and with the way we're progressing in various treaties and so
forth -- I don't believe that the threat is that immediate, and because very
shortly we will achieve our 600. We want 15 carriers and their squadrons, and
we've just launched the 15th carrier, 100 nuclear-powered attack submarines,
and 4 battleships, and we're achieving that.
Panamanian
Drug Trafficking
Q.
Mr. President, you must certify by March 1st whether
The President. Well, I can't give you
the answer yet, because we're still working on that and still collecting the
facts as to what their effort has been at trying to intercept the drugs and
join us in that campaign. But as you said, March 1st we will be giving the
answer.
Q.
Sir, if I could follow up: Some officials in your administration have suggested
that if Noriega [Commander of the Panamanian Defense Forces] would step down
and go into exile, that you would stop the prosecution of him on drug charges.
Would you consider that kind of deal?
The President. No, and I'm not going
to comment on something of this kind. This man has been indicted by a Federal
grand jury, and so I'm not going to make any comment of that kind, nor have we
made any advances or suggestions of that kind to the Government of Panama. What
we would like to see is a return to democracy and a civilian government in
Federal
Reserve Board Chairman
Q.
Mr. President, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan today objected to
pressure from the administration regarding the formulation of monetary policy,
such as was contained in the budget and the Economic Report and a Treasury
letter to Federal Reserve Board members. Don't you have confidence in your
appointee to the Fed, Alan Greenspan, as the Chairman?
The President. Yes, I do. And I'm
going to have to find out what this is all about that you're talking about,
because nothing of that kind had been directed to me.
Aid
to the Contras
Q. Mr. President, back to the contra aid
question.
In your opening statement, you seemed to suggest that the Sandinistas are
taking advantage of Congress not coming through with contra aid to withdraw
some of the concessions they had made. With Congress about to consider new
humanitarian aid -- both a Democratic and a Republican plan -- is it worth it
to pass humanitarian aid without military aid?
The President. Well, I think the only
comment that I can make there is that anything that will keep the freedom
fighters as a pressure on the Sandinistas is worth doing. Just as when we tried
to pass our own bill and narrowly failed, you could see that the military aid
was down the road aways -- it was not necessary right
now. The other aid -- humanitarian aid -- is more imminent. And so, if we can
get that, that's fine, and then we'll take our chances on the other in trying
to get it. But they do still have some military stores for a limited period of
time.
Q.
If I may follow up on that point, sir: In the two plans that are being
considered, the Democrats want the Defense Department to deliver whatever
stores and supplies are authorized. The Republican plan would give that
responsibility to the CIA. Do you favor either course?
The President. I certainly would favor
the CIA. I think that involving our military when there is no need to is very rash and foolish, because you would be putting our
military into a combat situation, and this is what we've been trying to avoid
in
Abduction
of Lt. Col. William Higgins
Q.
In that regard, Mr. President, I'd like to ask you about the latest hostage
situation. Do you think it was responsible for your administration to allow a
marine lieutenant colonel, William Higgins, to operate in southern
The President. I don't think that you
can use that as a measure of where officers can be assigned to duty. They're in
a dangerous business to begin with. And we are a part of the United Nations,
and we have obligations to the U.N. with regard to the UNIFIL force [United
Nations Interim Force in
Q.
Mr. President?
The President. No, I was -- --
Presidential
Campaign
Q.
Mr. President, to follow up on Bill's question earlier, Democratic National
Chairman Paul Kirk this morning called your administration the sleaziest and
most corrupt in recent American history. Even if you have full confidence in
people like Ed Meese, that they will be cleared, do
you have any concern that all these charges and all these investigations are
going to be used effectively by the Democrats against all the Republican
candidates in 1988?
The President. I don't know whether
they're going to be used effectively or not. I know they're going to be used --
they have been for quite some considerable time now. As a matter of fact, if
anyone listened for more than 15 minutes to their candidates, he would decide
that we're in an economic slump, we're burdened by inflation, high interest
rates, and unemployment, when at the moment none of those things are true. And
we have a higher percentage of our potential employee pool employed than ever
in our history and are continuing the longest expansion -- economic expansion
-- in our history. And tomorrow morning, I think you'll find a little good
news, along about
Federal
Budget
Q.
Mr. President, the budget that you have proposed to Congress would eliminate
three housing programs for the homeless. It would make deep cuts in an
emergency food program, and it would end a job training program for the
homeless. Do you believe that the problem of the homeless is less pressing now
than just a year ago, when you signed legislation from Congress to create these
programs?
The President. No, but I do know that
we're doing a great many things, and we also are keeping track of the extent to
which the private sector is joining in and helping on this. And this budget is
the result of long, long weeks of negotiation with the Democrats and ourselves,
and I think that we're meeting the problems.
Again,
I also have to say this: that sometimes our budget in programs can reflect
another program we've had going, which is a management program. And we have had
a team for a considerable period of time now that has been actually
investigating the management practices of government programs as compared to
the way they're done in the private sector. And there are millions and millions
of dollars that are being saved. So that something that maybe looks smaller
does not mean that the people in need are going to get less; it means that
we're able to provide that with less administrative overhead. When I came here
from a governorship, as a Governor, I had seen Federal programs administered in
our State in which it was costing the Federal Government $2 for every dollar
that reached a needy person. This is something we've been trying to change, and
we've made some progress in it.
Q.
Mr. President, just to follow up on the budget; the Chairman of your Council of
Economic Advisers told us last week that the deficit might have a good side if
it forces your successor and Congress to make choices in social programs. Do
you see a good side to the deficit?
The President. I have said that I
think that there is a great reform that is needed throughout many of those
programs. And it is a reform to where we can get these programs to where their
goal will be to remove people from dependency and make them independent of
government help instead of doing what we've been doing for too many years now
-- and that is, actually involving them in dependency to the place where they
never can get out. We've made them permanently dependent on government, and
we're trying to change that, correct that.
Q.
Thank you.
The President. Thank you, Helen. I'm
going to run for it now.
Note: The President's
43d news conference began at