THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _____________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release April 28, 1994 PRESS BRIEFING BY DEE DEE MYERS The Briefing Room 2:27 P.M. EST MS. MYERS: Quickly, on behalf of the American people, the President would like to extend his condolences to the pilot of the FA-18 which crashed earlier today. The men and women of the Armed Forces are constantly putting their lives at risk to protect our interests around the world. And that's it for statements. Q (inaudible) MS. MYERS: No, they have not yet, pending the notification of the family. Do you have -- I can give you what information we have about that, if you like. Q Yes. MS. MYERS: It was a U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornet attached to the Carrier Airwing 17 aboard the USS Saratoga, which crashed at sea approximately 2:00 Greenwich Mean Time, today shortly after launch. The pilot did not survive the crash. His remains have been recovered and are aboard the Saratoga. His name is being withheld pending notification of family. The Saratoga is operating in the Adriatic. The aircraft's scheduled mission was in support of Operation Deny Flight, which is protecting the no fly area over Bosnia. And that's all we know about at this time. So if there are any other questions. Q Is there a White House reaction to the Ames sentencing? MS. MYERS: No, that's something to be taken up by the courts. Obviously, we're interested in seeing this case pursued, but have no reaction specifically to the events. Q Dee Dee, in connection with Bosnia, what can you tell us about the information that Bosnian Serbs are now bringing their equipment into -- MS. MYERS: Well, obviously we're monitoring the situation. Compliance with the exclusion zone around Gorazde appears to be holding pretty well. There's been some small arms fire, but for the most part the larger weapons have been taken out of the exclusion zone, and then if we find weapons there, obviously they will be subject to air strikes. As for the movement of those weapons, we're monitoring that closely. We've seen reports of weapons being moved to Brcko and other places. We will continue to monitor that. Q Can you confirm it? MS. MYERS: No, we've seen reports to -- we haven't -- we're monitoring it at this point. No confirmation of any concentration. Q into Churkin's resignation from the -- MS. MYERS: We expect him to -- the Russians to continue to play a role. It's up to them to determine who will be part of the contact group. The Russians have been a productive force in the process. We expect them to continue to do that. And Churkin, in particular, has been very helpful. Q In terms of the weapons being moved, possibly, to Brcko, what plans do you have to avoid exactly what happened in Gorazde from happening again? I mean, maybe there's a Muslim town there that they'll start beseiging. It's not one of the safe areas. MS. MYERS: Brcko is a Serb-controlled town. Q But is there any other areas around there that you can see a similar situation happening? I mean, there's no safe areas there. MS. MYERS: There is no safe area around Brcko. It is Serb-controlled. They obviously have interest in the corridor which connects them to the Craina (phonetic) and other places. We're monitoring it. Certainly, the exclusion zone parallel is in effect around the other safe areas. The cease-fires appear to be holding in Gorazde and Sarajevo. As for other towns around Bosnia, we'll continue to monitor the situation there and see what happens before we make any decisions about what may or may not happen next. Q But if they want to widen that corridor, the U.N. and NATO have absolutely no -- MS. MYERS: No, I think it's too soon to say. They were monitoring the situation there on the ground; we do have U.N. peacekeepers on the ground. The resolutions as to protecting UNPROFOR forces and others remain in effect, and we'll continue to monitor things as they develop. Q Dee Dee, you just expressed general satisfaction with how the exclusion zone is working around Gorazde. But this morning there's a wire report out of Sarajevo quoting the Bosnian government as not being satisfied, and using that as a reason for not resuming negotiations. Has the time come when we also need to put some pressure on the Bosnian government to get off their duff and get back to bargaining and not hold out for more military advantage? MS. MYERS: I think that the U.N. and UNPROFOR -- the U.N. and NATO believe that the Serbs have largely complied with the exclusion zone around Gorazde, as for -- which, I think, creates an opportunity to resume the peace talks. The contact group is in Sarajevo today meeting with the Bosnian government. We are putting pressure on all sides to come back to the table and to work out a negotiated settlement, which is the only way to achieve a lasting settlement there. Obviously, the progress that we've made in Gorazde is helpful. It creates an opportunity -- certainly, this is not without its ups and downs in the process, but all of the parties should come back to the table; all of the parties should adhere to the cease-fire; and all of the parties should come to the table in good faith with an eye toward a negotiated settlement that will end this war. Q What can you tell us about tomorrow's event? MS. MYERS: About the schedule? Q Well, the nature of the event, and what the President's doing and why? MS. MYERS: You're talking about the Native American event. The White House has invited the leaders of 545 recognized federal tribes to the White House. It's the first time a President has ever done that -- invited all of the federally-recognized tribes here. It's both American Indians and Native Alaskan tribal leaders. And, basically, it is an opportunity for them to discuss a range of issues with the President -- religious freedom and cultural concerns, natural resources, economic development, budget matters, education and health concerns, tribal sovereignty and enhancing tribal government and human services and housing, generally. It'll be a fairly comprehensive program where a number of members of different tribes will speak and discuss various issues. Q What was it that compelled the President to call this? MS. MYERS: It's something that he's been discussing, or the White House has been discussing generally with the tribal leaders, a way to facilitate dialogue. I think there have been discussions about whether we could do it there or here, and the President decided actually, after receiving a letter from the American Indian and Native Alaskan leaders suggesting a meeting, he decided to invite them all here. Q There meaning, you you were thinking of somewhere else? MS. MYERS: It was under discussion. I don't think we had reached a conclusion about it. There's another meeting -- the Attorney General and, I believe, Secretary Babbitt will host a follow-up Native American listening conference in Albuquerque from May 4th through 6th to follow up on some of the issues that will come up here. Q Has the President ever been on any of the reservations on the list? MS. MYERS: I'm not sure. I'll have to take that question. I think -- Q Or any -- MS. MYERS: I'll have to take it, because I'm not sure if he's been on a reservation. Q Dee Dee, do you expect the President to actually meet with the Dalai Lama, or just walk in, say hello? Will there be some substantive exchange and will we get a readout on it? MS. MYERS: The Vice President is hosting a meeting today with the Dalai Lama. The President is expected to drop by that meeting, as he did last year, to discuss protecting cultural and religious freedoms in Tibet. The meeting with the Vice President is at 5:00 p.m. and the President will drop by sometime after 5:00 p.m. Perhaps a White House photo. We'll definitely put out a statement afterwards. Q Why not cover -- MS. MYERS: Choose not to, and the President's going to do a drop-by to discuss a number of issues -- to, briefly, as he did last year. Q Dee Dee, how did that meeting come about this time? Was there a request from the Dalai Lama, or -- MS. MYERS: He's in the United States and in Washington for a number of things. He was in New York yesterday. I'm not sure if the request -- if he requested it or if it was worked out through just ongoing dialogue with him and his representatives. I can take it. And I know, again, he was here last year and met with the Vice President. Q seems to be a big kind of public cause celebre now, especially among -- MS. MYERS: I think it's been a big public cause celebre for many years, I think, for many people. Q seems to be heating up among these celebrities on the West Coast, and I was just wondering whether this had any influence. MS. MYERS: No, I think -- this is something that's been a major cause with a number of celebrities for several years. Q Why doesn't the President just meet with him instead of engaging in this -- of dropping by? MS. MYERS: I think that he is planning to drop by the Vice President's meeting with them as we did last year. Q Why not just have them into the Oval Office with the -- MS. MYERS: The Vice President is meeting with them and they'll have a, I think a discussion on a number of issues -- and the President wanted to drop-by. The Dalai Lama is a respected religious figure, and somebody that the President admires, and he thought it would be an opportunity to drop-by and speak to him directly. Q between a drop-by and a meeting? MS. MYERS: The Vice President is having a longer, more substantive meeting. That's not uncommon. The Vice President meets with a number of leaders from around the world, and this is an example of that. Q How long is a drop-by compared to a meeting? MS. MYERS: It's a few -- it depends -- five or 10 minutes. Q As you know, China has had preemptive negative comments about this. What's the message to Beijing about the -- this meeting? Q It's only a drop-by. (Laughter.) MS. MYERS: Oh, ye old cynics. As you know, one of the conditions for renewal of MFN is progress on protecting religious and cultural rights in Tibet. It's something that the President feels strongly about. He met with the Dalai Lama, or dropped by to see the Dalai Lama last year. (Laughter.) He's dropping by to see the Dalai Lama again this year. And again, I think the Chinese know that the Tibet part of the President's executive order remains. Q Can I follow up on China? If they detonate that other nuclear device this month as reported, what's that going to do -- MFN? MS. MYERS: As you know, MFN is contingent specifically on human rights concerns. Q Nothing to do with -- MS. MYERS: It has nothing to do with -- although we certainly have security and economic interests in our relationship with China, MFN, as laid out in the President's executive order is contingent on human rights. Q Follow up on MFN? On MFN, has the President reached any conclusions about the proposals from groups up on the Hill for targeted sanctions against government-run industries? MS. MYERS: Not yet. I think we're still watching to see how the Chinese behave over the course of the next several weeks. Renewal of MFN will be conditional on their actions, and I think it's too soon to make a determination about what we would do if they failed to meet our bottom line. Q Who is doing the watching? I mean, how will you make a decision as to how well they've behaved? MS. MYERS: Well, I think we'll -- information from a number of places. We'll certainly listen to members of Congress, the State Department, others, our own intelligence sources, our contacts with them and make a decision about whether they meet the guidelines outlined in the President's executive order from last year. And that is, as you know, the beginning of June. Q What's the subject of this meeting with the National Conference of Black Mayors, which I understand is not a drop-by? MS. MYERS: It is not a drop-by. He will be speaking to them, I think about their common agenda, about issues of mutual concern. He doesn't have -- he doesn't intend to make news or have any formal, prepared remarks that he will stick to. Q (inaudible) Q We hope he does. Q I mean, what's -- I mean, does he have -- MS. MYERS: I will point out that I said he doesn't plan to make news. Does he have prepared remarks, was that the question? Yes, something has been drafted for him. Whether that has any relationship to what he actually says, I cannot predict. But I think he's just going to speak to them about issues of mutual concern. And it's one of a couple of events on the schedule tonight. Q Is he going to spend the whole 2.5 hours with the Indians tomorrow, or is he just going to drop-by? MS. MYERS: No, I think -- (laughter) -- I'm thinking of dropping out of this little -- he will be there for the ceremony, which I think -- it's scheduled to last for about two hours. I'm not sure it will go that whole time or not. Q If it rains, will it be moved? MS. MYERS: There's a tent outside. Q A tepee or a tent? MS. MYERS: A tent, which I'm sure you all saw today on your way to the fabulous Take Your Daughters To Work event. Q Could you give us an update on the status of the search for a Supreme Court justice? MS. MYERS: Yes. The President met earlier this week -- on Tuesday, actually, about that. There are no other meetings scheduled today or over the weekend. There will not be an annoucement over the weekend. So you can all rest assured, you can take your weekend off in peace. The President is making good progress. We expect to have a decision sometime in the next couple of weeks, no specific timeline. QQ Short list? MS. MYERS: I think the list is getting shorter, but -- sometimes it gets longer, sometimes it gets shorter. It's an elastic process. Q Names? (Laughter.) MS. MYERS: Yeah, we'll post the names of the short list after the briefing. Q Are the Indians going to be insulted meeting in a tent? I'm serious about that. Q Oh, God. Oh, for heaven's sake. Q there are some people -- kind of funny that -- MS. MYERS: I don't think so. Often in the summer we put up tents to give people some shade. I think they'll take it in the spirit in which it was intended. Let me just quickly -- Terry's getting up here -- give you the schedule over -- you have tomorrow. And then Saturday's the radio address. Monday -- Q Saturday? MS. MYERS: Saturday's the radio address. Q Anything else -- MS. MYERS: No. That's it for the weekend -- that's the only public event for the weekend. Expect him to be mostly down. Q Will he be here? MS. MYERS: He's scheduled to be here. So, jogging and church, I think, on Sunday are the only tentatively scheduled events. Then on Monday he will make remarks to disability groups in the Rose Garden at 9:30, which will be sort of a health care event. That's it for public events. Then on Tuesday, as you know, we go to Atlanta, leave here sometime late morning. He'll probably do some kind a local event in Atlanta. And then at 7:00 p.m. he's at the CNN World Report Contributors Conference which is, as you know, reporters from all over the world, foreign correspondents. We will return after that event to the White House on late Tuesday night. On Wednesday, he'll have a meeting with Congressional Womens Caucus Wednesday morning. Then he'll announce Small Businesses of the Year sometime in the afternoon. And then, probably on Wednesday, he'll sign the School to Work legislaton Q small business -- MS. MYERS: It's giving awards to small -- as we did last year -- to small busineses for different achievements. This year it will focus on health care, small businesses with health care interests and just awarding them for their accomplishments in their various fields -- Small Business People of the Year. Q On Haiti, Randall Robinson who is in, I think, day 17 now of his hunger strike, has said that his life is in the President's hands. I wonder, A, if the President is doing anything to review -- change his policy, not just review it, but actually change it and accept Haitians who are coming in; and what he thinks about the specific tactics of Mr. Robinson and whether he has any intention of talking to him at some point? MS. MYERS: The policy was reviewed, and after review has been changed, as you know. We expect to go to Q (inaudible) MS. MYERS: Well, our policy with reference to direct return has not changed at this point. The President believes that direct return will save potentially thousands of Haitian lives as the people take to the seas in unseaworthy boats. And there's been no change in the policy of direct return. The President believes that direct return combined with in-country processing is the best way to protect the Haitian people while we work on a number of levels to restore democracy and return President Aristide to Haiti. As for Mr. Robinson, again, the President respects his commitment. They share the same goals, but, obviously, have differences over how the policy should be pursued. The President has not spoken to him. Q So there's no -- he reviewed it; direct return is the policy; there's not going to be a change next week, or two weeks, or three weeks. That's basically his final decision on that. MS. MYERS: The policy has been reviewed, the changes have been made -- significant changes, certainly, in the sanctions aspects of it. We're working with the U.N. on additional steps in terms of observers and other processes in Haiti, itself. Q But there was the envoy -- the Haitian envoy at the State Department was, in effect, forced out, according to various reports. Why was that done if everything seems to be on target the way you're saying -- there's no changes and so forth? MS. MYERS: Well, no, there -- what we said was that we reviewed the policy and it has changed. There have been -- and the President said several times over the last couple of weeks he has reviewed the policy; he believed it had not worked and that changes will be made. Those changes have been made and are in the process of being implemented. Ambassador Pezzullo and Secretary Christopher met a few days ago, decided that Ambassador Pezzullo would resign; and we're moving on from there. It's not because there's been no change in the policy, it's because the policy is changing. Q Right now, there still seems to be a perception that things are as they've been since he took office. How long will this go on until you decide if this policy is effective or not effective? MS. MYERS: Well, we've made changes now and we're going to implement those changes and we'll see. I think there has not been a change with respect to direct return. Q U.N. sanctions, what are the changes? MS. MYERS: That's the major change. And then I think we're working with the U.N. to add additional U.N. personnel on the ground and to get the peace process restarted there. There was another part -- was there another part of your question? Q In terms of Haiti, you're talking about in-country processing instead of people leaving by boats; except that when people try to get to the American embassy, they are often in danger of their lives. What's happening around that? MS. MYERS: Well, we're doing what we can to try to crank down on sanctions, to put more pressure on the military leaders and to move that country back toward democracy. It is a difficult process. And we've expanded in-country processing there; there are a number of centers, not just in Port-au-Prince now. We're looking at adding additional U.N. personnel on the ground to help protect the Haitian people and we'll continue to do that, and continue to expand our efforts. But at this point, direct return is not going to change. Q Do you intend to replace Ambassador Pezzullo? MS. MYERS: I think we're looking at that. That's an option. Q Do you know when the U.N. will vote on sanctions, or what the process is? MS. MYERS: It was -- we were hoping -- they were hopeful it would come up this week, either today or tomorrow. I don't think it's come up yet today. It could still come up later today or tomorrow. Q Does the White House have a reaction to the reports of people being killed in Gonaives and at least one other location by the military and members of -- MS. MYERS: Obviously, we take -- those reports are disturbing. As of earlier today, I don't think we had any independent confirmation, but we were looking into it; and we continue to look into it. Very concerned about reports of human rights abuses in Haiti, which is one of the reasons that the President decided to review the policy and to make changes in the policy. The human rights situation on the ground has gotten worse. Q Any reaction on South Africa and the way the elections went or -- MS. MYERS: I think that everybody is very encouraged by the process in South Africa, by the progress of the elections, by the fact that there's been -- there was a lot of, I think, anticipation about violence, which seems not to have happened on a large scale -- other than the bombings. The South African government moved swiftly to arrest a lot of the people responsible for the bombings, which was good. And I guess the South African government has decided to extend voting for another day. So I think everybody here is very encouraged by the progress that we've made there. The President plans to announce an expanded package of aid to help them as they transition to a new government and try to maintain their momentum toward democracy. Q Is the President interested in going to South Africa at some point this year? MS. MYERS: There's nothing -- there will be a high- level delegation going to the innaugural on May 10th. We have not announced the members of that delegation yet, other than to say it will be very high-level. The President has no plans to go to South Africa this year, although I think at some point in his tenure as President, he'd like to go to Africa. Q Why if it's such a historic event, why, after all these years, why wouldn't he go? MS. MYERS: Well, we'll send a high-level delegation. I think the President has a number of foreign trips scheduled this year and he just can't be everywhere at once. This is something that he feels strongly about, has worked hard trying to facilitate, and will continue to work hard. The struggle for democracy in South Africa does not end with the elections , it sort of begins. And we'll be very involved in helping the South Africans make that transition. Q He's taking three trips to Europe this year, but he's not -- he's too busy to go to South Africa. Why? MS. MYERS: There's a lot of places in the world that he'd like to go if he could be everywhere he wanted to be. And I think the judgment was made that he's got a number of foreign trips this year, and South Africa, at this point, is not one of them. Q Can I follow up on South Africa? It's been widely reported that Gore will lead the delegation. Could you at least confirm or deny -- MS. MYERS: I can't confirm that yet. It has been widely reported, but it has not come from us yet. Q For our planning purposes, can you please tell us when we'll receive a list and when the President will make his announcement about the aid? MS. MYERS: Aid announcement will probably come next week. I don't know when we'll announce a list; I think shortly; after the elections. Maybe next week. Q Dee Dee, the political situation remains quite uncertain and shaky in Japan. And Hata has formed a minority government that is not expected to last very long. In this context, is the administration proceeding with its 301 timetable as if there really were a government in Tokyo that could do anything serious about trade, or are we willing to defer for a little while until the situation clarifies over there? MS. MYERS: There is a government in place in Tokyo, and we expect to continue to work with them on trade and other issues, and our policies, as portrayed, go on. I think we're hopeful that we'll be able to work with Prime Minister Hata to get the framework talks going again. It may take some time to see how that situation shakes out. Obviously we're monitoring it closely. Q But, specifically, the 301 timetable, I gather, is not being changed. MS. MYERS: No. THE PRESS: Thank you. END2:49 P.M. EDT