

			   THE WHITE HOUSE

		    Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                             April 14, 1994     

	     
		  PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PRESIDENT
	     
	     
			  The Briefing Room 


11:15 A.M. EDT
	     
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:  On behalf of the American people, I want 
to begin by expressing my deep sorrow at the tragedy this morning in 
Iraq, and to extend my personal condolences to the families and the 
loved ones of all those who lost their lives.
	     
	     Three years ago, our Armed Forces joined in a 
multinational mission to provide humanitarian relief to the oppressed 
Kurdish minority civilians in northern Iraq.  Those who died today 
were a part of that mission of mercy.  They served with courage and 
professionalism, and they lost their lives while trying to save the 
lives of others.  The important work they were doing must, and will, 
continue.
	     
	     According to initial reports, two American helicopters 
were mistakenly identified as Iraqi helicopters and shot down by 
United States aircraft.  I have met with Secretary Perry this 
morning; I have talked with him and with General Shalikashvili, and I 
have instructed him to lead a full inquiry into the circumstances of 
this terrible incident.  We will get the facts.  And when we get the 
facts, we will make them available to the American people and to the 
people of Britain, France, and Turkey, our partners in Operation 
Provide Comfort.
	     
	     Later today, Secretary Perry and General Shalikashvili 
will be providing further briefings to you as we know more and more 
facts.  The facts are still coming in and we will give them to you 
just as soon as we have verified exactly what occurred.
	     
	     At this moment, let me close by saying that we should 
join together in terrible sorrow, and also in honoring the high 
purpose for which these individuals served and in which they lost 
their lives.  The nation and the world should remember them in 
gratitude.  Thank you.
	     
	     Q    Mr. President, what's your preliminary assessment, 
though?  What are you being told of how this could have happened?  
And is there any suggestion that the troops there are on too fine of 
a hair trigger?
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, all that will have to be, 
obviously, evaluated in light of the real facts here.  There are at 
least three points of inquiry involving, first, the actions of the 
American jets; second, the AWACS and their actions and, third, the 
actions of the helicopters themselves.  And, again, I will tell you 
we will give you as much information as we can.  I just am very 
reluctant to say anything until we're absolutely sure.  I want you to 
have good information, and we will be doing continuous briefings and 
updates all day long as we know more.
	     
	     Q    Do you know anything, Mr. President, about the 
numbers of people that might be involved, and whether they were all 
American?
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:  We know that there were probably more 
than 20 people involved and that they were not all American.  We do 
not believe they were all American; we believe there were some other 
people on the helicopters.
	     
	     Q    And, just to follow, you seem to be indicating --
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:  We do not have -- let me say, as of the 
moment I walked out here, we do not have an absolute roster of the 
people on the helicopters.  I would tell you if I knew.  But we think 
there were approximately 12 total crew members, and we know there 
were some other people on the helicopters, and we know there were 
some other member countries in the operations.  We do not know any 
more than that.  When we know who was on there, we will tell you.   
	     
	     As you know, we've dispatched an American team to the 
site to get all the facts.
	     
	     Q    Do you know, sir, how high up the chain of command 
the decision had to be made to go ahead and take these helicopters 
out; what the process was, and whether it was followed?
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:   I have been briefed on that, but I 
believe, to make absolutely sure that no error is made in answering 
that question, that is a question you should direct to Secretary 
Perry and General Shalikashvili, because they will be briefing 
shortly.
	     
	     Q    Mr. President, in the wake of the decision by the 
U.N. and NATO to bomb in Bosnia, you're now confronted with a 
developing hostage crisis, it appears there, where French troops are 
the latest to be encircled by Serbs.  What is your message to the 
Bosnian Serbs as this appears to be moving toward crisis proportions?
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, of course, this was a concern in 
the beginning of all our allies who had troops on the ground there.  
But I would remind the Serbs that we have taken no action -- none --
through NATO and with the support of the U.N. to try to win a 
military victory for their adversaries.  What we have done is taken 
military action in Bosnia through NATO, with the approval of the 
United Nations, to get them to honor the U.N. rules and to encourage 
them to do what they say they wish to do, which is to engage in 
negotiations.  
	     
	     There was a hopeful report in this morning's press about 
the ongoing efforts of the Russians through Mr. Churkin to get the 
Serbs to stop the aggression and to return to the negotiations.  We 
are in touch with all of the events in Bosnia today; there are lots 
of things going on there.  I think the Serbs would be making a 
mistake to start treating the United Nations and NATO forces as 
adverse combatants.  That is not what we are doing.  We are trying to 
get them to honor their word, and they would be making a mistake to 
do that.
	     
	     Q    Sir, if I could follow, how would you get them to 
make the distinction that you're making?  They don't seem to be 
picking up on that.
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:   I think they know quite well what went 
on.  I think they're just trying to leverage their position. 
	     
	     Q    Mr. President, Singapore seems intent on caning 
this American teenager who was convicted of vandalism.  Do you think 
American companies that operate in Singapore should exercise their 
economic clout to try and stop this?  And, also, former President 
Bush is in Singapore today.  Should he -- would you like to see him 
intercede on behalf of the young man?
	     
	     THE PRESIDENT:  I've not thought through your first 
question; I don't know the answer to that.  We have generally quite 
good relations with Singapore.  They have a different culture, a 
different view, a different set of laws.  
	     
	     As you know, I have not objected to the young man's 
being punished.  I have not even objected to the young man's being 
incarcerated.  I have objected to this caning.  I think many 
Americans who have expressed sympathy with it do not understand 
exactly what it involves, how it is going to be administered, and 
that he is going to bleed considerably and may have permanent scars.  
And I think it is a mistake.
	     
	     President Bush will have to decide for himself what he 
wishes to say, but I would -- if he decides to say something 
supportive of the absence of caning, I would certainly be grateful 
for that  But that -- it will be a decision for him to decide what he 
wants to say.
	     
	     Thank you.

				 END11:23 A.M. EDT

