Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 / Dec. 1

The President’s News Conference With Prime Minister John Bruton of Ireland in Dublin December 1, 1995

Prime Minister Bruton. Ladies and gentlemen, sioning, and I am gratified that my good friend Mr. President: I’d like to welcome you warmly Senator George Mitchell is going to lead the to Ireland, to thank you for all that you have international body to deal with that issue. He done to help bring peace to our country, to is seizing this opportunity already. He has begun thank you for all that you are continuing to to organize the effort with other members, and do to bring the people that live on this island I expect him to be at work shortly. closer together and to improve the relations that Let me again say, I know that I speak for exist between this island and its neighbors. all Americans who want peace and ultimate rec- I’m delighted that it was possible for the Brit- onciliation on this island when I say that the ish Prime Minister, John Major, to whom I pay Taoiseach has shown great courage in the pur- tribute here, and myself to agree on a frame- suit of peace, and we intend to do whatever work for moving forward towards a settlement we can to help him, Prime Minister Major, Mr. of the differences that have existed on this island Spring, and all others who are working for peace for 300 years now. And the fact that we were to succeed. able to do that on the eve of your visit is no The United States is honored to stand with accident. Because we both realized, both John those who take risks for peace, and we are doing Major and I, that the sort of support that you it all across the world, in the Middle East, in have been able to give, yesterday and today, Bosnia, and here. It is a difficult road to travel. to the people of this island searching for peace, It is always easier to stay in the known way searching for reconciliation, searching to heal and to play on the known fears. But the right the wounds that have been there for so long, thing to do is to do what is being done here, and looking positively to the future, we both and I applaud it and I want to do everything appreciate it that your support gives them en- I can to support it. couragement, gives us encouragement, and is Let me also say that we had the opportunity something for which we from the bottom of to discuss the situation in Bosnia, and I de- our hearts sincerely thank you, Mr. President. scribed as best I could the terms of the peace The President. Thank you very much. I’d like agreement and what we intend to do in the to begin by thanking the Prime Minister for United States with our allies to implement it his warm welcome, and more importantly, I in a military way and what nonmilitary tasks want to say a special word of thanks to all of have to be undertaken. I am very hopeful that the people of Ireland and the people of North- after the peace agreement is signed in Paris ern Ireland who have shown such extraordinary in just a couple of weeks, we will see a dramatic warmth and generosity to Hillary and me and change in that war-torn land. now our American delegation. This has been Let me say that the kind of thing that the an extraordinary experience for us, and I will international community is going to have to do never forget it. in Bosnia is consistent with what Ireland has I thank the Prime Minister for what he said, done every day for nearly 40 years now. Irish but the truth is that the credit for this latest peacekeepers have helped people to live in progress belongs to the Taoiseach and to Prime peace from Cyprus to Somalia, to feed the hun- Minister Major. They announced this twin-track gry, to do so much that most people in the initiative to advance the peace process of North- world don’t even know that the people of Ire- ern Ireland shortly before I arrived here. It gives land have done. And again, I want to say on the parties a chance to engage in an honest behalf of the American people, I am very, very dialog where all their views are represented and grateful for that. everybody’s voice can be heard. And I certainly So we had a good meeting, we’ve got a won- hope that it will be successful. derful relationship, the Sun is shining, and I Let me also say, as you know, it establishes hope it’s a good omen for peace in Northern a means to address the issue of decommis- Ireland.

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Thank you. and bombs and ethnic hatreds that American forces are going to face in Bosnia. When you Northern Ireland Peace Process go to Germany tomorrow, what will you tell Q. The impasse has been broken at the mo- the American troops about the dangers they ment, but the roadblock is still there. Senator face, and have you heard any estimates about Mitchell’s committee is going to start its work. the casualties that they might suffer? If at the end of the day the deadlock is still The President. Well, first of all, the American there, is your Government, your administration prepared to act as persuaders to get to all-party troops that have trained to go to Bosnia know talks without preconditions? every bit as much about the dangers they might The President. Well, first of all, let me say face as I do. What I will tell them is that it I think we ought to give these folks a chance is not a risk-free mission. Indeed, being in the to succeed. We shouldn’t be talking about, ‘‘If military is not risk-free. We lose a significant at the end of the day . . .’’ The Prime Minister number of our finest young people every year of Great Britain and the Taoiseach have an- just in the training exercises because of the in- nounced, I think, a brilliant formulation which herent danger of moving around and doing the permits people to go forward in dealing with things that they do in the air, on the land, all of these issues without giving up any of the and at sea. things they say they believe in and have to have. I will tell them that we have done everything I think we ought to give this process a chance we can to minimize the risks, we have guaran- to succeed. If it fails, then we’ll reconnoiter teed for them very robust rules of engagement and see what to do next. But I think the lesson so that if anyone attempts to interfere with their of the last 15 months is that the people like mission or to take action against them, they can peace, they like the absence of violence, and respond with decisive, indeed, with over- they want to go forward, not backward. They whelming force and that their peace and their want to deal with the issues that are still before security, their safety is uppermost in my mind them. So I’m inclined to believe it will succeed. If it doesn’t, then you can ask me that question. and in the mind of their general officers who Q. What has your visit done, in concrete have done all the planning for this mission but terms, to change the way the United States will that this is a mission very much in America’s engage with the peace process? How has it af- interest where we can make a huge difference fected where you go from here? and stop the worst slaughter in Europe since The President. I don’t know that the visit has World War II, and that I’m very proud of them done anything to change, in concrete terms, the for doing it. way we are engaged, except I believe that since Q. Mr. President, are you escalating the U.S. we have quite a large number of Members of involvement in Bosnia even before we go there? Congress here and quite a large number of busi- Suddenly, 20,000 troops have become 25,000 ness people here and quite a large contingent and the cost has gone from 1.5 billion to 3 of people in the news media here, all seeing billion. what is going on in Northern Ireland, I think The President. No. Well, first of all, I don’t it will deepen the support of the American peo- think it’s going to be at 3 billion but we— ple for our constructive involvement, and it the numbers keep getting bandied around here. might well intensify the pace at which people Some people who count the money in Europe in the private sector are willing to make invest- would be double-counting it. Some of this ments and try to bring the economic benefits money is going to be spent anyway. I don’t of peace to the people there. But we are com- mitted, we have been committed, and we’re think we should count as a cost of the operation going to stay committed. And we’ll be there in Bosnia, for example, the salary of someone until the work is finished. who’s going to get paid their salary whether Prime Minister Bruton. Now an American they’re there or not. journalist. The 25,000, let me say—well, I have always said we would have 20,000 people in the the- Balkan Peace Process ater. We have been asked how many people Q. Mr. President, back home Republicans in are Congress are expressing concern about snipers

1820 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 / Dec. 1 necessary to support them. We’ll have another the world at large. It’s a problem for the com- roughly 5,000 people outside of Bosnia in sup- mon civilization which we all share. It’s a com- port of those who are in Bosnia, but they will mon problem for all of us who have democratic not be in the Bosnian theater. There may be values, democratic values which stem in Europe some extra costs associated with them that are chiefly from the inspiration of the American War sizable enough, and they ought to be included of Independence and the United States Declara- in the bill that we tell Congress we expect to tion of Independence. Those values are uni- pay here. versal, and therefore there is a universal respon- But if you look at it, again I will say, this sibility, in my view, for all of us to do whatever is an appropriate level of contribution. This is we can in proportion to our means to facilitate no more than a third—may wind up being con- the making of peace. siderably less than a third of the total contribu- It is very important also to stress that the tion, depending on how many other nations par- role that the United States, the European ticipate. You heard the British Prime Minister Union, and others have played in Bosnia is one say 2 days ago that he expected that Great Brit- of facilitating peacemaking. The peace is not ain, a country with a population of roughly— being made by the United States, no more than well, less than a fourth of ours, is going to it is being made by the European Union. The send 13,000 troops to the theater. So the Euro- peace in Bosnia is being made by the people peans are going to take the major load, and of Bosnia themselves. And that is the same situ- we should support them. ation in this country. We provide a framework. They must do the deal. Northern Ireland Peace Process The President. And I just want to mention Q. It seems that this historic trip by President one other thing, too. I want you to think about Clinton to Ireland has facilitated an agreement these points: Number one, at the end of World between yourself and John Major. Is that not War II, we established NATO, recognizing that ominous for the future of the peace process we would try to stay together dealing with com- if it takes President Clinton’s arrival to produce mon security concerns. Admittedly, at the time, that level of movement forward? When we get we thought those concerns might play them- to the really serious negotiations, won’t it be selves out in Central Europe in the contest be- more difficult? tween what was then the Soviet Union and the Prime Minister Bruton. I think the ingredients Western bloc, the NATO bloc. But we under- for the agreement have been there for quite stood that we had shared concerns that would some time. But I think it is the case that we manifest themselves first on the Continent of both recognized that the President’s visit to Brit- Europe but could become much more imme- ain and Ireland was an opportunity for both diate for us. of us to launch in the best possible cir- Now, the NATO powers have voted among cumstances an initiative which we were probably themselves to work with others through the going to have to agree anyway very shortly. But United Nations and on our own in brokering we were able to do it on the eve of President this peace agreement and trying to implement Clinton’s visit in such a fashion as to ensure it. This is consistent with what we have done that his presence here has given it the fairest since World War II. possible wind. The second thing I’d like to ask every Amer- ican is how you would have felt—I would like Balkan Peace Process to ask every American how would you have felt Q. Mr. Prime Minister, why is it necessary when President Bush sent out the call for help for the United States for the third time in this in Desert Storm, which was a war, not a peace- century to send troops to Europe? Why aren’t keeping measure, if they said, ‘‘You handle that. the Europeans capable, in your opinion, of re- You have more money, more soldiers, more in- solving these kinds of problems in Bosnia by terests there. You’re concerned about the oil. themselves? You waste more oil than the rest of us do. Prime Minister Bruton. I think it’s important You guys handle that’’? Or think about all the to recognize that if you have genocide of the countries that helped us in Haiti who didn’t kind that was occurring in Bosnia, that’s not say, ‘‘I’m sorry. That’s not our problem; that’s just a European problem; that’s a problem for your problem. You have the refugees in the

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United States. We don’t have them. They’re on immediate interest of the people of Ireland in your shore. They’re your problem. We can’t be doing that?’’ bothered with that.’’ But instead, we have had So I think the United States has been very dozens of countries rally to the United States well-served by countries that have been willing to work with us in common cause when their to stand up with us, to stand up for good things values were violated by things that were of more and right things that also affect our interest. immediate concern to us. That’s what they did And I believe we should do this now. in Desert Storm. That’s what they did in Haiti. Prime Minister Bruton. Thank you. We must And I will say, every day, every day for almost respect the timetable. I’m sorry. Thank you very 40 years, there has been a citizen of Ireland much, indeed. Thank you. in some distant country working for peace- NOTE: The President’s 108th news conference keeping in places where the United States did began at 1:20 p.m. on the steps of the Government not go. And they did not ask, ‘‘What is the Buildings.

Remarks to the Community in Dublin December 1, 1995

Thank you very much. First, let me say to To look out into this wonderful sea of Irish all of you Dubliners and to all Ireland, Hillary faces on this beautiful Irish day I feel like a and I have loved our trip to your wonderful real ‘‘Dub’’ today—is that what I’m supposed country. To the Taoiseach and Mrs. Bruton; to say? [Applause] Not only that, I know we Lord Mayor Loftus and Lady Mayoress; City have a handy football team. [Laughter] Manager Frank Feely; to all the aldermen who Let me say that, as a lot of you know, because conferred this great honor on me. To the Ameri- of events developing in Bosnia and the prospect cans in the audience, welcome to all of you. of peace there, I had to cut short my trip. Are there any Irish in the audience? [Laughter] But there are a few signs out there I want I want to say also how pleased I am to be to respond to. I will return to Ballybunion for here with a number of Irish-American Members my golf game. [Laughter] of the United States Congress and the Irish- I am also pleased to announce that President American Director of the Peace Corps, Mark Robinson has accepted my invitation to come Gearan; the Irish-American Secretary of Edu- to the United States next June to continue our cation, Richard Riley; and the Secretary of Com- friendship. merce, Ron Brown, who wishes today he were There’s another special Irish-American I want Irish-American. Thank you all for being here. to mention today and that is our distinguished I was on this College Green once before. Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith, Yes, in 1968, when I was almost as young as who came here with her brother President Ken- some of the young students over there. Lord nedy 32 years ago and who has worked very Mayor, I never dreamed I would be back here hard also for the cause of peace in Northern Ireland. on this College Green in this capacity, but I am delighted to be here. And I thank you. Years ago, Americans learned about Dublin from the stories of James Joyce and Sean I am told that in earlier times the honor I O’Casey. Today, America and the world still have just received, being awarded the Freedom learn about Dublin and Ireland through the of the City, meant you no longer had to pay words of Sebastian Barry, Paula Meehan, Roddy tolls to the Vikings. I’m going to try that on Doyle; through the films of Jim Sheridan, Neil the Internal Revenue Service when I get home. Jordan; through the voices of Mary Black and I hope it will work. [Laughter] Whether it does Delores Keane; and yes, through the Cran- or not, I am proud to say that I am now a berries and U2. I hear all about how the world’s free man of Dublin. global culture is becoming more American, but

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