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Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 15:14-0400
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Subject: Interview with President by Arab Television 9/13/93
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                            THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary

_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                              September 13, 1993

	
                       INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT
                           BY ARAB TELEVISION
	
                            The Oval Office


3:30 P.M. EDT
	
	
	Q	Mr. President, thank you very much for this --chance to 
speak to the Arab nation and Arabic Television through NBC television on 
this very historic day.  What would you like to say to the Arab world at 
the -- 
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  I would like to say that I hope all the people 
in the Arab world will support this agreement.  It is the beginning of a 
new relationship, not only between Israel and the PLO and the 
Palestinians, but I hope it will lead to a comprehensive peace in the 
Middle East.  And if that occurs, it would mean that a whole range of 
presently unimaginable opportunities for the nations of the Middle East 
to work together and for the United States to work with all of them, and 
for us to work together to help people in other parts of the world who 
are troubled and need our help.
	
	Q	You pledged during the signing ceremony your full 
support for the peace process in the Middle East.  How involved are you 
prepared to stay in this process?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Extremely involved.  After the ceremony I met 
for a few moments with Mr. Arafat.  And then I came back here and had a 
quick meal with Prime Minister Rabin.  And I told both of them clearly 
that I wanted to begin immediately to help to implement the peace 
accord.  I think the United States can help them in the practical ways 
to shore up the political decisions that have to be made.  I think that 
clearly we can assist in raising funds necessary to carry this out.  I 
believe that we can continually reassure the people of Israel about 
their security.  And they must feel more secure in this in order to go 
forward.  And, again, I hope that over the long run we can fulfill the 
objective of a comprehensive peace.
	
	Q	Mr. President, you spoke recently to President Asad of 
Syria and King Hussein of Jordan.  Are you hopeful of any breakthrough 
on the Jordanian, Syrian tracks?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Of course.  As a practical matter, I think it's 
easier now for a breakthrough on the Jordanian track.  And I would hope 
that would come quickly.  But I believe we'll have continued and very 
serious negotiations with Syria coming out of this process.  And I 
believe that over time the parties will come together.  We're going to 
have to focus now on getting this agreement implemented and on making 
sure that the parties affected by this agreement feel secure in it.
	
	Q	Mr. President, any Palestinian entity that might come up 
as a result of this agreement is going to be pretty expensive to 
establish and even more expensive to maintain.  How far can you help in 
the establishment of such an entity, and how do you plan to fund it?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, there has to be an economic 
committee established under the agreement.  And they will presumably be 
able to give us all some guidance about exactly how we should channel 
funds.  But I have spoken and my Secretary of State has spoke with many 
nations.  I think if you look at the foreign ministers who came today -- 
the Foreign Minister of Japan came all the way from Tokyo to be here 
today.  The Japanese, the western Europeans, the Scandinavians, the Gulf 
states -- all have expressed an interest in supporting this.  King Fahd 
of Saudi Arabia told me in particular that he thought that the cause of 
the peace required his nation to support this effort.  And, of course, 
the United States will support it.
	
	Q	So you are satisfied with the support you got from 
leaders --
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  So far, I'm eminently satisfied.  But we have to 
work out the details, you know -- how much money do we need when; for 
what purposes; who's going to give in what order.  I mean, all these 
details still have to be worked out.  
	
	Q	Talking about King Fahd, how important is the Saudi role 
in the future of the peace process?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think it's quite critical because --not 
only because the Saudis are willing to contribute financially, but 
because they have been friends of the United States; they have been 
somewhat estranged from the PLO in the aftermath of the Gulf war.  I 
think that their involvement is a part of the overall healing that I see 
coming out of this, and what I hope will be an increasing solidarity 
among the Arab peoples.
	
	Q	During these recent telephone calls with leaders of the 
Gulf, did you get any guarantees on lifting the embargo on Israel?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  No.  But I didn't ask for them in this 
conversation.  I told them I would be back to them on that.  I have 
discussed it obviously with many of the leaders in the past.  I do 
believe it is a logical step to take in the fairly near future.  But I 
think the first and most important thing was to secure their support for 
this agreement.
	
	Q	Arabs are asking, Mr. President, that the United States 
been paying billions of dollars to Israel over the years; will you be 
willing to divert some of the aid to a new Palestinian entity?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think that that's not the question.  The 
real question is not whether we should divert from our support for 
Israel.  Keep in mind, all the progress yet to be made depends upon the 
conviction of the people of Israel that they are secure and that making 
peace makes them more secure.  So I don't think anyone in the Arab world 
should want me to do anything that makes the Israelis feel less secure.  
And I have no intention of doing that.  But I do intend to support 
financially the development of an economic infrastructure for the 
Palestinians and their self rule.  And I also intend to ask many other 
nations to contribute.  And I think the United States clearly will be 
taking the initiative on that.
	
	Q	There will be even more Israeli security concerns when 
it comes to a deal with the Syrians, that's if the Israelis decide to 
withdraw from the Golan Heights.  What security guarantees are you 
prepared to give both sides?
	

	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, let's get this agreement 
implemented.  Let's start on that.  And let's see what the Israelis and 
the Lebanese and the Syrians decide to do in their continuing 
discussions --.  I think we should focus on and savor this moment.  I 
have made it clear to President Asad, Prime Minister Harawi, to Prime 
Minister Rabin, to everyone, that I was committed to continuing this 
process until we achieve comprehensive peace.  But I don't think we 
ought to jump the gun.  We are now in this moment and we ought to focus 
on it and sort out our responsibilities to implement this agreement.
	
	Q	During your meetings with Mr. Arafat and Mr. Rabin, how 
genuine did you feel their quest for peace was today?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, I felt it was quite genuine.  Just before we 
walked out, you know, they had never spoken before.  And they looked at 
one another an immediately got down to business -- no pleasantries.  One 
said, you know, we have a lot of work to do to make this work, the Prime 
Minister.  And Chairman Arafat said, I know, and I'm prepared to do my 
part.  I mean, that was the immediate first exchange.  And I thought 
they were both serious.  
	
	Q	And the famous handshake?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  I was pleased by it.
	
	Q	Mr. President, will Secretary Christopher be back in the 
region to try to push some progress on the Syrian, Israeli track?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I expect Secretary Christopher to be in 
the region aggressively on a whole range of issues.  He's already been 
there twice and I expect him to be there quite a lot more.
	
	Q	In view of some of the financial programs that you have 
in your national development programs, how is the U.S. administration 
going to cope with any extra financial burden that the peace process 
might bring about?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, for us, I think -- two things will make it 
possible for us to contribute.  First, as a practical matter, we'd been 
given so many assurances by other nations that they wish to contribute 
that ours will probably be a minority contribution, to an effort that 
while it will be sizable, will not be overwhelming.  And as much as the 
number of people living in Gaza and in the Jericho area, however it is 
ultimately defined, will not be so great.
	
	And secondly, I think most Americans expect us to do this.  They 
understand how important to the United States making this peace might be 
will all of its possible future implications.  And I think the American 
people also understand that this is a genuinely historic opportunity, 
one that comes along at most once in a century and that we have to seize 
it.
	
	Q	Mr. President, your Russian aid bill went through some 
difficulties to pass through the Congress.  There are lots of laws that 
prohibit any American aid to the PLO.  Is there any plan of revoking 
these laws?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, our dialogue has just begun.  And 
presumably that's one of the things we'll be discussing.  The Russian 
aid program I expect to be successfully concluded.  But we have, because 
our budget deficit has gotten so large, we have now very strict laws 
about how we spend money and how we account for it.  So we take great 
care before we spend any new money.  But there's a lot of support for 
the Russian aid package, and I expect it to pass soon.
	

	Q	How do you see the relationship between the peace 
process and the spread of fundamentalism in parts of the Middle East?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  And beyond.  
	
	Q	And beyond.
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  I think if we carry through the peace process in 
good faith and we give the Palestinian people a chance to enjoy a normal 
life with a sense of place, that it will remove one of the great causes 
of fundamentalism and political extremism.  Doubtless there will be 
other causes.  And a lot of the groups are very well organized and very 
well financed and are furthering political objectives that have no 
longer anything to do with the grievances of the Palestinian people.  
But still, that was at the root of it all in the beginning.  I also 
believe if we can do it it will show the Islamic peoples of the world 
that the United States and all of the nations which help us, respect and 
honor the religious and cultural traditions of the Muslims wherever they 
are and are prepared to work with and support Islamic nations as long as 
they are willing to adhere to the international rules governing human 
rights and peace and democracy.
	
	Q	Mr. President, in your call with President Asad of 
Syria, you asked him for some more active role in the peace process.  
And you are negotiating and taking part in talks with the Syrians.  Is 
it not a bit weird to still have Syria's name on the black list of 
states supporting terrorism?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, those things -- the countries that get on 
that list are put on the list under American laws based on factual 
inquiries and evidence in certain particular cases.  That is an issue 
which have to be resolved in the course of our common negotiations.  I 
think the important thing is that as an American President I have had 
several exchanges of letters with President Asad, and the Secretary of 
State has been to see him.  I had a very good long conversation with him 
on the telephone.  And we are talking.  And that is important.
	
	Q	Mr. President, in your interview yesterday with The New 
York Times and today in The Washington Post, there were some 
implications that your were blaming the Palestinians for throwing stones 
at the Israelis.  We have the whole Arab world watching us now that 
would say, is it not at least a two-way street?  Why don't you blame the 
Israelis for also punishing the Palestinians?
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, the context of The Washington Post story 
this morning was quite different.  It was with reference to the specific 
incidents.  You know, yesterday, we had Israeli soldiers killed; we had 
one driver killed; we had the attempted destruction of the bus.  
	
	Q	And three Palestinians.
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  And so -- that's right -- and also -- but what I 
was asked about were those incidents, those particular instances.  So I 
expect both sides to keep the commitments they made in this peace 
agreement.  But one of the things that Mr. Arafat did, to his credit, 
was to renounce terrorism and to recognize the existence of the state of 
Israel and to say that he would take responsibility within the areas of 
self-governance for promoting the law.  And that's all I said was I 
thought he ought to do that.
	
	Q	Isn't there a difference, Mr. President, between 
terrorism and freedom fighting?  I mean, someone, a terrorist in 
someone's eyes might be a freedom fighter in the other's.  What is the 
defined line that divides between these two?
	

	THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I suppose it's like beauty -- it may be in 
the eyes of the beholder.  But from the point of view of the United 
States, there are clear definitions of terrorism, and one of them 
clearly is the willful killing of innocent civilians who themselves are 
not in any involved in military combat.  That is what we seek to 
prevent.
	
	Q	Mr. President, today has been a historical day with the 
signing of the agreement, with the very first interview by an American 
President on an Arabic Television.  Once again, we thank you very much 
for this interview and for this time, and we say congratulations on the 
agreement that's been signed today.
	
	THE PRESIDENT:  I hope there will be more of these.
	
	Q	We hope so.

                            END3:45 P.M. EDT