THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  April 23, 1993



                            PRESS BRIEFING
                           BY DEE DEE MYERS


                          The Briefing Room


10:35 A.M. EDT
	     
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  At 1:00 p.m., we're having a press 
conference, Bill, in the East Room.  And then Saturday the President 
will leave here at roughly 8:00 a.m. and fly down to Jamestown.  He 
will spend the day there, overnight at Camp David. 
	     
	     On Sunday, it's unclear exactly what time he'll leave 
Camp David and fly to Boston.  He'll leave from Hagerstown. The press 
plane will leave from Washington. 
	     
	     He will meet with some --
	     
	     Q	  What kind of a plane is that he's taking?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  That he's taking?  He'll probably take a C-
20.
	     
	     Q	  From Hagerstown?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  From Hagerstown.  Air Force One doesn't fly 
out of Hagerstown, apparently.
	     
	     Q	  How will the pool travel?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  The pool will have to meet him ahead of 
time.  So I guess the pool will travel with the press plane and wait 
for him at the airport.  There is currently no provision -- and I'll 
double-check, because there's currently no provision -- I think 
that's standard operating practice.
	     
	     Q	  The pool is not going to meet him and watch him get 
on the plane at Hagerstown?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't believe so.
	     
	     Q	  What time does he have to be in Boston?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  He's going to meet there with a group of 
citizens, mostly people who supported us during the campaign, at 
around 1:30 p.m.  We're still working out the final times.
	     
	     Q	  At the airport?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No, it will be at the Boston Harbor Hotel.  
	     And then he will also meet with some -- a youth group 
that authored something called Project 21.  The speech to the 
publishers is actually at 3:15 p.m.  It will be followed by Q&A.  And 
then after the speech and Q&A, he'll attend a reception with the 
publishers, and then return to Washington from Boston.  And that's it 
for the weekend.
	     
	     Q	  Has the President seen the report from -- or the 
letter, communication from the foreign service officers; also, 
obviously, the communication from Madeleine Albright?  And what is 
his reaction to their call on him?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Well, obviously, the letter was written to 
Secretary Christopher.  I believe Secretary Christopher received the 
letter on Saturday.  He reviewed it and met with the authors on 
Monday to discuss their views.  He believes it's an important part of 
the policy-making process and is taking their views into account as 
we go forward in the development of the Bosnia policy.
	     
	     Q	  What is the President's reaction?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  The President hasn't seen the letter.  It 
was something that was directed towards Secretary Christopher.  In 
terms of -- he hasn't seen specifically the letter, but in terms of 
their concerns generally, what the President has said is that there 
are a lot of options on the table now, including ones that weren't 
there before.  And I think he's, as is everybody, gravely concerned 
about the situation in Bosnia.
	     
	     Q	  Is he influenced by that?  I mean, how does he feel 
about the fact that all of the specialists in that area -- those desk 
officers --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Many of the specialists in that area -- I 
think that that is clearly part of the process.  It's something -- 
their views will clearly be considered.  I think Secretary 
Christopher met with the group immediately to discuss their views.  I 
think he believes that there ought to be room for opinions and that 
those opinions ought to be considered, particularly from people who 
work closely on the issues.
	     
	     Q	  What do you mean, there are options on the table 
that weren't there before?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think the President said last week that 
there were options, such as lifting the arms embargo to the Bosnian 
Muslims, that had been previously off the table that are now being 
considered.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, in terms of those options, Madeleine 
Albright is saying that potentially there could be unilateral action 
by the U.S. if the Europeans did not go along.  Is that on the table?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Well, I can't discuss anything that would -- 
any conversations that would have happened between Ambassador 
Albright and the President.  But I think the President has said he 
would certainly -- is working with our European allies.  He's had a 
number of conversations with European leaders and is trying to build 
some consensus there.  
	     
	     Q	  Will he reach a decision -- will he have anything 
specific to say today?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No.  I mean, in term of there will be no new 
announcement of policy today.
	     
	     Q	  Does your statement mean he has ruled out 
unilateral action?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  He's continuing to consult with our allies 
at this point.  He has said -- I think he's been fairly clear about 
it, that the he believes that the U.S. needs to act in concert with 
its allies on this.
	     
	     Q	  On that point, does he believe that the U.S., 
though, does have built-in authority from the United Nations already 
to take unilateral action?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Well, I think the U.N. Resolution 770 makes 
it clear that you can act unilaterally in support of any humanitarian 
relief effort.  I think the broader point is that anything we do, any 
options that we decide to pursue we will make sure that it is 
consistent with U.N. authority, and if it's not, we'll work with our 
allies to make sure that we get it.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, then how does the White House someone as 
distinguished as Elie Wiesel, who says that not enough is being done 
to stop the atrocities going on in Bosnia?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think that that's why we're considering 
additional options.  I think that Mr. Wiesel's comments yesterday 
were quite compelling.  The situation in Bosnia is tragic.  The 
President is very concerned about it.  He has -- I think President 
Clinton has worked very hard  to take further actions to continue to 
isolate Serbia in the world community.  Clearly, we're considering 
other options because the President is concerned that perhaps it's 
not enough.
	     
	     Q	  In terms of what you were just talking about, it 
sounds like Resolution 770 justifies unilateral action by the U.S. to 
protect humanitarian --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't think it -- I wouldn't use the word 
justify.  It permits unilateral action by any country in protecting 
the delivery of humanitarian relief.  But I think that's just an 
explanation of the resolution.  I think any action that we take will 
be consistent with U.N. resolutions or we'll work with our allies to 
make sure that it is permissible or we'll get further action.
	     
	     Q	  The President and other officials have ruled out 
unilateral U.S. action in Bosnia in the past.  You're declining to do 
that this morning.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No, I said the President has said repeatedly 
that he wants to act in concert with our allies on this.
	     
	     Q	  That doesn't mean that he won't act alone, which 
has been said before explicitly.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't mean to imply a change in policy.  
The President has said all along that he wants to act in concert with 
our allies on this.
	     
	     Q	  One other little question.  Did he know about this 
letter from the foreign service officers before it hit the papers?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't believe so.  Secretary Christopher 
-- they may have had a private conversation about it.  The President 
has not seen it.
	     
	     Q	  They met on Monday, right?  Christopher met --
surely, he must have brought that up --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Again, they may have talked privately about 
it, but --
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, what you're saying is that the Albright 
recommendation has been rejected, is that correct?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No, I didn't say that at all.  I said I 
won't -- I said I wouldn't comment on any conversations or 
communications.
	     
	     Q	  She's advocating unilateral action and you're 
saying, in effect, that we will not take unilateral action.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I am not confirming anything that Madeleine 
Albright may or may not have recommended.
	     
	     Q	  Given the sometimes delicate, complicated and 
frustrating nature of negotiations with the allies on this issue, 
does the President find this kind of letter from 12 foreign service 
officers of the State Department helpful to that process, hurtful to 
that?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think that their views are obviously being 
considered.  The Secretary received that memo on Saturday and two 
days later he met with them in order to have a more thorough airing 
of their views, of the basis for their views, to discuss in greater 
detail the options that they had presented in the letter.
	     
	     Q	  Doesn't it put some kind of pressure on --
additional pressure on him now from within his own administration to 
act regardless of what the allies may or may not do?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think clearly there's a broad policy 
review underway now.  And the President and his advisors are 
considering a number of options, including some of those outlined in 
the letter from the folks over at the State Department.  Now, no 
decisions have been made on that yet, but I think that there is a 
through review underway, and that their opinions are being very 
seriously considered.
	     
	     Q	  If I can just follow up, I guess what I'm looking 
for is what was his reaction to this letter?  Did he say, good, this 
bolsters my position?  Or did he say, damn, this is just what I don't 
need right now?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think he said this helps contribute 
substantively to the debate.  It's important that all views be 
considered and aired thoroughly, that before he makes a decision he 
wants to have the best possible advice and information possible, and 
this, I think in many ways, furthers that goal.
	     
	     Q	  So internal advice to a Cabinet official or the 
President -- it's all open now, and you wouldn't take any umbrage or 
say that they were out of line?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think that the fact that Secretary 
Christopher met with them to discuss their views and make sure they 
had an opportunity to have a more complete conversation about it is 
conclusive evidence that their views are welcome.
	     
	     Q	  Does the policy review include what Madeleine 
Albright has suggested, and what Joe Biden and others have suggested, 
which is that the previous U.N. resolutions authorize unilateral 
action -- military action -- for the delivery of humanitarian --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think all options are on the table.
	     
	     Q	  The unilateral option is on the table?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think all options are on the table.
	     
	     Q	  We've had two different --
	     
	     Q	  Isn't that a change, Dee Dee?
	     
	     Q	  That would be a change of policy.
	     
	     Q	  Particularly if it includes ground troops, which 
has been specifically ruled out.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think the President has been -- well, no.  
I don't -- that is not --
	     
	     Q	  Are you talking about all options?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  All options -- I think the President has 
been fairly clear about that.  So let me just review again what he 
has said.  He has said that -- the President has said all options are 
on the table, with the exception of the introduction of ground 
troops, which he has never suggested.  He has ruled that out from the 
beginning.
	     
	     Q	  Hasn't he ruled out unilateral action of any sort?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  He has said that he doesn't believe the U.S. 
can solve the problems in the former Yugoslavia by itself.  I think 
that there are a number of very complicated options on the table 
right now.  I don't think that -- again, I don't want to comment on 
specific options that are being considered other than in the broad 
categories that we've already said -- things like lifting the arms 
embargo against the Bosnian Muslims, things that I think we've talked 
about in broad terms.  This is a very complicated situation.  The 
options being presented and considered are very complicated.
	     
	     Q	  Air strikes on the table?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Again, I think that's been fairly clearly 
pointed out that that's something that's being discussed.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, are ground troops on the -- 
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No, ground troops are not being considered.
	     
	     Q	  You said there was not going to be -- you said you 
were not announcing a change of policy.  Then you said everything is 
on the table.  We're confused.  Are unilateral actions on the table?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  All I can tell you is what the President has 
said -- that he doesn't believe -- that he wants to act in concert 
with the allies on this.
	     
	     Q	  Wants to, but he's willing to -- I mean, if they 
don't go along --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  He's continuing to consult with our allies 
on this.  He's continuing to have discussions.  He's continuing to 
press them for further action.  And I think that's clear.  The 
conversation is ongoing.  We're going to continue to work with them 
to find the best possible solution and next step on this.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, the allies have taken the position that to 
conduct any kind of air strikes in Bosnia would have the opposite 
effect of ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid; that they feel 
that their troops on the ground monitoring the delivery of that aid 
would become vulnerable and the Bosnians --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I'm not sure that's the consistent -- I 
mean, I'm not sure who you're referring to.
	     
	     Q	  The British and the French.
	     
	     Q	  Yes, the British and French.  They've taken the 
position that the delivery of humanitarian aid would be jeopardized 
by any kind of air strikes against the Bosnian military.  Does the 
U.S. believe differently from that?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  The President has had conversations with 
both Mitterrand and Major, as you know.  I think that there is a 
thorough review of policy going on in those countries as well.  And I 
don't want to comment on the nature of the President's discussions 
other than to say that he's continuing to consult with our allies as 
we move forward and he's continuing to press them for further action.  
And I think that process is ongoing.
	     
	     Q	     the other day voted against any military 
intervention yesterday.  Does the President regard that as the end of 
the line or does he does still hold out some possibility of 
unilateral action?  The allies have been very, very plain that they 
do not want to do anything.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  The consultations are ongoing.  That's all I 
can tell you at this point.
	     
	     Q	  Are you saying that there won't be any announcement 
on Bosnia today in the press conference?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No, that is not the intention of the press 
conference.
	     
	     Q	  What is the intention?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It's an opportunity to take questions.  He 
may have a brief -- I'm sure he'll have a brief opening statement, 
but it is not an opportunity to outline a new policy on Bosnia.  That 
will not happen.
	     
	     Q	  Can you tell us what the subject of the opening 
statement is?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It's sort of a general statement of where we 
are.
	     
	     Q	  After the first hundred days, you mean?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It's not a long statement.  I mean, this is 
just generally.  Don't look for any major policy pronouncements.
	     
	     Q	  Do you know what the opening statement is?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  But it's -- perhaps later today I'll be able 
to tell you with more certainty -- I think that's still under review.  
But the overriding purpose of this -- it's not a mystery; it's not 
meant to be.  It's just to take questions.
	     
	     Q	  It would be helpful to know whether -- what the 
opening statement is on.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Since the major purpose here is just to take 
questions, it's not completely resolved yet.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, one policy that was expected last week and 
that the White House, you and George seemed to indicate we might get, 
would be an AIDS czar.  Will he announce that today?  And what's the 
delay on that?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't think we meant to imply -- I think 
we said it would happen soon.  I don't think we meant to imply with 
any certainty that it would be this week.  It is coming soon.  I 
don't anticipate that happening today.
	     
	     Q	  What's the delay?  Isn't this the perfect time to 
announce an AIDS czar?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't know that it's a delay.  I think the 
process is ongoing to find the best possible person and to go through 
the necessary background checks, and to make sure that we've crossed 
the t's and dotted the i's before we make an announcement.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, what are Zoe Baird's qualifications for 
the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board?  And why wasn't her 
appointment announced here?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  The qualifications -- I don't know if 
there's a specific list; I'll have to check and see.  I think there 
are a number of people there on the board with different backgrounds.  
Many of them have long histories in intelligence or other government 
service.  I think there's a broad variety of views across political 
spectrum and across backgrounds that are represented there.  We never 
made a formal announcement other than the Chairman of the Board, 
which is Admiral William Crowe.
	     
	     Q	  Why would he appoint her, though, if the American 
people and many in the Senate rejected her for another government 
job?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't believe that the American people 
ever had -- voted on her.  And I certainly -- she was never rejected 
in the Senate.  She never went up there for a hearing.  But the 
President believes she's a very competent person.  He's said that -- 
Zoe Baird -- do you understand what the question is?  Zoe Baird is on 
the President's Foreign Intelligence --
	     
	     Q	  You said she never went up there for a hearing?
	     
	     Q	  Her nomination was withdrawn after public outrage 
over violating federal laws?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Right, she never -- she was never -- but you 
said she was rejected by the Senate.  I was just simply trying to 
point out that she was never voted on by the Senate.
	     
	     Q	  So you don't think that is any problem?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't think there's any problem.
	     
	     Q	  She has been appointed to this board, is that a 
fact?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Yes.
	     
	     Q	  Does she need confirmation for this?  Does she need 
confirmation to be a member of the --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No.  It's a presidential appointment.
	     
	     Q	  Usually, announcements are made here at the White 
House.  Was there a decision not to announce her publicly?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  We didn't make an announcement.  People who 
asked were told who  the members of the board were.  We didn't make 
an official announcement.  If anybody's interested in that we can 
certainly put out the list of names.
	     
	     Q	  I'd like to know.
	     
	     Q	  Don't such board members -- don't you normally as a  
matter of -- routinely put out releases on all these boards and 
presidential appointment regardless of their dimension?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Not always.  But, again, I'm happy to put 
this out.
	     
	     Q	  Isn't that the standard practice?
	     
	     Q	  That was past practice.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Again, I'm happy to put it out.  We'll put 
out a list of the members of the board today.
	     
	     Q	  Dee Dee, I don't want to try to fail to let you get 
out of this swamp but -- (laughter) -- all I really want to know is 
hasn't it been the practice in this administration for such 
announcements to be made routinely?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I think generally but not always.  And we're 
happy to put that out today.
	     
	     Q	  What is the board, what is her title, what is the 
size of the board?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  There is roughly a dozen members on the 
board.  It is a civilian board, although their are some, obviously, 
retired military personnel on the board that provide input into 
intelligence policy for the President.  Again, the chairman of that 
board is Admiral William Crowe.
	     
	     Q	  And did he recommend Baird?
	     
	     Q	  What's the name of the board?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It's the President's Foreign Intelligence 
Advisory Board, PFIAB.
	     
	     Q	  What's her qualification -- that she had employed 
an illegal alien?  Is that -- (laughter) -- 
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Do you want an answer to the question or you 
just want to make a joke?
	     
	     Q	  Let me phrase it another way.  Why shouldn't this 
appointment be viewed as a pay-back for the difficulty she had a 
couple of months ago?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Because it's not.  
	     
	     Q	  What's her experience in foreign intelligence?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  She's an experienced attorney, someone who 
the President believes is very competent and qualified.  And I think 
part of the mission of this board is to provide civilian input.  Not 
everybody on the board is supposed to be an intelligence expert; that 
is not the board's mission.  It is to provide civilian input for the 
President as he makes decisions regarding intelligence matters.  He 
believes she's very qualified, very competent person, enormously 
talented and has said that throughout.
	     
	     Q	  Is this just a figment of my overactive 
imagination, or was there discussion early on about abolishing the 
President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't think so.  On December 24th, when he 
announced all of his foreign policy advisors he announced that he 
would -- had appointed Admiral Crowe as the head of the board.  So I 
don't believe there's ever been any --
	     
	     Q	  Earlier than that, during the transition.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No, I don't believe so.  It was announced, 
again, on December 24th.  Admiral Crowe couldn't be there, but it was 
announced. 
	     
	     Q	  Are members paid?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't believe so, but I'll double-check.
	     
	     Q	  On another subject, on Waco, how do you explain the 
discrepancy between the federal reports of the autopsies of the 
bodies that are coming out of Waco and the state?  I guess it's the 
Texas Ranger reports.  
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Most of the information is coming -- the 
federal information is coming from the site.  Clearly, there's been 
some discrepancies and the Justice Department is looking into it.  
Officials in the Justice Department were told, I believe the day 
before yesterday, that there were several bodies found with bullet 
holes.  I think there's some discrepancy about that, and the Justice 
Department is looking into it.
	     
	     Q	  Is the President going to get involved in trying to 
sort out what seems to be becoming a jurisdictional morass down 
there, with some people withdrawing, others saying they're in charge, 
but others -- Justice, FBI, Texas Rangers -- all grabbing a piece of 
this?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't know that he's going to try to 
mediate the dispute.  I mean, I'll let you know if there's anything 
he intends to do about it.  But as you know, there are several levels 
of investigation ongoing, and we're hopeful that they can work 
together. 
	     
	     Q	  Is there any one agency or official down there in 
charge of everything?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't know.  I'll have to get back to you 
on that.
	     
	     Q	  What is the subject matter of Sunday's speech?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It's going to be fairly general.  I don't 
think it's going to be any specific announcements.  I think it's 
going to be sort of a --
	     
	     Q	  Does he have a topic that he's going to talk about?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  We're still working on it.  But I wouldn't 
look for any announcements of, like, the drug czar or something like 
that.
	     
	     Q	  Is it sort of a 100 days speech, sort of "my 
excellent adventure for 100 days"?  (Laughter.)
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Not exactly, but I think he'll take a little 
bit broader look about what's happened in the last --
	     
	     Q	  Foreign, domestic?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  A little bit of both, but I think a lot of 
domestic.
	     
	     Q	  And overview. 
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Yes, more of an overview than a specific 
policy announcement.  
	     	  
	     Q	  Has there been an agreement yet on a forum by which 
the President will address the gay rights march on Sunday?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It will be a letter read to the crowd by 
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
	     
	     Q	  Is that available?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Not yet, but it will be.  Sure.
	     
	     Q	  Are you going to put it out here or --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  We'll probably put it out here on Sunday.
	     
	     Q	  Travel next week?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Unclear.
	     
	     Q	  What was the question?
	     
	     Q	  Likely?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't --
	     
	     Q	  Likely?  Possible?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Possible.
	     
	     Q	  What's possible?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Travel.
	     
	     Q	  George mentioned yesterday campaign finance reform 
and national service legislative proposals next week.  Do you have 
days yet for them?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Not yet.
	     
	     Q	  Can you tell us which order?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Campaign finance reform first; national 
service later in the week.
	     
	     Q	  Is there any coverage tomorrow in Williamsburg?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No.
	     
	     Q	  And any report in the aftermath of the day?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Any readout from the day?
	     
	     Q	  Readout.
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  It's possible.  Jeff Eller will be down 
there.  I think he can go through what the President did during the 
day.  We don't expect any photo op or anything, other than departure 
here in the morning.
	     
	     Q	   Dee Dee, the President has not made a regular 
practice, as some of his predecessors have, of going to Camp David.  
In fact, he's been there -- what -- once or twice?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  Twice.
	     
	     Q	  Why this weekend?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  He went two weekends ago, as you know, on 
the way home from his father-in-law's funeral.  I think that they 
found it to be a good experience and a nice way for them to spend 
some time together as a family.  And this is just an opportunity to 
do the same.
	     
	     Q	  There's no march there.
	     
	     Q	  It has nothing to do with the march here?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  No.
	     
	     Q	  Since he's going to be in town Sunday morning now 
instead of in Jamestown, have you thought about him making a quick 
pass-by, fly-over -- (laughter) --
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  He'll fly straight to Boston.
	     
	     Q	  Flying straight did you say?  (Laughter.)
	     
	     Q	  George took a question yesterday on Waco.  The 
President had said on Tuesday in the Rose Garden that there was a 
minor disagreement on tactics between the military advisors and the 
FBI.  And the question was whether you knew exactly what that was and 
whether it related to the use of the particular kind of tear gas.  Do 
you have an answer on that?
	     
	     MS. MYERS:  I don't.  I'll check.
	     
	     THE PRESS:  Thank you.