Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 14, 1993 TAG: 9301140254
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From The Associated Press and The New York Times
DATELINE: LITTLE ROCK, ARK. LENGTH: Medium
CLINTON VOWS TO CONTINUE FIRM STANCE
President-elect Bill Clinton expressed full support for Wednesday's allied military strike on Iraq and said sternly that he "can't rule out" further use of force after he takes office if Saddam Hussein violates international agreements."I think it was the right decision, done in the right way," Clinton said. "We've been very supportive of President Bush."
Clinton said he would not rule out renewing the ground war against Iraq if necessary to force compliance with United Nations resolutions, but he also indicated that he was ready for a fresh start with Saddam.
Clinton, in an interview with The New York Times, said he was not "obsessed" with Saddam and that he could imagine a normal relationship with the Iraqi leader, provided he behaved in accordance with international norms. He said he wanted to send the Iraqi leader a signal, which he summarized this way: "I am going to judge you by your behavior. I am not going to sit around trying to figure out what is motivating you."
The president-elect repeatedly warned Saddam not to test him or underestimate him. But he seemed equally comfortable signaling the Iraqi leader that he could have new relationship with the new administration, if he complies with the United Nations.
While Clinton has supported President Bush's policy toward Iraq since the election, some of his statements in a New York Times interview were a departure from Bush's position that Saddam must go before Iraqi relations with the United States can improve.
With his inauguration one week away, Clinton said he was prepared to inherit the tense standoff with Iraq, the deployment of U.S. troops to Somalia and other global problems.
"It's going to take a lot of time but we always knew that," Clinton said of foreign policy. "I think that taking the initiative is the right way to go. . . . But it cannot distract us from the urgent domestic mission and it will not."
Clinton spoke a short time after his top spokesman said Clinton would "do what it takes" to force Iraqi compliance with U.N. resolutions stemming from the Persian Gulf War cease-fire agreement.
Asked whether he was ready to order additional military strikes if Saddam again violates the U.N. mandates, Clinton said: "You can't rule it out, particularly with regard to Iraq, you can't rule out force."
Bush called to tell Clinton the operation against Saddam was starting.
Clinton said of Saddam, "He keeps, for reasons I don't understand, pushing and pushing."
But Clinton said he was opposed to any U.S.-sponsored assassination attempt on Saddam. "Our country has a firm policy that says political assassination is illegal and that is the proper policy," he said.
In Washington, Secretary of State-designate Warren Christopher said Iraq was testing the "will and the strength of the international community."
"I say with great determination that Saddam Hussein should not doubt for a second that we, the incoming administration, will meet that test," Christopher said.
Other senior Clinton advisers, speaking privately, said Clinton would continue Bush's policy of offering no warnings to Iraq before military strikes, should there be further need.
These advisers said Clinton has been given detailed intelligence briefings on the Iraqi situation in recent days, including allied contingency plans for the strikes on Iraqi missile installations.
Clinton said he thought Bush's deployment of troops to Kuwait also "was a good signal."