THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH CLOSE UP FOUNDATION STUDENTS FROM ARKANSAS
The Oval Office
4:01 P.M. EST
Q Mr. President, do you care to say any more about the operational details of the airlift?
THE PRESIDENT: No.
Q How about explaining to the American people why it's an important issue for the United States to undertake?
THE PRESIDENT: What?
Q Why is it an important mission for us to put people at risk for that?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'll say again, General Powell believes the risk is quite limited and not appreciably more than many training flights that our airmen do every year. It's important because we believe if -- number one, there are a lot of people over there who need the food and can't get it by road, so it's a humanitarian gesture. And secondly, we think if we do it we will be able to create a somewhat better climate for negotiations, and we're pushing to try to have good-faith negotiations. So we're hoping it works out.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END4:03 P.M. EST