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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 17, 1996

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

Murder of Six Red Cross Delegates in Chechnya

The United States deplores the savage act of violence that took the lives of six International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff in Chechnya on December 17. We express our condolences to the families of the victims and to the ICRC which plays a critical role in providing humanitarian assistance in conflicts worldwide. We call upon the authorities to do everything possible to find the perpetrators and bring them swiftly to justice. This tragic event must not be allowed to undermine the process of peace and reconciliation that began last summer in Chechnya.

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