THE WHITE HOUSE

                      Office of the Press Secretary
                      (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  February 13, 1998

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

                  Appointment of Robert Bell as Counselor 
                     to the National Security Advisor

Samuel R. Berger, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), announced today the appointment of Robert G. Bell as Special Assistant to the President for National Security and Counselor to the APNSA.

Mr. Bell will retain his responsibilities for defense policy and arms control at the National Security Council in his capacity as Counselor and will also advise the APNSA on a broad range of defense, arms control and related national security issues.

Mr. Bell was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on August 26, 1947. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1969 and a Master of Arts degree in International Security Studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 1970.

As an Air Force officer, Mr. Bell served as a Squadron Commander in the air traffic control and communications field and completed assignments at bases in Delaware, Florida, and Greenland. He was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1975.

From December 1984-January 1993, Mr. Bell was the principal staff assistant for arms control issues to Chairman Sam Nunn, Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate. From 1981-1984, Mr. Bell was the principal staff aide for defense policy and arms control issues to Chairman Charles H. Percy, Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate. From 1975-1978 and 1980, Mr. Bell served as Defense Analyst, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. In 1979, Mr. Bell served as Staff Director, Military Committee, at the North Atlantic Assembly in Brussels, Belgium.

Mr. Bell is married to the former Rosemary Jackson of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have two sons, Nathan and Stefan.