Addresses to the Nation Saudi Arabia, deployment of U.S. armed Addresses and Remarks All-American Cities Awards, presentation Iraqi invasion of Kuwait-1207, 1214 Announcements Points of Light daily recognition program- Appointments and Nominations Justice Department, National Institute of State Department, Ambassador to Mali-1212 Deputy Assistant to the President for Special Assistant to the President for Special Assistant to the President for Communications to Congress Iraq, U.S. freeze of assets and trade-1229 Communications to Congress-Continued Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, deployment Executive Orders Iraq, U.S. freeze of assets and trade-1226 News conference, August 8 (No. 55)—1218 National Agricultural Research Week-1209 Nicaraguan officers and employees, U.S. nonimmigrant entry status-1225 Central American peace plan, anniversary— Japan, economic sanctions against Iraq-1207 U.S.-Mexican Binational Commission, Supplementary Materials Acts approved by the President-1236 Nominations submitted to the Senate-1234 WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Register, The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is pub- tions prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Docu- There are no restrictions on the republication of material ap- Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater We have been advised that the initial stages of this morning's Liberia operation have been successfully completed. A total of 59 people were flown to U.S. Navy ships offshore by U.S. Marine Corps helicopters. The U.S. Marine Corps reinforced rifle company is in place providing protection for U.S. citizens. The initial operation went well, and we are unaware of any shots being fired or resistance encountered. Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater Prime Minister Kaifu of Japan called the President this morning to inform the President of Japan's decision to impose various sanctions against Iraq. These unprecedented measures undertaken by Japan are in step with those that the United States and other countries have put in place against Iraq for its blatant aggression against Kuwait. The President welcomed Prime Minister Kaifu and the Japanese Cabinet's decision and expressed confidence that such measures will help intensify international pressures aimed at achieving the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait. Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters on the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait August 5, 1990 The President. Hello, everybody. I just wanted to fill you all in on the diplomatic activity that is taking place-intensive diplomatic activity around the world. I've got to go in now. I'm getting another call from President Özal of Turkey, with whom I have been in previous conversation. Yesterday I talked to him. I talked this morning to Prime Minister Kaifu, and I applaud Japan's stance: cracking down on the imports from Iraq. I just hung up, up there in Camp David, talking with Prime Minister Mulroney. We're all in the same accord-he and President Mitterrand, with whom I've spoken, Chancellor Kohl, Margaret Thatcher. I think the alliance, the NATO alliance, is thinking exactly the same way on this. I also talked yesterday to Kuwait's Amir and gave him certain So, we're pushing forward on diplomacy. Tomorrow I'll meet here in Washington with the Secretary General of NATO. And Margaret Thatcher will be coming in here tomorrow, and I will be continuing this diplomatic effort. And I'm sure you know of the meeting I had in Camp David with some of our top military people, and I will continue that kind of consultation as well. Q. How are you going to keep the puppet government from being accepted and installed? And are you going to move militarily? The President. There is no intention on the part of any of these countries to accept a puppet government, and that signal is going out loud and clear to Iraq. I will not discuss with you what my options are or might be, but they're wide open, I can assure you of that. Q. Have you talked to Saudi Arabia and the Turks about turning off the oil pipeline to their countries to The President. All options are open. There is a strong feeling on the part of the NATO countries to whom I've talked, Turkey being one of them, that we must have concerted and, I'd say—well, concerted action to isolate Iraq economically. And you can just assume from there that those matters are being considered. Q. Are the Saudis inclined to cut off the pipeline, Mr. President? The President. I can't tell you the state of play. I've discussed this with King Fahd and I-whether I'll be talking to him again today, I don't know. But I'm not going to characterize their position on this. Let them speak for themselves. Q. Mr. President, what is the situation on the ground? Do the Iraqis appear to be dug in, or are they readying for The President. Iraqi lied once again. They said they were going to start moving out today, and we have no evidence of their moving out. Q. Do we have evidence that there's 18 new divisions coming in as The President. I'm not going to discuss the intelligence situation on the ground right now, but I've not heard figure of 18 new divisions going in. Q. Have you given any time of ultimatum Q. Are Americans in danger in Kuwait or other areas down there? And you said The President. I wouldn't want to say they're in danger, but you know how I feel about the protection of American life and willingness to do whatever is necessary to protect it. But I don't have the feeling that they're in imminent danger right now. Q. And the people who are now in control in Kuwait are saying they may close some of the Embassies in Kuwait City, that they will regard any reaction against them as, "You should take care if you have your nationals in our country." Isn't that threat? a The President. I'm not trying to characterize threats. The threat is a vicious aggression against Kuwait, and that speaks for itself. And anything collaterally is just simply more indication that these are out laws, international outlaws and renegades. And I want to see the United Nations move soon with chapter VII sanctions; and I want to see the rest of the world join us, as they are in overwhelming numbers, to isolate Saddam Hussein [President of Iraq]. Q. Mr. President, how can you and other world leaders prevent the installation of what you term a puppet government? The President. Just wait. Watch and learn. Q. Mr. President, have you, in fact, tried to reach Saddam Hussein to tell him all these other things? The President. No. No, I have not. Q. But King Hussein has embraced him. Q. Mr. President, have we asked the Saudi Arabians for the use of their military bases? The President. I'm not going to discuss what I'm talking to the Saudis about. I'm not going to discuss anything to do about military options at all. Q. Mr. President, have you talked to King Hussein of Jordan, because he indicated his support for The President. I talked to him once, and that's all. Q. Are you disappointed in what he said? Q. But he's embraced Saddam Hussein. He went to Baghdad and embraced him. The President. What's your question? I can read. Q. Are you disappointed in what King Hussein has said? The President. I want to see the Arab States join the rest of the world in condemning this outrage, in doing what they can to get Saddam Hussein out. Now, he was talking-King Hussein-about an Arab solution. But I am disappointed to find any comment by anyone that apologizes or appears to condone what's taken place. Q. Is Secretary [of Defense] Cheney going to Saudi Arabia, sir? The President. I'm not going to comment on anything that we're doing of that nature. Q. Mr. President, are you disappointed in the failure of the Arab nations The President. Well, I was told by one leader that I respect enormously-I believe this was back on Friday-that they needed 48 hours to find what was called an Arab solution. That obviously has failed. And of course, I'm disappointed that the matter hasn't been resolved before now. It's a very serious matter. I'll take one more, and then I've got to go to work over here. Q. Have you already taken steps to protect Americans over there? Have you The President. I'm not going to discuss what we're doing in terms of moving of forces, anything of that nature. But I view it very seriously, not just that but any threat to any other countries, as well as I view very seriously our determination to reverse out this aggression. And please believe me, there are an awful lot of countries that are in total accord with what I've just said, and I salute them. They are staunch friends and allies, and we will be working with them all for collective action. This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait. I've got to go. I have to go to work. I've got to go to work. Note: The President spoke at 3:05 p.m. on the South Lawn of the White House upon returning from a weekend stay at Camp David, MD. In his opening remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada, President François Mitterrand of France, Chancellor Helmut Kohl of the Federal Republic of Germany, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom, Amir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah of Kuwait, and NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner. Proclamation 6164-National Agricultural Research Week, 1990 August 4, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Today fewer than one in 100 Americans are farmers. Yet these 2 million individuals produce enough food and fiber to feed and clothe our entire country-and much of the world, as well. The continuing success of American agriculture depends on the ingenuity and hard work of our farmers and on the cooperation of all those who help to bring crops from the field to the table. Viewed in its broadest sense, agriculture is one of our Nation's largest employers: the storage, transportation, processing, distribution, and merchandising of U.S. agricultural products employ approximately nine other workers for every farmer or rancher. In all, well over 20 million people earn their living in farming and agriculture-related industries. Among the unsung heroes of our Nation's agricultural success story are the many individuals who conduct agricultural research. Scientific research in agriculture is not a new phenomenon in the United States. In fact, a fruitful tradition of agricultural research and discovery was established on these shores long before Thomas Jefferson made his careful studies in horticulture and farming at Monticello. The earliest colonists in North America had to learn how to farm all over again on unfamiliar soil in an unfamiliar climate; but learn they did, as have generations of Americans every since. A look at our Nation's history illustrates how agricultural research has not only paralleled, but, in large part, promoted, the steady growth of the United States. Agricultural research has enabled farmers to produce a greater variety of food, and it has enabled them to farm more efficiently. The scientific and technological advances made possible through agricultural research have not only increased the amount and the safety of our food supply, but also enhanced the economic well-being of farmers and rural communities. Today agricultural research plays a vital role in maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture in the world marketplace. It is also helping our farmers to protect our natural resource base in order to sustain its productive capacity for future generations. The chief beneficiaries of these achievements in agricultural research are American consumers. Thanks to the many scientific and technological advances research has generated, we enjoy a rich array of foods, fiber, and forest products that are unsurpassed in availability, affordability, and safety. In addition to helping our farmers produce a variety of high-quality foodstuffs and other goods, agricultural research is pointing the way to new and alternative uses for agricultural products. This week, we gratefully acknowledge the importance of agricultural research in keeping our families fit and healthy and our Nation strong and prosperous. The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 548, has designated the week of August 19 through August 25, 1990, as "National Agricultural Research Week" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of that week. Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of August 19 through August 25, 1990, as National Agricultural Research Week. I encourage the people of the United States to observe that week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth. George Bush [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 1:48 p.m., August 6, 1990] Note: The proclamation was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on August 6. Proclamation 6165-Voting Rights By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation When the Voting Rights Act was signed into law a quarter of a century ago, our Nation took an important step toward fulfilling its promise of liberty, justice, and opportunity for all. Through this historic act, the Congress guaranteed the enforcement of the 15th Amendment to our Constitution-an Amendment that had been ratified almost a century earlier. Ratified on February 3, 1870, shortly after the end of the Civil War, the 15th Amendment guarantees that the "right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Despite the adoption of this Amendment, for the next 95 years many black Americans and others continued to be denied their right to vote through discriminatory laws and practices. For example, literacy tests required by some State and local governments deterred many blacks from voting or registering to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to enforce the guarantees of the 15th Amendment by prohibiting such discriminatory tactics. Signing the Voting Rights Act into law, President Johnson observed that "freedom and justice and the dignity of man are not just words to us. We believe in them. Under all the growth and the tumult and abundance, we believe. And so, as long as some among us are oppressed-and we are part of that oppression-it must blunt our faith and sap the strength of our high purpose.' Because America's promise of liberty and equal opportunity for all is not an empty one, the adoption of the Voting Rights Act marked an important victory not only for black Americans, but also for our entire Nation. President Johnson also observed that the Voting Rights Act brought "an important instrument of freedom" into the hands of millions of our citizens. "But that instrument must be used," he noted. It was a firm yet gentle reminder that all Americans would do well to heed today. Millions of people around the world have struggled to gain the right to vote, a right that is at the heart of freedom and selfgovernment. Many have died for it. We must not fail to be inspired by their sacrifice, and we must never underestimate the importance of a single vote. Every Ameri |