// CLINTON ACT //

// END ACT //

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS IN TUZLA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AS HE CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO U-S TROOPS STATIONED THERE. WE HAVE MORE ON THE STORY IN THIS REPORT FROM VOA CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA IN LONDON.

TEXT: TUZLA IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF AMERICAN GROUND TROOPS TAKING PART IN THE NATO FORCE IMPLEMENTING THE BOSNIA PEACE ACCORD.

PRESIDENT CLINTON ARRIVED IN TUZLA FROM TASZAR, HUNGARY, WHERE HE ADDRESSED U-S TROOPS READY TO BE DISPATCHED TO BOSNIA. IN TUZLA, PRESIDENT CLINTON'S SPEECH TO THE TROOPS WAS SIMILAR TO THE ONE HE GAVE IN TASZAR AND EARLIER IN AVIANO, ITALY, WHEN HE SPOKE TO U-S AIRMEN. THE PRESIDENT SAID AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE ENGAGED IN A UNIQUE MISSION IN BOSNIA.

TIME AND AGAIN YOU HAVE STOOD DOWN AGGRESSION. TIME AND AGAIN YOU HAVE TRIUMPHED IN WAR BUT TO BOSNIA YOU CAME ON A MISSION OF PEACE -- A MISSION FOR HEROES. WE THANK YOU FOR DEFENDING OUR NATION'S VALUES AND OUR NATION'S INTERESTS. WE THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE BOSNIAN PEOPLE.

MR. CLINTON TOLD THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS THEY ARE GIVING THE BOSNIAN PEOPLE A CHANCE TO ENJOY A NORMAL LIFE. (SIGNED)

NEB/ADEN/DW/GPT
13-Jan-96 8:57 AM EST (1357 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[03] CLINTON / TUZLA BY WAYNE COREY ( TUZLA)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS FLOWN TO TUZLA AIR BASE IN NORTHEASTERN BOSNIA AFTER VISITING WITH U-S TROOPS AT THE AMERICAN MILITARY STAGING AREA AT TASZAR AIR FIELD IN SOUTHWESTERN HUNGARY. V-O-A'S WAYNE COREY REPORTS FROM TUZLA AIR BASE.

TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S PLANE LANDED HERE HOURS LATER THAN PLANNED AFTER HEAVY FOG FINALLY LIFTED.

MR. CLINTON TOOK A QUICK TOUR OF THE TUZLA AIR BASE, THE HEADQUARTERS FOR U-S FORCES IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. HE MET WITH INDIVIDUAL SOLDIERS AFTER SPEAKING TO THEM AS A GROUP.

IN REMARKS SIMILAR TO THOSE HE MADE AT TASZAR, PRESIDENT CLINTON TOLD THE TROOPS IN TUZLA A U-S MILITARY PRESENCE IS NECESSARY IN BOSNIA BECAUSE AMERICAN INTERESTS AND VALUES ARE AT STAKE HERE. HE SAID AMERICAN SOLDIERS HERE ARE HELPING TO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.

IN A VIDEOTAPED MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA EARLIER, PRESIDENT CLINTON APPEALED TO MUSLIMS, SERBS, AND CROATS TO SEIZE THAT CHANCE SO THEIR CHILDREN CAN BE RAISED IN PEACE. (SIGNED) NEB / AD / AC-T / GPT 13-Jan-96 9:17 AM EST (1417 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[04] CLINTON BOSNIA WRAP (L-ONLY) BY BARREY WOOD (TASZAR)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS COMPLETED HIS TRIP TO TUZLA, BOSNIA, WHERE HE MET WITH AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE NATO PEACEKEEPING OPERATION. V-O-A'S BARRY WOOD REPORTS THE PRESIDENT ALSO VISITED U-S MILITARY PERSONNEL IN ITALY AND AT A STAGING AREA IN HUNGARY.

TEXT: IT WAS A JOURNEY THROUGH FOUR COUNTRIES -- ITALY, HUNGARY, BOSNIA, AND CROATIA. AT EACH STOP THE PRESIDENT WAS GREETED ENTHUSIASTICALLY.

THE DAY BEGAN AT THE AVIANO AIR BASE IN ITALY WHERE MR. CLINTON TRANSFERRED TO A C-17 MILITARY TRANSPORT FOR WHAT WAS TO HAVE BEEN THE SHORT FLIGHT TO TUZLA. BUT FOG HAD CLOSED THE GIANT AIR BASE, FORCING THE PRESIDENT'S PARTY TO GO FIRST TO TASZAR IN SOUTHERN HUNGARY, WHICH HE WAS TO HAVE VISITED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON. AT THIS FORMER WARSAW PACT FIGHTER BASE, THE PRESIDENT INSPECTED TROOPS BOUND FOR BOSNIA AND ADDRESSED OVER ONE-THOUSAND OF THEM ASSEMBLED IN A HUGE TENT. MR. CLINTON WAS INTRODUCED BY THE U-S BASE COMMANDER, THE SON OF GENERAL CLAYTON ABRAMS, AFTER WHOM THE MAIN U-S BATTLE TANK IS NAMED.

I HAVE JUST REVIEWED A COMPANY OF THOSE TANKS THAT ARE ABOUT TO CONVOY (OR GO) TO TUZLA, AND WHEN I LOOK OUT ATYOU I CAN'T HELP TO THINK THAT THOSE TANKS ARE A GOOD SYMBOL FOR THIS WHOLE OPERATION. THE ABRAMS IS THE BEST TANK IN THE WORLD AND YOU ARE THE BEST ALL AROUND FIGHTING FORCE. LIKE THE TANK, YOU ARE PROVEN FAST, TOUGH, AND, IF YOU HAVE TO BE, LETHAL.

THE PRESIDENT CONFERRED 30 MINUTES WITH THE PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER OF HUNGARY, THANKING THEM FOR THEIR COUNTRY'S SUPPORT OF WHAT MR. CLINTON SAID WAS THE BIGGEST U-S MILITARY OPERATION IN EUROPE SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

FIVE HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE, THE PRESIDENT DID ARRIVE AT TUZLA. THERE, HE TOLD TROOPS THAT HE, LIKE AMERICA, WAS PROUD OF THEM. THEY, HE SAID, WERE INVOLVED IN A VITAL MISSION OF PEACE. MR. CLINTON HANDED OUT PROMOTIONS TO SEVERAL SOLDIERS, DELIVERED A BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO AN OFFICER, AND MET WITH BOSNIA SERB AND MUSLIM LEADERS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC.

THE FINAL STOP WAS ZAGREB, THE CROATIAN CAPITAL. AT AN AIRPORT CEREMONY, THE PRESIDENT WAS CHEERED AND APPLAUDED BY CROATS THANKFUL THAT A PEACE TREATY HAS BEEN SIGNED. THERE WAS THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE WHEN MR. CLINTON CALLED FOR THE PEACEFUL RETURN OF EAST SLAVONIA, THE LAST PART OF CROATIA STILL HELD BY REBEL SERBS. AFTER MEETING WITH PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN, MR. CLINTON BOARDED AIR FORCE ONE FOR THE LONG FLIGHT BACK TO AMERICA. (SIGNED) NEB/BW/CB-T/SKH 13-Jan-96 4:18 PM EST (2118 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[05] CLINTON INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT BY BRIAN WILLIAMS (ZAGREB, CROATIA)

THIS IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF A THREE-MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON BY POOL REPORTER, BRIAN WILLIAMS, SHORTLY BEFORE TAKE-OFF FROM ZAGREB, CROATIA, AT THE END OF MR. CLINTON'S WHIRLWIND TOUR OF THE BALKANS. COPIES OF THE AUDIO CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BUBBLE. IT WAS TAPED AT 3:18 PM E-S-T. QUESTION: DID YOU GET WHAT YOU WANTED FROM THIS TRIP AND DID THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS GET WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF IT? CLINTON: IT WAS VERY MUCH WORTH IT: FIRST, TO TELL ALL THESE AMERICANS IN UNIFORM, MANY OF THEM QUITE YOUNG AMERICANS, THAT THE PRESIDENT AND THE COUNTRY ARE BEHIND THEM. WE KNOW THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB. WE KNOW THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AMAZING THINGS AGAINST SOME VERY GREAT ODDS ALREADY; AND SECONDLY, TO GET A REAL FEEL FOR THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND AND WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE AND WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS OUR MILITARY LEADERS OUTLINED IN THE BRIEFING. AND I THINK THAT FOR THOSE TWO REASONS, IT WAS WORTH IT. IT WAS VERY WORTH IT FOR ME TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE HERE IN ZAGREB TO REINFORCE THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE CROATIANS IN PUSHING THIS PEACE PROCESS. SO, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY IT WAS WORTH IT. IT WAS A ONE DAY TRIP AND I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANY MORE TIME AWAY FROM HOME THAN NECESSARY, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. QUESTION: THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF PORTION OF YOUR JOB MUST BE TOUGHER WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THEIR EYES AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALL HAPPY TO BE HERE. CLINTON: YES, BUT I THINK THE INTERESTING THING TO ME IS THAT OF ALL THE MISSIONS THAT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH AS PRESIDENT, I'VE HAD MORE OF OUR MILITARY LEADERS TELL ME THAT THEY BELIEVED IN THIS, (THEY) SPONTANEOUSLY TELL ME THAT THEY BELIEVED IN THIS, AND THAT MORALE IS HIGH AND THEY THINK THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DOING BETTER THAN THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE DOING. SO, I FEEL ON BALANCE THAT WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN I THOUGHT WE WOULD. I KNOW IT'S TOUGH ON THEM. IT'S TOUGH ON THEM TO BE A LONG WAY FROM HOME. IT'S TOUGH ON THEM TO BE IN THIS MUD, AND WHEN IT SNOWS, TO BE IN THE COLD. BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT. AND IF WE CAN PULL IT OFF, BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY A PART OF A VERY LARGE MISSION--TWO-THIRDS OF THE TROOPS COMING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES--WE MAY HAVE SET A PRECEDENT THAT WILL SAVE MANY, MANY LIVES IN THE FUTURE, INCLUDING MANY AMERICAN LIVES. QUESTION: WHEN YOU TALKED TO THEM TODAY, DID THEY (THE TROOPS) ASK WHEN THEY WERE GOING HOME? AND DID YOU TELL THEM SAY, CHRISTMASTIME, 1996? CLINTON: ONE (SOLDIER) ASKED HOW LONG THE MISSION WOULD BE, AND I REAFFIRMED WHAT I'VE ALREADY TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT A YEAR. THE OTHERS WERE MORE INTERESTED IN WHETHER THERE WOULD BE A ROTATION AND IF THERE COULDN'T BE A ROTATION, WHETHER THEY WERE GOING TO AT LEAST GET A SUSTAINED LEAVE. AND I ASSURED THEM THAT ONE OR THE OTHER WOULD TAKE PLACE, AND THAT WE WERE WORKING ON THAT. (END OF THE INTERVIEW WITH MR. CLINTON, DONE PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM ZAGREB ENROUTE TO WASHINGTON) NEB/ASSGNS 13-Jan-96 3:38 PM EST (2038 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America