Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Joint Press Conference with US President (George Bush) in Paris

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: US Embassy, Paris
Source: Thatcher Archive: COI transcript
Editorial comments: Around 0900.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 819
Themes: Defence (general), Trade, Foreign policy (International organizations), Foreign policy (Middle East), Foreign policy (USA), Defence (Gulf War, 1990-91)

Mr Bush

We have had a very delightful breakfast and I want to thank the Prime Minister for coming over. Not surprisingly we see eye to eye on matters in the Gulf and we had an opportunity to discuss trade and the importance of getting on to a successful conclusion of the GATT Round. And thank you, Prime Minister, for coming at this early hour but once again I have learned a lot and I feel very comfortable that the UK and the United States are working at these major problems through the same prism.

Prime Minister

It has been a very good breakfast meeting. We see so similarly on most things, we have the same firmness on the Gulf, the same horror that hostages are kept at all, that they should be released immediately, the same firmness that if Saddam Hussein does not withdraw from Kuwait the military option would have to be used. We also come together on a day when, if the United States and the United Kingdom and Europe had not stayed absolutely firm in defence, we should never be in a position to sign the agreement that will be signed today. That I think is a very very good message to the [end p1] world, to stay firm in defence because you never know what uncertainties may arise.

On other things, you know we and the United States believe firmly in free trade, that is what gets a prosperous world are we are deeply concerned about the GATT Round and as you know I have done my level best to see that Europe puts forward reasonable proposals, indeed puts forward any proposals. We are not through the difficulties yet and it is important that the Uruguay Round does succeed.

Question

Mrs Thatcher, do you think there is going to be a war in the Gulf? You have had a lot of experience with the Middle East.

Prime Minister

There is one clear way to avoid that and that would be for Saddam Hussein to withdraw, quickly, totally.

Question

(Inaudible).

Prime Minister

Yes, if Saddam Husseinhe does not then he has to be removed by force. This is evil, the things that are going on in Kuwait are terrifying, they are brutal and most people understand that evil has to be stopped, either he withdraws or the military option has to be used. [end p2]

Question

President, I know that you think this latest hostage offer from Saddam Hussein is a cynical manipulation of hostage families, but could it serve in any way as a possible precursor for some kind of negotiation to get him out of Kuwait?

Mr Bush

I cannot read his mind but when you have done something as outrageously illegal as grabbing somebody's innocent civilians and holding them hostage, kidnapping them, if you will, there should be no reward for that and he ought to have released them long ago and he ought to release them now. And the cynicism of starting to release them on Christmas Day will be seen by the world as a total ploy. And so if you mean does it offer me hope that he is getting flexible, I do not think so, I think it is a cynical ploy to rally public opinion and it is so brutal to paroel out human life in that way that I think it will backfire in terms of what he expected from it.

Question

President Gorbachev in Italy said that he was convinced that a peaceful way would be found out of this crisis and he spoke of new ideas, new initiatives on the diplomatic front. Do you to any degree share that optimism that Mr Gorbachev appears to be expressing and do you know anything about new initiatives?

Mr Bush

I have not seen anything to make me believe that there is a new approach that fulfils the obligations entailed under the United [end p3] Nations Resolutions because there can be no compromise, you cannot reward aggression. But I will be seeing him and Mr Gorbachev has been very solid in support of the United Nations so I am anxious to know if there is something new that he is thinking of, but I cannot think what it is.

Question

Prime Minister, could you answer that question?

Prime Minister

Saddam Hussein should obey the United Nations Resolutions and withdraw immediately. What we have got now is not peace, there is no peace in Kuwait, there is evil, there is daily brutality, there is cruelty, they are shooting people because they have attempted to hide and protect foreigners in Kuwait. That is not peace, it is the worst brutality and evil. Unless he leaves, he will have to be made to leave by force.

I think that we just have to get the fundamentals straight. He plays with human beings as if they were pawns. Unless you stop this, unless you stop this man, there will be no peace in the world let alone in the Middle East.