President Clinton statement on the USS Cole attack and Mideast violence: transcript

Key points

• An explosion on the USS Cole while it refueled in a Yemeni port killed at least four sailors, with many injured and some missing.
• If it was terrorism, he called it a despicable and cowardly act and said those responsible would be held accountable.
• He sent Defense Department, FBI and State Department officials to Yemen, and Secretary Albright spoke with Yemen's president.
• He ordered ships in the region to pull out of port and land forces to increase security.
• He condemned the killing of Israeli soldiers in Ramallah and called on both sides for an immediate ceasefire.
• He said the peace process came from negotiation and trust, and declined questions, referring them to a Defense Department briefing.

Chapters

1. 0:28Explosion on the USS Cole and the US response
2. 1:35Investigation in Yemen and heightened security
3. 2:10Condemning violence in Ramallah and calling for a ceasefire
4. 2:54Return to negotiation and no questions taken

Full transcript

0:28I have just been meeting with my national security team on today's tragic events in the Middle East and I would like to make a brief statement. First, as you know, an explosion claimed the lives of at least four sailors on one of our naval vessels, the USS Cole, this morning. Many were injured. A number are still missing. They were simply doing their duty. The ship was refueling in a port in Yemen while en route to the Persian Gulf.

1:01We are rushing medical assistance to the scene, and our prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones or are still awaiting news. If, as it now appears, this was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act. We will find out who was responsible and hold them accountable. If their intention was to deter us from our mission of promoting peace and security in the Middle East, they will fail utterly.

1:35I have directed the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the State Department to send officials to Yemen to begin the investigation. Secretary Albright has spoken with President Saleh of Yemen, and we expect to work closely with his government to that effect. Our military forces and our embassies in the region have been on heightened state of alert for some time now. I have ordered our ships in the region to pull out of port, and our land forces to increase their security. Tensions are extremely high today throughout the entire region, as all of you know.

2:10I strongly condemn the murder of Israeli soldiers in Ramallah today while I understand the anguish Palestinian feel over the losses they have suffered. There can be no possible justification for mob violence. I call on both sides to undertake a ceasefire immediately, and immediately to condemn all acts of violence. Finally, let me say this. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the greatest tragedies and most difficult problems of our time.

2:54but it can be solved. The progress of the last few years, progress that brought Israel to the hope of a final peace with true security, and Palestinians to the hope of a sovereign state recognized by the entire world, was not made through violence. It happened because both sides sat down together, negotiated, and slowly built up the trust that violence destroys. Now is the time to stop the bloodshed, to restore calm, to return to dialogue, and ultimately to the negotiating table.

3:35The alternative to the peace process It is now no longer merely hypothetical. It is unfolding today before our very eyes. Now, I need to go back to work on this, and so I won't take questions right now, but the Department of Defense will offer a briefing today and will be able to answer the questions that are relevant to today's events. Thank you. The Iraqi troops are moving, Mr. President.

4:08Do you have any response to Saddam Hussein?

Source and licence

Recording: File:President Clinton Addressing the Press on the USS Cole Attack.webm by clintonlibrary42 (Taken on 12 October 2000), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The transcript is machine speech-to-text by the TidyTools Audio & video transcriber; the summary, key points and chapters were written by Claude from that transcript. Both may contain errors: check the recording before quoting it.