The White House 

                 Office of the Press Secretary 

________________________________________________________________ 

For Immediate Release                              June 28, 1993 



                     Text Of A Letter From 
                The President To The Speaker Of 
             The House Of Representatives And The 
              President Pro Tempore Of The Senate 



                         June 28, 1993 



Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Mr. President:) 

Commencing at approximately 4:22 p.m. (Est) on June 26, 1993, at 
my direction, U.S. naval forces launched a Tomahawk cruise 
missile strike on the Iraqi Intelligence Service's (IIS) 
principal command and control complex in Baghdad.  This facility 
is the headquarters for the Iis, which planned the failed attempt 
to assassinate former President Bush during his visit to Kuwait 
in April of this year.  This U.S. military action was completed 
upon impact of the missiles on target at approximately 6 p.m. 
(Est). 

Operating under the United States Central Command, two U.S. Navy 
surface ships launched a total of 23 precision-guided Tomahawk 
missiles in this coordinated strike upon the key facilities in 
the Iis compound.  The Uss Peterson (Dd 969) launched 14 missiles 
from its position in the Red Sea, while the Uss Chancellorsville 
(Cg 62) in the Arabian Gulf launched nine missiles.  The timing 
of this operation, with missiles striking at approximately 2:00 
a.m. local Iraqi time, was chosen carefully so as to minimize 
risks to innocent civilians.  Initial reports indicate that heavy 
damage was inflicted on the complex.  Regrettably, there were 
some collateral civilian casualties.  

I ordered this military response only after I considered the 
results of a thorough and independent investigation by U.S. 
intelligence and law enforcement agencies.  The reports by 
Attorney General Reno and Director of Central Intelligence 
Woolsey provided compelling evidence that the operation that 
threatened the life of President Bush in Kuwait City in April was 
directed and pursued by the Iraqi Intelligence Service and that 
the Government of Iraq bore direct responsibility for this 
effort. 

The Government of Iraq acted unlawfully in attempting to carry 
out Saddam Hussein's threats against former President Bush 
because of actions he took as President.  The evidence of the 
Government of Iraq's violence and terrorism demonstrates that 
Iraq poses a continuing threat to United States nationals and 
shows utter disregard for the will of the international community 
as expressed in Security Council Resolutions and the United 
Nations Charter.  Based on the Government of Iraq's pattern of 
disregard for international law, I concluded that there was no 
reasonable prospect that new diplomatic initiatives or economic 
measures could influence the current Government of Iraq to cease 
planning future attacks against the United States. 

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Consequently, in the exercise of our inherent right of self- 
defense as recognized in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter 
and pursuant to my constitutional authority with respect to the 
conduct of foreign relations and as Commander in Chief, I ordered 
a military strike that directly targeted a facility of Iraqi 
intelligence implicated in the plot against the former Chief 
Executive.  In accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations 
Charter, this action was reported immediately to the Security 
Council on June 26.  On June 27, Ambassador Albright provided 
evidence of Iraq's assassination attempts to the United Nations 
Security Council, which had been convened in emergency session at 
our request. 

I am certain that you share my sincere hope that the limited and 
proportionate action taken by the United States Government will 
frustrate and help deter and preempt future unlawful actions on 
the part of the Government of Iraq.  Nonetheless, in the event 
that Iraqi violence, aggression, or state-sponsored terrorism 
against the United States continues, I will direct such 
additional measures in our exercise of the right of self-defense 
as may be necessary and appropriate to protect United States 
citizens. 

I remain committed to ensuring that the Congress is kept fully 
informed regarding significant employments of the U.S. Armed 
Forces.  Accordingly, I am providing this report on the U.S. 
military actions of June 26, consistent with the War Powers 
Resolution.  I appreciate your thoughts and continued support as 
we address these important concerns. 

                          Sincerely, 



                          William J. Clinton 



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