ACCESSION NUMBER:305959

FILE ID:TXT102

DATE:10/04/93

TITLE:CLINTON BLAMES MOSCOW VIOLENCE ON RUTSKOI FORCES (10/04/93)

TEXT:*93100402.TXT

CLINTON BLAMES MOSCOW VIOLENCE ON RUTSKOI FORCES



(Transcript:  California departure remarks)  (530)

Washington -- President Clinton blames the outbreak of violence in Moscow on

forces backing Russia's former vice president, Alexander Rutskoi.



In remarks delivered October 3, before troops loyal to Russian President

Boris Yeltsin stormed the parliament building, Clinton said he continued to

back Yeltsin and warned against "wavering" or "giving any encouragement to

people who clearly want to derail the election process and (who) are not

committed to reform in Russia."



Clinton made the remarks as he was leaving the White House for a three-day

trip to California.  Following is a transcript of his remarks:



(begin transcript)

CLINTON: Ladies and gentlemen, I have received a rather extended briefing on

what we know about what is going on in Russia and I want to make a couple

of comments about it.  First of all, it is clear that the violence was

perpetrated by the Rutskoi-Khasbulatov forces, that there has been

significant violence today in Moscow.  It is also clear that President

Yeltsin bent over backwards to avoid the use of force, to avoid excessive

force from the beginning of this and I still am convinced that the United

States must support President Yeltsin and the process of bringing about

free and fair elections.  We cannot afford to be in the position of

wavering at this moment or of backing off or giving any encouragement to

people who clearly want to derail the election process and are not

committed to reform in Russia.  So we are following events moment by

moment.  As you know, we have access to television coverage there so you

are also pretty current on it.  But that is the most I know now and that is

our position.



QUESTION: Do you think that Yeltsin can survive Mr. President and will you

cut off aid if he is deposed?



1NSWER: Well, I don't expect him to be deposed.  I wouldn't overreact to

this, now.  I think the people clearly stand far more supportive of him

than the Rutskoi-Khasbulatov and they seem, they don't have any organized

military support that we're aware of.  So we'll just have to wait for

developments, but I have no reason to believe that he would be deposed.



Q: Mr. President, have you spoken to President Yeltsin?

A: No. I'm sure he's got more important things to do right now than to talk

to me and I don't think the United States should be involved in the moment

to moment management of this crisis, but I do want him to know of my

continued support and the support of the United States.



Q: What can the U.S. government do right now?

A: Well first of all, we can get as much intelligence as quickly an possible

about what's going on and we can do our best to look after the safety of

the Americans who are there and the security of the embassy, which has

received some attention from our folks, and so far the reports on that are

good.



Q: Do you have any plans to cancel your trip or postpone your trip in any

way?



A: No.

(end transcript)

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