The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: United States

  • Mr Major’s Joint Statement with James Baker – 13 January 1991

    The text of Mr Major’s joint statement with the American Secretary of State, James Baker, held at Alconbury on Sunday 13th January 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Thank you all for your patience!

    Could I just say that over the last hour or so Secretary Baker and I have been able to discuss a number of matters but principally, of course, the present position in the Gulf and naturally what has been happening in Vilnius over the last two days or so.

    Insofar as the Gulf is concerned, we were able to review the position. We do not yet know precisely what happened with the Secretary-General’s visit to Saddam Hussein – no news of that has yet come through to us – but there should be no doubt, I think, in anybody’s mind that we are completely united with our Arab Allies in what needs to be done in terms of the invasion of Kuwait.

    Either Saddam Hussein leaves Kuwait peacefully or at some stage – and we think earlier rather than later – it may be necessary to remove him.

    Insofar as Vilnius is concerned, we regret very much what seems to have happened there over the past couple of days. For a considerable period of time, we have been delighted to see the path of reform the Soviet Union have been following – we have offered a considerable degree of support for that reform. It certainly seems to be a very dramatic, retrograde step that we have suddenly seen the use of force in Vilnius. we hope it will cease and that the Soviet Union will return to negotiations with the Baltic States and we hope that the problems of Vilnius are not going to spread. At the moment, we are waiting to see what further happens but I think that is all I would wish to say about that this evening.

    SECRETARY OF STATE JAMES BAKER:

    Prime Minister, thank you very much for receiving me here and I would start by apologising to you for the changes in the schedule – they were occasioned by the descending fog in Ankara that delayed first my arrival in Ankara and then my departure from Ankara.

    I think the Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, has given you a very good and complete summary of our discussion over the past hour or so and I must say, as I listened to it, I found myself in absolutely total and complete agreement with his characterisation of the situation in the Gulf, his characterisation of the tragic situation in the Baltics and his characterisation of the way in which these events are now seen by the Government of the United Kingdom. They are seen in exactly the same way, if I may say so, by the Government of the United States of America, which may simply be testimony to the special relationship.

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

    QUESTION:

    Mr. Secretary, is it not time to go beyond “concern” on the Baltic? Thirteen people have died and tanks have rolled over civilians in Vilnius!

    SECRETARY BAKER:

    I think it is time that we make very clear that we are deeply disturbed by what has happened. That is what I have said earlier today: that we are deeply troubled by what has happened; that if we are going to be able to proceed on the path of cooperation – certainly if we are going to be able to proceed on the path of partnership – that there must be adherence to shared values and shared principles; there cannot be a return to the old thinking and so we really are troubled by what we see happening there.

    We will continue to monitor the situation, as I have told those of you who are travelling on our aircraft, and we will have further reactions and responses as the situation develops. Let me simply say that we certainly join with the Prime Minister and hope that there will be no further resort to force, that the hopes and aspirations of the Baltic peoples will be fulfilled through negotiation and dialogue with the leadership of the Soviet Union.

    QUESTION:

    Any hope left at all for peace?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think there are always hopes for peace. We are still waiting to see what the outcome between Saddam Hussein and the Secretary-General may be.

    Peace can be very easily had, you know. Peace can be had providing the Iraqis move out of Kuwait – that is the only impediment to peace. Providing they will do that, there can be peace immediately. It is what all of us would wish to see.

    QUESTION:

    How does the situation in the Baltic affect the timing of the moves of the coalition?

    SECRETARY BAKER:

    If I may speak to that – and then of course the Prime Minister, I would hope, would add a similar view – but it will not affect the timing of events in the Gulf and again, let me simply endorse what the Prime Minister has said about the desirability of moving sooner rather than later and the fact that, as we have said now for many weeks, January 15 is a serious deadline; it is a real deadline; it is a deadline that is embraced in a solemn United Nations Security Council Resolution adopted after extensive consultation and debate.

    QUESTION:

    Is the coalition ready to go war then?

    SECRETARY BAKER:

    The coalition of course hopes for peace as the Prime Minister has just said, and the coalition would be extremely happy if a peaceful political solution could be found that would implement the Twelve United Nations Security Council Resolutions that have been adopted.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    The coalition hopes for peace; it has been working for peace; but if necessary, it is prepared for war and I hope Saddam Hussein understands that.

    QUESTION:

    Have you been talking about a time-table, Mr. Major?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have discussed a large range of things, including what may happen in the future but I have no more to say than that.

    QUESTION:

    Mr. Secretary, do you envisage a pattern of aggression in the Gulf which would bring the Soviet Union and the United States into conflict?

    SECRETARY BAKER:

    No, I do not!

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview in Washington – 22 December 1990

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview, with President Bush, held in Washington on Saturday 22nd December 1990.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Mr President, thank you very much indeed. If I could perhaps firstly express thanks to you and Barbara for your hospitality here this weekend, it has been a remarkable occasion, a splendid opportunity to get to know one another in our talks and our community of interests a good deal better. We had some splendid entertainment, if I may say so, last night from the Army chorus, an absolutely magnificent way to spend the evening. I think the only danger there is to the Anglo-American special relationship is your weather here this weekend, other than that it has all been absolutely splendid.

    The most heart-warming part of the weekend I think has been the very large areas of policy where we have clearly illustrated yet again there is a very strong community of ideals as well as a community of interests and the President has set those out, we had the opportunity of having a lengthy discussion on those. Clearly there are some problems to be overcome with the GATT; the Gulf, self-evidently is a matter we spent some time on; and also, as the President said, the encouraging activities that are coming out of South Africa with the prospects of more to come.

    So I found it a very rewarding and worthwhile occasion and I think it was entirely proper that one of the very first visits I was able to make as Prime Minister was here to the United States where we have had such a long and fruitful and worthwhile relationship and I am grateful that it has gone so well.

    QUESTION:

    Mr President, have you heard from President Gorbachev in the last day or so?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    No.

    QUESTION:

    Mr. President, could you care to comment on the resignation of Shevardnadze and what impact you think it will have on U.S. – Soviet relationships, particularly in the Gulf?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Well again this was a matter that Prime Minister Major and I discussed. I have no additional comment beyond what the Secretary of State said the other day and Marlin Fitzwater put out. I am convinced from what we have received so far from the Soviet Union that the policy on the Gulf will continue. I will let Prime Minister Major comment on that from their vantage point but we, as you know, had a very close relationship with Eduarde Shevardnadze and Jim Baker expressed it very well. but life goes on and we will pursue the policies in the Gulf confident that the Soviet Union will continue on its oath and I will continue to work with this new and very encouraging bilateral relationship, work to enhance that in every way possible.

    So what I am saying is that I do not see any radical changes affecting our bilateral relationship. Obviously people are wondering about the concerns raised and expressed by Mr Shevardnadze but we will continue to deal with them in the future here as we have in the past and hope that the changes that are taking place will be done in a very peaceful way. Did you want to add to that?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I would just add a word if I may. Clearly it is sad that he has gone, he has played a remarkable part in the peace-keeping process over the last year or so. What we now need to do is to make sure that, as Mr Gorbachev has said it will, Soviet foreign policy continues unchanged. We will have to wait and see how that turns out but the early signs are encouraging. President Gorbachev said that is how it would be, the Congress of Deputies voted precisely in that fashion within a matter of hours, so we wait to see who the new Foreign Minister is.

    QUESTION:

    Mr President, do you have any doubts, given the changes that there are in the Soviet Union and the turmoil there, that if you made a decision to use force in the Gulf that they would be fully behind you?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Yes, every indication we have had is that there will be no change in their Gulf policy. Do you want to comment on that one?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have seen no indication of a change in the Gulf policy, there was no indication of it in the immediate comments after Mr Shevardnadze’s resignation and we hope there will not be.

    QUESTION:

    If I could ask you both, Saddam Hussein says he is not about to leave Kuwait, if he does not change his mind is the world ready for war?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    If there is going to be a conflict in Kuwait that is really a matter for Saddam Hussein, he knows what the Security Council resolutions say, they could not be clearer, they have had an almost unprecedented amount of support internationally. I think one has to bear in mind that what he has done is unforgivable, what he and his colleagues are doing in Kuwait at this very moment is unforgivable, as you will have seen from the Amnesty Report. I hope he takes seriously the fact that the Security Council Resolutions will be enforced. If he moves out there will not be a conflict, if he does not then he knows what the consequences may be.

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    That says it all and it is exactly the way we feel, we are totally together on this point and I think we are both still hoping that there will be a peaceful resolution. But I am convinced that Saddam Hussein has not gotten the message yet, for some odd reason, the message as to what he is up against, the message that all of us are determined to fulfil to the letter the United Nations resolution. Let us hope he does get the message.

    QUESTION:

    Mr. President, we’ve been getting conflicting signals this past week from General Waller, others in the military, in Congress, and so on as to whether the U.S. and the coalition are actually ready for war by the 15th of January. Is the U.S. ready or is the U.S. not ready?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    I will be discussing this matter here at Camp David on Monday, I believe it is, with Dick Cheney and General Powell. But put it this way, if there is some clear provocation 10 minutes from now, the allied forces are ready to respond.

    QUESTION:

    There continue to be restrictions by the Saudis on entertainment, do you go along with this position, especially during the Christmas season? And why should the Saudis be allowed to impose such narrow restrictions on those who may very likely give up their lives for mutual interests?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    I have discussed this with the Commanding General, I have discussed this with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and I am satisfied that our young men and women over there will be able to do what every other American family will be doing – thanking God for our many blessings at Christmas. And in terms of manifestations of their patriotism, they love this country, they will be able to do what is proper. So I am not worried by these sporadic reports that we get and I think that the cultural differences are well known but I think the Saudis and our people are working very closely to see that we are able to do what every American family does at Christmas time and that is to worship in their own way. I have seen some reports and then I made an enquiry and I am satisfied that these kids can worship their God in their own way.

    QUESTION:

    What about the flag patches, the American flag?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    I asked about that, I forget the details of the answer but I was satisfied that what was worked out is acceptable to our general position and to the men as well.

    QUESTION:

    Have you abandoned any hope that there will be talks before 3 January?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Insofar as talks are concerned there is nothing to negotiate about. Insofar as whether there is a meeting between Saddam Hussein and Secretary of State Baker is concerned, Mr Baker has offered a whole series of dates to Saddam Hussein he has had a wide variety to choose from, he has not yet chosen. But insofar as negotiations, there is nothing to negotiate about.

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Exactly the same answer, we are totally together on this, we have offered up dates, we have made clear, as the Prime Minister has just said, that these meetings were designed to explain fully to Saddam Hussein the situation that he faces now but we will continue to hope that he will be reasonable, but I see no evidence of it, if that’s your question.

    QUESTION:

    A question for both of you. Mr. Kryuchkov, the head of the KGB, has said that bloodshed may be necessary to restore order in the Soviet Union. What are your comments?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Would you like to go first on that?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Well, we…

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    This is what they call bowling us a googley. [Laughter].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Yes. [Laughter]. If it’s a googley, I dare say it’s a curve ball for me. [Laughter].

    I think we hear a lot of comment of various sorts from the Soviet Union, some of it rather garish of that sort, we hope very much not, What clearly one wants to see is the reform programme continuing, it has gone a long way in a short period of time but it has a long way still to go. We hope it can travel that long road and do so without bloodshed and peaceably.

    QUESTION:

    What do you think of the GATT issue?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think there is a community of interests there. We are both aware, and so are the other Community heads in the European Community, that the great advantage is to get an agreement on GATT, it may not be an agreement that would have every one of us dancing in the streets on every issue but there will have to be a community of interests for the agreement and I think there is a political will to make sure that it is reached.

    QUESTION:

    Were you surprised by Mr Shevardnadze’s resignation?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Yes I was surprised, that is a matter for the internal affairs of the Soviet Union but everybody knows the respect we have and had and have for Eduarde Shevardnadze, the same sort of respect we have and had and have for President Gorbachev.

    QUESTION:

    I wanted to ask you about your meetings with Congress this week. What do you see the prospects that you will be seeking some sort of resolution similar to the U.N. resolution?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    We had vigorous consultations with Congress, we will continue to have that, Congress appointed a group of 20 at the end of the last session and I will clearly be meeting with them and soliciting their views, we are talking always to members of Congress as they come back. It is not just the President doing the whole question, there are legislative people in the White House and we will continue to consult in every way possible. I want Congress fully on board, I would love to see Congress say this minute that we fully endorse the United Nations resolutions and the President should fully implement them. But because I am determined to do that it would be very nice to send that solid signal out to Saddam Hussein, I think it would help him get the message as to what he is up against.

    But they have got to decide, the Congress is a separate body, they are entitled to do it any way they want. But I know the powers of the Presidency and I have had a chance to discuss that with the key members of Congress.

    Thank you all very much.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Thank you.

  • Mr Major’s Comments on Iraq – 22 December 1990

    The text of Mr Major’s comments on Iraq, made in Washington on Saturday 22nd December 1990.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked whether he had any doubts about the US President’s use of military action in Iraq].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    No, I am in no doubt at all. The President, like everyone else, would prefer the matter to be peacefully settled but indeed, I have no doubt whatsoever about the ultimate commitment to force.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked why sanctions wouldn’t work instead of using force].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think you have to consider firstly what is happening day by day in Kuwait. You are seeing the dismantlement of a country that at present is being run rather like a prison camp, so I think that is not an argument for excessive delay. Equally, of course, there are Security Council Resolutions and I think they should be observed.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked why sanctions couldn’t be given longer].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Sanctions have had a chance to work. I think you should address those questions to Saddam Hussein and invite him to withdraw. It is he who invaded Kuwait; it is he who is dismantling it; it is he who can bring the matter speedily to a peaceful conclusion.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked if he was committed to a war if it were necessary].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We must hope that it proves not to be necessary and I think we must hope that Saddam Hussein will come to his senses and withdraw but there is no doubt that if he does not withdraw voluntarily, then he will have to be made to withdraw involuntarily.

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview in Washington – 22 December 1990

    The text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview, with President Bush, held in Washington on Saturday 22nd December 1990.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Mr President, thank you very much indeed. If I could perhaps firstly express thanks to you and Barbara for your hospitality here this weekend, it has been a remarkable occasion, a splendid opportunity to get to know one another in our talks and our community of interests a good deal better. We had some splendid entertainment, if I may say so, last night from the Army chorus, an absolutely magnificent way to spend the evening. I think the only danger there is to the Anglo-American special relationship is your weather here this weekend, other than that it has all been absolutely splendid.

    The most heart-warming part of the weekend I think has been the very large areas of policy where we have clearly illustrated yet again there is a very strong community of ideals as well as a community of interests and the President has set those out, we had the opportunity of having a lengthy discussion on those. Clearly there are some problems to be overcome with the GATT; the Gulf, self-evidently is a matter we spent some time on; and also, as the President said, the encouraging activities that are coming out of South Africa with the prospects of more to come.

    So I found it a very rewarding and worthwhile occasion and I think it was entirely proper that one of the very first visits I was able to make as Prime Minister was here to the United States where we have had such a long and fruitful and worthwhile relationship and I am grateful that it has gone so well.

    QUESTION:

    Mr President, have you heard from President Gorbachev in the last day or so?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    No.

    QUESTION:

    Mr. President, could you care to comment on the resignation of Shevardnadze and what impact you think it will have on U.S. – Soviet relationships, particularly in the Gulf?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Well again this was a matter that Prime Minister Major and I discussed. I have no additional comment beyond what the Secretary of State said the other day and Marlin Fitzwater put out. I am convinced from what we have received so far from the Soviet Union that the policy on the Gulf will continue. I will let Prime Minister Major comment on that from their vantage point but we, as you know, had a very close relationship with Eduard Shevardnadze and Jim Baker expressed it very well. but life goes on and we will pursue the policies in the Gulf confident that the Soviet Union will continue on its oath and I will continue to work with this new and very encouraging bilateral relationship, work to enhance that in every way possible.

    So what I am saying is that I do not see any radical changes affecting our bilateral relationship. Obviously people are wondering about the concerns raised and expressed by Mr Shevardnadze but we will continue to deal with them in the future here as we have in the past and hope that the changes that are taking place will be done in a very peaceful way. Did you want to add to that?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I would just add a word if I may. Clearly it is sad that he has gone, he has played a remarkable part in the peace-keeping process over the last year or so. What we now need to do is to make sure that, as Mr Gorbachev has said it will, Soviet foreign policy continues unchanged. We will have to wait and see how that turns out but the early signs are encouraging. President Gorbachev said that is how it would be, the Congress of Deputies voted precisely in that fashion within a matter of hours, so we wait to see who the new Foreign Minister is.

    QUESTION:

    Mr President, do you have any doubts, given the changes that there are in the Soviet Union and the turmoil there, that if you made a decision to use force in the Gulf that they would be fully behind you?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Yes, every indication we have had is that there will be no change in their Gulf policy. Do you want to comment on that one?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have seen no indication of a change in the Gulf policy, there was no indication of it in the immediate comments after Mr Shevardnadze’s resignation and we hope there will not be.

    QUESTION:

    If I could ask you both, Saddam Hussein says he is not about to leave Kuwait, if he does not change his mind is the world ready for war?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    If there is going to be a conflict in Kuwait that is really a matter for Saddam Hussein, he knows what the Security Council resolutions say, they could not be clearer, they have had an almost unprecedented amount of support internationally. I think one has to bear in mind that what he has done is unforgivable, what he and his colleagues are doing in Kuwait at this very moment is unforgivable, as you will have seen from the Amnesty Report. I hope he takes seriously the fact that the Security Council Resolutions will be enforced. If he moves out there will not be a conflict, if he does not then he knows what the consequences may be.

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    That says it all and it is exactly the way we feel, we are totally together on this point and I think we are both still hoping that there will be a peaceful resolution. But I am convinced that Saddam Hussein has not gotten the message yet, for some odd reason, the message as to what he is up against, the message that all of us are determined to fulfil to the letter the United Nations resolution. Let us hope he does get the message.

    QUESTION:

    Mr. President, we’ve been getting conflicting signals this past week from General Waller, others in the military, in Congress, and so on as to whether the U.S. and the coalition are actually ready for war by the 15th of January. Is the U.S. ready or is the U.S. not ready?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    I will be discussing this matter here at Camp David on Monday, I believe it is, with Dick Cheney and General Powell. But put it this way, if there is some clear provocation 10 minutes from now, the allied forces are ready to respond.

    QUESTION:

    There continue to be restrictions by the Saudis on entertainment, do you go along with this position, especially during the Christmas season? And why should the Saudis be allowed to impose such narrow restrictions on those who may very likely give up their lives for mutual interests?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    I have discussed this with the Commanding General, I have discussed this with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and I am satisfied that our young men and women over there will be able to do what every other American family will be doing – thanking God for our many blessings at Christmas. And in terms of manifestations of their patriotism, they love this country, they will be able to do what is proper. So I am not worried by these sporadic reports that we get and I think that the cultural differences are well known but I think the Saudis and our people are working very closely to see that we are able to do what every American family does at Christmas time and that is to worship in their own way. I have seen some reports and then I made an enquiry and I am satisfied that these kids can worship their God in their own way.

    QUESTION:

    What about the flag patches, the American flag?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    I asked about that, I forget the details of the answer but I was satisfied that what was worked out is acceptable to our general position and to the men as well.

    QUESTION:

    Have you abandoned any hope that there will be talks before 3 January?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Insofar as talks are concerned there is nothing to negotiate about. Insofar as whether there is a meeting between Saddam Hussein and Secretary of State Baker is concerned, Mr Baker has offered a whole series of dates to Saddam Hussein he has had a wide variety to choose from, he has not yet chosen. But insofar as negotiations, there is nothing to negotiate about.

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Exactly the same answer, we are totally together on this, we have offered up dates, we have made clear, as the Prime Minister has just said, that these meetings were designed to explain fully to Saddam Hussein the situation that he faces now but we will continue to hope that he will be reasonable, but I see no evidence of it, if that’s your question.

    QUESTION:

    A question for both of you. Mr. Kryuchkov, the head of the KGB, has said that bloodshed may be necessary to restore order in the Soviet Union. What are your comments?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Would you like to go first on that?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Well, we…

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    This is what they call bowling us a googley. [Laughter].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Yes. [Laughter]. If it’s a googley, I dare say it’s a curve ball for me. [Laughter].

    I think we hear a lot of comment of various sorts from the Soviet Union, some of it rather garish of that sort, we hope very much not, What clearly one wants to see is the reform programme continuing, it has gone a long way in a short period of time but it has a long way still to go.

    We hope it can travel that long road and do so without bloodshed and peaceably.

    QUESTION:

    What do you think of the GATT issue?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think there is a community of interests there. We are both aware, and so are the other Community heads in the European Community, that the great advantage is to get an agreement on GATT, it may not be an agreement that would have every one of us dancing in the streets on every issue but there will have to be a community of interests for the agreement and I think there is a political will to make sure that it is reached.

    QUESTION:

    Were you surprised by Mr Shevardnadze’s resignation?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    Yes I was surprised, that is a matter for the internal affairs of the Soviet Union but everybody knows the respect we have and had and have for Eduard Shevardnadze, the same sort of respect we have and had and have for President Gorbachev.

    QUESTION:

    I wanted to ask you about your meetings with Congress this week. What do you see the prospects that you will be seeking some sort of resolution similar to the U.N. resolution?

    PRESIDENT BUSH:

    We had vigorous consultations with Congress, we will continue to have that, Congress appointed a group of 20 at the end of the last session and I will clearly be meeting with them and soliciting their views, we are talking always to members of Congress as they come back. It is not just the President doing the whole question, there are legislative people in the White House and we will continue to consult in every way possible. I want Congress fully on board, I would love to see Congress say this minute that we fully endorse the United Nations resolutions and the President should fully implement them. But because I am determined to do that it would be very nice to send that solid signal out to Saddam Hussein, I think it would help him get the message as to what he is up against.

    But they have got to decide, the Congress is a separate body, they are entitled to do it any way they want. But I know the powers of the Presidency and I have had a chance to discuss that with the key members of Congress.

    Thank you all very much.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Thank you.