Clinton Down Under: U.S., Australia Have a 'Special Relationship'

CANBERRA, Australia (AllPolitics, Nov. 19) -- President Clinton said the White House should answer all questions being raised about Democratic fund raising, but he compared himself with the Atlanta security guard wrongly suspected in the Olympic park bombing.

Clinton said he personally has answered all the questions he's been asked, and wants aides to do the same, about contributions from wealthy Indonesians and the practices of John Huang, a recently fired Democratic National Committee fund-raiser.

Urging reporters at a news conference to remember "what happened to Mr. Jewell in Atlanta," Clinton said the goal should be to report the facts.

The FBI cleared Richard Jewell as a suspect last month in the Olympic park bombing that killed one person at a public park in July.

Clinton and Prime Minister John Howard dwelt on the special relationship between their two countries at a joint news conference. The president was scheduled to address a joint session of Parliament later Wednesday.

Howard congratulated Clinton on his reelection, and Clinton said visiting Australia ought to be a habit for Oval Office occupants. The U.S. is Australia's largest international investor, and its second biggest trading partner with $16 billion in trade between the two last year, Clinton noted.

Clinton said he has not yet made a final decision on U.S. troop deployment to Zaire, which was being reevaluated in light of massive refugee migration home to Rwanda.

Advisers were conferring with Canadians, who were to lead the multinational mission, and a recommendation was expected soon. The U.S. has allocated about $140 million to help with the humanitarian needs, he said.

Addressing Pacific Rim security, the president said his goal was not to contain China but to engage it as a partner, to foster conditions for increased liberty and cooperation.

"The United States has no interest in containing China. That is a negative strategy," Clinton said.(238K/22 sec. WAV sound)

Clinton noted plans for thousands of U.S. Marines to participate in joint military exercises in Australia next year.

Both leaders blamed agricultural trade tensions between their countries primarily on European trade barriers.

Free trade will top the agenda as Clinton and Howard attend the 18-nation Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting later this week in the Philippines.

The president said he most wanted to see progress from the forum on information technology, trade in which is currently valued $1 trillion, he said. The business is projected to grow more than 250 percent in next 10 years, he said.

Clinton Down Under: U.S., Australia Have a 'Special Relationship'

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