 President of the United States. Before making the announcement in the business that has brought me here, and knowing your great concern and not wanting you to lose any sleep at night, let me explain the patch on my nose. I figured you might ask. The doctor has been keeping track of me since the first operation for skin cancer on my nose, and felt that there was some additional work needed. So yesterday afternoon, when we came back from Chicago, I went over there in the White House to the doctor's office, and he did the additional work, and a biopsy revealed there were some cancer cells, and now I have a verdict of my nose is clean. So listening to all the questions and comments regarding my thoughts on last night's events, I felt it might be helpful to take a moment here to make a comment, and then I've asked Bud McFarland to be here to provide answers to all the questions that you may have. Events of the past 24 hours reinforce the determination of all of those who share the privileges of freedom and liberty to join together in countering the scourge of international terrorism. All civilized peoples welcome the apprehension of the terrorists responsible for the seizure of Achille Loro and the brutal murder of Leon Klinghofer. The pursuit of justice is well served by this cooperative effort to ensure that these terrorists are prosecuted and punished for their crimes. I want to point out the crucial role played by the Italian government in bringing this operation to a successful and peaceful conclusion. Throughout Prime Minister Craxi has been courageous in his insistence that those apprehended shall be subject to full due process of law. I also want to note my gratitude that the government of Egypt was able to end the crisis without additional loss of life, although I disagreed with their disposition of the terrorists. And additionally, I wish to praise President Borguiba's forthright decision to refuse the entry of the fugitives. Most of all, I am proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who deployed, supported, and played the crucial role in the delivery of these terrorists to Italian authorities. They and the men and women of our foreign service and intelligence community perform flawlessly in this most difficult and delicate operation. They have my gratitude, and I'm sure the gratitude of all of their countrymen. These young Americans sent a message to terrorists everywhere. The message you can run, but you can't hide. End of statement. Mr. President, does your action last night increase the danger for other Americans being held hostage in the Middle East? I don't believe so. I don't think that there's any increase that could be made. I think that Americans are, as well as many other people from other countries, as was evidenced in the passenger list of that ship, are targets of continued terrorism. Mr. President, we were told you'd answer a few questions. If I might ask one, the Egyptians are apparently holding on to the Achille Loro, the ship that the hijacking took place on. What do you know about that? Is there any tie to the fact that Italy is now holding the Egyptian plane, and what are you going to do to try to get that ship released? Are there apparently still Americans on it? I really don't know whether that is being held there for anything other than just simply. It is birthed there at this time. I don't know whether the other passengers who were away from that particular, Port Said, are waiting for them to come aboard or anything. Whatever might be true of that, I just don't know. Mr. President, can you tell us about your attitude now toward Egypt? And can you tell us whether we intercepted this plane without any help from Egyptian authorities, either the top officials of the government or lower down, or whether, in fact, they did give us some sort of help? Knowing that we could not risk a leak of any plans of this kind, this plan was ours. And the decision was made yesterday afternoon on Air Force One coming back in Chicago. You're telling us, sir, if I may follow up, that you're telling us that Egypt then didn't know we were going to do it and didn't sanction it in any way? And nor did the Italians know we were going to do it as far as I'm aware. Mr. President, you say the decision was made on Air Force One. Can you tell all of us exactly what you did on this yesterday, what went through your mind, what decisions exactly you made, and what it was like for you yesterday? Well, I can't answer exactly on some of those things and the decisions that were made. The operation, as it was carried out, was the operation that I ordered and approved of. But the reason I don't want to answer any more specifically in things of that kind is because terrorism and fighting terrorism is an ongoing thing. And again, as we've said before, I don't want to make public decisions that we've made as to what we would or would not do in events of that kind because I think it's for the terrorists to wonder what we're going to do. But was it difficult for you or easy for you? Can you give us some sense of your own state of mind? I don't know whether a decision like that can ever be called easy, but I had complete faith in our forces and the opportunity was there and I believed that the mission was possible and I didn't think there was any way that I could not approve a mission of that kind with what was at stake. Mr. President, what kind of message do you think this sends regarding your resolve? You've been criticized in the past for not taking action against terrorists. How does this fit the profile of what you think is possible, feasible? And what kind of message for the future? Well, our problem in the past has not been a lack of will. Our problem has been in terrorist attacks that have taken place in the past, first of all, in a number of them such as the terrible tragedy with the Marines. The perpetrators of the act went up with the bomb. They were suicides. You were faced with, well, who were their collaborators? Who were behind them? How do you retaliate? They're gone. And the other thing is in a number of incidents where to retaliate would simply be an act of violence without any knowledge that you were striking the perpetrators of the deed and you might be attacking many innocent people. This has been our great problem with terrorism. But here was a clear-cut case in which we could lay our hands on the terrorists. You know that these were the criminals and since you knew there were not innocent people around. Were you prepared to fire? Were you prepared to shoot that plane down? This again is one of those questions, Andrea, that I'm not going to answer. That's for them to go to bed every night wondering. Mr. President, on extradition, will you press to extradite the terrorists to the United States if the Italians do give them what you consider to be justice, knowing that there is no capital punishment in Italy? Well, we think this is a proper thing to do because I'm not a lawyer and I don't intend to get into too many legal areas where I might be caught short. They could be tried in both countries and in this country they would be tried for murder where in Italy they would probably be tried on the basis of piracy because of the taking over of the Italian vessel. So this is why we have put in a request for extradition. Well, do you want two trials or would you be satisfied if the Italians give them a long prison sentence? That remains to be decided as to how far we go or how far we pursue this. What we want is justice done. Does that mean death? What? Does that mean death to the hijackers? Well, I'm just going to say justice done. Mr. President, they will report that there was disagreement between yourself and Prime Minister Cracksey about the disposition of these terrorists how they'd be tried, where they'd be tried. Is there any truth to that? We had a phone call last night. He told me what his situation was with regard to them and I told him what ours was and I told him that we would introduce an extradition request. He told me what their legal process was with regard to that, that it wasn't something that he could just give an opinion on himself any more than I could if the situation was reversed and no, we had full cooperation but now, I think the few are finished. I know there are many hands and I'm going to turn them all over to Bud McFarland. Can you just tell us about your nose, Mr. President? Can you tell us what... Forgive us, but what kind of finding the biopsy had? What level of cancer? Oh, I thought I answered that. There were some cancer cells found and now, following that, the examination, following the minor operation there is such that, as I say, I can stand before you proudly and say my nose is clean. What do you mean cancer cells found yesterday, sir? Are you referring to the original? No, the worth you found yesterday. This was, as I say, the doctor had felt that there was additional work that he needed and wanted to do. Are you concerned that this act may endanger the other six American hostages that the action taken yesterday may endanger the other six? I have no way of knowing that or what they're thinking. We are still doing everything we can and investigating in every channel we can to try and get back the other six hostages. Are you angry at Mubarak? Can you tell us the diagnosis? I heard the term, I'm not a lawyer and I'm not medical either, but I did hear the term Basil Cell. Are you angry at Mubarak? Are you angry at President Mubarak for his conduct in this whole affair? No, as I say, we disagreed, but we have had too firm a relationship between our two countries, and there is too much at stake with regard to peace in the Middle East for us to let a single incident of one kind or a disagreement of this kind color that relationship. Did he not lie about Mubarak? Did he not lie about where the hijackers were to the United States? I have no way of knowing that, either. Or knowing what's at stake. Did you call the clean water? Did you call the clean water? Did the Egyptians in any way assist you in this operation? No, as I say, we did this all by our little selves. Are you satisfied that all the perpetrators are in custody? Mr. President, are you satisfied that all the perpetrators are in custody? Any one of us can answer that. We have no way of knowing that. We know that the four that were on the ship were the ones that perpetrated the crime. Very obviously, they are part of a splinter group from the PLO and have their own goals and aims and how many were involved in planning or supporting such a mission of this kind. We don't know. Have you called the Clean Hopper family yet, sir? I'm going to the office to do it. They're making me late. Additional Palestinians on that plane, one of them is said to be one of the murder experts for the PLO. Organize many raids of this type. Be answered on the investigation leading to prosecution. Thank you, sir. We'll take about five minutes here. We seem to have