 Before this morning's announcement, I'd like to share some information with you that I received in the phone last night. Secretary of Defense Cap Weinberger called to inform me that hostilities in Grenada have ended and that he has instructed our military commanders to begin withdrawing their forces within a few days. What this means is that the situation is stable. No sniper fire or other form of military resistance is evident on the island. Our objectives have been achieved, and as soon as the logistics permit, American personnel will be leaving. I'd like to add that the members of the armed forces have conducted themselves in the finest tradition of the military. We can be proud of the courage and professionalism that we've seen from the people down there. American students call them rescuers. The citizens of Grenada have hailed them as liberators. I think the whole lot of them deserve the respect and admiration of our country. The operation was not without cost. Those who were killed, wounded, or injured in this operation, I believe, are heroes of freedom. They not only rescued our own citizens, but they saved the people of Grenada from repression and laid aside a potential threat to all the people of the Caribbean. After viewing the massive horde of Soviet weapons found in that island, who knows what evil the liberation of Grenada achieved for us or averted in the years ahead. And now, on to the business at hand. I'm pleased to announce today the appointment of Donald Rumsfeld as my special representative for the Middle East. I can't think of a better individual than him to entrust the coordination of our role in the Middle East peace process and in the Lebanon negotiations. Donald Rumsfeld has had a distinguished career in public service. He's had experience in wide areas of government and public policy, including military service as a naval aviator in the legislative branch as a member of the United States Congress and in the executive branch, where his many appointments included chief of staff of the White House, member of the cabinet, and U.S. Secretary of Defense. I am grateful that he's agreed to take on this special assignment and that G. D. Searle, I. C. Lee and company where he serves as president and chief executive officer has made it possible for him to lend his talents to his country for a while. He'll be joining the team immediately and in view of the serious job that he's undertaking, we're happy to have an individual of his stature on board so quickly. Ambassador Richard Fairbanks, who is now in Geneva, has told me that he will continue his critical involvement in these issues and I'm grateful for his dedication. We intend to work and use the talents of our best minds to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. I announced in September 1982 a realistic set of principles which we consider the best chance for a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. No one's come up with a better proposal since. I'm confident that progress in Lebanon will add momentum to the serious efforts that are going on to establish this broader peace. We hope that the leaders of Lebanon who are now meeting in Geneva will put the problems of the past aside. They have it within their ability to move toward a national consensus. Progress in their talks could lead to the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon and the establishment of a truly representative government. We're proud as Americans of the part we're playing to bring peace to this troubled region and now Don Rumsfeld will be our point man in that effort. I've known Don over the years and I recognize the talent and vigor that he can bring, bring to bear on these weighty problems. I hope all those who share our sincere desire for peace in the Middle East will work with our new representative. So Don, good luck and our hearts are with you. Mr. President, what says you intend to invade that country? Do you, sir? Who says? Mr. Nicaraguan leaders, sir. I haven't believed anything they've been saying since they got in charge. Well, Mr. President, you have to... And you shouldn't either. Mr. President, does the success of Grenada as you view it, that operation means you might be able to apply the military in similar situations elsewhere? No, I can't foresee any situation that it's exactly the same things that this one had. It had exactly what we announced in the beginning, the need to protect the lives and the safety and freedom of about a thousand Americans, most of them students down there in a medical school, and in answer to a request on the part of the other nations bound by treaty together in the East Caribbean, that we lend our support to them in freeing this up because they lacked the strength and capability of doing it. If somebody else asks, would you be willing to do it again? As I say, if all the conditions were the same, I don't see why our reason would be any different, but I don't foresee any similar situation on the horizon. Mr. President, how do you 100 nations in the United Nations not agree with you that this was a worthwhile venture? Helen, 100 nations in the United Nations have not agreed with us on just about everything that's come before them where we're involved, and you know, it didn't, it didn't upset my breakfast at all. Mr. President, some people say that the U.S. has now lost the moral high ground if there's no difference between what we did in Grenada and what the Soviets did in Afghanistan. What's your response to that? Oh, for heaven's sakes, anyone who would link Afghanistan to this operation. And incidentally, I know your frequent use of the word invasion. This was a rescue mission. But in Afghanistan, if you will recall, when the Soviets installed their choice of head of state for Afghanistan and in the process in changing the forces there, an American ambassador was murdered in Afghanistan. And then against all the opposition of the Afghanistan people, they have used every vicious form of warfare, including chemical warfare, the killing of women and children that has caused even some of their own men to desert because they will not carry out the orders to carry women to kill women and children. And they're still there after a long period of time longer than I've been in this office. As compared to what we did in answer actually to an appeal that first came from the governor general of the island, who was in house arrest to his fellow states there in the Caribbean for appealing for rescue. And we helped in the rescue granted that we we contributed the bulk of the power, but because only because the others were limited in their ability to do that. And this was a rescue mission. It was a successful rescue mission. And the people that have been rescued and the Grenadians that have been liberated are down there delighted with and giving every evidence of appreciation and gratitude to our men down there. Listen, you're departing from the reason for the gathering here. Don, take over. Rayleigh withdrawal pact with Lebanon, something that you think would serve any interest now. I don't serious seems to want it to know. I don't think that that should happen about freezing it, freezing it. That climate. Thank you. I will be very brief. The president has