Clinton wants rule of law upheld in Elian case
By Reuters, 04/13/00
WASHINGTON -- President Bill Clinton said Thursday he wanted to see the rule of law upheld in the resolution to the international custody battle over Cuban shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez.
"This case is about the rule of law," Clinton said. "I've done everything I could to stay out of it, to avoid politicizing it. I do believe it is our responsibility to uphold the rule of law and I believe we are doing it."
The long custody battle looked set for a painful end Thursday as Elian's Miami relatives said the U.S. government would have to come and take the boy from their home if they wanted to return him to his father, who is waiting in Washington.
The Miami relatives, Cuban immigrants who say he should not have to return to live in communist Cuba, spurned a personal plea by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to bring him to Washington for a reunion with his father after late night talks on Wednesday in Miami.
Clinton applauded Reno for her efforts and said she was doing her best to try to resolve the problem in a peaceful way.
"She went there to try to handle this personally. She hopes and I still hope it won't come to that," Clinton said when asked if he expected federal marshals would have to be sent in to retrieve the boy.
