President Tackles The Issues

President Clinton opened his last formal press conference of the year by announcing that Israel and Syria had agreed to a new round of peace negotiations. He cautioned that "success is not inevitable'' but that peace appeared to be "within our grasp."

During an hour-long appearance at the Dean Acheson Auditorium at the State Department, Mr. Clinton said the talks, to start next week in Washington, will resume "at the point where they left off'' in 1996. He said he hopes they will lead to new negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

Mr. Clinton also addressed growing tensions with Cuba over the fate of young Elian Gonzalez, reports CBS News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts. The six-year old lost his mother in a tragic voyage to freedom last month. Now, against the protestations of anti-Castro activists in Florida, his father says he wants him back

"I don't think that politics or threats should have anything to do with it," said Mr. Clinton. "If I have my way, it won't. We should let the people who are responsible for this, who have legal responsibility try to do the right thing by the child."

On the issue of Chechnya, Mr. Clinton said Russia would pay a heavy price if it carries out its threat to lay waste to the capital of Grozny with civilians in the line of fire, but he refused to entertain the idea of economic sanctions.

On the domestic front, the president also claimed he wasn't out to bankrupt gun manufacturers with his threat of a class action suit on behalf of residents of the nation's housing projects. But, he said, firearms companies must be held accountable for their manufacturing and marketing tactics.

"One percent of the gun dealers sell 50 percent of the guns involved in gun crimes," he said. "That is a stunning fact."

He noted that one company was marketing a weapon by touting the fact it is difficult to get fingerprints off it. "You don't have to be all broke out with brilliance to figure out what the message is there,'' Mr. Clinton said.

Of the failed attempt by Republicans in Congress to remove him because of his involvement with a young intern, Mr. Clinton said, "The mistake I made was self-inflicted.''

Asked his assessment of the year, he said he was "profoundly disappointed'' that Congress rejected some of his initiatives, but overall, "I'm gratified by what was accomplished.''

He cited as some of his administration's successes an agreement under which China could enter the World Trade Organization, the start of peace talks on the future of Cyprus, a conventional forces agreement with Moscow, and "debt relief for the poorest countries of the world.''

Discussing a variety of topics, Mr. Clinton also:

• said that even though Vice President Al Gore is away a lot pursuing the Democratipresidential nomination, he remains an active player in Clinton administration decisions;
  
• sought to assure Americans that U.S. interests would not be hurt when the Panama Canal's operations are taken over by the Panamanians, with help from a company in Hong Kong;
  
• said the country's racial problems "will stay at the center of my concerns,'' even though he has yet to release the report on race that he promised more than a year ago;
  
• named Franklin Delano Roosevelt as his choice for "man of the century."