07 December 2001

State Calls Arrest Of Some Palestinian Terrorist "Promising"

State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said U.S. envoy to the Middle East Anthony Zinni, who has been in the Middle East for the past two weeks, participated in a trilateral security meeting with Israeli and Palestinian officials December 7. Reeker said the meeting resulted in a "constructive" discussion of practical steps to combat terror and violence.

Briefing reporters at the State Department in Washington December 7, Reeker confirmed the arrest of a number of suspected Palestinian terrorists by the Palestinian Authority, calling it a "promising" development. But he added that more work is required to thwart terrorists trying to prevent the restoration of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.

As the Palestinian Authority makes arrests, the spokesman urged Israel to ease restrictions on Palestinian civilians.

"As the Palestinian Authority acts, Israel should respond with measures that help sustain calm and rebuild confidence, including easing restrictions that have a negative impact on the daily lives of Palestinian citizens," Reeker said.

Reeker urged the parties not to lose sight of the vision for peace between Israelis and Palestinians laid out by Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The following excerpt from the transcript of Reeker's December 7 briefing contains his comments about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

Question: Do you have anything on Mr. Zinni's activities or the security committee meetings between the Israelis and Palestinians?

Mr. Reeker: I think you have probably seen that a trilateral security meeting was convened today, which General Zinni attended with Israeli and Palestinian security officials. I'm told by General Zinni that the discussion was constructive and focused on security, specifically practical steps to combat terror and violence. A number of issues were put on the table by both sides but, of course, a great deal of work remains to be done.

I think as Secretary Powell has stated, again yesterday in Brussels, the fact that there have been some arrests by the Palestinian Authority is promising, but more work is required. Results are what matters and serious, sustained, long-term actions by Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority are needed to ensure that the terrorists trying to prevent the restoration of a political dialogue are not successful. We have been very clear that terrorist attacks are a direct assault on Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority. The perpetrators of these acts must be arrested and actions taken to ensure that the organizations responsible, their infrastructures, are unable to commit further such terror. And the fact that the groups are resisting Chairman Arafat's authority makes it that much more important for him to act decisively.

To reiterate what we have said for so long, both Palestinians and Israelis have the right to live in peace and security, and only immediate, serious and sustained efforts by Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority against those who would block the possibility of a better life for the Palestinian people can make possible an end to the Palestinian suffering.

As the Palestinian Authority acts, Israel should respond with measures that help sustain calm and rebuild confidence, including easing restrictions that have a negative impact on the daily lives of Palestinian citizens. Israel and the Palestinian Authority must not lose sight of the need to resume progress toward a lasting end to violence and the resumption of a dialogue. We want to urge people not to lose sight of the vision that the Secretary discussed in his speech in Louisville. Implementation of the Mitchell recommendations and the Tenet security work plan will help lead to peace. And, as the Secretary stated, all sides must consider the consequences of their actions and take decisions that facilitate such progress.

Question: Could I get a clarification on what you just said. You said as the Palestinian Authority acts, Israel should respond. What do you mean by that? Is Israel supposed to make some concessions to give Arafat some cover? Is that the idea?

Mr. Reeker: I think what I said pretty much spoke for itself. If the Palestinian Authority acts in a manner that we've described here, Israel should respond with measures that can help sustain the calm and rebuild confidence. I did mention easing restrictions that have a negative impact on the daily lives of Palestinian citizens, things that we have said before.

Again, not losing sight of the need to resume progress, not losing sight of the goals and visions that we have espoused that will lead to a lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians as part of the right that they all have to live in peace and security.

Question: I take it you don't yet think the time has come for Israel to take these steps? Is that right?

Mr. Reeker: I think what I am trying to indicate is exactly what the Secretary has indicated that there have been some promising moves, there have been some arrests. We have seen that. More is required. Results are going to be what matters. It is absolutely vital for Chairman Arafat to take those steps and, as the Palestinian Authority acts, Israel should respond, as I indicated.

Question: Perhaps I'm quibbling, but the phrasing "as the Palestinians act" implies a simultaneous action by the two sides. But --

Mr. Reeker: I am not again -- as I haven't any other time this week -- going to try to get into hour-by-hour, day-by-day kinds of things. It is a simple statement that what we want to see is progress, a return to the ability to move forward on the vision that the Secretary of State outlined at Louisville. We need to see more action. We need to see more results.

Question: Let me just get this straight. Do you mean you need to see more results before the Israelis have to take any of these actions?

Mr. Reeker: We absolutely need to see more results from the Palestinian Authority, from Chairman Arafat, in terms of arresting, in terms of dismantling the infrastructures of the terrorist organizations that perpetrate these actions against the Israelis and against Mr. Arafat and his interests, against the interests of the Palestinian people as well.

Question: Okay. Do you have any comment on the Israeli attacks overnight, which yet again were on Palestinian security forces, which are supposed to be doing the rounding up and cracking down job?

Mr. Reeker: I don't think I have anything specific to add on those. I have seen a variety of reports.

Question: (Inaudible.)

Mr. Reeker: Yes, Barry. Quibble away.

Question: You have said that the Palestinian -- frankly, the Israelis don't think they have done much at all. These are low, third-echelon people they have arrested, according to the Ambassador. But putting that aside for a minute, you credit the Palestinians with acting, and when you say, "as they act," Israel should respond. And so have the Palestinians done enough acting to warrant an Israeli response, and if so, what would that response be?

Mr. Reeker: Barry, again, I am not going to try to do a step-by-step analysis of the actions. I indicated what the Secretary of State had indicated, that the fact that there have been some arrests by the Palestinian Authority is promising, but indeed more is required. We believe that Chairman Arafat can do more and must do more to end the violence. He is the recognized leader of the Palestinian people, and he and the Palestinian Authority must take action to demonstrate that leadership and move against those that perpetrate this type of terror.

Question: No, that was clear -- I mean, that part was clear. I think what Jonathan and I are both coming at, in slightly different ways, is whether you -- the State Department feels -- I mean, the Louisville speech was two weeks ago, I think --

Mr. Reeker: Almost three.

Question: And it was before a lot of things happened. So, I mean, you know --

Mr. Reeker: That remains the vision for what we would like to see in the Middle East.

Question: Indeed. Some of these visions are 2000 years old, but you have to deal with the reality of the situation, too.

And you are saying that as the Palestinians act, Israel should respond. And you have said the Palestinians have acted, not enough, but they have acted. So the question is, does this occasion an Israeli response, and one would be, I suppose, if you're asking the Israelis not to do what they did last night?

Mr. Reeker: Barry, I am just not going to go into that type of detail. You know our positions on this. We need to see action. We have had -- General Zinni is still in the region, we have had a trilateral security meeting take place today. We think that is important. We think it was important, the meetings that the Egyptian Foreign Minister held yesterday.

A great deal of work remains to be done, though, and the two sides, we hope, will continue the contacts that were indicated in the trilateral meeting today. They have both said they are committed to making fundamental progress, and we plan to continue trying to help them do just that.

Question: Well, could you look into it and find out and see if there is a desire on the part of this building to actually get it -- to have an answer to that question, which is, when do you think the Palestinians will have done enough to warrant, or to earn, or to merit --

Mr. Reeker: I think we're going --

Question: I know you don't have the answer to that --

Mr. Reeker: I think we are going to keep looking at that. We will keep watching the situation on the ground. General Zinni will be there to continue the types of conversations he has participated in with both sides, and in the trilateral framework. And we are just going to continue stating what we think needs to happen and hope that we see positive movement.

Question: One of the things you want to see happen at some point is an Israeli response to ease the problem the Palestinians have. And so --

Mr. Reeker: I don't think, Matt, we are going to try to, again, do an hour-by-hour, now-we've-seen-this, now-we-say-that. We are just not going to participate in that type of public discourse in trying to parse and analyze this on an hour-by-hour, day-by-day basis. Our broad view is very clear. And what we have called for remains exactly what we have discussed all week.

Question: Is it something you will be telling the Israelis privately, then?

Mr. Reeker: We will continue to have the discussions that the Secretary has, that other senior officials have, that General Zinni has, with the Israelis and with the Palestinians, to encourage the progress that we would like to see.

Question: While we hear so many calls for action on behalf of the Palestinians to detain so-called terrorists, et cetera, the ability of Chairman Arafat continues to be eroded to deal with these people, because even his -- the headquarters of his police force has been attacked today. And while when Jonathan asked you the question, you had no comment on that, many observers in the Middle East have noticed that the call for self-restraint on behalf of Israel has been muted here, in the White House and the State Department lately. Many express that as a perception of a green light. They might be wrong, but could you put America straight, please, and tell us what is the situation concerning the self-restraint calls of the past?

Mr. Reeker: I don't really have anything to add to what we have discussed all week and what I have again discussed here. And, as you have heard before, there was no green light, there is no green light, there was no green light asked for, no green light given. This is not some game of red lights and green lights. This is about Chairman Arafat needing to take steps.

We believe, as the Secretary said, that he can do more and he must do more to end the type of terrorist activity --