Excerpt: Powell Will Not Attend U.N. Conference on Racism

Secretary of State Colin Powell will not attend a U.N. conference on racism scheduled to take place in Durban, South Africa, at the end of August and early September because of attempts by conference organizers to single out Israel for criticism.

"[T]he elements that most concerned us and bothered us ... are the offensive language about Israel and the singling out of Israel in many of the conference documents. [We] Worked very hard to get rid of this. But we haven't, at this point, been able to do that. It's clear to us now that the secretary will not go to this conference," Boucher said at a media briefing at the State Department in Washington August 27.

Boucher said a final decision has not been made whether or not to send lower ranking U.S. officials to attend the conference.

Following are excerpts from Boucher's August 27 briefing with his comments about the Middle East:

QUESTION: Any comments on what the U.S. attitude is today with respect to the participation in the racism conference?

MR. BOUCHER: As you know, this has been a subject of considerable consideration and discussion by the Administration. The Secretary has been working on this issue since the early days of his tenure, in meetings with officials in the region, with officials involved in the conference, with other government officials. He raised it, I think, with Mary Robinson in early February.

All along, we have stated our concerns about several critical elements, and you heard very clearly from the President on Friday, that the elements that most concerned us and bothered us at this point were the offensive language about Israel and the singling out of Israel in many of the conference documents. We have worked very hard to get rid of this, but we haven't at this point been able to do that.

It is clear to us now that the Secretary will not go to this conference. So the Secretary will not attend this conference. But the exact nature and level of our representation, if any, is still being considered. We are working with some others to see to what extent the problems that the President cited last week might be remedied, or might be in the process of being remedied. That will certainly be a factor in our decision. But at this point, it is clear the Secretary will not go to the conference, and we haven't made the final decision on the nature and level of our participation, if any.

QUESTION: Can I make a follow-up? India is on the same track as the United States, if both have been talking about this conference, because the Indian Government also has announced the same thing, that the Foreign Minister of India may not go, and they are also on the same offensive language by the conference.

If the U.S. and India have been talking on this conference anyway?

MR. BOUCHER: We have talked to a great number of other governments about this. I am sure our embassy has been in touch with the Government of India on the subject. Frankly, I am trying to remember back to the last meeting the Secretary had with the Foreign Minister of India, and I can't remember for sure whether they talked about it then or not. But the Secretary has certainly discussed it with a whole variety of other governments.

QUESTION: Richard, as late as this morning, Mary Robinson has come out and said that the language -- some of the language you were talking about -- the Zionism equates with racism -- is not in the language, or in the documents, and isn't going to be, that that was successfully removed.

Is it -- are you saying that you still think that that is in there, or are we talking about other offensive language, the ethnic cleansing lines and things like that?

MR. BOUCHER: There was a whole series of references to one particular government, to one particular country, and to its policies as being racist. That is what we object to, that is what he President objected to on Friday. I haven't looked at the exact state of the document at this particular moment. But that is where the problems are. And we would, obviously, want to work with others who are trying to rectify this situation. We look to whatever they might be able to do.

But at this point, I think in terms of committing the Secretary to go, which we would have to do at this point, we are not going to do that.

QUESTION: But is the document that you are talking about, is this document the preparatory document that came out of the Asian regional grouping, which was -- the meeting for which was held in Tehran?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we are talking about the preparatory document that came out of Geneva, out of the preparatory meeting that came out of Geneva. It is the document that is being prepared for the conference itself.

QUESTION: Can you tell us what the solution was on the language about slavery and possible reparations that allowed the U.S. to go forward on that issue at least? Or you are saying that is no longer a problem at all?

MR. BOUCHER: The major issue is the one the President cited on Friday. I don't have an up-to-date version now with the language on reparations, slavery and things like that. I would have to look for that. Obviously that will be discussed. All these issues will be discussed further at the conference itself, but the issue at this point is really the issue of Israel.

QUESTION: You used the words "if any" a couple times about our possible representation.

MR. BOUCHER: Do you want me to do that again?

QUESTION: Just to make clear, is it quite likely we will boycott the conference entirely?

MR. BOUCHER: I am not going to try to gage the likelihood of different scenarios. There are different possibilities that we would have to consider. I think if you look at what the President said on Friday, if this doesn't change, if it stays the same, his feeling, I think was the way he put it, was maybe we shouldn't go at all. So that is obviously one of the possibilities that is still in play.

But we will have to look at the situation and about how this might evolve or change, based on the efforts that various people are making, and see if -- well, decide on the nature and level of our participation, if any.

QUESTION: But didn't the President basically announce that we wouldn't attend at any level if this language wasn't all changed? Is the Secretary still considering attending -- having some officials attend? The President said we wouldn't have anybody go.

MR. BOUCHER: No.

QUESTION: He didn't?

MR. BOUCHER: Go back to the way you stated it the first time.

QUESTION: You wouldn't attend --

MR. BOUCHER: -- if this language doesn't change. So we are looking at how that situation is evolving and the efforts that might be under way and the prospects for change.

QUESTION: I think that the day before the President made his statement, several people in the NGO community, for want of a better word, were invited to become part of the U.S. delegation. What happens to them? If you decide not to go at all, do they not go? What is their status?

And number two, what do you say to the argument that if you are in the middle of a diplomatic situation, you go all the way and fight for your principle, rather than not?

MR. BOUCHER: On the first issue, there are congressional travelers, I think, who intend to go out. There are members of nongovernmental organizations who intend to be out there. I am not aware that outsiders have been invited to join the delegation. That may be true. We are keeping in touch with all those sorts of people, and as we decide the nature and level of our participation, if any, we will keep them informed. And that is one of the factors that obviously enters into it, how do we accommodate their desires and wishes as well.

And the second question is a question we'll deal with once we can explain exactly how we have decided to deal with the conference.

QUESTION: Can you outline for us what some of the options are that you are considering? I mean, can you be a little bit more specific than, "We're thinking about the level of the delegation"? I mean, what level are you talking about? Are you talking about assistant secretary level, are you talking about desk officer level, janitor level? What is it that you are talking about?

MR. BOUCHER: And everything in between.

QUESTION: Richard, are you disputing the arguments made by the proponents of this language, or are you merely arguing that the conference should not mention any particular countries by name?

MR. BOUCHER: Both.

QUESTION: Both? So what is the purpose of a conference on any subject if it doesn't talk about particular instances of the behavior which it's all about?

MR. BOUCHER: What is the point of a conference on a global issue that, in the end, only talks about one particular country?

QUESTION: Well, not only talk about one country.

MR. BOUCHER: It's the only country that seems to be singled out. We spent years working to eradicate some of these ideas from the UN system, and we don't think this is the time or the place to put them back in.

QUESTION: Is there any concern by the United States Government how the rest of the countries will be reacting to this decision by the United States? Don't you think it's going to keep the isolationalism in the United States?

MR. BOUCHER: I think if you look at other countries, first of all, there are a variety of other countries that share similar concerns to ours. Second of all, you will see that some number, not terribly large, intend to be represented at the head of state or foreign minister level. Many, many others are not represented at that level. So I don't think -- as we consider how exactly to do it, we may be the same, we may be a bit different than some others.

....

QUESTION: On Durbin, did the Secretary have a conversation with Kofi Annan this morning on this subject?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, and he had a conversation with Kofi Annan on Saturday on the subject, and he had a conversation with Kofi Annan, I believe on Friday, on the subject.

QUESTION: That's it, and this morning?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, this morning as well. He has talked very frequently to Kofi Annan on this subject, as he has kept in touch with others as well.

QUESTION: Anything particular about it, or are they just updating each other?

MR. BOUCHER: They continue to discuss the state of play and how to work the issues.