*EPF207 12/04/2001
Transcript: Coalition Spokesman Says Afghan Talks Making Progress
(Also updates food aid and military action, Dec 3) (1130)

Coalition Information Center spokesman Kenton Keith said the Afghan factions meeting in Germany to form a multi-ethnic, broad-based government have agreed to a basic framework amid "a general air of cautious optimism."

Briefing reporters in Islamabad December 3, Keith said the next stage is the negotiation over the names of specific individuals to fill specific positions in the transitional authority.

He said despite the presence of international observers, the negotiations are purely Afghan.

"This is the only way that an agreement can be reached that will be respected and supported by all factions," Keith said.

Keith said Coalition forces operating against the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist network have suffered only one combat death, contrary to exaggerated figures circulating in numerous South Asian newspapers.

Keith said Taliban troops have tried to provoke Coalition aircraft into attacking civilian areas in Kandahar, Afghanistan by firing surface to air missiles from civilian areas. He said the missiles have not hit any Coalition aircraft and Coalition forces have not and will not retaliate by targeting civilian areas.

The spokesman said injured villagers in the areas near Tora Bora or Jalalabad were not targeted as civilians by Coalition forces. He said Coalition forces do everything they can to minimize civilians casualties.

The World Food Program was able to deliver the amount aid it had planned for November -- 52,000 tons of food, enough to feed 6 million people for a month, Keith reported.

Although the security situation was slowing delivery of aid to a few areas, non-governmental relief agencies were expanding their presence in many parts of Afghanistan.

"The (humanitarian) situation will continue to improve as roads and airfields are made safe for aid distribution. As we have said before, the winter ahead will be hard for many people in Afghanistan but the outlook for people there in need is much better than it would have been if the Taliban were in control today," Keith said.

Following is the transcript of Keith's briefing for journalists in Islamabad December 3:

(begin transcript)

BRIEFING BY KENTON KEITH COALITION SPOKESMAN ISLAMABAD 3 DECEMBER, 2001

I would like to begin by referring to a number of recent press stories concerning Coalition casualties.

A number of figures for Coalition deaths have been mentioned -- 40, 65, 200, 500. In fact, I have counted reports of more than 2000 alleged Coalition combat deaths.

On each occasion we have undertaken to check in order to establish the truth. Sometimes this takes time and we are unable to confirm immediately whether or not these stories are true. But let me be clear. Now we have checked and each and every one of these stories is untrue.

There has been one Coalition combat death in Afghanistan - Mr. Mike Spann plus a handful of injuries. That is the figure. One. Not 40, not 65, not 200, not 2,000.

Reports over the weekend that one or more Coalition aircraft have been shot down are also not true. There have not been three B-52s, four fighter aircraft and four helicopters shot down by the Taliban.

But I can tell you that a large number of surface to air missiles have been fired by Taliban troops from residential areas in Kandahar in the hope of drawing coalition attacks against civilian aircraft. These have not hit or damaged any aircraft and Coalition aircraft have not and will not choose to retaliate by targeting civilian areas.

Some of you will have seen pictures of those apparently injured in villages at Tora Bora or Jalalabad. These are sad pictures of people with real injuries. But it is not the case that these people were targeted as civilians by Coalition aircraft.

The Coalition does everything it can to minimize civilian casualties. Where there have been civilian casualties, we have acknowledged them. It should be remembered that those responsible for the atrocities on September 11th did everything they could to maximize civilian casualties.

On the humanitarian front, I can confirm that the World Food Program have met their target for November. This means the delivery of 52,000 tons of food - enough to feed 6 million people for a month.

About 90,000 tons of emergency food aid is now in the region. About 33,000 tons of the estimated 51,000 tons required in the central region of Afghanistan over the next three months has been distributed, according to the WFP.

Humanitarian agencies are cautiously entering various areas to provide emergency assistance including Kabul, Faizabad, Jalalabad, Spin Boldok and Hairaton. Food distribution remains difficult in many areas because of the security situation -- for example around Kunduz and around Mazar i Sharif. Within Kabul, the security climate has permitted an increase in the presence of relief agencies. At least six NGOs are operating in Kabul as well as UN agencies and the UK Department for International Development.

More food is now getting into Afghanistan than had been projected. The situation will continue to improve as roads and airfields are made safe for aid distribution. As we have said before, the winter ahead will be hard for many people in Afghanistan but the outlook for people there in need is much better than it would have been if the Taliban were in control today.

Senior Coalition observers in Konigswinter told me today that the talks continue to make good progress. Agreement has been reached on the basic framework, and the UN has circulated a first draft of the proceedings. The delegations will be putting forward their own modifications to the basic document. It remains to be seen whether any of these modifications will pose insuperable difficulties, but there is a general air of cautious optimism.

The next stage is the negotiation over the names of specific individuals to fill specific positions in the transitional authority. Clearly this will require flexibility and good will on the part of all the groups around the table.

I was asked last week about the Coalition's view of the departure last week a senior Pashtun delegate. While I obviously will not be able to address the actions of individual participants, I will simply note that the delegate in question was present for last night's conference meeting.

Finally, just a note on the setup in Konigswinter. A number of observer delegations are present. This should come as no surprise, as the eyes of the world are on these proceedings, which we hope will lead to a multi-ethnic, broad based government that will open the way to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. But it should be remembered that these negotiations are purely Afghan. This is the only way that an agreement can be reached that will be respected and supported by all factions.

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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