*EPF401 05/23/2002
Transcript: State Department Noon Briefing, May 23
(Secretary Powell in Moscow, Visitor from Int'l Visitor Program, Report on Slavery/Abductions/Forced Servitude in Sudan, India/Pakistan, Nepal, Israel/Palestinians, Japan, Chile, China) (5360)

State Department Deputy Spokesman Phil Reeker briefed.

Following is the State Department transcript:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
1:20 p.m. EDT -- THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2002
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

Index:

ANNOUNCEMENTS
-- Secretary Powell in Moscow
-- Visitor from International Visitor Program

STATEMENT
-- Report on Slavery, Abductions and Forced Servitude in Sudan

INDIA/PAKISTAN
-- Continuing Tension/Conflict in Kashmir
-- US Contacts with Officials
-- Security of US Interests in Pakistan

NEPAL
-- Dissolution of Lower House of Parliament/US Assistance

ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS
-- Possible US Travel Plans/Terrorist Bombing in Rishon Letzion/US Engagement and Contacts

JAPAN
-- Position At International Whaling Commission Meeting

CHILE
-- Investigation into Disappearance of American Citizen

CHINA
-- Alleged Arrest of Two American Citizens

MR. REEKER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to the State Department. As you will recall, Ambassador Boucher is accompanying Secretary Powell on the President's trip to Europe. They have arrived in Moscow -- I spoke with him a little while ago -- and of course will be overnighting there as the President's European visit continues.

I do want to, just at the top of our briefing, take one quick moment to welcome a visitor, part of our International Visitors Program, Mr. Satoshi Takayama from Japan, who is a legislative assistant in the Upper House of Parliament to a member of Parliament, Yuko Mori -- that is the upper house of the Japanese Diet. So we are very pleased to have you visiting. Thank you for coming.

Let's begin. I have a statement. I will start with a statement, which we will put out on paper after the briefing. This is on the Report on Slavery, Abductions and Forced Servitude in Sudan, and some of you may have noticed that that report was released. We are very pleased with the findings of the report that was issued yesterday in Khartoum by the International Slavery Commission. As the Commission confirmed, slavery exists in Sudan and the report points a way toward ending it. The report specifically cites the need for Sudanese Government civilian authorities to control militias and armed forces that are responsible for slave raids, and for the elimination of the infamous supply train that supports government outposts in the south and from which raiding parties are organized.

Sudanese authorities must also enforce laws against slavery and prosecute those involved. The report further recommends strengthening institutions that identify and return abducted persons, and calls upon the international community to set up a monitoring mechanism to bring about an end to slave raids.

So now the Department of State will focus on implementation of the report's recommendations. Our first task is to ensure that the parties to the Sudanese conflict, in particular the Sudanese Government, follow through on the steps they need to take to end slavery.

I don't know if there are any questions on that subject.

QUESTION: Refresh my memory. Did that have anything to do with Danforth's mission?

MR. REEKER: Yes. The Commission, the International Commission on Slavery, was created in accordance with an agreement that was signed between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement, which was part of Special Envoy Senator John Danforth's four peace-building measures. This is one aspect of that, and you will recall it was an eight-person commission that has representatives from the US, the UK, Norway, Italy and France, and a technical team that included American, British and Canadian participants.

QUESTION: So do you have copies of that report here?

MR. REEKER: I will have to check and see. I think we may. We will check and see if we can get you copies. That was released in Khartoum; there was press reporting on it -- some articles that I saw in great length. But we will see if we can help you get a copy; if not immediately, I'm sure we can in due course due to the wonders of the Internet.

That's the only statement I had, and Barry, if there are no other questions --

QUESTION: India -- any new information about US efforts?

MR. REEKER: Sure. As you know, we have been very involved in terms of the situation in South Asia. We have talked, as we did yesterday, about our concerns, about the potential for conflict between India and Pakistan, and about the danger of that conflict spiraling out of control.

Once again, I would reiterate that it is vital for all sides in Kashmir to exercise restraint, to reduce violence. We understand India's frustrations and anger over continued terrorist actions, but would reiterate that rather than being the solution, military action in this crisis would create even greater problems. It is important for India and Pakistan to resume a productive dialogue over the issues that divide them, and that includes Kashmir. An important component to this process is an end to infiltration into Kashmir, and as we have done before, we call upon Pakistan to do all it can to achieve this objective. In this context, we noted yesterday President Musharraf's statements, again that Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used by terrorists for attacks anywhere.

The Secretary, on the road with the President, and other senior State Department and Administration officials remain in very close touch with their counterparts in South Asia and with colleagues and counterparts in the international community, and other countries, to prevent a conflict and to reduce tensions.

The Secretary spoke today on this issue with President Musharraf twice. He spoke with Foreign Secretary Straw three times, and expects to be talking to Indian counterparts shortly as well. I believe the Indians, as you know, are headed back to New Delhi after visiting Kashmir.

Mr. Armitage has spoken several times every day with British and other colleagues on this subject. As we have discussed before, we are orchestrating very closely with others in the international community to work with India and Pakistan to see that they can reduce the tensions and encourage them to resume a dialogue.

As you know, European Commissioner Patten is going to or is in the region. Foreign Secretary Straw is going to the region. And as we discussed before, Deputy Secretary Armitage will be going to the region. We expect him to be leaving Washington on the 4th of June heading to South Asia, and then meeting with the leadership in both countries there.

So again, we reiterate those issues and continue to be very seized with this matter.

QUESTION: Indian rhetoric has sort of quieted down. Is there anything -- is that a good sign? Is that something you have all noticed -- noted with some approbation?

MR. REEKER: Well, again, I would just say that what we are looking for is a reduction in tension, exercising restraint, reducing violence on both sides, and fostering an atmosphere where the two sides can resume a productive dialogue over the issues that divide them. That is the way forward and that is the way to seek peaceful solutions in this situation, and that is what we are encouraging, along with the rest of the international community.

QUESTION: When we were there in January, the Secretary, after speaking with both sides, was able to say, along with the Pakistani -- I think it was the Foreign Minister -- that Pakistan was going to look at this list of militants India had given them and see what it could do about who had -- would try to figure out who had --

QUESTION: The list of 20.

QUESTION: Yes, the list of 20 -- who had the mandate over these people, and depending on where they were citizens and so on. Can you tell us what has happened since that --

MR. REEKER: I don't think I have anything specific on that --

QUESTION: On the list at all?

MR. REEKER: -- on that list. You would probably want to check with Pakistanis and Indians on that. Again, our view is that steps have got to be taken to end infiltration into Kashmir. That's very important. We have repeated our call --

QUESTION: From Pakistan?

MR. REEKER: From Pakistan. I repeated our call on Pakistan to do all it can to achieve that objective, and I noted for you the statements that President Musharraf made yesterday. But I don't have any more --

QUESTION: Do you -- can you say if that's on the agenda, though?

MR. REEKER: Sorry?

QUESTION: Do you believe that's something the US is following up on, since it was a commitment made while the Secretary was there?

MR. REEKER: We are talking to both India and Pakistan, authorities on both sides, as well as others in the international community to pursue all avenues we can to encourage them to reduce the tensions, to foster the atmosphere for a dialogue, a dialogue that will help resolve these issues through peaceful means, because that is obviously the overriding goal here.

QUESTION: Do you know -- Armitage leaves on the 4th. Do you know where he goes first?

MR. REEKER: I don't have his exact itinerary, no.

QUESTION: But he will go to both?

MR. REEKER: Expected to meet with leaders in both countries, according to their availability, yes.

QUESTION: And maybe you also went over this, but do you have any comment at all about the Pakistani decision to redeploy some of their troops from west to east, and also to perhaps remove some of their deployment from the UN peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone?

MR. REEKER: I think you would have to talk to the UN about that. I don't know how that will affect that mission. They may be able to describe it more fully. I don't know the details about what Pakistan is doing. I have seen some press reports. Certainly we remain convinced that Pakistan is fully committed to supporting the global war on terrorism, and as they make their own decisions in terms of their military deployments, you can talk to them about that.

But our goal on the issue between Pakistan and India is to get the two countries to focus on a dialogue --

QUESTION: So you're not concerned at all that the movement of troops might have any effect on the terror war?

MR. REEKER: I don't think I have anything from here. You might want to ask military experts on that. But we remain fully convinced that Pakistan is committed to supporting the war on terrorism. And as far as the effects of that, I couldn't comment from a diplomatic perspective.

QUESTION: No, no, but -- well, has this been a part of your conversations with --

MR. REEKER: Not that I'm aware of. I don't know the details of the phone calls, no.

QUESTION: Well, I'm not asking what effect it will have. I'm just asking --

MR. REEKER: I just said, "Not that I'm aware of." You asked me has it been a part of conversations. Not that I'm aware of. I just don't have any details for you, Matt, on Pakistani decisions in terms of their troop deployments.

QUESTION: Maybe I missed this during my brief absence, but did the Secretary bring up the question of implications with President Musharraf and urge him to do more to --

MR. REEKER: I don't have detailed readouts of their calls. I don't normally go into detail of that. But it has certainly been on our agenda. It is something that we have talked about publicly. We usually include in our private conversations the things that we are saying publicly as well. We noted President Musharraf's statements that were made yesterday that Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used by terrorists for attacks anywhere, and we have been calling upon them to do all they can to achieve the objective of ending infiltration into Kashmir. So it is definitely one of the issues.

QUESTION: On that note, does the US believe that the Pakistanis have shut down all their terrorist training camps?

MR. REEKER: I don't know exactly --

QUESTION: -- or allowed any to reopen? I'm just saying that because the Indians have said that --

MR. REEKER: As I said before, I don't have any -- I can't discuss intelligence information and things like that, so I am just not able to delve into those details. We have called on Pakistan to do this. We have seen the statements that they have made. We have said we will help wherever we can to affect implementation of this, achieving that objective. That is obviously the goal. That is very important, and we will keep working toward that end with the others in the international community.

QUESTION: You have said that you feel that Musharraf is doing all he can in the war on terrorism. Does that apply to Pakistan? Is that what you're saying, that he's doing everything within his power to restrain --

MR. REEKER: He has certainly made clear in his statements again yesterday -- I also refer you back to his speech of January 12th, where he talked about his vision for Pakistan and the need to end extremism and not to allow an extremist minority in Pakistan to lead the country down the wrong path. We have heard again yesterday his commitment to that, and we will keep working, as I said, with others in the international community to help them do all they can to achieve the objectives they have set out.

QUESTION: You all like to say with the Israelis and the Palestinian situation that it's time to put those words into action. Would you like to make that same call on the Pakistani --

MR. REEKER: I think I have been very clear on what we have been calling for. I have said it many times today. I said it many times yesterday. It is important in this process, trying to resume a productive dialogue, to end infiltration into Kashmir, and we have called upon Pakistan to do all it can to achieve that objective.

QUESTION: Ambassador Chamberlin said today that she and Washington expect more attacks on US interests in Pakistan. Do you know on what basis she is making those remarks?

MR. REEKER: I think we have been very clear in our own public announcements or warnings, the fact that we have drawn down our presence of diplomatic missions in Pakistan because of the threats against Americans, and that is quite publicly available in terms of our statements.

QUESTION: Are there new ones?

MR. REEKER: We have a continuous flow, as you know, of threats. Officials have talked about that in terms of domestic threats, in terms of international threats. There is a lot of intelligence and information out there that points to these things that backs up what we have seen and experienced.

So we have to be ever vigilant. We work with host countries like Pakistan against this because this type of threat is against all of us, is against Americans overseas, at home, but is against plenty of other countries as well. That is why the war against terrorism is a global effort. That is why we have a coalition that is operating on so many fronts and so many levels to root out the various international terrorist threats against us.

QUESTION: Change of subject?

MR. REEKER: Anything else?

QUESTION: Oh, wait. Can I stay in the region?

QUESTION: Yes, okay.

QUESTION: It should be very short. The situation in Nepal. Do you have anything to say about that?

MR. REEKER: I looked into it after you raised it yesterday, Matt, and as you are aware, the King of Nepal, King Gyanendra, has dissolved the lower house of parliament yesterday at the request of the Prime Minister. We understand that the Prime Minister, Mr. Deuba, will head a caretaker government until new elections are held. I believe elections are scheduled to be held within six months after the dissolution of the parliament, which is the constitutional requirement there.

I understand that the dissolution of the parliament followed a split within the Nepali Congress party over the Prime Minister's parliamentary motion to have the state of emergency extended. That state of emergency is set to expire May 25th. I think at this point it is unclear what action the government will take there. But I don't have any particular comment on that situation. It's obviously an internal matter to be worked out within Nepal's democratic system through procedures established by their constitution. They certainly continue to struggle against the Maoist insurgency that we have talked about, and we reiterate the right of the government -- our support for the right of the Government of Nepal to safeguard their citizens against the Maoist guerillas within the framework of their constitution.

QUESTION: Right, but I guess what I'm asking is if -- because you do support the government and its fight against the terrorists, are you worried at all that the internal problems with the government are going to affect that struggle?

MR. REEKER: I don't think I can make any particular speculation on Nepal's internal situation.

QUESTION: How about extremely specifically, you don't think this is going to have any effect on the consideration of US assistance to Nepal?

MR. REEKER: We are assessing their security needs. As you know, we have requested from Congress a supplemental appropriation of $20 million for that, and we haven't made any decisions on how the assistance, if approved, will be allocated. But the dissolution of parliament does not affect our plans to provide economic and security assistance to Nepal.

Now, Jonathan, you want to change the subject.

QUESTION: Yes, can I?

MR. REEKER: Okay, please.

QUESTION: The Middle East. Is Mr. Burns going back to the Middle East in the --

MR. REEKER: I don't have any travel plans to announce for anybody at this point. So I am sure at some point he may, given his job, but I don't have any travel plans to announce.

QUESTION: While we're there, a group linked to Fatah, which as you know is the core I guess of the PLO and Arafat -- under Arafat jurisdiction -- has claimed responsibility for the attack on Rishon Letzion the other day. And I wondered if that connection prompts any observations from the State Department.

MR. REEKER: Well, let me first say, as we did yesterday, that we condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist bombing yesterday in Rishon Letzion that killed at least two Israelis and wounded many more, some of them quite critically. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims.

I think, Barry, incidents like these underscore again the critical need for Chairman Arafat to show leadership by continuing to signal clearly to his people that terror and violence cannot help the Palestinians achieve their national aspirations in continuing to move decisively to confront terror and violence.

We remain, as you know, intensively engaged in advancing the strategy, the comprehensive strategy that was outlined by the parties, agreed to by the parties and the Quartet, that is focusing on security and freedom from terror and violence for both Israelis and Palestinians, and in having serious and accelerated negotiations to revive hope and lead to a political settlement, and in parallel focus on economic and humanitarian assistance to address the increasingly desperate conditions faced by the Palestinian people. The President discussed this in an interview just the other day.

So we are continuing to urge both sides to think carefully about the consequences of any actions they decide to take and do all they can to sustain an environment in which progress can be made, and once again Chairman Arafat to continue signaling quite clearly that terror and violence cannot help the Palestinians.

QUESTION: On Jonathan's question, which is a question we all have of course, about senior US officials not going out to the region, is there something about the situation there that causes a reluctance to go out there? What I'm trying to say, is your -- are you waiting for something that can be defined to occur before a Tenet or a Zinni or a Burns, let alone the Secretary of State, go to the Middle East? Are you waiting for more calm?

MR. REEKER: I don't think I can offer you anything on that, Barry, specifically. I just don't have any travel announcements to make. As the President said again recently, and last week, he remains interested in sending Director of Central Intelligence Tenet to the region. I just don't have any announcements or details on upcoming travel. We continue to believe that Mr. Tenet's involvement can advance our efforts to end the violence and resume the important security cooperation between the parties, and that is part of our broader effort, part of the broader strategy I just defined.

QUESTION: Well, not to belabor --

MR. REEKER: But we will let you know when we have got any specific flight times or arrival and departure details.

QUESTION: No, I appreciate it. But I say it's been such a -- it's been delayed so long, I think it's fair to wonder if this is --

MR. REEKER: Well, I don't recall any announcements that would then indicate that anything had actually been delayed. So, you know, when we --

QUESTION: How about the Secretary saying "next week"?

QUESTION: There's one example, for instance.

MR. REEKER: When we give you a time and a place, we'll give it to you, Matt. So --

QUESTION: Well, wait a minute. Let me try to --

MR. REEKER: One more time, Barry. I don't think I'm going to have anything more here for you, but go for it.

QUESTION: No -- well, I'm sure. But let me try to put the focus where I'm trying to put the focus.

MR. REEKER: Okay.

QUESTION: It has been a long time now since the Bush Administration engaged on the ground, and especially since --

MR. REEKER: Well, let me dispute that right here and --

QUESTION: On the ground.

MR. REEKER: Because on the ground we have diplomats. We have the President's personal representative, the Ambassador. We have our Consul General. We have teams there that are very much engaged on the ground on a continual basis, Barry. And we have people back in Washington who are engaged through the telephone and through other diplomatic contacts with both sides, the Israelis and the Palestinians. And that is an important part of this process. We will also have people that will go to the region, as the President has described and the Secretary has suggested. It is just that I can't predict for you the exact timetable of such travel. Nothing should be drawn or indicated particularly from that. We have outlined what the strategy is. We have talked with the international community. The Secretary has addressed you after he met with Mr. Solana, for instance. You are aware of what the Quartet has said and their statements, and what the process is and what we are working on.

So this suggestion that nothing is happening on the ground because individual senior officials haven't yet traveled, I think is just a wrong assumption to make and gives a wrong idea to those people that are following the process there. Diplomats on the ground have an enormous role to play in this, and they play it every day.

QUESTION: Well, we could talk at length, which we won't, how when you raise your profile you give a special emphasis. I think you'd agree that when the Secretary of State goes to the Middle East --

MR. REEKER: As he has.

QUESTION: -- as he has twice already, it shows -- in just a year and a half -- it shows a different input that reflects a different concern or whatever than if you have a Consul General in Jerusalem or some other on-the-ground official talk to the parties.

And also, you yourself just talked about a need to accelerate the political process. We all know security is a threshold issue, so I think it's fair now for us to say, at least I feel it's fair to say, that the Administration has delayed sending a Tenet or a Zinni or a Burns to the region. And I'm just trying to figure out what the thinking is.

MR. REEKER: Well, I think I answered your question, Barry. The thinking is along the lines of the strategy that we have outlined quite publicly. We have continued to have those conversations with the international community and with both sides. And as the President said, he remains interested in sending Mr. Tenet out there, and we will announce travel when there is travel to announce.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. REEKER: Okay.

QUESTION: You made a comment about the latest bombing, but also there has been at least one targeted killing in the last 48 hours. Do you have anything to say about that?

MR. REEKER: I don't think I do particularly. I mean, you know our position on that, and nothing has changed. I don't have any particular details on what you are referring to.

QUESTION: Well, you used to -- why has there been this change? Before, you used

to --

MR. REEKER: There has been no change. Let me correct for the record that --

QUESTION: No, no, no. What I --

MR. REEKER: -- Jonathan thinks there has been a change. Let me say categorically there has been no change.

QUESTION: In previous cases, you have commented on specific acts of targeted killings --

MR. REEKER: Our position on that is well known, and there has been no change in the position. So you can go back and look it up again. I just don't have any details on whatever it is you are referring to specifically.

QUESTION: You said that the Administration is extensively involved in the Middle East, and following sort of on Barry's question, what exactly is the Administration specifically -- any contacts that Secretary Powell is having in Europe with European officials or with Middle Eastern officials, Arab officials, on improving the situation, on bringing forth some sort of breakthrough both on the security and on the diplomatic -- maybe and also in regards to the regional conference on peace?

MR. REEKER: Well, again, they are fairly continuous and constant, these contacts. The Middle East is a subject that comes up in many of our diplomatic discussions. I think if you look at the President's press conference today in Berlin with Chancellor Schroeder, it was something that was noted that was discussed at that level. Obviously the Secretary discusses this with many of his counterparts and interlocutors -- on the phone, in person when they are having meetings, such as are going on this week. Earlier this week we had Mr. Solana here, and they discussed the Middle East, as they made quite clear in their public statements afterwards.

So that type of interaction goes on all the time -- the Quartet, which includes of course Russia. And the President has now arrived in Russia where he and President Putin will have an opportunity to touch on this, where the Secretary and Foreign Minister Ivanov will have an opportunity to raise the Middle East. Russia is part of that, along with the UN and the EU, and of course we are all in continuous contact with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to continue moving this forward along the lines that we described in terms of our strategy, in terms of taking on the responsibilities that the President outlined in his April 4th speech. So that is a continuous ongoing process, and I just try to update you as much as I can as things develop.

QUESTION: Can we move on?

MR. REEKER: Anything else on the Middle East?

QUESTION: How upset are you that the Japanese have harpooned your idea to get -- allow Alaskans to -- the Inuits to continue their whale hunts?

MR. REEKER: A little double entendre there, Matt?

QUESTION: No, a single entendre.

MR. REEKER: Certainly it is regrettable that the Japanese delegation at the International Whaling Commission meeting is blocking the request of four countries to renew what are called aboriginal subsistence whaling quotas. Japan has always supported aboriginal whaling, but now says that native hunters in Russia, Greenland, the United States and St. Vincent and the Grenadines cannot have their quotas renewed until the Commission allows Japan a commercial hunt for 50 Minke whales in the North Pacific.

So this Commission meeting is ongoing in Shimonoseki, Japan -- it goes on through tomorrow, through Friday -- and we hope that the Commission will set those quotas by the end of the meeting.

QUESTION: Is the Japanese position objectionable to the US? Is it some sort of blackmail?

MR. REEKER: The Japanese hunt that they have been promoting would have commercial aspects in terms of the taking of whales. What we are supporting is these four countries renewing their quotas for what is called aboriginal subsistence whaling, part of traditions --

QUESTION: You don't have any plans to change your opposition to the Japanese commercial hunt to get them to -- is there any room for negotiation between you guys and the Japanese on this?

MR. REEKER: I think at this point our position is fairly well set. We think it is regrettable, as I said, that the Japanese delegation is blocking this request. It is something they have supported in the past. So we think they need to review their position and come round to --

QUESTION: Right. So no plans to -- you have no plans to renew your position -- I mean, review your position?

MR. REEKER: Not that I am aware of.

QUESTION: And the other thing is is that St. Vincent and the Grenadines, their aboriginal whaling, I believe -- do you have details on that? I think that they wanted to hunt four whales this year, up from two?

MR. REEKER: That sounds about right. I don't know that I have it. We could probably check for you.

QUESTION: Given the numbers involved here, the Japanese position -- do you believe the Japanese decision is a political position, that it's unreasonable?

MR. REEKER: Well, I think that is exactly what I implied when I said it is regrettable that they're blocking this request, something they have supported in the past, and saying that these quotas cannot be renewed until the Commission allows Japan to have a commercial hunt. So I think all of that was fairly clear in what I said, and that is the position that we have been taking at the Commission. And we hope since the meeting is still ongoing that the Commission will be able to set those quotas, renew those aboriginal whaling quotas, by the end of their meeting.

QUESTION: There were reports on Sunday that an American citizen who had disappeared in Chile in 1985 -- and I believe our Ambassador at that time was Harry Burns. The Chileans claim they gave him to Colonia Dignidad and -- you know the Nazi colony --

MR. REEKER: I read the report at the time, and I did check into it, and we had some details on that on what we have been doing to support the Chilean investigation into the disappearance of an American citizen. I would be happy to get that for you after the briefing. I think we had it on Monday and Tuesday.

QUESTION: I have a question about China. One of the human rights activists, he was arrest -- under custody in China right now since last month. His wife is also a US citizen and she was arrest and then deported yesterday by the Chinese Government. Do you have any comment on that?

MR. REEKER: I am not aware of the situation. I have to check into it. Maybe you could give us something a little more specific on names or something and see if we could look into it.

QUESTION: His last name is Young.

MR. REEKER: I'm not aware of it. Soif you want to pass that to the staff here, we can try to check into it for you.

Anything else? Great.

QUESTION: Thank you.

(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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