*EPF102 06/10/2002
Transcript: State Department Noon Briefing, June 10
(India/Pakistan, Afghanistan, Canada, Japan, Iraq, Libya, Powell/Asia Society speech) (4320)

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher briefed.

Following is the State Department transcript:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing Index
Monday, June 10, 2002

Briefer: Richard Boucher, Spokesman

INDIA/PAKISTAN
-- Bilateral Tensions/Deputy Secretary Armitage's Visit to Region
-- Arrest of Individual in Chicago

AFGHANISTAN
-- Loya Jirga Process

CANADA
-- Secretary Powell's Meetings at the G-8 Ministerial

JAPAN
-- Nuclear Posture

IRAQ
-- U.S. Contacts with Iraqi Opposition Groups/U.S. Funding and Support

LIBYA
-- Scottish Ruling on Pan Am 103/Assistant Secretary Burns' Meeting with Family Members

ASIA
-- Secretary Powell's Speech to Asia Society in New York


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2002
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any statements or announcements. I'd be glad to take your questions on everything but the Middle East.

QUESTION: Could you update us on India and Pakistan, please?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, be glad to. We welcome signs that tensions are beginning to lessen. These include positive statements by the leadership of both countries, and now India's announcement that Pakistani aircraft can resume flights over Indian territory. Armies on both sides remain mobilized however, and both sides need to continue to seek to lower tensions. We welcome reports that additional measures are being considered to lower the threat of an escalation of armed conflict.

Following Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage's positive meetings in Pakistan and India last week, he met with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in Estonia on Saturday to brief him in preparation for Mr. Rumsfeld's meetings in South Asia, in New Delhi and Islamabad, later this week.

US diplomatic efforts are being coordinated with the international community in order to help defuse tension between India and Pakistan. The crisis, though showing signs of abating, is not yet over.

I would note that the Secretary talked to President Musharraf and Foreign Secretary Singh on Saturday in order to continue the work that Deputy Secretary Armitage has been doing with them, and he is coordinating closely with the British Government. He talked to Foreign Secretary Straw on Saturday and again on Sunday.

QUESTION: So it's too early to call the crisis over, and you're not telling Americans that they should leave, they can come back?

MR. BOUCHER: No, at this point we haven't changed our advice to Americans. We're still strongly urging that they depart. Although we do note that tensions are beginning to lessen, the crisis isn't over. The forces, as I said, remain mobilized, and we need to see further steps from both sides to try to lower the tensions.

QUESTION: If Mr. Armitage asked Pakistan and India to pull back their forces from their border?

MR. BOUCHER: Without going into specific detail, I would say that the Deputy Secretary talked in some considerable detail with both sides about the kinds of steps they could take in order to lower tensions: first, to end the infiltration across the line of control; and second, then to reciprocate on the Indian side and start taking steps, both sides start taking steps by both sides to lower the tensions.

QUESTION: If you have spoken to Mr. Armitage, does he believe that still that war clouds are still there, or no possibility of war between the two countries?

MR. BOUCHER: No, as I said, the crisis is not over, even though it does show signs of abating and we've seen some positive discussions, and now some positive movement. But we need to continue to be careful. The basic situation of mobilized armies on both sides remains, and that can always be dangerous.

QUESTION: Richard, you said that Deputy Secretary Armitage did suggest some steps that the Indian side could take. Was the permission for flights by Pakistani planes over India one of those steps that he suggested?

MR. BOUCHER: As I said before, I'm not going to go into any specifics --

QUESTION: Mr. Armitage already --

MR. BOUCHER: Well, that's great, but no, I'm not going to go into any particular detail. He discussed with both sides specific measures that they could be taking. And these steps -- the step that we've seen we welcome, and we look for additional measures.

QUESTION: One more. Your counterpart in Delhi, Mrs. Nirupana Rao, told me that unless Pakistan takes concrete steps to stop terrorism into Kashmir, there is not going to be peace between the two countries. Now, what if Mr. Armitage has asked forcefully to General Musharraf to stop what --

MR. BOUCHER: I think we made quite clear -- didn't you quote that to me again already last Friday or Thursday? I'll give you the same general kind of answer.

We have made absolutely clear that the statements that President Musharraf has made, his commitment to stop any terrorism from territory controlled by Pakistan, his statements that there was not and would not be infiltration across the line of control -- these are important statements; they need to be carried out, and we look forward to him implementing those and making it visible in fact.

But as that was implemented and became visible, we also looked to India to start taking steps to lower the tension. And that's why we welcome the steps that were announced today.

QUESTION: This may follow on no specifics, but do you know anything about a no-war pact that Pakistan has said it's willing to sign? Is that -- has that come up in US initiatives at all, and can you explain anything more about it?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not inclined to go into specifics, but I don't know anything about that. I hadn't heard that one.

QUESTION: Yes, Pakistan says it would be willing to sign one, first I've heard of one --

MR. BOUCHER: Without going into any detail at this point, it's hard for me to try to comment one way or the other.

QUESTION: Do you have anything more to say about infiltration? Or is it as it was last week?

MR. BOUCHER: Nothing new to say since we discussed it last on Friday.

QUESTION: What is the status of efforts to increase monitoring along the line of control? Has the US offered to put monitors in along with the British?

MR. BOUCHER: As I think the Deputy Secretary mentioned while he was out in the region, monitoring of various forms is something that was discussed during the course of the discussions that we've had with the Indians and the Pakistani Government. But there is nothing new today on that to announce.

QUESTION: With respect to India and Pakistan, would there be any plans, for instance, of putting in some sophisticated equipment, whether cameras or other type detection equipment, and broadcast it or let both governments look at it simultaneously to help ease the situation?

MR. BOUCHER: As I said, monitoring of various kinds and types was discussed. There have been various ideas out there, but I don't have anything particular to settle on or announce at this point.

QUESTION: And sort of a new theme, subject, kind of. Can you say whether Pakistan was at all helpful in the arrest that we are now hearing today was made last May in Chicago?

MR. BOUCHER: No. I don't know of any involvement from this part of the government, so I don't think it would be for me to comment on that. My understanding is that the intelligence and law enforcement agencies did a fine job, and leave it to them to comment as to who they might have worked with.

QUESTION: Yes, please, one more. If this monitoring by India and Pakistan was discussed or came during Mr. Armitage's visit or not that India and Pakistan jointly should monitor the border?

MR. BOUCHER: I just said three times, various kinds of monitoring were discussed.

QUESTION: -- that was by the -- not by the US or UK, but India and Pakistan.

MR. BOUCHER: As I said, various kinds of monitoring were discussed. I'm not in a position now to say that we settled on anything or we have anything to announce.

QUESTION: What do you have to say on the somehow bumpy beginning of the Loya Jirga in Afghanistan and all this controversy about the role of the former King?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, first, our understanding is the Loya Jirga is now scheduled to be convened tomorrow in Kabul by former King Zahir Shah. The organizers have announced a delay of a day to allow finalization of the preparations.

The Loya Jirga will form the government and the institutions necessary to govern Afghanistan over the next two years, as outlined in the Bonn agreement. This is an important step in the reconstruction of the country and the reestablishment of Afghan self-government.

The Loya Jirga is a traditional Afghan process being used to create a new Afghan future. The process of organizing the Loya Jirga has been long and sometimes difficult, but it's been successful in representing the aspirations of the broadest possible range of Afghanistan's constituent communities.

The United States and the international community of course fully support the Loya Jirga process as an expression of the will of the Afghan people as they chart their future for the country.

QUESTION: Have you -- what explanation have you heard for the delay? And how does the United States feel about the delay in starting this?

MR. BOUCHER: I think first of all, it's not for us to comment on the reasons for the delay. The participants can do that adequately, and as I read from the wires, they are doing that somewhat extensively.

Second of all, in terms of the delay --

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. BOUCHER: I've seen some.

In terms of the delay, I'd say first of all this is their process; they are organizing it. They are bringing together a great number of people that form a broad representation of the Afghan constituencies. We think it's good that they've gotten there, and if as they go forward if they convene on schedule tomorrow, that will be a very good thing. And I don't think one day's delay will affect that very much.

QUESTION: Just a follow-up on that. One of the issues of course was the role of the former King, and I believe the United States has a position on that, or has had a position on that. Perhaps you could, because it's topical, restate your current version of your position?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know that we've taken that much a position on this. We've, I think, always said he has a role to play, or words to that effect, and I'll just leave it at that. The terms of actually working out what his role is going to be during the Loya Jirga, that's for the Afghans themselves.

Our position has always been the one in the Bonn agreement, which I think identified a role that he could play. The specifics of how to do that are in the hands of the Afghan parties.

QUESTION: Afghanistan. Richard, according to the press reports, one of the candidates who was elected to represent Kabul had connections with the Taliban and al-Qaida and is a hardliner, and also took place in murders and killings and all that. So what do you have to say of the future of Afghanistan under people like him?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know about those reports, so I don't have any comment at this moment.

QUESTION: Washington Times yesterday.

MR. BOUCHER: Okay. I'll be glad to look it up and see if we have anything.

QUESTION: Does the US have a position about participation of people who may have had links to the Taliban or al-Qaida in the Loya Jirga process?

MR. BOUCHER: I think our view of people, high-level officers and people who were leaders in positions in the Taliban, has been stated very often and very clearly. But in terms of this specific case and who this person is and how it applies, I'd have to check.

QUESTION: I'm not familiar with the position. Could you --

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to reel it off the top of my head. We've said many times that leaders of Taliban don't have a role to play in the future of Afghanistan. But you're asking me to apply it to this specific case, at least by indirection.

QUESTION: No, indirection, indirection --

MR. BOUCHER: You're trying to get me to say something you can write a story about a specific case. Let me find out about a specific case and whatever I can tell you on that. Okay?

QUESTION: I have one on Japan. I know it was asked last week, and I haven't been able to see a taken question so I apologize if it's come out already. But do you have anything to say about the nuclear posture of Japan, and do you know yet if the Secretary will be seeing the Foreign Minister separately in Canada?

MR. BOUCHER: He will certainly be seeing the Foreign Minister in Canada. I'm not aware that we have any specific bilateral meetings scheduled at this point, but he'll have plenty of time during the course of the various events to talk to people that he wants to talk to.

In terms of -- what was the first one?

QUESTION: Nuclear posture of Japan.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we actually took the question. I think that came up during one of my briefings, and I said we'll leave it to the Japanese to determine any changes in policy or constitution, and we kind of stayed out of that one.

QUESTION: -- as to whether it's a good idea or not?

MR. BOUCHER: Again, there's a discussion going on in Japan. I think they've dealt with it adequately at this moment. There's nothing for us to say.

QUESTION: Can we talk about the Middle East?

MR. BOUCHER: No. Somebody wants to do something.

QUESTION: Not at all?

MR. BOUCHER: George is just getting warmed up.

QUESTION: Iraqi opposition leaders here for the past several days. I understand there have been meetings with State Department officials. Do you have any comment?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, we have. We've had a number of meetings with members of the Iraqi opposition. Senior officials in the Department and the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau have been meeting with representatives of the Iraqi opposition, including the Iraqi National Congress, the Kurdish Democratic Party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Iraqi National Accord, and the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

I think we discussed Under Secretary Grossman's meetings on Friday, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Ryan Crocker is having other meetings today. These meetings are part of our effort to reach out to as broad a group of Iraqi opposition as is possible. We continue to discuss with various groups the constructive roles that they can play in advancing the goals of the Iraqi people.

QUESTION: While we're on the subject, we heard, I think from you, that your plans to hold a conference in Europe were postponed.

MR. BOUCHER: No, you didn't hear that from me.

QUESTION: Well, okay, people in this building said that. Because you hadn't managed to get the $5 million from Congress. Could you -- I have seen reports that there will be a meeting of Iraqi experts in Europe at some stage. Can you explain what's going on on that front? On the conference front?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes. The plan is still to try to have a meeting of Iraqi opposition groups as wide as possible during the course of the summer. We're looking to organize a series of smaller meetings that would lead up to a larger conference. And that's where the focus is right now.

QUESTION: Sorry, so you're --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any particular schedule of those meetings yet, but that's the plan and that's how we're --

QUESTION: These are what some people were calling "working groups"? These are working group meetings?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, workshops, working groups, smaller meetings, stuff like that. One name or the other. I'm not sure of the final appellation.

QUESTION: And you don't have a timetable, even for the working groups?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't have a timetable for this, but that's the goal now, is to organize a series of smaller meetings leading up to a conference this summer.

QUESTION: Did you require a special appropriation, or are you -- for the working groups, for funding the working groups? Or is that something you could do from existing funds?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not sure. I'll have to check. I think we can do it from existing funds.

QUESTION: Richard, can you just maybe help put in perspective what all this activity, the meetings this week and the meetings that you're -- the workshops and the meeting coming up in Europe -- I mean, can you sort of put that together? What's the aim of all this?

MR. BOUCHER: I think the aim of all this, first of all, is to look to all the different Iraqi opposition groups to try to see what everybody can do in terms of mobilizing against Saddam Hussein, but also looking to the future of Iraq after Saddam Hussein. As you know, the subjects that we thought should be addressed at the conferences, or the workshops and conference over the summer, is post-Saddam Iraq, and how these people could help organize Iraq in the future once Saddam is gone.

So this is part of an effort, I think, just to keep the momentum going, to help the opposition groups organize themselves and work together as much as possible in achieving those ends.

QUESTION: Well, if I can just follow up, the fact that the State Department is planning in detail this idea of a post-Saddam administration, how does that square with other statements from the State Department about how there are no plans yet for invading Iraq? Now, I understand -- I'm not asking you to sort of say that that's -- not to talk about the military side of it, but does that give the impression to observers in Europe or other places that the administration is actually looking for toppling the Saddam regime?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, regime change has always been our policy.

QUESTION: Right.

MR. BOUCHER: And if the policy is regime change, then it's not too big a leap to say somebody ought to be thinking about what happens after the regime changes. So that's what we're doing.

QUESTION: I was just wondering about the Iraqi opposition meetings on Friday. Was it -- did they all meet together? Was it each group separately? Could you tell us about what --

MR. BOUCHER: Some of the groups come together; some of them we do separately. So it's a variety of different meetings and different formats.

QUESTION: Specifically, was the group of four together when they met with Ambassador Grossman?

MR. BOUCHER: That's my understanding, yes.

QUESTION: I have a couple of Libya questions. Do you have --

MR. BOUCHER: One more on Iraq?

QUESTION: It seems to me that Congress has shown a preference over the years for the Iraqi National Congress, but you're talking about reaching out to all of these groups. And it seems to some that the Iraqi National Congress is getting short shrift, compared with what -- at least what the Congress has in mind. Could you comment on that?

MR. BOUCHER: I would say there are a variety of ways of addressing this. First, I think everybody does agree we need to meet with the broadest range of groups as possible. But second of all, the Iraqi National Congress is a very important group. We work very closely with them. We've just offered them another $8 million worth of funding. We hope they take us up on that offer. We continue to fund their television operations, their newspaper operations, their headquarters, a variety of other things that we funded in the past.

So I guess if you look where the money goes, the Iraqi National Congress still gets the bulk of the funding that we put into the Iraqi opposition.

QUESTION: Richard, I think the INC would say that they are an umbrella group. They have Kurds, they have royalists, they have Shia, they have Sunni. And by you saying that you're broadening and trying to get as many opposition groups as possible, you're sort of undermining the mission of this umbrella organization that was created to do just that.

MR. BOUCHER: There is -- I think first of all, if they want to say that, let them say that. I don't want to try to get into some kind of debate between -- with you. The Iraqi National Congress is a significant member of the opposition community, but that they're not the only opposition group. They play a very useful role, along with other groups. There is a strong vibrant community of Iraqi opposition groups, all united in opposition to the Saddam Hussein regime, and in support of principles such as democratic Iraq, an Iraq that's not a threat to its neighbors, an Iraq that respects the rights of its citizens.

These groups include the Iraqi National Accord, the Iraqi National Movement, the Constitutional Monarchy Movement, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Iraqi National Congress of course, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Iraqi National Front, the Islamic Action Movement, a variety of Turkomen and Assyrian groups and others.

So we're trying to stay in touch with all the groups, and not all these groups are subsumed under the umbrella.

QUESTION: Richard, you said you've offered them $8 million. Do you know whether that -- whether you have now reached final agreement on the terms of that $8 million? Because my understanding early last week was that negotiations were not yet concluded.

MR. BOUCHER: No, we have not yet reached final agreement. We had a team out in London last week to discuss the proposal with the Iraqi National Congress, and we're now awaiting their formal response to this offer.

QUESTION: And that means that Liberty TV is not yet functioning; is that not right?

MR. BOUCHER: You have to check with them. We've given them money for their operations, 2.4 million for the expenses they incurred in April and May of this year. And as I said, we've notified Congress of our willingness to provide another 8 million, and that's on offer to the Iraqi National Congress at this moment.

QUESTION: Have the problems with their bookkeeping been resolved?

MR. BOUCHER: The requirements of accountability for funds, that's an ongoing requirement. That's something that we need to do with every contract in terms of the ongoing operations. There is a team from our Inspector General's Office that's now in London to follow up on the 2001 audit report. So we'll look forward to that report as well on the use of funds by the Iraqi National Congress.

QUESTION: Are there NGOs working for Iraq that the United States support?

MR. BOUCHER: NGOs working?

QUESTION: Yes, the other opposition groups.

MR. BOUCHER: There are -- I think most of these groups that I listed would be classified as NGOs, as you go forward. But there are also other groups that we funded. I think INDICT in the UK is one of the ones that's often cited. They collect information on war crimes. So there are NGO groups, more traditional NGO groups, that we fund as well.

QUESTION: I have a couple on Libya. Do you have any observations to make on Nelson Mandela's call for the Lockerbie convicted person to serve his jail sentence in a Muslim country?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I hadn't seen it. The man was convicted by a Scottish court, and I think on the understanding that he would serve his time in a Scottish prison.

QUESTION: Okay. And also, Assistant Secretary Burns met some of the families on Friday and emerged saying that they were planning to go back to the lawyers and tell them to reject the compensation offer. Do you have any comments on how the meeting went, or any conclusions that he drew from it?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't. We do meet with the families periodically. We try to keep them updated on where we stand. And so Assistant Secretary Burns met to fill them in on our meetings with the UK and the Libyans in London. But we've always said the compensation offer presented by Libya's lawyers is for the families and their lawyers to consider and decide.

QUESTION: Richard, do you have any details on the Secretary's speech to Asia Society this evening?

MR. BOUCHER: No.

QUESTION: Will the text be available before --

MR. BOUCHER: I can't promise that it will. We'll try. We're going to make an effort to get you a text in advance. We'll make every effort to get it up on the Web and the list-serve as soon as possible after it's delivered. But at this point I can't promise an advance text.

QUESTION: How about a feed from New York?

MR. BOUCHER: A feed from New York proved expensive and difficult. So that's -- it doesn't look like we can do that.

QUESTION: I know it's too early to maybe comment, but with Mubarak here over the early weekend, and now Sharon here, there are headlines in one of -- the Washington Times that the Egyptian courts are thinking to maybe release the assassin of Sadat. What do you -- do you have any comments concerning this revolving justice system in several of the Middle East countries?

MR. BOUCHER: Not at this moment right now. I think we -- I offered not to address any Middle East issues today, so I'll keep to my promise on that.

QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.

MR. BOUCHER: Thank you.

(end State Department transcript)

(end transcript)

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