*EPF204 08/27/2002
Transcript: U.S. Offers to Help Afghans on Mass Grave Investigation
(Ambassador Negroponte's remarks at Security Council stake-out) (1220)

The United States has offered to help the fledgling Afghan government investigate the recently uncovered mass grave of former Taliban and how the Afghans died, US Ambassador John Negroponte said August 27.

Speaking with journalists after a closed door UN Security Council session, Negroponte said that "the question of these allegations is an issue that we have engaged directly with the Afghan Government on and have offered to be of assistance in following up this situation and these allegations."

Negroponte, who is president of the Security Council for the month of August, said that the council also discussed the issue with Assistant Secretary General Danilo Turk. The UN, the ambassador said, is providing support to the newly formed Afghan Human Rights Commission.

Asked about US pronouncements on Iraq, Negroponte said that if Baghdad were to cooperate fully with the UN weapons inspection regime, "that could be an important part of the resolution of this question of disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction."

Following is the text of the ambassador's press encounter:

(begin transcript)

USUN PRESS RELEASE #123 (02) August 27, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Remarks by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, as Security Council President and United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the latest developments in Afghanistan, August 27, 2002

Ambassador Negroponte (as Security Council President): Good Afternoon. The principal item on our agenda today was consultations on the situation in Afghanistan. We were briefed by Assistant Secretary General Danilo Turk, and there were no decision items of any kind or any items of particular controversy. I would characterize the session as a periodic update on the situation in Afghanistan. Other than that we dealt with a number of routine matters.

Reporter: Mr. Brahimi, in Kabul, had a press conference at which he said Afghanistan was not ready to investigate the graves of former Taliban that had been uncovered, the mass grave and the possible suffocation. What is the US view on how that should proceed and if the US should have any role in looking into that matter?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): First of all, there was a discussion of this issue in the Council today, and a number of delegations expressed the importance of transparency in any investigation, which takes place. Also raised was the issue of support for the Afghan Human Rights Commission, which is up and functioning, but which of course needs support, and the Secretary advised us that to the extent possible, the UN offices in Kabul were providing support to the Afghan Human Rights Commission. Speaking in my national capacity, as a Representative of the United States, I can tell you that the question of these allegations is an issue that we have engaged directly with the Afghan government on and have offered to be of assistance in following up this situation and these allegations.

Reporter: Was there a response by the Afghan government?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): As far as I��m aware, this is a matter of ongoing discussion between our two governments.

Reporter: How will the United States be willing to assist?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): The information I have from Washington is that we have engaged the Afghan government and that we have offered to be of assistance. I��m afraid I don��t have further particulars for you on that issue.

Reporter: (inaudible)

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): Well, a number of issues were mentioned today. The fact that it is an incipient organization, the fact that there is a need for a witness protection program and that there is a need for security for the investigators; there is a whole complex set of issues. But it is being addressed and it is recognized that there is a problem here.

Reporter: Mr. Ambassador, is it not inadvisable to the Afghan government to be carrying out this investigation given some of its Ministers are associated with troops that may have carried out some of these massacres?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): I��m not going to comment any further on this other than to say it was a topic of discussion.

Reporter: On another subject, the US Vice-President yesterday made some very strong comments on the US position regarding Iraq, including inspections. Is the United States still supporting the return of UN inspectors to Iraq, and as a second question, could you also comment on former Secretary of State James Baker��s proposal that the United States should seek a new resolution in the Security Council?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): On the first point, about whether we seek inspections in Iraq, and again now speaking in my national capacity, let me reiterate a point we��ve made frequently that the issue here is disarmament. We would like Iraq to dispose of and get rid of any and all weapons of mass destruction that they may have developed. One way of achieving this is through the procedure of sending international inspectors. But, in order for inspections to have a chance to be effective, there must be complete, unfettered, unconditional access to inspect the sites that need to be inspected. Iraq��s track record in the past in this regard has not been a particularly encouraging one, but if they were to cooperate fully with an international inspections regime, that could be an important part of the resolution of this question of disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. Again, as I would repeat and as the Vice President pointed out yesterday, Iraq��s track record in this regard in terms of non-compliance with Security Council resolutions has not been an encouraging one.

Reporter: And on former Secretary of State James Baker?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): That gets into the speculative realm of what might be done at some future point, and I would rather not get into that at this point.

Reporter: We understand you had a conversation just a few minutes ago with President Bush?

Ambassador Negroponte (in his national capacity): No. It was a discussion with members of our delegation in Johannesburg.

Thank you very much.

(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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