*EPF201 08/19/2003
Transcript: State Department Briefing, August 19
(UN/Iraq, United Kingdom, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Department, France/Libya, terrorism, Colombia, Cuba, Israelis/Palestinians, Pakistan, Iceland) (5100)

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher briefed.

Following is a transcript of the briefing:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Daily Press Briefing
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
12:55 p.m. EDT
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
BRIEFER: Richard Boucher, Spokesman

Index:

UN/IRAQ
Statement by Sec. Powell on the Bombing of UN HQ in Baghdad, Iraq
New Security Measures for U.S. Aid Workers and Diplomats
Source of Terrorist Attack and Investigation
Sec. Powell's Telephone Call UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan/President Bush
Arrangements for UN Security/Iraqi Governing Council
Peacekeeping and Coalition Force/UN Mandates

UK
Sec. Powell's Telephone call to Foreign Minister Jack Straw

SYRIA
Amb. Bremer's Comments on Syria and Terrorism
Assistant Secretary Burns' Recent trip to Damascus
Border Tightening and Security Issues

SAUDI ARABIA
Security and Border Control with Iraq

DEPARTMENT
White Powder Incident Test Results and Cultures

FRANCE/LIBYA
Update on the Lockerbie/Pan Am 103 Situation and the UN

TERRORISM
Closure of MEK Offices in Washington, D.C. and Legal Jurisdiction

COLOMBIA
Continuation of Air Bridge/Protection of Contractors

CUBA
Cuban Government Continuing Crack-down Of Civil Rights
Update on the Jamming of an Iranian Program

ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN
Update on Security Checkpoints and Roadmap

PAKISTAN
Update on Commitment of Troops in Iraq

ICELAND
Pelly Amendment Review and an update on the Minke Whaling Issue

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If I can, I'd like to start off by reading a statement by Secretary of State Colin Powell on the bombing today in Baghdad:

"The terrorist bombing that occurred at UN Headquarters in Baghdad today is a heinous crime against the international community and against the Iraqi people. I condemn the bombing unequivocally.

"I spoke to the United Nations Secretary General earlier today to convey my deepest sympathy. We extend our sympathy also to the victims of this vicious attack and to their families, colleagues and to the international community.

"At the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, the international community has been working with the Iraqi people to build a better future for Iraq. The United States strongly supports the vital role that the United Nations is taking in Iraq's reconstruction. We will not be deterred by such immoral acts.

"The international community must renew its commitment to working with a majority of the Iraqi people, who seek to build a free and stable country."

That's from the Secretary of State, Colin Powell.

And now I would be glad to take your questions on this or other topics. Mr. Schweid.

QUESTION: Well, I'm not sure we understand that, but it looks like it's awful risky business trying to assist in the reconstruction and transformation in Iraq. Are there any new security measures being considered? There are a lot of American civilian State Department people on Bremer's staff, et cetera. You've had two bombings now. Can you tell us anything about any need to shore up security?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I can at this point. Obviously, the military and the security people on the ground will be looking at all those questions, as will the UN security people as well. It's important that people who are out there doing this important work, the people who are out there helping the Iraqi people, have appropriate security and be able to conduct this work, because it's a vital element of the international community's role in rebuilding Iraq.

I think we have confidence that the majority of the Iraqi people believe in the UN, believe in the international community's role and believe in the change that's happened and the change that's coming. But there are still elements who are opposed to that, and there may be -- continue to be attacks as we continue to sow success. And some of this -- some of these attacks have been against the kinds of successes we've shown, whether it's the electricity grid or the new police stations or the active role the United Nations is playing. This attack comes just days after the UN Security Council endorsed a UN Mission for Iraq and a more prominent UN role.

QUESTION: That would seem to suggest anti-Iraq -- Iraqis against the U.S./UN operation. Do you have -- does State Department have any idea if this is an al-Qaida or an Iraqi or whoever operation?

MR. BOUCHER: Not at this point, no.

Elise.

QUESTION: UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard just recently, at a briefing, said that the United Nations' security is the responsibility of the occupying -- or of the host government, and that in this case would be the occupying power. What is your response to this? Do you feel as if the U.S. could do more to protect UN and other nongovernmental organizations, and do you think that this is your responsibility?

MR. BOUCHER: Again, we're not at a point, at a moment right now, without any knowledge of how this happened, who did it, and the facts on the ground, to start making security assessments and start prescribing new security measures. It's important, first of all, that we see to the victims, see to the people who are injured, see to the people who may still be trapped in the building. That's our first and primary concern right now. And so that's what our people on the ground are doing.

Security in Baghdad has a lot of elements. It has the U.S. military element, the coalition forces elements. It has an Iraqi police element, because Iraqi police are back and working in Baghdad. And individual organizations like the United Nations also provide for some of their own security. So all these people work together and need to work together to make sure that we have the best possible security for people who are working there.

Terri.

QUESTION: Do you know yet if there were any American diplomats, NGO workers, anyone like that?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know yet.

QUESTION: Richard, you said -- well, the President said as well -- that he had talked to Kofi Annan, and the Secretary offered any U.S. assistance. Do you know if they have actually asked for any or, if any, what types of U.S. assistance were offered?

MR. BOUCHER: I think certainly when the Secretary spoke to Secretary General Kofi Annan this morning it was about, I don't know, 10:20, 10:30, he just said we'll offer -- we'll provide you with every possible assistance and your people with every possible assistance. And you can see on television how the U.S. military is helping find the victims, helping treat the victims. The medics are there, and I think they are doing and will continue to do everything possible. I don't know of any further requests, other than the fact that we pledged to do everything we can.

QUESTION: And do you know when the last time the Secretary spoke to Mr. De Mello?

MR. BOUCHER: I'd have to check on that.

QUESTION: And you said moments ago that individual organizations, some of them, provide their own security. Do you know if this case, the UN provided their own security for the hotel?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know the exact arrangements at this site. But in addition to all of the other security efforts that are made in Baghdad by us, by Iraqis and coalition forces, I think the UN does have security people of its own out there. So I'm sure those on the ground will be able to report on what they had and how it was organized.

Sir.

QUESTION: Did the Secretary speak to any European foreign minister for this event?

MR. BOUCHER: He spoke to Foreign Secretary Straw this morning, but I don't have a rundown of that conversation. I'm sure this was part of the conversation.

QUESTION: It was after this happened?

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah.

QUESTION: Did he speak to the President?

QUESTION: Any link to the Jordanian Embassy problem?

MR. BOUCHER: At this point, as to --

QUESTION: Are you concerned that a pattern or --

MR. BOUCHER: Well, at this point, it's too early to start concluding patterns or links to other events. Certainly, we know there are violent elements in Iraq and Baghdad. Whether these are the same ones or not, I don't know.

QUESTION: Did he happen to -- was he -- did he talk to the President?

MR. BOUCHER: Not directly that I know of. I know our people have been in touch with the White House. I just don't know if the Secretary has talked directly with the President.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. BOUCHER: Joel.

QUESTION: Richard, are there any specific things that you would hope to see that the Iraqis themselves do, such as community town watch and other type activities, or is that too early to initiate?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I think without prescribing directly what the security conclusions and further measures have to be because of this attack, there has been an ongoing process of having -- seeing Iraqis take over more responsibility, seeing Iraqis build their capabilities.

Obviously, they are not as capable as coalition forces are at this point, but they have been deploying policemen, building an army. We have been working with them on all of those things, and I think our desire is to see, as time goes on, the Iraqis build a security infrastructure for their country that can maintain the peace and take responsibility for their own country.

Okay. Anything else?

Terri, yeah.

QUESTION: Paul Bremer today, in remarks, said that Syria still isn't doing enough to stop -- to stop the flow across its border, both into and out of Iraq. I believe he referred to both directions.

Isn't this a slap in the face to the promises made to Secretary Powell in Damascus?

MR. BOUCHER: The promises made to Secretary Powell in Damascus involved a number of things, and I think as the Secretary has noted before, as we have noted before, there has been some limited progress on some of those issues. But all these issues are very important to us, both Syrian -- the need for Syria to restrain the activities of terrorists and terrorist groups who might be either present or operating through Syria, the need for Syria to use its influence to restrain activity on the northern border of Lebanon and Israel, the northern border of Israel with Lebanon, and the need for Syria to police its own borders and prevent crossings.

Those have been the subjects of ongoing discussions at the highest levels that we've continued to maintain with the Syrians. Assistant Secretary Burns was just in Damascus last week, late last week, taking up all these issues directly with the Syrians and directly with President Assad to make sure he understood and Syrians continue to understand that we expect to see continued progress, we expect to see significant progress, and we'll keep pressing in that direction.

QUESTION: So you would say that there is ongoing progress or --

MR. BOUCHER: I think we've all noted in the past some efforts that the Syrians have made, whether it was closing the border or kicking some people out. But like in the other areas it's been limited progress, it hasn't been enough, and we've kept pressing for more.

QUESTION: And in the case of shutting down the offices, haven't you also come back out and said, well, we have seen some progress but the offices --

MR. BOUCHER: That it didn't go far enough. Same thing. Yeah.

QUESTION: -- are operating again?

MR. BOUCHER: No, we didn't say they were operating again. I don't -- I haven't seen reports that --

QUESTION: Well, it wasn't complete.

MR. BOUCHER: But it wasn't complete. They kind of closed the front door and the people were still hanging around town. So that's what we mean by there's some limited steps, some limited progress, but a definite need for much more. It's been insufficient and we've continued to press for more and more in all these areas.

QUESTION: Richard, you used the phrase "police its own borders" when you're talking about the specific comments that, I mean, Bremer charges. It's just unclear sometimes, people in this administration talk about Syria literally flooding over the border with people or they're coordinating the flow of terrorists over that border, and then sometimes it's discussed as simply a matter of doing a better job policing the borders.

And what is -- so what is the State Department's view? Are the Syrians simply just not doing --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know that I would contrast the two. I am not in a position to give you an exact count of how many people might have crossed and what kind of people might have crossed. We certainly have been concerned about people crossing, people crossing and being allowed to cross, whatever the situation, whether they're just crossing or being allowed to cross. It is Syria's responsibility to prevent those things and it's Syria's -- we expect Syria to take that responsibility seriously.

QUESTION: But is this just a matter of needing to do a more diligent job of checking who's leaving the country, or is this a matter of not -- or something more involved, so to speak? You know, did they provide the school buses in Damascus during the war? There is a question as to whether the Syrian Government, you know --

MR. BOUCHER: Well, there are certainly a lot of questions. There were certainly facts during the war --

QUESTION: Sure.

MR. BOUCHER: -- where they facilitated the movement across their border. Now, since the war --

QUESTION: It's different.

MR. BOUCHER: Since the war, they have claimed to have closed the border. Now, we don't think that's been done effectively. Whether that's because of just ineffectiveness or whether that's because of some permission, I'm not in a position to make a judgment at this point. Whatever the facts, whatever the reasons, the facts are there needs to be more done to control the border, and that's what we're pressing for.

QUESTION: Can we move a little closer to home? I understand --

QUESTION: Can we stay on this?

MR. BOUCHER: Elise.

QUESTION: There were also reports that a lot of Saudis are crossing into Iraq. Have you been in touch with the Saudi Government on this and --

MR. BOUCHER: I think we've talked to all the governments in the area about the need to maintain security, to prevent outsiders from moving in. We've made that point clear with regard to Syria, with Iran, every country in the region. But I don't think I can be any more specific on that point at this moment.

Matt.

QUESTION: Back home -- despite the somewhat fetid atmosphere in here today, I understand that yesterday's little security alert was, indeed, a false alarm, that the tests have come back negative on the --

MR. BOUCHER: I think we're still awaiting the final results of the initial tests. We had the onsite tests that came back negative, and I think I reported that to you yesterday. And there was another set of tests that were supposed to take 12 hours. I guess it's taking more. But we're still -- we're told we should have the results of those tests in 1 to 2 hours. And then the cultures will come back probably in another day or two.

So we're not out of the woods yet on this, but as I said, so far, the testing that was done was negative, but they're not turning on the air conditioning until they know they have the next set of tests back.

QUESTION: Okay. So what I was told this morning is incorrect, then?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I don't know who told you, but it might not -- it may have been prematurely accurate, but we'll see.

QUESTION: Yeah.

MR. BOUCHER: Sir.

QUESTION: Will this attack bring any changes in the way U.S. deal with Iraq, with the Iraqi Governance Council, with --

MR. BOUCHER: I think we've made very clear our determination to continue to work with the Iraqi people, continue to work with the United Nations.

QUESTION: In different ways?

MR. BOUCHER: No, to continue the effort to put the Iraqi people in charge of their own destiny. And we have moved forward on the Governing Council. We're moving forward on infrastructure, on electricity, water, roads, things like that. We've moved forward strongly with jobs programs. The schools are back up and running. The military is being built. The policemen are back on the street. The mail is being delivered.

So there are all these things have to continue and must -- and are necessary for the Iraqi people to take over and run their own country, and that's the direction we'll continue to move in.

QUESTION: What is the status of the various requests that the State Department has been making to governments around the world to send troops to help with peacekeeping and other responsibilities? Where do things stand in terms of --

MR. BOUCHER: Of numbers and --

QUESTION: Well, you don't have to give me numbers, but just any new countries that have come on board that have said that they've --

MR. BOUCHER: I haven't checked recently. I'm just going to have to check and get back to you if I can.

Matt.

QUESTION: You mentioned that the Secretary talked to Foreign Secretary Straw. I'm wondering if he also spoke to his French counterpart. If he did, or even if he didn't, can you talk about the Lockerbie situation, if there's anything new there with the UN resolution?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think the Secretary has spoken to the Foreign Minister de Villepin today or yesterday. At the same time, we have been keeping in close touch with the French. Our British colleagues have been as well. And as you know, the Secretary talks with Jack Straw about this Libya resolution as well. Our Embassy in Paris is in close touch with the French as well. So we've been in touch with the French at very senior levels on an ongoing basis.

We have made clear our deep concern over possible actions by France or any other country that would impede a Pan Am 103 settlement. We believe the Council should address the issue of UN sanctions once the money is deposited in the escrow account.

I note that in 1999, France advised the UN Secretary General that Libya has met its Security Council requirements on the UTA bombing. We continue to support compensation for all victims of terrorism, including the UTA families. At the same time, we don't believe such efforts should impede the Council's consideration of Libya's sanctions once the requirements in the resolution have been addressed, nor should the Pan Am 103 families who have waited so long for some measure of justice and closure have their settlement threatened by extraneous, last-minute factors.

So the UK has circulated a draft resolution yesterday, cosponsored by Bulgaria, to lift UN sanctions on Libya that were first imposed in 1992, and suspended in 1999. Ambassadorial level consultations will take place tomorrow and we would hope to proceed to a vote soon.

QUESTION: Would that be Thursday or Friday?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, tomorrow is Wednesday, so soon after that is Thursday, Friday, if possible. We'll see.

Terri.

QUESTION: New subject?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes.

QUESTION: Could you update us on the status of the MEK office? It was ordered to be closed, the Mujahedin-e Khalq, on Friday, when the blue signs were set up. Is it the State Department's job to check on that and make sure that those people aren't showing up for work? And what happens to the people who were working there, in terms of --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we have jurisdiction over offices in the United States. You'd have to check with the appropriate law enforcement agencies. And as far as the status of the people, that would be an immigration matter.

QUESTION: Regarding the Airbridge Denial Program for Colombia, Rumsfeld was quoted this morning as saying that it's going to resume and expected some sort of an announcement today. Can you update us?

MR. BOUCHER: He did?

QUESTION: Yeah, he did.

MR. BOUCHER: Oh, okay. I'll update you as much as I can, but I can't make an announcement. So I want to bring you right up to, sort of, the present moment, if I can.

We certainly expect to have the Airbridge Denial Program up and running in the immediate future, but I don't have an announcement for you at this point. I will go -- let me go back though into what we've been doing to get to this point, where we think we're ready.

The Colombians run, will run, the Airbridge Denial Program, so we've been working carefully with them to establish a solid basis for the resumption of flights. In April of this year, the United States and Colombia signed an agreement to restart the program. We then sent an interagency team to work with the Colombians to ensure that all provisions in the agreement are fully implemented.

We've worked to obtain additional assurances from the Government of Colombia related to the use of the United States Government equipment such as radars and communications that is used to ensure the safety of civil aviation and protect U.S. Government employees and contractors from undue personal liability.

Subsequent to the certification, we have continued to provide assistance to the Colombians in preparation for the programs, assistance such as the issuance of the notice to civil aviation regarding the Airbridge Denial Zones in May. We have been training United States and Colombian pilots, crew and ground personnel, and have verified that the training meets the standards.

All of the air traffic controllers completed training in May, May 19th. Changes to the Colombian Air Procedures Manual were implemented and the Notice to Airmen went out on these changes on July 10th. Pilot training curricula were established in May, and the annual retraining guidelines adopted June 1st.

So we have been moving through all of these steps to make sure that everything that had to be done could be done and was done carefully to ensure that the program can resume on a solid footing, so it can be a safe program and a program that meets the need of denying drug trafficking, but also can be handled safely and not result in incidents such as the terrible one that occurred several years ago.

But I don't have any announcements to make. That would be something the White House would have to do at the appropriate time.

QUESTION: But when you were going through that, saying "we" did all this, "we" did all that, you were referring to the State Department?

MR. BOUCHER: A lot of it's State Department, a lot of it's U.S. Government agencies. I mean, it's the U.S. Government as a whole.

QUESTION: Do you know what's the role of the Pentagon in this program?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I'm in a position to describe the exact roles of different U.S. agencies at this point. They all have important role in all of this.

QUESTION: Can you talk about what your -- what this building's thoughts are about Secretary Rumsfeld traveling down to Colombia today?

MR. BOUCHER: It's a good thing. The Pentagon has an important role in this program, and he has an important role in a lot of the assistance that we give to Colombia to support Colombia against narcotrafficking and terrorism, pipeline protection and many other things. And it's good.

QUESTION: And the recommendation that was sent a week or so, or two weeks ago, to the President that this be started, that was signed by the Secretary of State, right?

MR. BOUCHER: I believe so, yeah.

QUESTION: Not by Secretary Rumsfeld?

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah.

QUESTION: Okay.

QUESTION: Richard, did you see the story about the Cuban Government accusing a well-known human rights activist of being on the government payroll for the past several years?

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah. It's in a book by Cuban Government journalists. To us, it's another example that the regime is seeking to create divisions in the opposition by pitting those dedicated to real reform, one against the other; in so doing, it's trying to distract people from the real problem, which is the Cuban Government itself. It's another element of Castro's continuing crackdown on civil society actors who are seeking peaceful change.

As the Secretary recently asked in one of his interviews, what's the regime afraid of after decades of so-called revolution? It's afraid of its own people and of the independent opinions that they hold, and that fundamental fact explains the regime's repressive actions.

QUESTION: Can you talk about the specific allegations, whether you believe that there is any merit?

MR. BOUCHER: We don't believe it. It's an attempt to distract people and to sow dissension among those who are fighting for the rights of more freedom.

QUESTION: And so you believe that Mr. Sanchez is, in fact, a true opposition leader untainted by any government --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we have any reason to doubt that.

Terri.

QUESTION: On Cuba, he just reminded me. Have you gotten an answer back from the Cuban Government on the walking, on the airwave satellite problem thing?

MR. BOUCHER: Not in the last few days, since I have been back. Because in the last few weeks when I hadn't been --

QUESTION: Because I don't think we have asked in a long time, so.

MR. BOUCHER: All right. We'll have to double-check on it and see if they ever responded to that.

Gene.

QUESTION: Yes. Does the Department feel that the checkpoint should be removed and the negotiations completed on withdrawal of the Israelis from the cities there?

MR. BOUCHER: Let me tell you where we are on these things. We have welcomed the Israelis and Palestinians discussing ways to further advance security, and the process on the ground that is leading the implementation of the issues outlined in the roadmap and of the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have been discussing these kind of detailed arrangements for further withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces from additional Palestinian cities, and they have been handling the details of checkpoints and roadblocks and where people would move back.

U.S. officials from our Embassy and our Consulate General have been encouraging this process, have been supporting this process, and have been trying to work with the parties in helping them reach agreement. But, again, we're not participating directly, and they're the ones that have to reach decisions on these kind of issues.

QUESTION: Yes, my name is Nayyar Zaidi and I represent the Daily Jang.

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, sir.

QUESTION: I should start with (inaudible) personal. I keep on reading my name.

MR. BOUCHER: Oh, okay.

QUESTION: Yeah, Nayyar Zaidi. I am late, so you might have answered this question, but let me ask it anyway. Have you had any feedback from Pakistan about commitment of troops in Iraq?

Also, today's bombing and previous incidents of violence, do you think would have -- would influence the decision of countries like Pakistan and others to commit their troops in harm's way?

MR. BOUCHER: The issue of deployment of other troops to Iraq, there was the question that came up. I don't have a full list of new developments in that regard, but it's been an ongoing subject of discussion with the -- with a variety of governments, including Pakistan. I don't have anything new from them at this point. I haven't seen any public commitments or statements on their half -- behalf.

But we're certainly looking for other countries to take some responsibility to help the Iraqi people with security, and that is an ongoing effort. Whether the bombing today will affect that or not will probably depend on the decisions of individual countries. Some countries may conclude that the bombing shows that the Iraqi people deserve and need more security and better security, and that they want to participate and help with that. We would hope that the countries would do so.

QUESTION: So what was the last response of Pakistan and their thinking?

MR. BOUCHER: You'll have to ask Pakistan what their last response has been.

QUESTION: That's too far.

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I'm sorry you happen to be here, but you happen to be here and not there. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: One complaint of many countries, and we have touched upon this before, is that they would be willing to do so if you were to extend the man -- it into an UN mandate, or at least relinquish some of the decision-making capability. But they don't want to sign on to a U.S. or a coalition mission. Is there any new discussions about --

MR. BOUCHER: There's nothing new on that. That discussion has sort of continued to percolate among Security Council members and other governments. Again, I haven't seen any new statements by other governments that they would or would not deploy forces if they had this or that UN resolution. And certainly, there are a variety of ways that people can participate and can seek an endorsement for participation. So it's a discussion that has continued, but at this point there's no real new development on that.

QUESTION: This is another shot in the dark here. There isn't anything new on the preparations for the six-party talks in Beijing, is there?

MR. BOUCHER: No, there's not.

QUESTION: Can I have one more?

MR. BOUCHER: One more.

QUESTION: Did you yet find out if a review, a Pelly Amendment review, is underway now that the -- shortly after you spoke yesterday, the Icelanders said that they had indeed caught their first whale, so --

MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't. I don't have an update on that. You might check with the Department of Commerce since they actually conduct the review.

QUESTION: But this is something that you would inform the Icelandic Government of, correct, if --

MR. BOUCHER: Probably, but --

QUESTION: So you haven't been told by Commerce?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know, but if you want to get it first from the first people involved, you might check with them. When we get it second, we'll tell you.

QUESTION: I will, but I figured I'm here, not at the Commerce Department.

MR. BOUCHER: That's true, but you could -- like your colleague, it's not quite as far away as Pakistan.

QUESTION: No.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. BOUCHER: Thank you.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:25 p.m.)

(end transcript)

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