*EPF108 07/26/2004
Text: U.S. Concerned about Possible Sale of Russian MiGs to Sudan
(Responses to questions at July 22-23 State Dept. briefings) (630)

The State Department said July 22 that the United States would view with "grave concern" the sale of Russian MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Sudan, if reports of such sales were confirmed.

"The United States opposes all arms transfers to Sudan, which is a state sponsor of terrorism," the Department said in a posted response to a question taken at the regular briefing.

On July 23, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in response to questions that the status of the MiG-29 sale is "still rather unclear."

"Nothing that I have seen has actually said where they stand under this contract, whether it's a contract or a delivery or a soon-to-be delivery on contract," he said.

Following are the response to the July 22 taken question and an excerpt from the July 23 briefing:

(begin text)

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
July 22, 2004

Question Taken at July 22, 2004 Daily Press Briefing

SUDAN: RUSSIAN ARMS SALES TO SUDAN

Question: What is the U.S. Government's reaction to Russian press and television reports that the Russian military aircraft builder RSK-MiG contracted to sell Sudan 12 MiG-29 FULCRUM fighter aircraft, and that deliveries have commenced?

Answer: The United States would view this with grave concern, were the reports to be confirmed.

The United States opposes all arms transfers to Sudan, which is a state sponsor of terrorism. Any transfer of lethal military equipment to state sponsors of terrorism is sanctionable under U.S. laws.

In addition to U.S. law regarding lethal military equipment transfers to state sponsors of terrorism, the current crisis in Darfur, particularly the continuing violence, is cause for strong opposition to any transfers to Sudan.

(end taken question)

(begin briefing excerpt)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2004
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

12:50 p.m. EDT

BRIEFER: Richard Boucher, Spokesman

[....]

QUESTION: Yesterday, you issued a statement; it was the taken question on the MiG sales to Sudan. Today, actually, the foreign ministry issued a statement saying, "Yes, this is a longstanding contract. We're just filling the conditions. It's got nothing to do with the situation." So, now that it's being confirmed for you, what's your reaction?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think there are still a lot of questions that haven't been clarified. I assume that we'll be finding opportunities to hear more from the Russians on that. But our policy view remains the same. We oppose all military transfers to the Sudan. We -- our specific law for ourselves has sanctions against a government that transfers lethal military equipment to a state sponsor of terrorism, so I suppose that's something we'd have to look at were the transfer to take place. But on a policy level, we think it's ill-advised to transfer weapons to the Government of Sudan.

QUESTION: So, are you concerned that these aircraft could be used against Darfuris?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we have been concerned more about the actual aircraft, the helicopter gunships that are in Darfur that have been used against Darfuris. What the status of this MiG-29 sale is, I think, is still rather unclear based on what I've seen and I don't think we have enough clarification from the Russians where they're -- sort of the status of the contract and the prospective delivery.

QUESTION: So, you don't know if MiGs have actually, from this sale, have reached Sudan?

MR. BOUCHER: No, nothing that I have seen has actually said where they stand under this contract, whether it's a contract or a delivery or a soon-to-be delivery on contract.

(end text)

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

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