30 December 2002
White House Daily Briefing Transcript
(Yemen/murders of three Americans, FBI search for five individuals,
North Korea/IAEA, World Food Program, Iraqi scientists) (2180)
White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott McClellan briefed.
Following is the transcript of the briefing:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary (Crawford, Texas)
December 30, 2002
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan
Crawford Middle School
Crawford, Texas
12:20 P.M. CST
MR. McCLELLAN: All right. Good windy, rainy Crawford afternoon to
everybody. Let me start off with the President's day.
The President had his usual briefings this morning. He then cleared
some brush and I would expect that about now he's probably having
lunch.
Q: When will the brush be cleared? (Laughter.) Scott, is there an end
to this? (Laughter.)
MR. McCLELLAN: It's ongoing, it is ongoing, David; it is ongoing.
(Laughter.)
Let me make some remarks on the news out of Yemen this morning. We
strongly condemn and deplore the murder of three American citizens who
were providing humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people. We are
working closely with Yemeni officials to investigate these attacks.
Yemeni officials already have one individual in custody, and we will
work with them to bring to justice all those who are responsible. The
President's thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their
families, and he hopes for a speedy and full recovery of the
individual who was wounded in the attacks.
And with that, I'm happy to take any questions.
Q: The Yemenis say they sent -- the President of Yemen sent a note of
condolence to President Bush. Has he received any correspondence --
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll check on that. I'm not sure if he received that. I
know he was informed early this morning of the killings.
Q: By who?
MR. McCLELLAN: I just know he was informed early this morning by
staff.
Q: And what reason do we have to believe that there's more than one
person involved?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, I don't have any specific information to
provide regarding the investigation. We'll let the American officials
who are working with Yemeni officials investigate that. But our
intention, I want to make clear, is to bring to justice any and all
people who were responsible for these murders.
Q: Is there an indication by saying "all those responsible" -- is the
implication that you think there's more than one?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, it's continuing to be investigated, so we need to
let the investigation continue.
Q: -- this is a terrorist attack?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, these -- what we know is that these were murders
of American citizens who were there in Yemen to provide humanitarian
aid to the Yemeni people, and we need to let the investigation
continue. And then when we have more information, or when the Yemeni
-- when Yemen has more information, we'll share that at that time.
Q: Are there any links that the U.S. knows of between the suspect that
was arrested and terror groups?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Nothing -- nothing to report at this time, Mark.
Q: What about these five that the FBI is looking for? Is there a
suspicion that they may be involved in a New York kind of plot for New
Years or any other time?
MR. MCCLELLAN: There's not any specific information, David, related to
terrorist activities that we have. We did receive information about
these individuals through intelligence. But, you know, any time we
have five individuals like this who enter the country illegally, we
want to know why they are here, we want to question them. And that's
why the FBI has enlisted the help of the public. The FBI is working
closely with state and local law enforcement officials, so that we can
find these individuals and question them and find out more.
But with that said, that we don't have any specific information
relating to terrorist activities, there are -- and the FBI pointed
this out in their release yesterday -- that based on information
developed in the course of ongoing investigations relating to the war
on terrorism, the FBI would like to locate and question these people.
Q: And you say, when we have individuals like this, I mean, is that
because they're of Middle Eastern descent, is it because they are
traveling in a group? Because the intelligence indicates they have
some association --
MR. MCCLELLAN: It's based on intelligence -- I'm not going to get into
sources or methods -- that the intelligence brought to our attention
these individuals. Again, we don't have any specific information that
ties them to terrorist activity, but they -- we do believe they have
entered this country illegally. And any time anybody enters the
country illegally we want to know why they're here and we want to
question them.
Q: But intelligence that they may have some association with terror
groups, if not terror activity? Is that --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think what I would point back to is what the
FBI said, that while there isn't specific information, that based upon
information developed in the course of ongoing investigations --
investigations relating to the war on terrorism -- the FBI would like
to question these individuals.
Q: Given the hunt for these five on our soil, is there any thought to
changing the status of --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, there's no change in the alert status.
Q: Scott, could you clarify on North Korea, is it the administration's
position that the International Atomic Energy Agency bring the case
before the United Nations Security Council in the weeks ahead, or is
that something that you are kind of stepping back --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's a decision for the International Atomic
Energy Agency to make, and they will be meeting, as you are aware, on
January 6th with their board of governors to discuss what steps they
take and whether or not to refer that to United Nations Security
Council.
I think Secretary Powell yesterday stated the administration's
position very clearly.
Q: Will the administration make a recommendation to the IAEA, in terms
of where to push that --
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not aware of any such recommendation that's been
made. But that is a matter for the IAEA. What we have here is that,
you know, I would go back to that North Korea is continuing to isolate
itself from the international community. The entire world stands ready
to help North Korea, but North Korea will not realize any of the
benefits and help that they need until they reverse its current
course.
Q: But will the administration take the position either way on whether
or not it should bring it forward to the U.N. Security Council during
that meeting, the January 6th meeting?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I think that's a decision for the IAEA board of
governors. That's what I was making clear.
Q: And the administration will not have any position, no
recommendation?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm not aware of any recommendation that's been made.
That's an IAEA decision.
Q: Scott, with what you just said there, are you including food aid in
what North Korea may not receive?
MR. MCCLELLAN: No. Secretary Powell actually addressed that yesterday.
Through the World Food Program, we will continue to meet our
allocations to the World Food Program. There is a concern about that
food actually getting to the people of Korea, as Secretary Powell
stated yesterday.
Q: But is there -- when you say, the entire world stands ready to
help?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q: When you say, the entire world stands ready to help North Korea, I
mean, are you trying to stress the idea that if you want aid, if you
want to include your situation, you know, just comply and you'll get
aid right away?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I'm trying to make the point that North Korea needs to
change its current course. They need to change their current behavior;
that as long as they continue down their current course, North Korea
will continue -- North Korea will continue to pay a serious price by
its own actions; and it continues to isolate itself from the
international community by these actions, by the latest actions. I
think Secretary Powell stated very well yesterday that the United
States was ready to help and we were in direct contact, in direct
talks with North Korea.
Japan, Prime Minister Koizumi, was ready to talk normalization and
economic assistance to North Korea. South Korea was ready to do so as
well. But because of the revelations and by the acknowledgment by
North Korea that it was seeking another way to develop nuclear weapons
and its continued course of action, in opening the seals off the fuel
rods and restarting the Yongbyon nuclear facility, it has continued to
isolate itself and it cannot realize those benefits from the
international community while it continues down its current course.
Q: Scott, Kim Dae-jung today said that the only option for dealing
with North Korea is dialogue, and that isolation won't work. He
criticized what is perceived to be coming out of the U.S. Do you have
a response to that?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Yes. North Korea is the one that is isolating itself by
its action. The international community is unified and is in agreement
that North Korea's actions are a challenge to all responsible nations.
And it has made clear that North Korea's relations with the outside
world hinge on the elimination of its nuclear weapons program. So
that's the point I would emphasize, that the international community
is unified in its approach.
Q: But it doesn't appear to be the case, because South Korea is
specifically criticizing our approach, saying pressure and isolation
won't work and likened what we're doing to Cuba, saying that --
MR. MCCLELLAN: I think if you look back, South Korean President-elect
Rho said last week that North Korea must withdraw the nuclear measures
that it has taken and restore facilities and equipment to their
original state. He made those remarks last week. And that's why I
point to the fact that the international community is unified in its
approach. And we are going to continue consulting and working closely
with our friends and allies as we move forward.
Q: And I also have a question on Iraq. What is the U.S. planning to do
to get these Iraqi scientists into a neutral country to talk with the
U.N. folks?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that's a question you ought to refer to
Dr. Blix and Dr. Elbaradei. They're are the ones who are -- they are
the inspectors. They're the ones who are implementing the process that
was set out by the United Nations Security Council. And so I think
those comments ought to be directed to them.
But it's very clear what the resolution states, and that is that we
should be able to question those scientists inside and outside the
country, if need be.
Q: Scott, any thoughts on the reluctance of China and Russia to use
sanctions, economic sanctions through the U.N. against North Korea?
Are there any efforts to bring them around?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, anything specific you are referring to? I
mean, we are continuing to mobilize the international community to
keep pressure on North Korea. But North Korea, by it's own actions, is
isolating itself from the international community. I mean, China,
North Korea's strongest friend in the region, has stated that it's
policy is one of no nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So by its
own actions, North Korea continues to isolate itself.
Anybody else?
Q: Back on Yemen, is it the U.S. view that Americans were specifically
targeted?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, Mark, that's kind of getting into
questions that -- this is being investigated as we speak. As I pointed
out, one individual is in custody. Let's let the investigation take
place, and as we develop more information and it's ready to be shared,
I'm sure it will be shared at that time. But this underscores the
world we're living in these days, the dangerous world we live in these
days. And the State Department has had travel advisories and warnings
out to American citizens in different parts of the world. We take this
very seriously and we will work closely with Yemeni officials to bring
any and all people who are responsible for these murders to justice.
Q: On a lighter note, have you got any information about how the
Bushes are going to ring in the New Year?
MR. MCCLELLAN: You're a day ahead of things. You're not going to leave
me anything for tomorrow if we talk about that today.
Q: What's he have planned for today?
MR. MCCLELLAN: I don't know what his afternoon activities are at this
point. I would imagine he might get some fishing in, as well. But,
obviously, he continues to conduct business while he's here as well.
Q: Any other major phone calls or visitors?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Nothing I've been informed of, in terms of world leader
calls or anything like that.
All right, thanks.
12:35 P.M. CST
(end transcript)
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