• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

.....................

QUESTION: Let's pick up on logistics for a moment. There is still a meeting in Berlin, and she hasn't decided whether to go to that yet, or she is going to it?

MR. FOLEY: Well, it's her intention to go to that meeting on Friday, the G-8 meeting in Berlin. Indeed, she looks forward to that opportunity. Obviously, Foreign Minister Ivanov will be there. She considers it important to have an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting along with her other G-8 colleagues with Foreign Minister Ivanov.

Clearly, Chechnya is an issue of pressing importance to the international community and she believes that will be a useful opportunity to explain our concerns and to hear directly from the Foreign Minister about Russian plans and intentions although, as I think you know, she has been speaking very regularly with Foreign Minister Ivanov. I believe they did speak once over the weekend and, therefore, it is her intention to go to Berlin in time for the G-8 meetings on Friday. Obviously, given the fact that we're going to be having Middle East negotiations here on Wednesday and Thursday, it's impossible to speak with philosophical certitude, but that's the intent.

QUESTION: While we're on the subject, the Russians have delayed for two or three weeks the deadline that they gave civilians in Chechnya to clear out. First off, of course, did Albright talk to Ivanov about that or before it or after it? And does the US take some - draw some hope from this pushing of the deadline, or is it the same old squeeze play on the civilians?

MR. FOLEY: I haven't spoken with the Secretary this morning. I don't have the specific readout of her phone call and certainly that last contact would have covered two subjects with the situation involving the Iraqi resolution, the Omnibus Resolution in the Security Council being discussed. Additionally, I presume they would have discussed Chechnya, but I don't have that readout. I'll probably be able to give that to you tomorrow, certainly.

But to answer your second question, which is the important one, we believe it is a hopeful sign that Russian leaders are at least downplaying the ultimatum and that the Saturday deadline passed without a massive attack on Grozny. We believe that Russian leaders at least appear to have been listening to the international community's concern about the potential for further civilian casualties that would result from a massive bombardment of Grozny. As you know, the reports indicate that there may be anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 civilians who are still in the city; many are old, many are infirm, many are injured and many are too afraid to leave. So our concern remains unabated that there is a potential for massive civilian loss in Grozny, in particular, if the Russian military were to move on the city while there were so many tens of thousands of civilians inside the city.

But we are at least encouraged, though, that the Russian Government understands the deep concerns of the international community about such a prospect. I would note several other developments that could be seen as positive if they are reinforced with positive events on the ground; namely the fact that Foreign Minister Vollebaek will be going to Chechnya this week and that is significant for two reasons: first of all, because this is what was agreed in Istanbul at the OSCE summit, as you know; and secondly, because we believe that this visit is an opportunity for the OSCE to begin to play a constructive role in bringing about a political dialogue.

In that light, I would also point to Prime Minister Putin's comments that the Russian Government has been in a dialogue already with Chechen representatives. We hope that this is an indication of a willingness to move towards a political solution, the kind which we - and really almost all members of the international community - have been urging in this case.

QUESTION: I understand you would be hopeful based on the fact that they're simply talking, but the accounts of those meetings are that they weren't productive at all.

MR. FOLEY: Which meetings?

QUESTION: The talks with the Chechens.

MR. FOLEY: I think I was careful not to try to oversell some of these potentially positive indications. As I said, we would want to see what happens next. In other words, it is - let's be honest, though. The fact that the Russians have acknowledged that they've been in contact with political leaders or representatives is a step in the right direction. We've not heard that previously.

Secondly, with Foreign Minister Vollebaek's visit, this provides an opportunity for the OSCE to play the kind of role that everyone in Istanbul, including Russia, agreed the OSCE ought to be able to play, which is to try to promote dialogue and a political solution.

Whether these acts are followed up with positive movement in two senses - namely, the non-implementation, continued non-implementation of the threat to level or attack Grozny and, secondly, followed up with real movement towards political dialogue and a political solution - remains to be seen.

(The briefing was concluded at 2:40 P.M.)

[end of document]