State Department Noon Briefing, October 25, 2000
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2000 - 1:50 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
QUESTION: Last night, the White House said that the President, in the
talk with Arafat, had said, you know, possibly he'd like to have
Arafat and Barak come separately to Washington. Has there been any
follow-up, any probing of interest on their parts, since the
conversation?
REEKER: I really don't have a lot to add, Barry, to not just what was
last night but what the President said just a short while ago in the
Rose Garden at the White House. I think he covered it fairly fully.
As you indicated that the President said, he has continued to discuss
with Prime Minister Barak and with Chairman Arafat implementation of
the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, in particular taking concrete steps to
reduce violence. As you know, the Sharm agreement basically included
three tracks: those concrete steps to reduce the violence, the
formation of a fact-finding committee, and finding a path back to
negotiations, consultations on resuming the negotiating process.
So in that context, as the President said, and in terms of the broad
context of implementing all of the Sharm agreement, the President
indicated that an option may be to have visits from both leaders.
Meetings obviously are one option. Both sides have told us, as the
President said, that they remain committed to the peace process. And
the President raised that possibility, but I really don't have
anything more specific to add to what they said.
Q: You mean the embassies - well, you don't have an embassy in Gaza
or Ramallah yet, but have the diplomats out there tried to find out if
these leaders are interested? I don't know that they told the
President whether they were interested. I assume we would have heard
if they had. But has there been any follow-up, any - you know,
what-do-you-think-of-it type of question?
REEKER: Well, I think, Barry, given the time that we have had there, I
just don't have anything further to what the President indicated.
Obviously he'll continue to be in touch with both leaders, as he said.
We think it's extremely important that the Sharm agreements be put in
place. Implementation is very key, particularly and end to the
violence. And as you know, both sides agreed to take specific concrete
steps, particularly in respect to security to help reduce the
violence. Both sides have made commitments. Both sides need to fulfill
those commitments. And we will continue to try to work with both sides
to see that those steps are carried out.
Q: Of the three things you mentioned, the second requires US action,
the appointment of a fact-finding committee. How close are you to
doing that?
REEKER: I don't have any specific readouts on that. As you know, we
said we would be involved with that with both sides, also in
consultation with the Secretary General of the United Nations on that,
and I just don't have any more details on that. But we do believe --
continue to believe that full implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh
agreement can make a big difference. The longer the violence
continues, obviously, the more difficult it will be to reverse.
Q: Well, if you wanted full implementation, it would strike me the US
would be a little more aggressive on a step that's pretty much in the
US's hands. I mean, the first and third require a lot of compliance
out there, but the US was going to - Secretary Albright said that she
would go ahead and form this commission in consultation with Kofi
Annan; it wouldn't be an international commission.
And it's a fact-finding commission, and presumably that's a key issue.
At least it's been the rationale of the Palestinians for their
rioting, that Israel had done terrible things, and this commission is
supposed to get into that. And so you can't say whether you're
appointing people to this commission?
REEKER: I don't have any further updates for you, Barry, on that,
other than what the President said and what I indicated already.
Q: I wanted to follow up, and I'm still unclear, and I didn't see what
the President said. Is there a formal invitation to Mr. Barak and Mr.
Arafat? Is it out there?
REEKER: Why don't I first just let you go see what the President said,
because we'll have no trouble assisting you in finding a transcript of
that. I'm sure if you watch some of our favorite all-news channels,
you'll be able to see replays of his comments.
What was indicated is in the course of conversations discussing the
implementation of Sharm, the agreements from Sharm el-Sheikh in that
context. The President discussed with the leaders that a meeting with
the leaders could be seen as an option in terms of the broad context
of taking the concrete steps obviously to reduce the violence; the
fact-finding committee that we were just discussing with Barry; and
then the third track of the Sharm agreement, and that is finding a
path back to the negotiations for a comprehensive peace, and in the
context of that an option may be to have meetings. But there is
obviously nothing more definitive than that.
Q: So not a formal invitation?
REEKER: Yes.
Q: Are there any plans for travel by anyone in this building to Egypt?
REEKER: I am not aware of any plans for travel to the Middle East of
anyone in this building.
Q: There are some reports that - from both the Palestinians and the
Israelis that Yasser Arafat has taken on dealing with some of the
members of these Islamic groups, such as HAMAS and the Islamic Jihad
as part of his resistance. And while these - some of these members of
these groups are arrested, and we've talked about that in the past, I
know, it seems that he is heightening up his activities with these
people. And is that something that is in coordination with the Sharm
agreement? I mean, would that be --
REEKER: I've seen a number of the reports you are talking about.
Obviously it is an issue that is of serious concern, and we will
continue to monitor it through our embassy and our consulate there.
The Palestinian Authority has obligations to carry out its
commitments, particularly the fight against terrorism, and to
apprehend, to prosecute and to bring to justice those involved in
terrorist acts. I think, as the President said just a short while ago,
there is a need to see that the people interested in violence are off
the streets.
And obviously Sharm el-Sheikh called for a number of security
measures. We want to see those implemented. There can be no excuse or
justification for any other course of action than carrying out those
commitments.
Q: The Israelis reportedly are requesting about $800 million in new
military assistance. How are the negotiations on that going? Any time
-- do you plan to make a decision on that?
REEKER: I think, as you know, we are currently in the process of
discussing our foreign assistance requirements with the Congress, and
since those are ongoing discussions I just don't have any further
comment until those discussions are completed. So we'll have to leave
it at that.
Q: Is the report accurate, though?
REEKER: I don't even have that kind of information. I've seen a number
of reports out there. I'm just not in a position to talk about our
discussions with Congress on foreign assistance until we have
completed those.
....
Q: Is part of the immediate American diplomatic effort in the region
to get both sides to stop using live ammunition?
REEKER: Sorry?
Q: Is part of the immediate diplomatic effort to get both the
Palestinians and the Israelis to use - to stop using live ammunition?
REEKER: I think what we want to see is an implementation of the Sharm
agreement, and that is trying to get rid of the violence. I think the
President, as I pointed out, addressed that very fully; that until the
violence dies down, we can't move forward. And that is why it is so
important that the Sharm process, the Sharm agreement, the three
tracks, be implemented fully. That is what we are encouraging. That is
obviously part of the President's discussions with the leaders. As the
President indicated in his Rose Garden comments, part of what the
parties agreed to at Sharm in terms of security measures are kept
confidential. That was part of the agreement. But we very much want to
see that implemented so that we can move forward on this.
....
Q: Can we move back a little to the - you were asked before about
reports that Arafat's people are collaborating with HAMAS and others,
and their ilk, and you registered concern and you called for upholding
-- you know, implementing the commitments at Sharm. Does the US
confirm? Does it have any information of its own on whether there is
such collaboration? I don't think you've covered that. I don't think
you were asked that.
REEKER: No, what I indicated, Barry, was that we have seen these
reports that have been out there in the press of various groups, and
what I noted was that the issue is one of serious concern to us, and
we will continue to monitor that through our Embassy and our
Consulate. And as the President said, it is very important that those
people that are interested in violence get off the street. And that is
what we want to see. That is what we think the Sharm el-Sheikh
agreements are about: reducing violence, obviously.
And as I said, the Palestinians Authority has obligations to carry out
the commitments that it has made, particularly to fight terrorism and
to apprehend, prosecute or bring to justice those involved in
terrorist acts. So I don't have anything specific on those reports,
but in response to the general issue, that is what I had to say.
Q: So what the State Department is dealing with at this stage is
reports, and the situation that bears monitoring, is what I conclude.
You're not verifying the reports. There are reports.
REEKER: Right.
Q: And - all right.
REEKER: There are reports of arrests, and reports of re-arrests, and
--
Q: Right. Okay, but two specific things come to mind. Have you asked
them about it? And the second thing would be, if there is still a
restraint on even official travel in that area, doesn't that limit
your monitoring?
REEKER: Well, I think what I can say is that there have been these
releases, arrests, re-arrests. In response to us, the Palestinian
Authority has acted; they have informed us that most of those released
have been re-arrested.
In terms of your question on travel, I think our Embassy and our
Consulate do their best, always with keeping security in mind, to
carry out the meetings that they need to do, their observations so
that can report to us, so that we can monitor, as I indicated, what is
an issue of serious concern to us.
(The briefing was concluded at 2:30 P.M.)
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