03 October 2001
Excerpt: Boucher Says Afghans Will Decide Future of Afghanistan
(Says U.S. supports broad-based Afghan government) (1560)
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters on October 3
that it's not for the United States "to decide the future government
of Afghanistan."
"The future of Afghanistan, the decision on what kind of government
they want to have is for the Afghan people to decide.... We don't
believe in nation building. We don't think it's our job to choose
other people's leaders," Boucher said at the October 3 media briefing
at the State Department in Washington.
Boucher said the United States supports the idea of a broad-based
government in Afghanistan. The Taliban, he added, have betrayed the
interests of the Afghan people.
In answer to reporters' questions about a possible visit by Richard
Haas to former Afghan King Zahir Shah in Italy, Boucher confirmed that
Haas, the State Department Director of Policy Planning who will be in
Europe on other discussions, would be seeing the former king during
his visit to Rome.
Boucher explained that the Haas visit was taking place in the context
of regular U.S. contacts with all members of the Afghan factions in
exile and elsewhere.
Following are excerpts from Boucher's October 3 briefing containing
his comments about Afghanistan:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Well, word is that your favorite octogenarian former King is
about to get a visitor from here.
MR. BOUCHER: Richard Haas is going to be seeing him. I don't know --
I'm not sure
-- do I have the date? Anyway, I will check and see if I can get you
the date that Richard Haas will be seeing the King. We, as you know,
have met with him before. We keep in touch with all the various
factions, and he is making the trip in that area, and will go to see
him.
QUESTION: Richard, does this mean that you're considering giving him
another portfolio, other than the one that he has in the Northern
Ireland one? Or is he just going to say hello?
MR. BOUCHER: He is head of our policy planning, and he has contacts
with various other foreign ministries and people in that capacity, and
obviously that's an important function right now as this becomes a
major element of our foreign policy.
So I wouldn't describe the trip as primarily directed at seeing the
King. But he is seeing the King when he is in Rome.
QUESTION: So where else is he going?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll see if I can get you that.
QUESTION: Well, can I ask you another question then? Just based on the
seniority of people who are going to see the King, the last three
visits, I believe, that US officials have had with the King, other
than the congressional delegation on Saturday, have been at the level
of chargé and ambassador, as far as I know. Maybe correct me if I'm
wrong. There hasn't been someone -- a Washington-based diplomat to see
the King in over -- in two years, at least.
So can you --
MR. BOUCHER: So what are we to conclude from this? It's in the --
QUESTION: To conclude that --
MR. BOUCHER: That we have kept in regular touch with all members of
the Afghan factions in exile and elsewhere, but that clearly since
September 11th, the issues involving Afghanistan have become even more
important and even more pressing to the United States. If you can make
a headline like that, we'd appreciate it.
But, yes, indeed, the issues involving Afghanistan have become more
important and more pressing to us since September 11th.
QUESTION: Well, would you like to outline what Mr. Haas might be
saying to the King?
MR. BOUCHER: I'd just put it in the context of our previous
discussions, that we've kept in touch with various factions inside
Afghanistan, various leaders and others outside Afghanistan, that we
certainly support the idea of a broad-based government in Afghanistan.
We certainly believe that the Taliban has, in many ways, betrayed the
interests of the Afghan people. But that the future of Afghanistan,
the decision on what kind of government they want to have, is for the
Afghan people to decide, and we have worked with the United Nations,
with other governments, with other groups to try to understand that
and try to work together with people to allow Afghanistan to
eventually have a broad-based government.
QUESTION: Well, can you -- is it fair to say that you're sounding the
King out on ideas for a broad-based government, not necessarily
suggesting or endorsing any one single --
MR. BOUCHER: We'll certainly be interested in his ideas, as we are
interested in the ideas of others.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Richard, there's been a UN envoy that has been
meeting with the King, as well as with others inside Afghanistan. If
the US is --
MR. BOUCHER: And we work very closely with him. We have met with him a
week ago.
QUESTION: So why is it necessary for the head of policy planning to go
all the way to Italy to meet with the King?
MR. BOUCHER: I just said he wasn't going all the way to Italy just to
meet with the King. He was in Europe on other discussions. He is going
to meet with the King when he is in Italy; that's part of our
continuing process of consultations. We have worked very, very closely
with the UN envoy. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have our own
contacts as well.
QUESTION: Richard, the discussions of the King puts him in the context
of somebody who could provide some information, being part of the
broad-based view. Does the Administration think he has legitimacy to
be the ruler of Afghanistan again?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm going to answer this question the same way I have for
the last week. And that is, we believe that Afghanistan needs, the
Afghan people deserve, a broad-based government. We believe they
deserve peace and stability. We have been the leading donor of
assistance to the Afghan people. We have done a lot to see that they
get that.
But it is not for us to decide the future government of Afghanistan.
And Afghans themselves will have to make that decision, and we work
with the UN and others to try and help that process along.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) asking you whether you would bless him with the
--
MR. BOUCHER: Well, you were. Is he going to be the future leader of
Afghanistan is a fairly straightforward question.
QUESTION: Kings are different. They either have legitimacy to a throne
or they don't. I wondered if a legal judgment has been made in the
administration --
MR. BOUCHER: I am not here to anoint anyone, sorry. I really do think
that is the question you are asking me. I am not about to do that.
QUESTION: Richard, can you say on the King, very briefly, if the
embassy or the State Department has been asked by the first President
Bush -- former President Bush -- to facilitate or arrange a visit with
the King while he is in Rome? I believe he is in Italy now.
MR. BOUCHER: I haven't heard about that. I will try to check and see
if we have anything.
QUESTION: Just the statement that it is not for the United States to
determine the government of Afghanistan, is that a general principle
that would apply to any other government?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes.
QUESTION: Yes?
MR. BOUCHER: Pretty much. You are about to think of an exception --
(laughter).
QUESTION: Well, I am just saying, we fund the rebels in Iraq, or at
least Congress has.
MR. BOUCHER: We have supported Iraqi opposition groups, that is true.
I don't know if that's an exception or if that's actually -- I would
tend to argue that is consistent with the proposition that I just
said. But as you know, the President has stated very strongly we don't
believe in nation building, we don't think it is our job to choose
other people's leaders, no. To the extent that we can help support
people who have a better cause in mind and are more concerned about
their people than some governments do, I am sure we will continue to
do that.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) ask somebody to come from the United States, or
did the State Department ask to visit him?
MR. BOUCHER: I frankly don't know.
QUESTION: Can you take the question?
MR. BOUCHER: I will see if I can find out for you.
QUESTION: Speaking of Afghan groups with other causes in mind, a
spokesman for the United Front laid out a fairly clear battle plan
against the Taliban at a press conference yesterday and basically
said, with United States help, they could easily overcome their forces
in the north of Afghanistan. I know you are not going to talk about
that, but could you at least tell us something about the nature of
this administration's contacts with the United Front's representatives
here in Washington? Who instigates them? Do you seek their advice? Do
you listen to them? Do you take their view of the situation there very
seriously?
MR. BOUCHER: I will have to check on that and see. Again, we have had
contacts with many groups; I am not familiar with each one, how it
works. I will see if I could find you something on the United Front.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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