22 October 2001
Transcript: State Department Noon Briefing, October 22
(Powell is back, the FS exam, Strugar surrenders, Montenegro, Putin
statement/Dunshanbe, China/anti-terrorism, North Korea/South Korea,
Fong Fuming trial in China, future government in Kabul, Mexico,
Colombia, Mideast, various U.S. Embassies/Consulates receiving parcels
with powders, Iraq, Afghanistan) (7080)
State Dept. Deputy Spokesman Phil Reeker briefed.
Following is the State Department transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Daily Press Briefing Index
Monday, October 22, 2001
BRIEFER: Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
STATEMENTS
-- Foreign Service Exam Results and Statistics
-- Surrender of Gen. Pavle Strugar
AFGHANISTAN
-- Putin's comments/ Future government
-- Opium production
-- Humanitarian aid efforts
APEC
-- Shanghai APEC Meetings / Russian-American relations
CHINA
-- Meeting Between President Bush and President Zemin
-- Trial of Fong Fu Ming
N. KOREA
-- Resumption of Talks with U.S.
MEXICO
-- Death of Digna Ochoa
COLOMBIA
-- FARC / Anti-terrorism bill/Coalition participation / AUC activity
ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS
-- Visit of FM Peres Assassination of Israeli Minister / Response to
Zeevi murder
-- Response to latest violence
WTO
-- Venue for upcoming meeting
IRAQ
-- Iraqi connection to September 11 attacks
DEPARTMENT
-- Suspicious letters at post abroad
N. IRELAND
-- Decommissioning
COALITION
-- European cooperation
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2001
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. REEKER: Sorry for the delay, everyone. Welcome back to the State
Department. Secretary Powell returned from Shanghai early this
morning, Washington time, quite early in fact, or quite late last
night, depending on how you want to look at it. The Secretary is in
the office today pursuing his schedule. But I am here to try to take
your questions and talk about the news of the day.
There were a couple of things I wanted to raise off the top. Several
of you had expressed interest in following up on the Foreign Service
exam, which we talked about some time prior to the test, which was
offered on the 29th of September. And while we are focusing on the
difficult issues that are confronting our country since September
11th, I think it is a tribute to the American people and the vital
role of this Department that 12,807 people took the Foreign Service
written exam on Saturday, September 29th. That, of course, is the
first step toward a career in the Foreign Service, and this is the
highest number of people taking the exam since 1988, and a 63 percent
increase over last year.
Significantly, I would also like to note that minority participation
increased from 23 percent last year to 31 percent this year. The
number of African American test takers was the highest in the history
of the Foreign Service, increasing 116 percent over last year. And
Hispanic American test takers were also the highest in the history of
the Foreign Service, doubling in number from last year. Asian American
test takers increased 47 percent; Native American test takers doubled.
So we saw quite a strong result, I think, and we have had a great
morale boost just seeing these results, and the increased media
attention that all of you here helped to provide, I think, along with
Secretary of State Powell and the very positive message he has
delivered about the role of the Foreign Service, the role of the State
Department in, obviously, American foreign policy, the importance of
diplomacy and representing our country abroad, dealing with issues
like those that we have been dealing with since September 11th, along
with the fact that we have put more money and commitment behind our
recruitment and outreach. So we are very pleased with those results.
I would also like to make a statement, which we will put out in
written form following the briefing, on the voluntary surrender of
Pavle Strugar. The United States welcomes the voluntary surrender and
transfer of retired General Pavle Strugar to the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to face prosecution. We
commend the government of Montenegro for its cooperation in this
matter. Voluntary surrenders and transfers of indicted persons help
the region achieve peace and justice. And this is the first voluntary
surrender of a Yugoslav citizen.
It is an encouraging sign, certainly, that the people of Montenegro
are moving towards a stable and peaceful future by addressing the
crimes of the past. And we call upon all remaining fugitives to follow
General Strugar's example of publicly recognizing the personal honor
and dignity of voluntary surrender to the Tribunal to face the charges
against him in, as he put it, a fair trial.
In particular, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic should immediately
surrender to the appropriate authorities.
So, with those subjects, I'm happy to turn it over to the Agence
France Presse, who holds the seat of honor as the wire service in
residence today.
QUESTION: Thank you. The Russian President Vladimir Putin was today in
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where he ruled out any Taliban participation in
future government in Afghanistan. He also strongly supported the
Northern Alliance and former President Rabbani. Do you think his
statement and the Russian efforts in this region are being in
contradiction with your own approach to the Afghan problem?
MR. REEKER: No, not at all. And I think if you were listening closely
to not only the Secretary and his comments from Shanghai, but
certainly to President Bush and his remarks with President Putin, when
they spoke following their meeting, they confirmed their solidarity in
fighting terrorism. Certainly, the discussion included these topics.
The Secretary addressed this in some of his television interviews
yesterday.
As you know, we favor no Afghan faction, and I think peace and
stability can only be established for Afghanistan through the
formation of a broad-based government representing the broad mix of
ethnicities and geographic distribution that characterizes
Afghanistan. And as the Secretary said in his interview yesterday, in
such a government, we need to represent the whole spectrum. And he
noted quite clearly that there will be no place in a new Afghan
government for the current leaders of the Taliban regime.
So again, we also join with others in the international community in
supporting a central role for the United Nations, and we welcome the
Secretary General's reappointment of Lakdhar Brahimi as his Special
Representative for Afghanistan. As you know, we had meetings first in
New York, and then in Washington late last week with Mr. Brahimi on
that very important subject.
QUESTION: In Shanghai, President Bush and Chinese President Jiang
Zemin talked about -- they spoke generally about increasing
cooperation in areas like trade and economics. Do we know -- or could
you tell us, are there new meetings that will take place, or is there
increased sort of shuttling back and forth between the US and China as
a result of the Shanghai meetings?
MR. REEKER: Well, I think there was a real building on discussions
that the two presidents had had earlier this year in fashioning the
new Russian-American relationship. And the talks, as they were
certainly described to me, were very productive and advanced our
agenda. These are the talks that took place in Shanghai.
There were really, I think, three areas to focus on: the solidarity in
fighting terrorism, the discussion in-depth of the new strategic
framework, and of course then that leads into the next set -- to
answer your question more specifically -- the next set of talks that
they expect to carry out in terms of dialogue here in Washington and
in Crawford, Texas next month. So I would really refer you to the
White House for more details on that. But the President is looking
forward to that.
Most importantly, though, it is quite clear, as we have discussed,
that the US and Russia are no longer enemies. We are working on a new
strategic framework together, and we think that will allow us to
promote our relations with Russia and work together to deter and
defend against the new threats that we have seen.
QUESTION: My question is about China, though, I'm sorry.
MR. REEKER: About China?
QUESTION: Yes. Zemin and Bush talked about -- generally about trade
and economics.
MR. REEKER: Those two presidents? I'm sorry.
QUESTION: That's all right. That's good stuff on Russia, though.
MR. REEKER: We were focusing on -- yes, take that for what it's worth.
That will take care of one of the future questions. We have got a lot
of presidents that we have been working with over the last few days.
I think, similarly, the main focus that you heard from Shanghai in the
meeting between President Jiang Zemin and the United States President,
George W. Bush, the main focus was counter-terrorism. The Chinese
President assured our President that China stood with the US and the
international coalition in the response to the September 11th attacks.
The two presidents did discuss economic issues, including our support
for China's accession to the WTO, the World Trade Organization, as
well as other issues in our bilateral agenda: nonproliferation,
religious freedom, human rights issues, missile defense, regional
issues of interest, such as our shared desire to promote peace on the
Korean Peninsula. And we can certainly assist you in getting full
texts of the transcripts of their joint press conference and readouts
that were given in Shanghai.
QUESTION: Just before the APEC talks got going, President Bush called
on North Korea to resume a dialogue with the US. Do you see any signs
that that is likely to happen anytime soon?
MR. REEKER: Well, certainly, it is something we have been discussing
for some time, and I would refer to what the President said last
Friday following his meeting with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung,
when they discussed the importance of pursuing that dialogue. And we
reaffirmed, as President Bush said, our support for President Kim's
Sunshine Policy. We have appreciated his leadership in this very
important issue, and as the President said, after we had reviewed our
policy on North Korea, we have offered the North Koreans the chance to
meet with US representatives. We look forward to hearing a positive
response from him. We wish to begin this dialogue with the Government
of Kim Jong Il in North Korea.
So far, we have not had a positive response to that. And we would
hope, again as the President said, that he would accept not only our
invitation, but seize the opportunity to bring more peace and
stability to the Korean Peninsula. There is an opportunity there to
lead, and it is a moment in history that we can grasp and move forward
on that.
QUESTION: Can I go back to the Taliban? Taliban error?
MR. REEKER: Let's finish -- we'll do a big global circle here.
QUESTION: The Secretary said they are going to work on the ABM Treaty
between US and Russia before President Putin comes to the US. Has
there been anything between the US and China on this same subject?
MR. REEKER: I think, as I indicated, in the broad dialogue that the
two presidents had, President Jiang Zemin and our President in
Shanghai, they discussed a full range of issues. I don't have any more
details to go into here, but I am sure the White House can review with
you some of those things.
Obviously, the ABM Treaty is an issue between the United States and
Russia. It is our treaty and that is something we will continue
discussing. As you know, we have said for quite some time, that
treaty, which is over 30 years old, is outmoded for the realities of
today's world. And so it has been a topic of discussion with our
Russian friends. And we will continue those discussions when the
presidents meet again in Washington and Crawford next month.
QUESTION: Do you have anything to say about the trial today of a
Chinese American citizen, Fong Fuming? His trial ended today but with
no verdict.
MR. REEKER: Yes. As you indicate, Mr. Fong's trial took place today,
October 22nd. I understand it lasted about seven hours. There was a US
Embassy consular officer in attendance in accordance with our US-China
bilateral consular agreement and the Vienna convention.
The court has announced that there will be an additional hearing to
consider further evidence in the case, but they did not announce a
date and a time for that additional hearing.
Our consular officer reported that Mr. Fong appeared healthy at the
trial. And that is really all I have to offer for you at this point.
QUESTION: Are you disappointed that there was no verdict today?
MR. REEKER: Mr. Fong has asked that we not discuss the substance of
his case in any further detail. So, in continuing with his wishes, I
will leave it at that. Those are the facts. Our consular officer was
there and, as I said, we don't have an indication yet from the Chinese
as to when they would move on.
QUESTION: On the discussions with United Nations about the
post-Taliban era, as you said, a broad-based representative
government, how the discussions were about the King of Afghanistan who
lives in Rome? What is the position of the United States about that?
MR. REEKER: Our position has been that the future government of
Afghanistan should be as broad-based as possible. As you know, we have
reached out and talked to numerous groups of Afghans representing
diverse geographic regions, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds and the
Afghan Diaspora. We have done that for many years. That includes the
former King. And we think he, as well as all the other groups, can
play a positive role in doing that. So we will continue to have those
discussions. I don't have any more details. But I think we were very
much in sync with the United Nations Representative when we met last
week and will continue, since that was obviously a first round of
discussions, an opportunity to compare notes. We will continue those
discussions, I'm sure, in New York and here. Our Ambassador Richard
Haass, Director of the Office of Policy Planning, as you know, is
coordinating US Government efforts in that direction in terms of our
policy on Afghanistan.
QUESTION: So you don't see any conflict, because the King comes from
the Pashtun ethnic group, as the Taliban government?
MR. REEKER: Once again, I don't know if I can say it any more clearly,
we don't support any individual or single group. We support as
broad-based a future government as can be brought together for
Afghanistan, a successful government with a focus on human rights, on
actually governing, serving the people, unlike the regime that they
have had for five years, is what we would like to see there. And,
obviously, a regime that not only tries to bring stability to the
country, but also a regime that is dedicated to having a
terrorist-free Afghanistan is, I think, what everybody in the
international community hopes for.
QUESTION: Phil, can I change the subject to Latin America?
MR. REEKER: Sure.
QUESTION: I have two questions in two different countries. First, in
Mexico, this weekend was killed one of the lawyers defending human
rights, and I wonder if you have any reaction to that, any comment?
MR. REEKER: Let me just say on that that the United States of America
utterly condemns the brutal murder on October 19th of Mexican human
rights activist Digna Ochoa. Ms. Ochoa was known and lauded the world
over for her dedication, a dedication which often entailed
considerable personal risk, to advancing human rights for all
Mexicans. So again, we utterly condemn what was a deplorable
assassination there. We are not going to contribute to speculation as
to the perpetrators of this crime, but we expect certainly that the
Government of Mexico will fully investigate the murder and prosecute
those found responsible.
QUESTION: And on Colombia, Phil, there have been new developments
inside the Government of Colombia in terms of the negotiations with
the FARC, and also actions to combat the acts -- the killing of
people, civilians by this terrorist group.
They present a new set of measures, for the first time recognizing --
the Government of Colombia -- the FARC as a terrorist group. Have you
guys been looking at these measures introduced?
MR. REEKER: Certainly we have recognized the FARC as a terrorist group
for some time, as you know, from regularly reading and referring to
our annual Patterns of Global Terrorism Report. In addition to the
FARC, the ELN and this year, since September 10th, the AUC
organizations in Colombia, have all been designated under our law as
foreign terrorist organizations.
I am not aware of the specifics of the Colombian developments. I would
be happy to check into that and see if we had anything to add. But as
you know, we have been very supportive of President Pastrana and his
Plan Colombia, his strong counter-narcotics program. We have talked
about, our Patterns of Global Terrorism has talked about, the links
between these terrorist organizations with narcotics trafficking as
well. So those are issues that remain of great concern to us.
QUESTION: Phil, on the Mid-East, Israeli Foreign Minister Peres has
spoken today, and I guess yesterday as well, about the idea of the
Palestinians having "a position" in Jerusalem, that that could be part
of a formula for a solution. I wonder if you could comment on that
specific aspect of his comments.
And also, just to complete the question, whether you could give us
sort of a rundown of the Foreign Minister's schedule tomorrow, and on
the US goals for this latest round of Mid-East diplomacy?
MR. REEKER: Well, for a specific rundown of the Foreign Minister's
schedule, I would refer you to the Embassy of Israel. The Foreign
Minister will be here to meet with Secretary Powell tomorrow
afternoon.
In answer to your first question, before I forget it, as we have
always said, issues of Jerusalem are, we believe, final status issues
that should be addressed in dialogue in negotiations between the
parties. That is what we have called for for so long, of course, under
the basis of the UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
In that vein, knowing that that is the goal that we have long
advocated -- that is, getting into the Mitchell Committee
recommendations, moving back towards a dialogue where they can
negotiate final status issues for a lasting peace in the region -- we
are very concerned at the escalation of violence and the deterioration
in conditions on the ground over the past several days.
We have made those concerns very clear in conversations over the
weekend. Secretary Powell spoke with Prime Minister Sharon and with
Chairman Arafat. He spoke with them from Shanghai before he departed
to return to Washington. Those calls have been followed up by
Ambassador Kurtzer, who has met with Israeli officials today, and our
Consul General Schlicher, who met with Chairman Arafat this morning.
They both met separately, and also with other representatives of the
international community in those meetings.
As you indicated, Foreign Minister Peres is in Washington. He will
meet with Secretary Powell tomorrow afternoon. We have made very clear
to Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority that they must act
immediately to arrest all those responsible for the assassination of
Minister Zeevi last week, as well as moving decisively against those
planning and conducting other acts of terror.
In this regard, the Palestinian Authority's decree outlawing such
activities is a positive step. But, as we have said many times in the
past, actions are required, not just words. Those who operate against
the authority of Chairman Arafat and efforts to achieve a cease-fire,
act against the interests and aspirations of the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian Authority, again, must do all in its power to halt
violence and terror and bring to justice the terrorists whose actions
are betraying Palestinian interests.
We have also made quite clear to Israel that Israel must act now in a
manner that helps restore calm. Israeli incursions into
Palestinian-controlled areas have contributed to a significant
escalation and tension and violence, as I noted earlier. The
Government of Israel has told us that it does not intend to remain in
those areas. Israeli defense forces should be withdrawn immediately
from all Palestinian-controlled areas and no further such incursions
should be made.
We deeply regret and deplore Israeli defense force actions that have
killed numerous Palestinian civilians over the weekend. The deaths of
those innocent civilians under the circumstances reported in recent
days are unacceptable, and we call upon Israel to ensure that its
armed forces exercise greater discipline and restraint.
As we've said in the past, both sides have to step back and consider
where their actions are leading. Failure on the part of the
Palestinian Authority to confront terror in a decisive manner is
absolutely unacceptable. Retaliatory actions by Israel cannot produce
lasting security, which is the goal we have so long advocated.
So we call upon both sides to do all they can to halt this continuing
dangerous situation marked by violence and provocation and act in a
manner that allows progress on implementing the Mitchell Report and
restoration of direct dialogue between the parties, as I said, on the
basis of the UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
QUESTION: As a follow-up, there have been a number of reports
indicating that the United States was prepared to advance a plan that
included final status proposals, such as a Palestinian position in
Jerusalem. Was that an idea that was advanced and then shelved for
some reason?
MR. REEKER: I think Ambassador Boucher was quite clear in earlier
briefings, if I can quote him. We have no plan. What we want to do, as
we have been doing, is encourage both sides to make maximum efforts to
get the violence down, stop the cycle of provocation and violence, get
into the Mitchell Committee recommendations, which, as you know,
provide the roadmap, the framework for moving ahead so we can get back
to a position where the two sides can pursue dialogue, can pursue
negotiation toward a final status agreement. That's where those issues
can be raised. But right now, we're very concerned about what has
happened on the ground and we are urging both sides to take the steps
that I just outlined.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR. REEKER: Is there anything else on the Middle East first? Can I
just see if we want to follow that up first.
QUESTION: It seems today there has been a decision to hold the WTO
meeting in Qatar. And I am wondering two things. One, what role do you
guys play in ensuring security there? And how large will your
delegation be?
MR. REEKER: WTO is a bit of a jump from the Middle East, but that's
okay. I will note, as I think you were indicating, that Mike Moore,
the Director General of the World Trade Organization, announced today
that the World Trade Organization Ministerial would go ahead in Doha,
Qatar, as scheduled November 9th through 13th. And I think Qatar
deserves to be applauded for its truly excellent preparations for the
ministerial. The United States certainly looks forward to a successful
meeting that we hope will result in the launching of a new trade
round, something the President has indicated is vitally important as
we focus on economic reforms and developments, moving ahead in that.
I think for any further detail or information on our delegation, you
would have to talk to the US Trade Representative's office, since they
have the lead on that. But certainly there is likely to be State
Department participation in that delegation.
QUESTION: Broadly connected to the Middle East. Do we have any, or
does the administration have any indication or reason to believe that
there is any Iraqi connection to the anthrax incidents here
domestically?
MR. REEKER: I think that is something that the Secretary and others
have addressed. We have no illusions about Saddam Hussein, and his
record of threats and assaults upon his own people, as well as
neighboring countries, is very well known, as are his attempts to
develop weapons of mass destruction. We don't put anything past Saddam
Hussein, but I don't believe that there is any clear linkage at this
point. I would have to refer you to investigating authorities in the
health field or at the Justice Department for anything specific.
But the Secretary has said previously that the extent of any linkages
based on some of the reports we have seen is not clear. But he has
underscored the fact that we have no illusions about Saddam Hussein.
Our focus, of course, in the campaign against global terrorism right
now is on the al-Qaida terrorist network hiding in Afghanistan, where
they have been given cover by the Taliban regime which, of course, has
decided to side with the terrorists and now are paying that price as
well.
QUESTION: As a follow-up, there have been a number of reports of
suspicious packages and letters being delivered to embassies around
the world. Have any of those turned up positive for anthrax?
MR. REEKER: You are correct that a number of embassies and consulates
have received letters with suspicious powders, just as we have seen
domestically as well, and certainly in other countries. Just judging
by the press reports, this is not an isolated phenomenon.
I am not going to get into the specifics of which embassies or
consulates have or have not received suspicious letters or packages,
other than to say that all posts have responded properly and they are
taking the necessary precautions. They are continually reviewing their
security postures, taking additional steps if necessary. Last week, we
discussed a bit about our review with employees in terms of mail
handling and the appropriate steps to take, similar to those that we
are discussing domestically.
Support from host governments overall has been outstanding, in cases
where our embassies have had suspicious packages. And in most cases, I
think, those are turned over to local authorities for testing. I am
not aware of all the reviews of those tests at this point, but when
last I checked, there was no confirmation of any hazardous substance.
So there are a lot of reports out there and we are following up and
checking on all of those.
Anything further on that subject?
QUESTION: I've got a Middle East question, before you go to Colombia.
Foreign Minister Peres's remarks have really been markedly different
from the statements coming out of Israel in the past several days.
Obviously, we all understand Peres and Sharon have different political
views. But I wonder if the State Department perceives a shift in the
tone from the Israeli Government, compared to last week when things
really were at a high boil, what with the assassination and so forth?
MR. REEKER: I would leave the Israeli Government to describe or give
tone to their statements. I think we really have to leave that up to
them and I will let you do your own analysis. Foreign Minister Peres
is seeing Secretary Powell tomorrow. They will be meeting in the
afternoon to discuss the broad spectrum of bilateral and regional
issues between us. And, obviously, the Secretary plans to discuss
implementation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations and our
ongoing efforts to encourage the two sides to reduce the violence, as
I said earlier.
I think we have stated our positions clearly, both publicly and in
private discussions with the Israelis, and we are going to continue to
make our views known in our discussions with both sides in that
conflict, as we hope to see progress that can get them on the right
path to resolving their differences, to a lasting peace so that all
the people in the region can live more secure, more prosperous, better
lives.
QUESTION: You said a few minutes ago that all responsible for last
week's assassination of the tourism minister in Israel should be
arrested. Foreign Minister Peres, last night and this morning, went
further and said they should be jailed and even demanded that they be
handed over. Do you think those demands are justified?
MR. REEKER: I think we addressed that subject last week. Again, our
call is for Chairman Arafat, the Palestinian Authority, to take
immediate action to arrest those responsible and move decisively,
frankly, against all those planning or conducting terrorism. And there
are security structures in place, through the Tenet work plan and
other ways that the two sides can discuss those issues.
QUESTION: To follow up on Jesus' question, I would like to know your
impression about the Colombian Government today is going to present a
strong bill -- anti-terrorism bill. It contains heavy penalties to
combat terrorists. It is important, a statement from Colombian
Government against terrorism campaign?
MR. REEKER: Not having actually seen the bill or knowing what the
Colombian Government is going to do, I can't really comment on it. But
certainly our stand against terrorism has been quite clear for a long,
long time. But particularly since September the 11th, when we have
seen the tragic results of what these terrorists can do to our
country. This is a global threat. We are working with a worldwide
coalition of the civilized world to stamp out terrorism, focusing
right now on al-Qaida, using all the tools available to us, that is
financial and economic steps we can take, diplomacy, where we are
working with countries all over the world and keeping in a close
dialogue on counter-terrorism issues with many countries.
We are using law enforcement cooperation. You have seen reports of
arrests, you have seen countries passing laws or introducing
legislation to tighten up on terrorists, to take away their ability to
take advantage of open societies, to take advantage of the global
financial network. These are the steps we have to take, not to
jeopardize our values and what is important in our lives, but to
disallow the terrorists from using those aspects of our society, of
the 21st century, to use those against us for their own twisted means
and aims.
So we will continue working with countries in our coalition. Different
countries will be called on to do different things at different times.
But we certainly applaud all steps taken in this direction and, like I
say, I can't comment specifically on the Colombian steps but I know we
will continue to have a strong dialogue with our friends in Colombia.
QUESTION: I have one other question, I'm sorry. Colombian army found a
secret document which belonged to the AUC. That document contained a
list of names. These are men who are supporting AUC. Actually, the
document shows that people supporting paramilitaries have been sending
checks from USA, US banks. So is the USA helping Colombian authorities
in this investigation?
MR. REEKER: I am not aware of that specific document or that specific
thing. I am aware that, on September the 10th, we formally designated
the AUC as a terrorist organization under our law. So it now appears
on the list and we spoke about that at some length on September the
10th. So that joins the other two organizations that had been
previously designated and have since been re-designated as foreign
terrorist organizations in Colombia.
I know that we have a counter-terrorism dialogue in terms of part of
our relationship with Colombia. I don't have anything specific for you
on that. I wasn't even aware of those reports. But just the other day,
I issued a statement condemning a terrorist action taken by the AUC in
terms of murdering a number of civilians, innocent civilians, and we
condemned that most roundly.
QUESTION: Have you been following the people who are supporting
paramilitaries from USA banks in the United States?
MR. REEKER: I think I just indicated that I don't have any information
on the reports you are talking about.
QUESTION: I wonder if you could react to statements by Gerry Adams and
Martin McGuinness today calling on -- who say that they have called on
the IRA leadership to make a gesture on decommissioning?
MR. REEKER: I did see reports of those statements just before I was
coming out. I am afraid it was cutting the edge too closely. I've got
to let my folks look at the facts, look at the reports, examine those,
and we will try to get you something this afternoon. So if you want to
keep in touch with the Press Office, we will get some reaction on
that. But they need to have a look at that. I'm sorry, the timing
doesn't do well for some people's deadlines, I know.
QUESTION: What details can you provide about the letter the
Administration has sent EU officials listing several dozen areas where
United States wants more cooperation from the EU?
MR. REEKER: I don't think I have any specifics on the letter. As you
know, we have an intensive dialogue. One major aspect of our campaign
against terrorism is a diplomatic dialogue that discusses a number of
these things, ideas, back and forth, certainly with our European
friends and allies. That has been important.
I think the European Council indicated on Friday that, again, when
meeting in Ghent, they stated their unequivocal support for the
actions taken in the global campaign against terrorism. The EU has
taken unprecedented steps to improve their capacity to fight terrorism
on many levels and they are working extremely closely with us. And
that will be the context in terms of our information sharing, two-way
information sharing on ideas and next steps forward to, as I said,
root out, choke off the ability of these organizations to operate.
So we are very grateful for the immediate, resolute and effective
support for the coalition among our European friends. I think a number
of our allies have taken impressive steps to track down terrorist
activity within their individual borders, and these actions have been
really crucial to the coalition's pursuit of al-Qaida in particular
and our endeavors to rip out all terrorism with a global reach.
As the President has said and Secretary Powell has echoed, this is
going to be a long-term, multi-faceted global campaign to combat
terror. And we will continue to work very closely with our European
allies, but with all those in the coalition, as they have different
roles and efforts they can undertake to help in this.
QUESTION: Could I go back to Afghanistan?
MR. REEKER: Please. I'll get you a ticket -- (laughter).
QUESTION: The ban on the growth of the opium poppy is reportedly
unraveling. How serious is that? And would you do something about that
in the possible post-Taliban period?
MR. REEKER: I think you are indicating the reports that we have also
seen from UN drug control officers in Pakistan that they have
reportedly detected signs that Afghan farmers in Taliban areas have
begun planting opium poppy again. We have not seen reports that the
Taliban has officially lifted the ban on growing of opium poppy, but
the resumption of poppy cultivation suggests that the Taliban is not
enforcing the ban that they had declared. And we think that the
resumption of such cultivation would be unfortunate and again would
further distance the Taliban from the international community and
would highlight once again the cynicism of their approach in their
regime in Afghanistan.
So we will continue to monitor that situation closely, working
obviously with the UN and others in the international narcotics
eradication and control efforts. And we continue to be quite concerned
about other aspects of the drug trade there, beyond just poppy
cultivation, and that is heroin production and certainly trading and
trafficking in heroin and processed poppy products.
There have been large seizures of opiates originating in Afghanistan,
and that continues to take place in Pakistan and other neighboring
countries, indicating that in spite of their ban on poppy growth, drug
traffickers are able to draw on stockpiles of opium that were produced
in Afghanistan under the Taliban over the last several years. And we
know that the Taliban has derived revenue from the drug trade in the
past and have no evidence indicating that that practice has stopped.
So it is something that concerns us that we will follow quite closely
as part of our campaign.
QUESTION: Will you take any specific measure in the future?
MR. REEKER: Again, I don't think I can discuss specific measures that
we have taken or will take. It is something that, as you know, we have
been very involved in. Prior to September the 11th, the US Government
was preparing to provide over $2 million in assistance to the UN and
nongovernmental organizations for former poppy farmers affected by the
drought in Afghanistan and unable to pursue alternative crops. And
these projects are on hold in light of recent events.
We have been working and cooperating regionally with the United
Nations and with Afghanistan's neighbors there in the region to build
capabilities regionally and nationally to counter the Afghan drug
trade that takes place under the Taliban. We have been very active, as
you know, in the UN-sanctioned Six Plus Two working group on drugs,
and that is the six countries neighboring Afghanistan, as well as the
United States and Russia, in efforts to launch a regional
counter-narcotics initiative. So we will continue with those efforts,
because it is something that concerns us, and it is a way that the
Taliban has found funding for their regime which, of course, supports
the al-Qaida network.
QUESTION: This morning, I spoke to former Congressman Dan Glickman who
is now working, I guess, with NGOs to stamp out what has been a surge
in the last several years of a lack of fine stringency for US patents
and trade, stamping out so-called sweatshops in the apparel lines as
well as, if you would, counterfeit watches, software, video and that
style of export. And we have been mentioning the Middle East, we have
been mentioning India, Pakistan. But some of these countries they are
bearing down on or talking with are Indonesia, to some degree the
Philippines and other small areas, Malaysia, where some of this does
go on.
One of the concerns is China. Was something on that order brought up
in these talks this past week at the APEC meeting?
MR. REEKER: I would have to check and see if that specific thing you
are mentioning was. It is an area that is of interest to us. It is an
aspect of contemporary diplomacy in terms of intellectual property
protection, an issue that is dealt with under trade. That is why we
think the World Trade Organization is an important organization and we
are glad to see the meeting in Doha going ahead and the opportunity to
advance a new round of trade negotiations.
Why don't we try to hook you up with somebody in our Economic and
Business Affairs Bureau, who might be able to talk to you more
specifically about those things, and we can check and see if that came
into the agenda specifically at APEC in Shanghai.
I did want to note, because some had asked earlier and we didn't have
all the information updated for today, about the humanitarian effort
in Afghanistan. We will be putting out a paper statement later this
afternoon noting that the US has contributed another $10 million to
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. We are announcing that again in
response to UNHCR's current emergency needs to assist Afghan refugees
who are fleeing to neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan, in
this case. And with this latest contribution, we have given $14
million to the UN Commissioner for Refugees to assist the people of
Afghanistan over the coming winter. This, of course, is in addition to
all the other assistance that we have been discussing, part of the
$320 million initiative the President has announced to support the
people of Afghanistan. It complements the assistance provided by USAID
and the Department of Agriculture in terms of the food shipments going
there, and that remains a major priority of ours.
With the sudden increase in the number of Afghan refugees at the
Chaman border with Pakistan, the World Food Program is moving enough
food to the area to feed the new arrivals. Today -- and these are the
figures I was able to get just now -- 80 metric tons of wheat flour, 4
metric tons of oil, and 8 metric tons of beans are on their way to
Chaman. Four hundred and seventy-five metric tons of wheat are already
pre-positioned there for further refugee arrivals. And yesterday and
today, 38 metric tons of high-energy biscuits have been moved from
Quetta, Pakistan, to the border. And I would just note that 300 grams
of those biscuits are enough to feed one person for one day. So 38
metric tons, you guys can do the math, with 300 grams -- it's a great
metric system test for all of us.
Distribution of food inside Afghanistan is continuing, despite
increasingly difficult conditions, including looting reported to be
taking place, perpetrated by the Taliban. Today, I am told World Food
Program staff have distributed 500 metric tons of food to internally
displaced persons in Kabul Province through the Canadian Relief Fund.
And that's about enough food, I am told, for 10,000 households for one
month.
And so we continue to pursue those initiatives because, as the
President and Secretary Powell have made quite clear, we have no
quarrel with the Afghan people. Their hardship was coming to a head
long before the tragic incidents when we were attacked on September
11th. They have suffered through 22 years of civil war, they have
suffered through five years of the Taliban rule and, of course, three
years of severe drought and are facing a major famine. They certainly
were facing that before September the 11th. And the United States has
supplied more than 80 percent of all food shipments sent to vulnerable
Afghans through the UN World Food Program and will continue to be the
leading food donor for Afghanistan.
Anything else? Thanks.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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