18 April 2002
U.S. Cites Progress Achieved in Assisting Mideast Parties Towards Peace
(State's Reeker says Bush, Powell will continue sustained effort)
(4040)
Secretary of State Colin Powell's mission to the Middle East was made
in order to "assist the parties make progress towards peace," said
State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker, and "progress was
achieved."
Speaking to reporters at the daily briefing in Washington April 18,
Reeker said President Bush and Secretary Powell would continue to have
discussions to find ways to move forward towards peace in the region.
"There are no easy fixes to this; I think we're all aware of that. If
there were, it would have been fixed by now. Meaningful progress is
going to require sustained effort, and that's something that the
president and the secretary will continue to have and will continue to
have discussions on that and the ways ahead," said Reeker.
Reeker said the United States would participate in a donors' meeting
in Oslo during the week of April 22 to discuss "urgent humanitarian
needs" of the Palestinians.
"[W]e'll work with the U.N. and determine the most immediate needs in
terms of the humanitarian situation, and then the longer-term needs --
that's something that'll be discussed at the types of conferences like
we'll see in Oslo as we look to that," he said.
The deputy spokesman said the United States remains concerned over the
situation in Jenin, where Israeli troops have been accused of
committing atrocities against Palestinian residents of a nearby
refugee camp.
"The secretary's been quite clear that we need to clear up what the
situation was there. There was a lot of speculative reports. We need
to have access for international humanitarian workers so that we can
actually learn the facts about Jenin, and I think that's in Israel's
best interest as well," said Reeker.
Reeker said the United States continues to call upon Israel to
"respect humanitarian principles and to facilitate access by
humanitarian organizations and services" to the Palestinian
population.
He repeated calls for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to continue to
denounce violence against Israeli civilians.
"When a young Palestinian straps on bombs and blows him- or herself up
along with other innocent civilians, it only serves the cause of
terrorists who don't want to see peace. And he's got to speak out
against that, and he's got to speak for peace and an end to violence,"
he said.
He also said the Israeli withdrawal needs to continue, saying "the
sooner we get that behind us, the sooner we can move forward in other
aspects of this."
Regarding the stand-off in Ramallah, Reeker said that those
responsible for killing the Israeli tourism minister should be brought
to justice, and that the United States wished to see "the two sides
work together to come to a resolution of this," as well as the
situation in Bethlehem.
"The secretary expressed the understanding that there are two
situations in particular, circumstances that need to be addressed
between the two sides, and engagement in security talks is the way
forward to find a resolution to that, and that's what the two sides
need to do," said Reeker.
Following are excerpts from the April 18 State Department Press
Briefing with Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker:
(begin excerpts)
QUESTION: Earlier this week, there was one of the largest pro-Israeli
rally. Now, as far as this rally is concerned, was there any
(inaudible) visiting the Middle East, or his mission a failure or
success? And also, there is another rally, pro-Palestine, this week.
These rallies do make any difference?
MR. REEKER: I think one of the hallmarks of the United States is our
openness to free expression, discussion. These are issues of great
interest to many people in this country, as well as those around the
world, and we pride ourselves on letting people have the opportunity
to express their views and opinions. That is what you have seen here
in Washington and will continue to see on a whole variety of subjects,
including those issues. I don't think anything of that nature impacts
the Secretary's diplomacy that he was conducting, his trip that he has
completed now and reported on to the President out there. So I think
we will continue to have people expressing their views here in the
United States. We listen, as we always do, and work, as the Secretary
has discussed with the President, on how we can move ahead in the
Middle East.
QUESTION: Has there been any discussion in this town or during the
Secretary's trip about possibly helping rebuild part of the
Palestinian infrastructure that was destroyed by the Israelis over the
past days?
MR. REEKER: Well, I think if you recall, and just earlier today, the
Secretary was reporting to the President, and they were discussing it.
The Secretary found broad support in the region for a comprehensive
strategy as a way forward, and he discussed three key elements:
security and freedom from terror, of course, and a serious and
accelerated approach to negotiations to revive the hope of leading to
a political settlement; and the third element of that was economic and
humanitarian assistance to address the increasingly desperate
conditions faced by the Palestinian people. And that was all part of
setting out the President's remarks, the actions called for in the
President's remarks from two weeks ago, from April the 4th. We won the
support of the European Union, the United Nations, the Russian
Federation, which was all expressed in the statement released after
the meetings in Madrid, as you know. So this is very much an
international operation.
The Secretary also met with Arab leaders, regional leaders and
discussed with them the President's call for responsibility to be
taken on so many sides to do this. And one of the areas is the
humanitarian assistance, the economic needs of the Palestinian people.
That will be an important element in this. In that regard, I think you
are aware that the Secretary announced while he was in the region an
additional $30 million that we were providing for the UN Relief and
Works Agency, and another $62 million in accelerated assistance for
health care, water system repairs and emergency food aid.
So that's an important element of this. The Secretary has on many
occasions expressed concerns about the humanitarian situation of the
Palestinian people, and so we will continue to do that. There is also
discussion, of course, about an international donors conference on
urging humanitarian needs for the Palestinians. I believe that is
expected to take place in Oslo next week, the 25th through 26th, and
US officials will certainly attend that meeting as well.
So this is clearly one element of this President's views that he
expressed, that the Secretary went to the region to talk about, that
we are making progress on in terms of moving ahead to find solutions
to the problem in the Middle East.
QUESTION: Just one. So just to make sure that the United States is
prepared to be one of those potential donors, it doesn't expect other
countries to cover the bill?
MR. REEKER: Well, I think it is something that is done in cooperation
with the international community, and that part of the comprehensive
strategy is one piece of what the Secretary worked on in the region,
what we will continue to work on in this process. And as I said, there
is a donors meeting expected to take place in Oslo next week. We will
be there. And I just mentioned to you the most recent donation that we
made, increased funding for the UN to help with some of the urgent
needs there.
QUESTION: How then do you distinguish between the infrastructure that
Israel says was a terrorist infrastructure and the one that you need
for the normal living needs for the Palestinian people?
MR. REEKER: Well, I think we will work with the UN and determine the
most immediate needs in terms of the humanitarian situation, and then
the longer-term needs. That is something that will be discussed at the
types of conferences like we will see in Oslo as we look to that, and
we will let the experts focus on the needs as part of the overall
strategy.
QUESTION: The NGO people have continued to complain that the Israelis
are not giving them free access to Jenin, where many bodies lie buried
and where thousands of people have lost their homes. Has the United
States done anything in the last 24 hours to persuade the Israelis to
open up -- or today, rather? Since the Secretary left, has anybody in
--
MR. REEKER: As you know, when he was in the region, the Secretary
expressed our serious concerns about the humanitarian situation,
particularly in Jenin. We have called upon Israel to respect
humanitarian principles and to facilitate access by humanitarian
organizations and services. We continue with that call, just as we
call on Israel to continue their withdrawals.
And as you know, Assistant Secretary Burns remained in the region,
where he is talking with both sides on all of these issues, and that
would be one area where we continue to press those points that the
Secretary made when he was there.
QUESTION: Yeah, but they don't seem to take much notice of you. Have
you done anything today to --
MR. REEKER: I don't have a readout of all the conversations that have
taken place in the region with Assistant Secretary Burns and the other
officials that are there working on both sides. Our calls remain. Our
concern about the situation in Jenin remains. The Secretary has been
quite clear that we need to clear up what the situation was there.
There was a lot of speculative reports. We need to have access for
international humanitarian workers so that we can actually learn the
facts about Jenin, and I think that is in Israel's best interest as
well.
QUESTION: The administration has been saying repeatedly that the
Israelis -- or calling on the Israelis to pull back. The President
said today, though, that he understood the Israeli need or desire to
try and capture the five suspects in Ramallah. Is that modifying the
general call on Israel to pull back?
MR. REEKER: No, I don't think at all. He was expressing his views that
those responsible for the assassination of an Israeli minister be
brought to justice. The Secretary addressed specifically that
situation yesterday in his press conference. He recognized, as he
said, the circumstances, first of all in Bethlehem, but also at the
compound in Ramallah, and the importance of their urgent, nonviolent
resolution. And so while our goal remains full implementation of the
UN Security Council resolutions, 1402 in particular, I think that is
something that the two sides need to work on. It is why we have kept
people in the region to try to help them to see what we can do to
resolve those situations peacefully. And that is what we are going to
continue to work on.
QUESTION: Preferably, you believe that the Israeli troops should stay
there until they get a resolution on it?
MR. REEKER: That is not what I said. I said we need to see the two
sides work together to come to a resolution of this. It is what the
Secretary talked about yesterday, and obviously that is what we hope
to see happen.
QUESTION: But in the meantime?
MR. REEKER: In the meantime, it is something they are going to need to
work out.
QUESTION: In the meantime, what should happen to those Israeli troops
who are there?
MR. REEKER: Look, we have talked about the withdrawals that need to
take place. The Secretary said it yesterday. Prime Minister provided
him with a timeline through the weekend. And the Secretary stressed to
Prime Minister Sharon the urgency of completing withdrawal, and we
want to see that happen. The Secretary expressed the understanding
that there are two situations in particular, circumstances that need
to be addressed between the two sides, and that engagement and
security talks is the way forward to find the resolution to that. And
that is what the two sides need to do.
This is about everyone taking responsibility in the region. That was
the underlying theme of the President's speech two weeks ago. It is
what the Secretary took with him as a message to the region, that
there are responsibilities on all sides to see a way forward to reach
the vision that the President has expressed, that the international
community has endorsed, that the Arab world has endorsed, so that we
can have two states living side by side as peaceful neighbors.
QUESTION: Now that the Secretary is back, do you have any updates on
issues that were live yesterday, such as the Middle East peace
conference proposal or a Tenet visit to the region?
MR. REEKER: I don't think I have anything particular to add. The
Secretary has just been to the White House, where he was briefing the
President, and I don't have anything to report per se. The Secretary
mentioned some things in his remarks yesterday from Jerusalem. As he
said then, should circumstances warrant, the President is prepared to
send the Director of Central Intelligence, Mr. Tenet, in the near
future to work with the parties on resuming security cooperation. That
is very important. General Zinni we expect to return and continue his
work on implementing the Tenet plan. As I said, Assistant Secretary
Bill Burns remains in the region working with the two sides, along
with our diplomats who are permanently stationed there.
So we are remaining intensely engaged with the parties. It is clear
that improvement in the security situation has to be linked to
determined pursuit of a political solution. And as I said a few
moments ago, our goal remains implementation of the UN Security
Council Resolution 1402 and progress to a just and lasting peace based
on the Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
In terms of the conference idea, I just don't have anything in
particular new to add at this point. I would just refer to what the
Secretary said: we are looking at ideas and possibilities, but nothing
to move that along right now.
QUESTION: Kofi Annan said today that -- I think he said this recently
as well -- a multinational force is essential to a gradual restoration
of trust between Israelis and Palestinians. What do you think of that?
MR. REEKER: Well, I think you know we have always maintained that a
third party monitoring mechanism could be useful if both sides agree
to such a function. And Secretary Powell reiterated that, that once
security meetings and political discussions begin, monitors could be a
useful part of the confidence-building effort. That's something that
the Tenet work plan -- excuse me, the Mitchell Committee
recommendations also outline as a possible role there for monitors.
The President discussed this last summer, and the G-8 statement that
came out of the G-8 meetings in Italy noted that as well.
The April 10th statement from the quartet that we were discussing a
few minutes ago indicated that the US, the EU, the United Nations and
Russia stand ready to assist parties in implementing their agreements,
including through third-party monitoring mechanism, but nothing has
yet been determined. So we will continue discussions with the parties
on that, and continue to see where that might be.
QUESTION: Well, why are you opposed to having a multinational force,
rather than just these third-party monitors which you talk about?
MR. REEKER: I think rather than look at what we are opposed to, since
I haven't suggested I am opposed to anything, I will just describe for
you -- and I can do it again, but I just did -- what we have talked
about, what we have talked about as ways of moving forward, and what
may be elements of that. But discussions will continue at many levels
in the international community, with our partners in that, and of
course between the two sides. Because obviously it is important that
the two sides would agree on this. So it's something we can discuss
with the parties. But I just don't have anything specific to move
forward, other than what we have outlined before.
QUESTION: Mr. Sharon has today rejected Mr. Annan's suggestion. Will
you continue to -- how do you go about this? Do you press Israel on
this? Is it a question of --
MR. REEKER: I don't have anything to add on that, to what I just said.
You know what our views are on monitors, what we have talked about
before, what the Secretary and the President have said for a long time
now, what some of the documents and structures that are in place to
help the process move forward refer to. And so at this point I just
can't take it any further.
QUESTION: Despite the cease-fire, if incidents continues, then who and
how are you going to reinforce the cease-fire?
MR. REEKER: I guess I am not quite sure what you are referring to,
what we want to see --
QUESTION: If there is a cease-fire, in the past also it happened, but
incidents continues, terrorism incidents will continue, let's say,
then how are you going to --
MR. REEKER: Well, as the Secretary -- I don't know that you have read
the Secretary's transcript; maybe you missed his press conference
yesterday, which was very important to understanding this. He outlined
a comprehensive strategy for a way forward that reflects what the
President said two weeks ago, and I know you were there when the
President made his remarks. There need to be three key elements. First
of all, security and freedom from terror and violence for both the
Israelis and Palestinians, as well as a serious and accelerated
approach to negotiations to revive hope and lead to a political
settlement; and then the economic and humanitarian assistance that we
discussed just a little bit ago.
So clearly violence has got to end, Chairman Arafat has got to work
with other Palestinian authorities to make real his statement strongly
condemning the violent operations that target Israeli civilians; he
put out that statement, and that was part of the discussions that the
Secretary had with him. He has got to use his moral authority, use the
bully pulpit that he has by being the leader of the Palestinian people
to condemn these murderous actions, which only push back the
resolution of this situation, that only serve to undermine the dreams
of the Palestinian people for their own state side by side with the
Israeli state.
So I think there has to be a focus on ending the violence and stopping
terrorism. That is what the President said again today. I think you
are familiar with his words that there has to be a real focus on
ending terror, on ending violence, and then focusing on the political
-- in parallel, the political aspects of this to work towards a
solution.
QUESTION: Just a quick follow. Do you agree now, I mean the US, that
the suicide bombers are or were encouraged by this Mr. Yasser Arafat?
MR. REEKER: I think you heard Arafat's statement. He strongly
condemned violent operations that target Israeli civilians. And what I
just repeated to you is what the Secretary indicated, that Arafat and
Palestinians leaders need to use their leadership. They have a
responsibility to their own people, as well as to the process, as well
as to the rest of the international community that has embraced the
vision that we have talked about. And that is to act like leaders, to
speak out against such violence, to speak out against the murder of
innocent civilians in any form, because it's undercutting their own
hopes and goals. When a young Palestinian straps on bombs and blows
him or herself up, along with other innocent civilians, it only serves
the cause of terrorists who don't want to see peace, and he has got to
speak out against that. And he has got to speak for peace and an end
to violence.
...
QUESTION: On the Secretary's peace trip -- which lasted, I believe,
ten days -- I guess the intentions were to bridge solutions. As this
-- in leaving, people have been and commentators have been offering
criticism that he may have left too early. Has this more polarized the
two communities, the Arab world and the Israelis?
And also, former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Monday at
that rally that, in effect, Arafat was similar to Saddam Hussein of
Iraq, and he just had better PR. Is there anything in the short-term
interim that can lead to a willingness to have the parties talk with
one another?
MR. REEKER: I think there will never be a shortage of commentary and
column inches, and hours of discussion on television programs isn't
going to chance the reality on the ground. Secretary Powell was there
to try to move forward a process, part of a process to find a solution
to this. And you heard him talk this morning with the President to
discuss the recent mission he had to the region, trying to assist the
parties make progress towards peace.
The progress was achieved, and the situation on the ground was
something the Secretary discussed with the President. There are no
easy fixes to this. I think we are all aware of that. If there were,
it would have been fixed by now. Meaningful progress is going to
require sustained effort, and that is something that the President and
the Secretary will continue to have and will continue to have
discussions on that in the ways ahead.
Just to point out what the President said this morning, in the short
term the Palestinian Authority has got to act to condemn terror, take
action on the words that we discussed a few moments ago that Chairman
Arafat put out; Israel must continue its withdrawal; and the Arab
community has a responsibility too to condemn and cut off terror, and
that includes suicide bombers.
So there are short-term actions people can take, and beyond that our
vision in the long term is a serious one with foundations and
structures for peace, and we have been through those. There are UN
security resolutions, there are international structures that have
been put in place -- the lead of the United States so often to try to
help the two parties find a way out of this. And they need to do that,
and we are dedicated to doing what we can to help them. But there are
responsibilities on all sides, and that includes thinking about the
rhetoric, thinking how it contributes to the process, and what
everybody can do to try to move the process forward for a peaceful
resolution to this.
...
QUESTION: If I could just stay on the same subject for a minute. This
morning, the Secretary in the White House in the Oval Office said that
he would like to see the Israeli withdrawal accelerated, and called it
one of the difficulties facing us as we try to move forward on the
integrated strategy.
And a few minutes later, the President was asked what he thought about
the withdrawal, and he basically indicated that he's okay with it. He
said Sharon is keeping to the timetable he gave. And then --
MR. REEKER: Again, you need to -- I think my colleague, Mr. Fleischer,
went through all of this. There is a timetable that Chairman Arafat --
pardon me, Prime Minister Sharon gave to the Secretary. We have been
seeing the pullouts, the withdrawals. That needs to continue. If it
can be speeded up, all the better, because as the Secretary has said,
the sooner we get that behind us, the sooner we can move forward in
other aspects of this. And so withdrawal is continuing, and it needs
to continue. And that is exactly what we want to see. It is exactly
what the President said. Mr. Fleischer made that quite clear, and the
Secretary has been quite clear on it, both from the region and now
since he is back today.
(end excerpts)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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