13 November 2003
Rice Says Israeli Security Fence "Continues to Be a Problem"
Says linkage of fence to deductions from loan guarantees "premature"
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said it was still premature to determine any amount of possible reductions in U.S. loan guarantees to Israel -- reductions that the United States is considering in response to Israel's construction of an extensive security fence in the occupied West Bank.
The White House has been warning Israel of possible reductions in loan guarantees, to discourage continued additions to the fence.
Rice, speaking November 13 at a special White House briefing, said the Bush administration continues to view the fence as "a problem" due to concerns that it could somehow prejudge a territorial solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that it can infringe on the lives of ordinary Palestinians.
At the same time, Rice said the United States appreciates some adjustments Israel has made to the route of the fence. "[W]e'll see what other adjustments they might be able to make," said Rice.
Following is an excerpt from Rice's November 13 briefing:
(begin excerpt)
Q: Okay. That given -- (laughter) -- to what extent is the Israeli fence still a problem to the United States? And what have you decided about the loan guarantees and whether to deduct that --
DR. RICE: The fence is -- continues to be a problem. And, first of all, the President has made it pretty clear that he -- his vision of the two-state solution would be one in which you didn't need a security fence. But that said, the two primary concerns are that this not be a fence that somehow prejudges an outcome, a territorial outcome. And secondly, that it not infringe, or it infringes as little as possible, on the lives of ordinary Palestinians. And that's been the nature of the discussions with the Israelis and continues to be the nature of the discussions.
They have made some adjustments to the route of the fence. Those are appreciated. For instance, they've made some adjustments, I think, that have helped a lot in regards to the largest Palestinian university, and we'll see what other adjustments they might be able to make. But the issue of how this relates one way or another to loan guarantees, I think at this particular point is premature.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=November&x=20031113182111namfuaks0.4314386&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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