Military

23 February 2005

State Department Briefing, February 23

Canada, Venezuela, Sudan, Togo, Kenya/Somalia, Lebanon/Syria, Egypt/Syria/Lebanon, Slovakia/Russia/Lebanon/Syria/region, Israel, Israel/Palestinians

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher briefed the press February 23.

Following is the transcript of the State Department briefing:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing Index
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
12:30 p.m. EST

Briefer: Richard Boucher, Spokesman

CANADA
-- Ballistic Missile Defensive Shield Accord
-- North American Aerospace Defense Command Agreement
-- Cooperation on Issues of Mutual Defense

VENEZUELA
-- U.S. Response to Foreign Minister's Speech

SUDAN
-- U.S. Support for Abuja Negotiations on Darfur

TOGO
-- Announcement to Schedule Elections
-- Calls for President Gnassingbe to Step Down

KENYA/SOMALIA
-- Promotion of Stability in Somalia

LEBANON/SYRIA
-- Reported Remarks by Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt
-- UN Resolution 1559/Travel of Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield/Elections
-- Hariri Assassination
-- Planned Protests/Calls for Syrian Troop Withdrawal
-- International Investigation of Hariri Assassination

EGYPT/SYRIA/LEBANON
-- U.S. Calls for Support for Peace and Stability in Iraq

SLOVAKIA/RUSSIA/LEBANON/SYRIA/REGION
-- Secretary's Travel and Assistance of Russia in Dismantling Terrorist Groups

ISRAEL
-- Reports of Diplomatic Rapprochement with Libya, Bahrain, Dubai

ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS
-- Delays in Palestinian Voting on New Cabinet

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2005
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

12:30 p.m. EST

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be here. I don't have any statements or announcements, so I would be glad to take your questions.

QUESTION: Is there any chance that Canada, formally or informally, has advised the United States that it will drop out of the ballistic missile shield accord? There are such media reports.

MR. BOUCHER: I know there are such media reports. I also don't believe the Canadians have made any decision -- any announcements of any decisions, let me put it that way. The United States and Canada cooperate very closely on defense of all kinds, and we work very well together. We have been engaged in discussions of missile defense since 2003.

I think you will all remember in August of 2004, the United States and Canada agreed to amend the North American Aerospace Defense Command agreement so that NORAD can provide attack warning to support U.S. Northern Command's missile defense mission from North America. That said, any decisions on missile defense programs and participation are for Canada to make and for Canada to announce.

Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Are you really satisfied, though -- is the U.S. Government satisfied with the participation that Canada signed on to with the agreement last August?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, the agreement last August I think is the foundation for cooperation in future defense, and it's -- we do think it is an important step forward. We think it is a valuable agreement both for Canadians and for Americans. But specifically, this question of, do they go beyond that in terms of participating in the actual programs, that is going to be a question the Canadians have to decide. We have been talking about it with them, but ultimately they have to decide based on all their own factors. And they'll do that.

QUESTION: Can I turn it around a little bit?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes.

QUESTION: Does cooperation between two old friends and allies depend solely on this agreement, or, you know, its longstanding cooperation?

MR. BOUCHER: No, there's enormous cooperation in many, many areas with Canada on defense because we inhabit the same space and we protect each other. That said, in this particular missile defense, we think this amendment to the NORAD agreement was a useful one because it opens up an opportunity to make sure that anything that comes into that space gets tracked properly. There is a step beyond that the Canadians could take, should they wish to do so, and that is to participate actually in the building of the system. And that is where Canada has decisions to make. And I know there are press reports that they have decided not to but we will just have to see what decisions they make and what announcements they make.

QUESTION: Do you know whether Canada has formally said to the U.S. or not whether they're going to participate further in the program? I wonder is the U.S. going to be willing to flip the bill to protect Canada without the political or financial backing from Canadians to protect them?

MR. BOUCHER: As I have said, there is a lot we do together. I mean, the cooperation with Canada in the area of defense is wide-ranging and goes to many different areas. On this particular area, whatever we do in terms of missile defense would, indeed, given the geography, have the effect of helping protect further generations of Canadians and Americans. We have made clear, I think, all along that we were certainly interested in seeing if Canada would participate in this program. But as I said, the bottom line is, it is a decision for Canada to make whether they are going to do that or not at this stage.

QUESTION: Do you think that there will -- there is a sense that there is some ill feeling towards Canada when Canada decided not to participate with troops on the ground in the Iraq war. Do you think that if Canada decides not to participate officially in missile defense, do you think that there will be a recreation of that ill feeling?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to speculate or predict ill feeling. I think, once again, you know, we have a very solid basis of cooperation in many, many areas and we'll see how that sees us through.

QUESTION: Change of subject? Well, let's stick with the hemisphere and the general topic of ill feeling. (Laughter) I'm going to Venezuela.

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister gave a speech in a news conference this morning. I'm fairly certain you won't have had a chance to see a transcript of his remarks, but they include his saying that absurd accusations by the United States against Venezuela -- for example, questions about possible Venezuelan arms sales or transfers to Colombian terrorist groups and calling Venezuela a destabilizing force in the region -- he regards -- their government regards as a sort of precursor to what they regard as further attacks on Venezuela. I don't think they were talking about military attacks, but things that they blame on the United States like labor unrest in their oil industry.

I would be happy to draw you into this sort of war of words if you wish, but I was wondering --

MR. BOUCHER: I'd rather not.

QUESTION: Well, that was exactly my question. I mean, after yesterday's exchange, I'm wondering if you -- if the U.S. Government, perhaps, is looking for a way not to engage in this kind of --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think there's -- engage or not engage doesn't really matter. What we want to do is look at the facts of the matter and the facts are things we talked about yesterday -- not just the United States has been calling attention to them, but many others in the region that have been widely reported in the media, both in Venezuela and in the region, and these are matters that concerns us. I understand the speech this morning -- I didn't have the benefit of hearing it directly -- but it was really not anything new. It repeated all these same charges that have been thrown around so blithely and our opinion, I think, was expressed quite clearly yesterday. So, frankly, I don't really think there is anything more to say today.

QUESTION: Can I change the subject?

MR. BOUCHER: Please.

QUESTION: Actually, one question has to do with Darfur. There were reports out of Khartoum that the Sudanese Government wants to resume negotiations within a week with the rebel groups. Are you aware of that?

MR BOUCHER: We do understand that they are talking. They are trying to get this group back together again. This is the Abuja negotiation process. I think the news came yesterday or the day before that both sides appeared willing to come back. We certainly hope that's true and we have encouraged them to move in that direction, working closely with the Nigerians, the African Union and others to try to make the talks work. Political settlement is indeed an important part of the puzzle to stop the violence and suffering in Darfur.

So we've encouraged that, we've heard it, we encourage the parties to stand by it and to show up and we will work with them. We've had senior diplomats assigned to follow those talks and try to help make -- move them forward.

QUESTION: Same continent, different country.

MR. BOUCHER: Yes.

QUESTION: Togo. The government has announced that they're going to have elections within 60 days. Is that something you support?

MR BOUCHER: Well, we are certainly looking for a different outcome in Togo than the one that was precipitously decided and imposed. We have been, I think, quite clear on that. We think that there is a possibility of a national reconciliation of democratic governance in Togo that can only be achieved by having free, transparent, fully participatory elections that, in fact, are organized by a neutral authority. So, that's the kind of thing we would like to see. Whether the announced elections in 60 days meet that standard is something we will have to follow very closely.

QUESTION: Do you think 60 days is too quick for that?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I can comment on the specific time period at this point.

QUESTION: It sounds like you don't like the idea that they've come -- I'm just trying to understand what your view on it is. I mean, it sounds like you don't think that the direction they're heading in will meet the criteria that you've set out.

MR. BOUCHER: I think what we would say is that it needs to be looked at against these criteria. I'm not saying one way or the other it will or will not, that 60 days is too short or too long, but our view is that it needs to be done carefully. It needs to be done -- I don't want to say carefully in terms of slowness -- it needs to be done diligently to make sure that it is a good, open, free and transparent election.

QUESTION: Just to follow up on that. I mean, any elections that are held while -- because the United States has asked that Gnassingbe step down immediately -- any elections held while he is still in power, would those be considered suspect?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to make -- again, this news is just coming out. We have to examine it. It's not time to make massive, sort of, categorical declarations about something that's now being discussed and predicted. We will have to examine it closely as it proceeds. But we have called on him to step down and step down immediately. We think that is an essential element of moving forward. So, it's just that I don't quite want to make the connection of the two.

QUESTION: Another side of the continent in Africa, the exiled prime minister of Somalia is attempting to return to Somalia from Kenya and to put together a new government. And over, I guess, the last decade, decade-and-a-half, they've been fighting warlords and criminals and they say that they have, roughly, $8 million now. They need $77 million. And are you willing to assist, as well as work, perhaps, with the United Nations and the African Union and other groups to assist -- to put together this new government?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, we certainly worked with the African Union and with the Kenyans on seeing what could be done about Somalia and helping the government get organized and get back to Mogadishu and start exerting control. As far as the actual numbers of what money might be required to do that, I don't know. I would have to check and see if we are supporting that.

QUESTION: Change of subject. On Lebanon.

MR. BOUCHER: Yes.

QUESTION: Today, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt was quoted in The Washington Post as saying he regretted his position on the U.S. invasion and maybe the invasion of Iraq was really the catalyst for change. And assuming that Ambassador Satterfield would meet with him as a leader of the opposition, would the Department reconsider his -- you know, you revoked his visa some months back. Would the Department reconsider issuing the visa again to Mr. Jumblatt?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything specifically on Mr. Jumblatt. I don't know that we are making decisions based on political points of view.

QUESTION: The reason I say this, because at the time, it seems that was -- you know, he said some, you know, very strong words about (inaudible) --

MR. BOUCHER: Visas are individual decisions at the time of application. I'm not going to predict anybody's application, whether they are a senior person or man on the street. What is important, I think, is the position that we have taken on Lebanon overall and we have been quite supportive, as you know, we have sponsored and promoted Resolution 1559 about the withdrawal of foreign forces. That is a position that we have held to, that we continue to hold to, and there are those within Lebanon who support and agree with that view as well.

We will be pursuing that matter further with a visit from Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield, who will go out over the weekend to Lebanon and meet with a number of people out there. I don't have yet a full list of people that he might be meeting with. And he will follow up on some of the discussions that Assistant Secretary Burns was able to have during his brief visit for the funeral of former Prime Minister Hariri.

He will be -- Satterfield will take up this issue of the withdrawal of foreign forces. He will take up the issues involved in setting up a political environment that is free of violence, intimidation and outside interference, in order to lead to a free and fair parliamentary election. That seems to be the most important upcoming event that can be tested. And finally, he will talk to the Lebanese about the need for a thorough inquiry of the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri and that that be done with international assistance as the UN has offered.

QUESTION: A quick follow up. It seems that Egypt, a close ally of the U.S., they just send the head of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, to Syria to contain the crisis and keep it within the Arab fold. Is that something that you encourage or does that influence your position in any way?

MR BOUCHER: I don't have anything specifically on him or his visit. The Egyptian Government would have to talk about such a visit if there were such a thing, but we do think it is important that Syria get the message and that Syria understand that other people in the region are trying to support the peace process and not support the people who are bombing the peace process; that other people in the region are trying to support the Iraqi people as they try to build their own society and government and not support those who are trying to tear down the Iraqi people. And there are many issues like where I think it is important for Syria to understand that there is a process underway in the region that they, too, can be part of and that they, too, can support. So, however they get the word, we think it is probably good.

QUESTION: Can I follow up?

QUESTION: There are continued protests in Lebanon and now some Syrian banks say that they'll shut down on Monday to protest Syrian occupation and call for Syrian withdrawal. Are you concerned about a further destabilizing of the country and the economy if this happens and there are more protests in terms of people stopping work, shortages?

MR BOUCHER: Certainly, we hope that peace be maintained, that protests be peaceful, but we also believe that the people should have the right to express their views. I think one of the things we said quite clearly is that Syria's presence in Lebanon has not stabilized the situation. The assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri shows that all too graphically and all too clearly. And so, to say that somehow these demonstrators might destabilize the situation, I think, is missing the broader point. And that is the point that we made in Resolution 1559 and elsewhere, that presence of foreign forces in Syria is in itself destabilizing and needs to be rectified.

Okay. Charlie.

QUESTION: Is Syria on Mr. Satterfield's -- Master Satterfield's itinerary as well?

MR. BOUCHER: No, he won't be going to Syria this time.

QUESTION: Wouldn't it be important if you were trying to talk Syrians into removing their troops to have him go to Damascus?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we have talked to the Syrians many times already about this. Our ambassador, as you know, had some extensive meetings before she came back. They are certainly quite clear on what our message is. We still have our embassy there. They are continuing to deliver the message. And so, I think at this point the Syrians have heard from us in quite a lot of detail. And there's not much we can add until we start seeing what they're ready to do.

QUESTION: Does Ambassador Satterfield have any other stops that he plans to make on this trip?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not aware of any other -- well, not aware of any stops he may have on this trip. He may join up with the Secretary as she travels in the region.

QUESTION: Are there, as yet, any plans for Ambassador Scobey to return to Damascus?

MR. BOUCHER: Nothing particular at this point, no.

QUESTION: Richard, the Embassy in Damascus remains the primary or the sole means of communication with the Syrians, doesn't it?

MR. BOUCHER: No, the Syrians have an embassy here. We talk to them, too.

QUESTION: Richard, just to get some clarification on the type of investigation that the U.S. wants to the Hariri assassination because we've been getting different echoes. The Secretary, at one point, did mention an international investigation. You just talked about a Lebanese investigation with potential international help. There was some question of whether or not the Syrians should be involved or not. Can you just clarify that for us?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think it is been that confusing. We have always supported the

-- in an international effort to look at this and to provide an international component to the investigation -- the look at this, the international inquiry, you might say, comes out of the UN resolution. That is what the Secretary, I think, was referring to.

We supported the UN -- actually, it wasn't a resolution. It was a presidential statement, right? We worked on that up there in New York, came out with the presidential statement for all the members of the Council, asking the Secretary General to cast an international eye on what was being done and what was being investigated and find out, as best he could, what happened, and that the Secretary General is proceeding in that way.

He has appointed, last Friday, the Deputy Police Commissioner of Ireland to head an investigative team and we hope there will be full cooperation in Lebanon with that team and internationally as well. But he is charged with looking at the circumstances, causes and consequences of the incident. There is also a Lebanese investigation underway, obviously, and our goal is to see that those who are responsible for this heinous attack are identified and are brought to justice.

QUESTION: Richard, tomorrow, President Bush and, I suppose, Secretary Rice are meeting with Russian officials in Slovakia. To what degree is the dismantling of these terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah, in your priority list? And are you going to give them a set time, for instance, in Lebanon to dismantle that and then also, Syria -- Hezbollah and similar groups, in other words, a firm calendar date?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not sure I follow the question. Putin is president of Russia, not of Lebanon or Syria.

QUESTION: Of Russia, will they be -- exactly, but will they be discussing that? He's got a problem with terrorists in Chechnya.

MR. BOUCHER: Well, let me put it this way, okay? The United States and Russia cooperate against terrorism in many different ways. This has been one of the -- it's been a very productive aspect of our relationship, both for the United States and, we hope, for Russia as well. Russia does, indeed, face its own terrorist problem and we've been quite clear that that kind of terrorism is as awful as any other kind of terrorism and we have condemned it and we've made clear that we're ready to take steps against any terrorists, whether they operate from Russia or anywhere else.

Russia, to the extent it has influence or the ability to do -- provide information or other things, is active against terrorism and we would expect it to continue to be active in all areas, against all terrorists, and certainly our focus on Hezbollah, as terrorists who are trying to undermine and indeed blow up the peace process is something that we raise with many other governments, that Secretary Rice and the President have been raising it during the course of their discussions with European governments, and I expect we'll raise -- talk about it with the Russians as well.

Michel.

QUESTION: There are some information that Israel is in the process of establishing some kind of diplomatic relations with the Libya, Bahrain and Dubai. Is the US playing any role in this?

MR BOUCHER: I don't know of anything particular that I would cite other than the fact that the United States has always encouraged nations around the world to have relationships with Israel and to pursue those relationships because we think they benefit everybody involved, to have Israel as a democracy respected in the region.

QUESTION: There appears to be continued political wrangling among the Palestinians and they postponed voting on a new Cabinet, I think, for a third time this week. Do you have any particular comment on that?

MR BOUCHER: No. That's democracy for you.

QUESTION: We had a great quote from Prime Minister Qureia who said, quote, "It's a big mess and we hope to sort it out," unquote. How come you never say stuff like that?

(Laughter.)

MR BOUCHER: Maybe we don't have big messes around here. No, that's just democracy for you, and they'll sort it out, I'm sure.

Okay. Thank you.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:00 p.m.)

(end transcript)

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