Daily Press Briefing
Elizabeth Trudeau
Director, Press Office
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
August 10, 2016
Index for Today's Briefing
SYRIA/REGION
LIBYA
UKRAINE
DEPARTMENT
NORTH KOREA
VIETNAM/REGION
BELIZE
JAPAN
TURKEY
DEPARTMENT
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
TRANSCRIPT:
2:03 p.m. EDT
MS TRUDEAU: Thanks, you guys. Sorry I'm late. Matt, I have nothing at the top.
QUESTION: Wow.
MS TRUDEAU: I know.
QUESTION: I don't really have anything huge, but I guess let's start with Syria. Have you – you've seen the reports out of – that the Russians have announced a daily three-hour ceasefire for aid to get to Aleppo?
MS TRUDEAU: In fact, why I was late, so thanks for the question. We're just seeing this proposal. I don't have a lot of details for you on it. We would welcome any pause that successfully facilitates delivery of vitally needed humanitarian supplies, but such a ceasefire must be observed by all parties. Our position has not changed. There are commitments that mandate free and open access for delivery of supplies requested by the UN, to include UNSCR 2254 and numerous other resolutions that Russia's long agreed to. All parties must abide by those commitments. All supplies, including food and medical supplies as determined and requested solely by the UN, need to be delivered now.
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on that?
MS TRUDEAU: But wait. We'll go Arshad, and then we'll go to you, Nick.
QUESTION: I mean, so you welcome any pause that would facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies, but the UN has said that it needs, at a minimum, a pause of 48 hours – not three hours daily – to actually make the deliveries. Are you not supporting the United Nations in their stated need for 48 hours?
MS TRUDEAU: We're absolutely supporting the United Nations as they seek access to this. However, what I'd like to point out is any pause, any pause in the violence, is good for the people of Syria.
I'd also, though, point out what we've said all along, that we continue to call for a nationwide, permanent cessation of hostilities. So in terms of logistics and getting supplies in there, absolutely, we support the UN's case.
QUESTION: So – and you don't think that this might be yet another ruse where the Russians are willing to permit some kind of pause but not actually to allow the delivery of humanitarian supplies by the United Nations?
MS TRUDEAU: As we're just seeing the proposal and I don't have a lot of details on it, I'm not going to project out on that. Full and complete access is something we're deeply committed to.
Nick.
QUESTION: Are you able to say, Elizabeth --
MS TRUDEAU: Hold on one second, Ros --
QUESTION: Sure.
MS TRUDEAU: -- and then I'll come back to you.
Nick.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MS TRUDEAU: But there we are, so now we go to you.
QUESTION: Okay. Are you able to say who's going to take a look at this proposal, who's going to discuss it with the Russians? Is the Secretary read in on this? What happens now?
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah. At this stage, genuinely, we've just seen it. I don't have a lot of details on terms of process and how it's going to be reviewed here at State. I may have more for you later.
Anything more on Syria?
QUESTION: Yes. Given the situation on the ground, do you think there is still hope that Secretary Kerry and Russia would be able to make the announcement that Secretary Kerry said he would hope to make this month?
MS TRUDEAU: We spoke a little bit about this yesterday. Further cooperation with the Russians will require some bottom lines. That includes restraint on the part of the regime, which so far hasn't been forthcoming. I'm not going to get ahead of any announcement. We believe that that space for a permanent ceasefire does permit the sort of political talks that need to happen for a transition. So I just don't have anything more to add.
Nick.
QUESTION: Well, the Libya crisis --
MS TRUDEAU: Well, hold on. We're going to stick on Syria, and then I'll come to you next.
QUESTION: Very brief, I have a feeling. Just on the reports of the Americans killed fighting for the YPG --
MS TRUDEAU: I have no information.
QUESTION: Still nothing?
MS TRUDEAU: No. Thanks for the question, though.
Nick. Are we good on Syria? Okay. Let's go.
QUESTION: Libyan forces say they are – have kicked ISIS out of Sirte today. Has the State Department heard these reports? I mean, was the U.S. apprised of what was going on or involved in any way?
MS TRUDEAU: I don't have any sort of play-by-play on that in terms of operational details. I'm going to refer you to the Department of Defense. As we've said, we support the GNA as they continue to move against the threat of Daesh in their country.
Shortest briefing ever.
QUESTION: No, no, no, no.
MS TRUDEAU: I was going to say, "Guys -- "
QUESTION: We've got --
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah, Arshad. Go ahead.
QUESTION: So can we go to Ukraine?
MS TRUDEAU: Of course.
QUESTION: So there are reports that – well, there was a whole bunch of stuff on Ukraine. First, the Russians state that Ukrainian – forgive me one second. So Russia's federal security service says it thwarted an armed Ukrainian incursion into Crimea that was designed to target critical infrastructure, and they said that a Russian soldier and an FSB employee was killed in these clashes. They say this happened – the alleged attempted incursions took place over the weekend. Have there been such incursions, to the U.S. Government's knowledge? I've got more, but --
MS TRUDEAU: Okay. Do you want to line them up --
QUESTION: No.
MS TRUDEAU: -- or you want me to do them one by one?
QUESTION: We'll do them one by one.
MS TRUDEAU: Okay. So we've seen the reports. We're going to refer you to the Government of Ukraine for further information. I would note that we're also directly in touch with Ukrainians ourselves.
QUESTION: So Crimea, you do not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea. Correct?
MS TRUDEAU: No. And in fact, I welcome the question, because we don't want to be distracted from the real issue here, which is not only Russia's occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, but their continued aggression in eastern Ukraine. Our view on Crimea is well known. Crimea is and will always be part of Ukraine. We condemn and call for an immediate end to the Russian occupation of Crimea, and our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns the peninsula to Ukraine.
QUESTION: So if you don't recognize the annexation of Crimea by Russia, doesn't Ukraine have the right to send anybody it wants into what is, after all, Ukrainian territory?
MS TRUDEAU: What I would say is that we would refer you to the Government of Ukraine to speak to these reports of actions. As I said, I'm not in a position to confirm it, but we are directly in touch with Ukrainians as well.
QUESTION: Well, but surely you must have a view on – the Russians here are saying that two of their citizens have died, and they're accusing the Ukrainians of incursions onto territory that's Ukrainian territory. Surely you must have a view on whether incidents like this and the rhetoric accompanying it increases or decreases tensions in the region. Is it a good thing for Ukrainians to be sending people into Crimea, and is it a good thing for Russia to be repulsing that and then making harsh statements about it?
MS TRUDEAU: Okay. I think what I would do is just reiterate – reiterate our point. Crimea is Ukraine. In terms of conversations or questions on what happens in Crimea, we're going to refer you to the Government of Ukraine.
QUESTION: Okay, then – well, last thing.
MS TRUDEAU: Sure.
QUESTION: Russian President Putin, speaking in Moscow, has described the alleged Ukrainian actions as, quote, "stupid," and, quote, "criminal," and said that he thought there was no point in holding planned talks on the peace process for eastern Ukraine as a result. What's your view of that? Would you like them to be talking about how to calm things in eastern Ukraine, or do you agree with him that there's no point in that?
MS TRUDEAU: Well, we always think there's a point of conversation. We always think that dialogue is a process that should be explored. As you know, we've supported the Minsk process as we move forward. I haven't seen President Putin's remarks so I can't comment directly on those, but what I will say is dialogue is really where we'd like to see this go. But in terms of the reports of incursion into Crimea, we'd refer you to Ukraine.
Anything more on Ukraine? Okay, Justin.
QUESTION: I don't have a question on Ukraine. If somebody else does – I hear nothing, so I'm going to keep going.
MS TRUDEAU: It's like an auction.
QUESTION: Yeah. And I get the sense that you want to keep this moving.
MS TRUDEAU: Thanks, Justin.
QUESTION: And I support you in that effort. The Clinton emails. (Laughter.) Does -
QUESTION: Just the subject she wanted to go to. (Laughter.)
MS TRUDEAU: Thank you, Matt. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Right. I think she was trying to skip out before this came up. (Laughter.) But all right, so I want to ask you about one of the emails, and I know you addressed this briefly yesterday. One came from – that the critics have seized on came from Doug Band of the Clinton Foundation, asking Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills in an email to, quote – it's saying, "It's important to take care of" – and then the name is redacted, and he is obviously pushing to get this person a job in the State Department. And then Huma replies, basically, they're working on it.
Can you tell us why the State Department redacted that name, and whether or not this person wound up getting a job or not?
MS TRUDEAU: Okay. Well, I can't speak to specific case – cases. I'm also not going to speak to specific redactions. I will note though, broadly, the department regularly hires political appointees with a range of skill sets for a broad variety of jobs. It's not unusual for candidates to be recommended to the department through a variety of avenues.
QUESTION: The --
QUESTION: Hold on, because that answer --
QUESTION: Let me just follow up, Matt. Sorry.
QUESTION: All right.
MS TRUDEAU: Hold on one second, and then I'll get there, Matt.
QUESTION: The Clinton campaign is on background saying today it's a – it was a young advance staffer, not a donor or a foundation employee. I guess I just – I need a little help understanding why this person's name cannot be shared.
MS TRUDEAU: I can't speak to specific cases, and I certainly can't speak to comments from the – from the campaign.
QUESTION: Would it be wrong to assume that, then, that this is a case simply of nepotism or something like that? I mean, what – how are we then supposed to interpret what --
MS TRUDEAU: You – I can't speak to specific cases, Justin.
Matt, did --
QUESTION: But it's the State Department's decision to redact those names, and nobody else's decision.
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah. And I'm not going to speak to specific redactions nor specific cases.
Matt.
QUESTION: Well, I'm just curious. Were you answering his question "was this person hired," without getting into who it was?
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah, I can't speak to specific cases or specific --
QUESTION: This is pretty – in fact, it's pretty non-specific since we don't know what the name is. It's specific as to --
MS TRUDEAU: But you're asking about a specific hiring action?
QUESTION: I'm asking if the person referred – if you know if the person referred to in this email whose name has been redacted ended up getting a job here.
MS TRUDEAU: I have no information to speak to specific cases.
QUESTION: But you just said --
QUESTION: But it's --
QUESTION: In your answer to Justin, you said that the State Department hires from all sorts of places.
MS TRUDEAU: From all sorts of avenues. We receive recommendations from a variety --
QUESTION: But this person wasn't hired, then?
MS TRUDEAU: I have no information --
QUESTION: Or was?
MS TRUDEAU: -- on that specific case or any specific case.
QUESTION: But if the person is not named, then it's not specific.
MS TRUDEAU: I think we're parsing.
QUESTION: I --
MS TRUDEAU: More on Clinton emails?
QUESTION: No, it's not really parsing. It's – I mean, it – it's specific to people who are non-career State Department employees who were hired after this email. That's the universe. And the question is: Is this person referred to one of them?
MS TRUDEAU: Again, I am unable to speak to specific cases.
QUESTION: Well, how then can you disabuse us of the notion that there's any impropriety here?
MS TRUDEAU: Because the department regularly hires political appointees with a range of skill sets from a broad – for a broad variety of jobs.
QUESTION: But why should we trust that's – that that's – why should we believe that that statement exonerates any – her – the Clinton – of any impropriety? I mean, we don't know who it is. How then can we read that as it's all good?
MS TRUDEAU: I'm just not going to speak anymore to specifics on this.
Do we have more on Clinton emails?
QUESTION: Yes, we do.
MS TRUDEAU: Of course, we do. Do you mind if I go to Abigail first?
QUESTION: No.
MS TRUDEAU: Go ahead, Abigail.
QUESTION: Do you have any response to criticism by some that suggest there was a relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department at the time? There was an email that came out in this recent set that is between the – an executive at the Clinton Foundation and Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills where he is requesting to set up a meeting between a billionaire donor and the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon. Do you have any response to --
MS TRUDEAU: So very similar to what I said before, I'm not going to speak to specific emails. However, I think you guys know State Department officials are regularly in touch with a wide variety of outside individuals and organizations, including businesses, nonprofits, NGOs, think tanks. The nearly 55,000 pages of former Secretary Clinton's emails released by the department over the past year give a sense of the wide range of individuals both inside and outside of government that State Department officials are in contact with on a range of subjects.
QUESTION: So you don't feel like this email or you don't feel like there was impropriety in the relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department at the time?
MS TRUDEAU: We talk to a wide range of people, at my level, at various levels in the department – NGOs, think tanks, business leaders, experts on a variety of subjects.
QUESTION: But that's not her – that's not her question.
QUESTION: Except in this – and importantly, in this case, Secretary Clinton made a pledge that she would not personally or substantially in any way involve herself with the Clinton Foundation. So it's not just any outside organization. It's the specific organization that she said ahead of time she wouldn't have contact with. So doesn't that – doesn't this, then, seem to violate that pledge?
MS TRUDEAU: So again, to reiterate, department officials are in touch with a wide range of individuals. I'd note that former Secretary Clinton's ethics agreement did not preclude other State Department officials from having contact with Clinton Foundation staff.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
QUESTION: Can you at least try to answer Abigail's question, which was: Has the department looked into this and determined that there was no impropriety?
MS TRUDEAU: The department is regularly in touch with people across the whole spectrum, Matt.
QUESTION: That's not the question. The question is whether or not you've looked into this – the building has looked into it and determined that everything was okay, that there was nothing wrong here.
MS TRUDEAU: We feel confident in our ability and our past practice of reaching out to a variety of sources and being responsive to requests.
QUESTION: I'm sorry, are you – am I not speaking English? Is this – I mean, is it coming across as a foreign – I'm not asking you if – no one is saying it's not okay or it's bad for the department to get a broad variety of input from different people. Asking – the question is whether or not you have determined that there was nothing improper here.
MS TRUDEAU: We feel confident that all the rules were followed.
QUESTION: That's (inaudible).
MS TRUDEAU: Good.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MS TRUDEAU: Are we – we're still doing Clinton emails? I'll come back to you, Abigail. Go ahead, Arshad.
QUESTION: So Judicial Watch released 10 additional pages of emails this morning.
MS TRUDEAU: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: In one of them, it documents that Secretary Clinton's – former Secretary Clinton's then-chief of staff Cheryl Mills was advised of a FOIA request in which the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had sought, quote, "records sufficient to show the number of email accounts of or associated with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and the extent to which those email accounts are identifiable … of or associated with Secretary Clinton." That – the email that chief of staff – then-chief of staff Mills received was sent on December the 11th, 2012, and according to the emails released, I believe she acknowledged it and said thanks in response.
So if she was aware, as she was because she was notified of this FOIA request asking about the different email accounts that were associated with Secretary Clinton at the time, why did the department subsequently tell the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington that there were no responsive records?
MS TRUDEAU: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: Because she knew, because she – we know for a fact – emailed with Secretary Clinton on her private account. So – and we also know that she, as a lawyer, is the person who helped make the determinations on which of the emails on the private server constituted federal records and should therefore be turned over to the archives, many of which have now been made public. So why, if she knew in December of 2012 that there were requests for clarity on how many accounts Secretary Clinton had, did the State Department not forthrightly and honestly answer that request rather than just saying there were no responsive records?
MS TRUDEAU: Okay. A lot there, so I'm going to give you a fulsome response on that. In 2012, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, known by the acronym CREW, sent FOIA requests to a number of agencies seeking information about email use by agency heads. This FOIA request, as it relates to the State Department, has been covered extensively in the press and reviewed previously by State's inspector general. The documents released today show what the OIG already reported in January 2016, that former Secretary Clinton's chief of staff Cheryl Mills was informed of the request at the time it was received and subsequently tasked staff to follow up. The OIG report also found no evidence that S/ES, L, and IPS staff involved in responding to requests for information, searching for records, or drafting the response had knowledge of the secretary's email use. Ms. Mills has testified about this topic previously; that testimony is publicly available.
I can't speculate what may or have – may not been known about that email use. What – but I would note that the January IG report found no evidence that any senior State Department officials who exchanged emails with the secretary reviewed the search results or approved the response to CREW. Nothing in these documents alters the facts as found by the IG. So it's in the IG report.
QUESTION: I get that it was covered in the IG report. What I don't understand, though – I mean, the IG report also concluded that the response that there were no responsive records was, quote, "inaccurate and incomplete." And my question goes to why someone who was aware of that specific FOIA request, who was aware of the specific request for information regarding how many emails – email accounts the secretary had or were associated with her, would not have disclosed to S/ES, L, the FOIA people, or anybody else the fact of the private server so that federal records could in fact be made available in response to the FOIA request.
MS TRUDEAU: So I think what you're asking about is why wasn't that FOIA request amended.
QUESTION: No, I'm not asking that. I'm asking why the person – a person who was both in a position to know about the FOIA request and who was well aware and frequently corresponded with former Secretary Clinton on her private account did not make the existence of that account available and known to the people whose legal responsibility it was to respond honestly, accurately, and completely to a FOIA request. That's my question, not why wasn't it amended. Why wasn't it correctly responded to in the first place?
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah. It's a good question. I don't have an answer for you. As I note, we – the IG found no evidence that any senior department official reviewed the search results or approved the response to CREW.
QUESTION: What about non-senior people?
MS TRUDEAU: I have no process chart, flow chart, on how that FOIA request was responded to, but it was taken a look at. The IG reported this in January 2016 and did note that result.
QUESTION: Can I also ask back on the hiring?
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah. I want to Abigail too unless we answered – okay.
QUESTION: I mean, essentially that.
QUESTION: Go ahead.
QUESTION: I was just going to say I guess it just stands out that it seems like a pretty broad request, so it seems like something you would flag if the response was no records in response to that. It seems like something that a FOIA person would note is unusual or that there might be an issue or a problem there.
MS TRUDEAU: Again, I can't speak to process. I would note that this was extensively covered, though, in the January 2016 IG report.
Go ahead, Nick.
QUESTION: But that didn't ultimately put any blame on Cheryl Mills, did it – that IG report?
MS TRUDEAU: I'd refer you to the IG report itself.
QUESTION: Because it really looks like she was not speaking up.
MS TRUDEAU: I'm – yeah, I'm not going got characterize the IG report. They would speak for themselves.
Go ahead, Nick.
QUESTION: You mentioned that State receives a lot of recommendations for candidates and things like that. I mean, what sort of guidelines do you have in place to make sure that when you act on those claims, the department or staff in the department are not drifting into nepotism or, I mean, a hiring decision --
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah. I think the department has public guidelines that are online in terms of appointments. I would direct you there. In terms of questions on screening for nepotism, which you raised, we follow federal law.
QUESTION: Or cronyism.
QUESTION: And have you been – have you been reviewing those guidelines in the wake of some of these email disclosures to make sure they're adequate?
MS TRUDEAU: I'm aware of no review.
Was that a question, Arshad?
QUESTION: Well, I just wanted to make sure that your answer covered not merely nepotism, which refers to family members, but also cronyism, which refers to associates.
MS TRUDEAU: I would say that we live up to our federal obligations.
QUESTION: I looked up nepotism. It can be friends too --
MS TRUDEAU: Thanks, Justin.
QUESTION: -- in the broad sense of the definition.
QUESTION: So in other words, in – also in this hiring situation, you're confident nothing was – that the department is – the department --
MS TRUDEAU: We feel confident that we followed State Department guidelines and federal law.
QUESTION: Okay.
QUESTION: Have you looked into it on that one instance? You can't say that you --
MS TRUDEAU: I'm not aware of any review going on now.
QUESTION: Okay. So you're confident you lived up to the guidelines even though you haven't reviewed it?
MS TRUDEAU: I am not aware of any review, but I am confident that we followed the guidelines and the State Department's internal procedures as well as lived up to federal law.
QUESTION: So you're confident that you followed the guidelines even though you're not aware of any review?
MS TRUDEAU: Correct.
QUESTION: Okay. Do you think that's a high enough standard?
MS TRUDEAU: Federal law?
QUESTION: For confidence that you followed the law.
MS TRUDEAU: I'm very confident in the State Department's own internal process and personnel system, absolutely.
QUESTION: No one is – no one – I don't think anybody is suggesting that the building, the department, can't hire whoever it wants to it thinks is qualified. It's just this appearance that's out there, and so that's why I think the question's being asked. If you're confident the rules weren't broken – I think that's what you're saying, right?
MS TRUDEAU: Yes, it is.
QUESTION: Okay.
MS TRUDEAU: Thanks, Matt.
Janne.
QUESTION: Thank you, Elizabeth.
MS TRUDEAU: Oh, wait, are we done with this? I don't want to move off if we're --
QUESTION: Yeah.
MS TRUDEAU: Go ahead.
QUESTION: On North Korea?
MS TRUDEAU: Of course.
QUESTION: And recently, United States have sanctioned against the North Korean human right abuse. Will these sanctions be included – the no religious freedom in North Korea? Or you have a separate --
MS TRUDEAU: So remember the International Religious Freedom Report that Deputy Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Saperstein released today? It's from 2015. So it's actually from last year. That's how it's mandated. So we would look to next year's report if that would be included.
QUESTION: So this religious freedom – no religious freedom inside North Korea, it will be included – that human right abuse in North Korea?
MS TRUDEAU: Well, I would direct you both to our Human Rights Report as well as the IRF report, because it does cover countries around the world.
QUESTION: So what kind of sanctions to North Korea – do you have any – specifically what kind of sanctions to North Korea? Do you have anything on --
MS TRUDEAU: Anything new to read out --
QUESTION: Yes.
MS TRUDEAU: -- versus what we did in the rollout 10 or 15 days --
QUESTION: Yes.
MS TRUDEAU: I have nothing new to foreshadow on new sanctions.
QUESTION: All right.
MS TRUDEAU: Okay.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MS TRUDEAU: Sir.
QUESTION: On Vietnam?
MS TRUDEAU: Vietnam.
QUESTION: There are reports that Vietnam has shipped several rocket launchers from its mainland to five of its Spratly Island bases in recent months. Are you aware of the reports and do you have any comments?
MS TRUDEAU: We are aware of the reports that Vietnam has deployed close-range missile systems on several of its outposts on the Spratly Islands. We continue to call on all South China Sea claimants to avoid actions that raise tensions, take practical steps to build confidence, and intensify efforts to find peaceful, diplomatic solutions to disputes.
QUESTION: And how would you like China to respond to this news?
MS TRUDEAU: I would just reiterate what we just said, which is we intensify the efforts to find peaceful, diplomatic solutions.
QUESTION: Would you call on Vietnam to halt or reverse these moves?
MS TRUDEAU: We've called on all claimants to avoid actions that raise tension, so yes.
QUESTION: Can we go to --
MS TRUDEAU: Wait.
QUESTION: -- the Middle East?
MS TRUDEAU: Let's stay in Asia.
QUESTION: Okay.
MS TRUDEAU: Do we have more on Asia?
Sir.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask about – apparently, there are reports coming out about the UN Security Council and a statement on North Korean missile launches, and that apparently, there was a dispute over whether or not the language over THAAD missiles would be included in that. I was wondering if you had any comment on the reports about that.
MS TRUDEAU: I wouldn't comment on internal UN Security Council deliberations.
Are we still on Asia? Okay. Sir.
QUESTION: The Belize high court just struck down the country's sodomy law as we were literally sitting here. Do you have any initial reaction to that?
MS TRUDEAU: So I haven't seen those reports, Michael.
QUESTION: Okay.
MS TRUDEAU: So we'll get back to you if we have a comment on it.
QUESTION: Okay, thank you. Thanks.
MS TRUDEAU: Please.
QUESTION: Sorry, I didn't want to go back to Asia. I wanted to clarify something that I asked yesterday, actually, about the Chinese naval vessels in the Senkaku Islands.
MS TRUDEAU: Sure.
QUESTION: You said that the department was closely monitoring the situation with the Japanese Government and that the U.S. doesn't take a position on the Senkakus, but I just wanted to – I should have asked this yesterday, but do you take a position on China's actions and whether the naval presence has sort of violated the spirit of the Hague arbitral ruling? And this has happened increasingly over the past couple of days and I just wanted to…
MS TRUDEAU: Oh, okay. So thanks for the question because I do have something to add on that. We continue to closely monitor the situation around the Senkaku Islands. We are in close communication with the Japanese as allies and are also concerned about the increase of Chinese coast guard vessels in the vicinity of the islands. As you noted, the U.S. position on the Senkaku Islands, as stated previously by the President, is clear and longstanding. The Senkaku Islands have been under Japanese administration since the reversion of Okinawa in 1972, such they fall within the scope of the article 5 of the 1960 U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. We oppose any unilateral action that seeks to undermine Japan's administration of the Senkaku islands.
QUESTION: What was added from yesterday's response?
MS TRUDEAU: That last line.
QUESTION: We oppose any --
MS TRUDEAU: We oppose. Thank you.
Okay, guys. Thank you so much.
QUESTION: Wait, wait, wait.
MS TRUDEAU: Oh wait. It was so quiet.
QUESTION: All right.
MS TRUDEAU: Okay, I've got three I'm seeing. Matt, Arshad, and then Ros.
QUESTION: Go ahead, Ros.
QUESTION: Turkey.
MS TRUDEAU: Sure.
QUESTION: There are reports that a rear admiral from Turkey detailed to NATO offices down in Virginia Beach has asked the U.S. for asylum. Can you confirm those reports?
MS TRUDEAU: I'd refer you to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Department of State does not comment nor do we handle any asylum cases.
QUESTION: Is the U.S. aware of any move by Turkish nationals to try to find safe harbor here in the U.S. because of the crackdown by the Erdogan government in the wake of the coup last month?
MS TRUDEAU: Again, for situations where reports of asylum or alleged asylum claims, I'm going to refer you to USCIS.
QUESTION: And do you have any update on whether the Turkish Government has filed a formal extradition request for Fethullah Gulen?
MS TRUDEAU: We addressed this a little yesterday. As we're in the position – we have documents, we continue to stay in close contact with Turkish authorities. This is a technical, legal process. I really don't have an update on if a determination has been made.
QUESTION: Short of asylum, though, there are ways that Turkish citizens who are in the United States now may get some kind of relief from not having to leave when their visa expires. This has been done by executive order numerous times, especially with Latin America. Are you aware of any move to do that on the --
MS TRUDEAU: I have no information on that at all.
QUESTION: Is that being considered?
MS TRUDEAU: I have absolutely no information on that.
Arshad.
QUESTION: Sorry, just to follow up on that --
MS TRUDEAU: I'm – sure.
QUESTION: -- have the Turks expressed any concerns to the State Department about this rear admiral potentially staying here?
MS TRUDEAU: I have no conversations or information on that.
QUESTION: Okay.
MS TRUDEAU: Arshad.
QUESTION: Do you regard emails about the potential hiring of individuals at the State Department as sort of a part of legitimate government business?
MS TRUDEAU: I think personnel actions at some point do become legitimate government business. I wouldn't be in a position to say when requests for information or recommendations become that. I think that'd be a technical question that --
QUESTION: So – well, I guess my question is why some of these emails that address these things that you say – you get information from lots of people about potentially hiring people for political jobs at the State Department – why those weren't included in the emails that former Secretary Clinton's office turned over to the State Department.
MS TRUDEAU: So as the department made clear in March 2015, the department also requested former aides to former Secretary Clinton, including Huma Abedin, that should any of them be aware or become aware of a federal record in is his or her possession, such as an email sent or received on a personal email account while serving in an official capacity at the department, such a record be made available to the department. The department has received records in response to those. I'd note I believe the record you're speaking about was not to former Secretary Clinton.
QUESTION: Okay. Understood.
MS TRUDEAU: Okay. Thank you.
QUESTION: If that said person, redacted, had been hired, would said person still be covered under privacy considerations?
MS TRUDEAU: To be honest, I don't know.
Okay.
QUESTION: All right, I have brief ones. One on Congo.
MS TRUDEAU: Yes.
QUESTION: Dr. Congo, as we like to call it. Are you aware of this Human Rights Watch researcher who has been expelled from the country? And if you are, what do you have to say about it?
MS TRUDEAU: We are. Thank you for the question. We're very concerned by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's decision not to renew the visa of Human Rights Watch senior researcher for the Congo. The forced departure of this researcher, together with the expulsion of Congo Research Group and Global Witness members earlier this year, is incompatible with efforts to support greater transparency, accountability, and democracy in the DRC. We urge Congolese – the Congolese Government to allow Human Rights Watch senior researcher to resume her important worker in the DRC without delay. We also call on all Congolese actors, both government and the opposition, to respect democratic norms and to refrain from violence.
QUESTION: Okay. Sorry, just – it's incompatible with efforts to what?
MS TRUDEAU: Support greater transparency, accountability, and democracy in the DRC.
QUESTION: Gotcha. Okay, and then --
QUESTION: I got another one on that.
QUESTION: On Congo?
QUESTION: But besides making a public appeal, what else are you going to do to try to get the Democratic Republic of the Congo to actually allow this researcher to return?
MS TRUDEAU: We have regular conversations with the Government of the DRC. I'm not going to detail those conversations, but certainly the promotion of accountability, transparency, democracy are part of those dialogues.
QUESTION: So other than public and private pleas, do you plan to do anything else to try to get the government to let her back in?
MS TRUDEAU: I'm not quite sure what you're asking.
QUESTION: Well, I'm asking whether essentially your response to this is both public suasion in the form of the statement that you made to us and presumed private suasion in the regular conversations that you have with them but you won't discuss further. Are you doing anything else to try to make this happen?
MS TRUDEAU: Yeah, I have no actions to foreshadow on that.
One more.
QUESTION: And then the last one, yeah. I – just it was pointed out to me a little bit earlier that some staff from a consul – consulate general in Jerusalem went out to this village of Sussia today.
MS TRUDEAU: Sussia.
QUESTION: I'm just wondering – and then they posted photographs of them being there and on – I'm just wondering if this indicates some kind of greater level of concern on your part for what may or may not happen there.
MS TRUDEAU: Well, we spoke a little bit about this yesterday. Certainly our staff continue to engage broadly with members of the community there. I would reiterate, though, that if the Israeli Government proceeds with demolitions in Sussia, it would be very troubling and would have a very damaging impact on the lives of the Palestinians living there who have already been displaced on other occasions. We continue to be hopeful a positive resolution can be reached that reflects these concerns.
Great. Thanks, guys.
QUESTION: Thank you.
(The briefing was concluded at 2:40 p.m.)
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