22 January 2003
Boucher Says INS Registration Not Directed Against Any Country or Group
(Says system designed to enable U.S. to retain control of its borders)
(860)
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told the press on January
22 that the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS)
is "not directed against any particular country or any group of
particular nationals," but is intended to help the U.S. "maintain
appropriate control over our borders." Boucher was speaking at the
regular State Department noon briefing.
"We do recognize the procedure causes inconvenience. We're working
hard to keep that inconvenience to a minimum," Boucher said. "But we
do, again, think it's very necessary ... for us to maintain
appropriate control over our borders to have the best possible
security system so that people who come to the United States are not
subject to terrorist attack."
In response to a reporter's question about regulations requiring
Pakistanis to register under the NSEERS system, Boucher said the
United States deeply appreciates Pakistan's cooperation in the war on
terror. "This issue is not a reflection of our strong relationship
with Pakistan. ... It's related to the need to maintain security in
our own country for all those who come here and to be able to know
who's in here and where they are."
Following is an excerpt of State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher's remarks from the January 22 State Department noon briefing.
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Thank you, Richard. This is Arshad with the Daily Inqilab in
Bangladesh. In the wake of the recent INS deployment of registration
of Bangladeshis, hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis living in the
United States are having this nightmare, and the Foreign Minister of
Bangladesh would scheduled to meet Secretary of State Colin Powell on
Friday, coming Friday.
What is the position of the State Department and just to elevate this
concern among the Bangladeshis who are a front-ranking ally of the
United States, and it almost became like a bolt from the blue?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think it's quite a bolt from the blue. We have
talked over the last several months about the need for the United
States to have some system that lets us know who's in our country and
where they're going and what they're doing on a periodic basis. We're
all familiar with traveling in other countries. Many countries have
this kind of system. Some countries you have to report every night.
The hotel reports every night who you are and where you are.
So it's not quite a system like that, but it is a system so that we
can have a way of knowing who's in our country. And it's been part of
US law and something that's being implemented now on a progressive
basis.
It's not directed against any particular country or any group of
particular nationals. Bangladeshis shouldn't feel themselves singled
out, nor should Pakistanis, nor should others. And gradually, it will
be applied broader and broader to people of many, many nationalities.
We do recognize the procedure causes inconvenience. We're working to
keep that inconvenience to a minimum. But we do, again, think it's
very necessary for the United States and for the security of all those
who come here, whether they live here permanently or they come for
temporary reasons, for us to maintain appropriate control over our
borders, to have the best possible security system so that people who
come to the United States are not subject to terrorist attack.
QUESTION: Is it across the board -- will it be across-the-board
situation? All -- most of the countries would be part of this process?
Or is it a process just only for a --
MR. BOUCHER: I think you'd have to ask the Immigration Service how
many countries there are now and where it will eventually go. The
legal requirement, or the legal authorization, I think, is to be able
to keep track of any people who are here.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: The Pakistani Foreign Minister, in an interview today, said
that Pakistan's role as a frontline state in the war on terrorism
should exempt Pakistan from having to register in this program. Do you
think that frontline states in the war on terrorism should be given
some special consideration here?
MR. BOUCHER: I think we would say, first of all, that we deeply
appreciate Pakistan's cooperation. I think that's been a very positive
and healthy cooperation with us. We certainly believe that Pakistan
remains a key ally in the war on terrorism. This issue is not a
reflection of our strong relationship with Pakistan, nor does it
relate to the really growing and vibrant relationship we have with the
Government of Bangladesh.
The Secretary will meet with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh on
Friday to deepen our relationship. The Secretary has talked to and
will talk again next week with the Pakistani Foreign Minister about
reinforcing our ties. So it's not really related to the relationships
we have with individual countries. It's related to the need to
maintain security in our own country for all those who come here and
to be able to know who's in here and where they are.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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