ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:96020801.POL
DATE:02/08/96
TITLE:08-02-96 WHITE HOUSE REPORT, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8
TEXT:
(Chinese sales to Pakistan, war criminals in Bosnia) (890)
NEWS BRIEFING -- Press Secretary Mike McCurry discussed the following
topics:
POSSIBLE CHINESE VIOLATION OF NON-PROLIFERATION LAW
While repeating U.S. concern over possible violation of
non-proliferation law in the sale of weapons technology by China to
Pakistan, McCurry insisted that no determination of the facts has been
made by the administration.
News accounts suggesting the administration may waive the trade
sanctions called for in law, McCurry said, are incorrect; no waiver
could be granted before a determination is made.
At issue are intelligence reports published in the media outlining
sales of magnets used to refine weapons-grade uranium for nuclear
devices. If the reports are correct, the law calls for imposition of
trade sanctions against China which could affect billions of dollars
in trade.
"No, the administration has not," McCurry answered when asked directly
if a determination has been made. Asked if the intelligence community
has decided the magnet sales took place, he answered, "You know that's
something I would not be so brave as to talk about here," an allusion
to the practice of refusing to discuss intelligence reports from a
public podium.
"We have very real concerns" about the possibility of such a sale, he
said, and the administration is "evaluating the information that is
available. We haven't made any determination that China has taken
actions that would trigger the imposition of sanctions." He noted that
legal requirements in the law would automatically trigger some steps
if a determination is made.
McCurry added it was "premature to even speculate" on whether Clinton
would exercise his limited right to waive some provisions of the
nonproliferation law. "We have sanctions, we have a waiver process and
those are determined in law; those are applicable if a determination
is made, but none of that is applicable unless a determination is made
that triggers the legal requirements under our law."
He said he does not have a "hint" as to how long intelligence analysts
will need to complete the evaluation process, but he noted that
information "has to be assessed, and information gathering is a rather
constant business....They are actively assessing the information they
have available."
McCurry said the administration's approval earlier in the week of
waivers for Chinese use of missile technology to launch U.S.-made
satellites is not connected to the magnet issue because the satellite
launches are for civilian purposes and fall under a different U.S.
law.
MEETING DAYTON ACCORD OBLIGATIONS ON WAR CRIMINALS
The United States is sending a diplomatic team to Bosnia to remind the
parties to the Dayton accords that all of the accords' provisions,
including those concerning detention of war criminals, must be carried
out. Secretary of State Christopher had announced in Helsinki that he
is sending Assistant Secretary Richard Holbrooke and others to the
region for talks with Bosnian, Serb and Croatian officials.
"He wants to make sure the parties continue to make progress toward
implementation (of the peace agreement)," McCurry said of Christopher,
"and that they continue to gain confidence that all sides are carrying
out their obligations under the Dayton accords."
On aspects of the accords relating to war crimes, he said, the United
States wants to be sure that all sides "religiously follow both the
text of the agreement and the obligation they have as members of the
international community to make good on the commitment to see that
those who are responsible for these crimes are prosecuted."
McCurry said there had been "a great deal of discussion in Bosnia"
about keeping the joint military commissions in operation despite the
dispute about arrest of eight Serb soldiers by the Bosnian government.
The war crimes tribunal has urged Sarajevo to continue detaining the
two highest-ranking prisoners while indictments are considered, and
Serb officials are threatening to boycott contact with IFOR.
"There's no reason, in our view, that parties should not participate,"
McCurry said, because "those activities...will build confidence in the
peace process itself. We encourage all parties, whatever their
objections to certain developments, to continue to use the process to
resolve differences that exist." For its part, Washington will use its
diplomatic skills to "continue to press the governments to make good
on the commitments they've already signed that we believe are central
to giving them the confidence that, in the long-term, this peace will
work."
He said Washington will also be following up on war crimes, noting
that U.S. diplomats have been investigating "individual sites" which
some have alleged are mass graves of Muslims massacred by the Serbs.
McCurry acknowledged that the administration harbors "concern about
all aspects of the agreements," but he said there is also "a
determination on our part to encourage the parties to meet their
obligations. We believe in the long term the parties themselves,
knowing that their people want peace, will make good on the
commitments they've made."
Asked if Washington would ask Sarajevo to release the Serb prisoners,
McCurry did not answer directly but referred to the request of the war
crimes tribunal that at least two be detained, and to the statement by
the IFOR commander asserting that the tribunal must be allowed to do
its work.
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