18 August 2000
DoD News Briefing
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen
Friday, August 18, 2000 - 2:30 p.m. EDT
SEC. COHEN: First, let me thank you for coming down here today. I'd
like to take a few moments to share some of my thoughts with you on
this accident involving the Kursk. I've been following this very
closely, ever since the Russian authorities announced this tragic
event over the weekend, and I'd like to take this opportunity to
express my concern for the sailors on the Kursk.
There is an inherent sense of camaraderie that is felt by military
people that transcends nationality and political differences, and I
know from my conversations here in the Pentagon over the past few days
that our military men and women are not looking at this accident as
something that has happened to the Russians, but as something that has
happened to fellow uniformed professionals. It's personal and it's
very deep.
I want to express my concern for the sailors' families. It must be a
very terrible time of fear and doubt for them right now, and we can
only imagine the agony that they are suffering as they await the
information on their loved ones. And so, on behalf of everyone in the
department, I want to express our concern and hope during this most
difficult time.
And finally, I'd like to make it clear that the Defense Department
remains ready, willing and able to provide whatever assistance we can
to the Russian authorities that they would find helpful. And I think
most of you know that on Tuesday I wrote a letter to Minister of
Defense Sergeyev offering our assistance, and then I received a
response last evening. He expressed appreciation for our offer of
assistance and he asked that we work through NATO channels to
coordinate, and this we are glad to do.
We are hopeful that our British and Norwegian friends, working closely
with their Russian counterparts, can be successful in effecting a
rescue of the sailors of the Kursk, reuniting them with their
families.
I'd be happy to take a few questions, but I should forewarn you that I
have very little information beyond that which you already know.
Charlie?
Q: Mr. Secretary, how would you work through NATO channels? Does that
mean you are, in fact, going to provide help? And are you disappointed
that you didn't hear earlier? And could the United States have
provided better help had it been requested earlier?
SEC. COHEN: Well, there are a lot of questions that certainly will
have to be asked and answered in the coming days and weeks. I think
right now the focus has to be on what assistance can be provided and
how quickly it can be provided. We have offered to work through NATO
channels. In fact, yesterday, last evening, we had a video-
teleconference with Russians participating, laying out certain things
that we would be in a position to do. There will be another VTC
tomorrow morning. And we stand ready to provide whatever assistance
would be required and called for.
There were basically three courses of action that have been laid out
to the Russian authorities. We have proposed having teams of experts
who have a so-called "reach-back" capability to provide
well-organized, mission-specific expertise that will be made up of
engineers, divers, medical support, to provide whatever technical
assistance would be necessary.
There's a second course of action, which would be an international
coordination cell so that we could provide a core of international
coordination people to facilitate the international rescue efforts.
And then we have a third course of action, which would be a so-called
"fly-away" diving capability, to provide atmospheric suits and diving
capability to support Russia in this.
So we're waiting to explore this further with them, and we will take,
again, every measure that we can consistent with their request.
Q: By "we," are you talking about the United States or are you talking
about allies?
SEC. COHEN: In the three courses of action, there would be allied
participation, but we certainly have a team of experts here that we're
prepared to send to work on site if requested.
Q: You're assembling that team now?
SEC. COHEN: The team is being assembled for potential use, yes.
Q: And are they being sent anywhere? Will they go to Brussels or --
SEC. COHEN: No. They will remain here until such time as there is a
request made for their assistance. They'll be on the ready. They could
be deployed within a period of 24 hours to the site itself if it's
requested.
Q: Mr. Secretary, could you clarify a couple things on that? Now, this
team that's being assembled, is it for all of the options you laid out
or one particular course of action, such as the reach-back or --
SEC. COHEN: The reach-back capability, that's the team that's being
assembled here that could, in fact, be deployed to the region. The
second course of action would be an international coordination cell.
And the third would be to prove the atmospheric suits.
That coordination cell would be assembled, we assume, in Brussels in
the NATO organization.
Q: So the team that you have just said is being assembled is basically
the engineers, divers, medical, that sort of thing?
SEC. COHEN: Right. Right.
Q: And the VTC that was held last night -- was that bilateral, U.S.
and Russia?
SEC. COHEN: It was in NATO headquarters, and the VTC will be held
similarly through NATO headquarters.
Q: Sir, the "fly-away" capability -- is that coming from North Island
as well, and the deep submergence unit? Is that where we keep these
suits?
SEC. COHEN: I'd yield to Admiral Quigley to give you the details in
any of the "fly-away" capability.
Q: What reason have the Russians given you to believe that there are
still people alive on the submarine?
SEC. COHEN: Well, I haven't had specific discussions with the Russian
authorities. But to the extent that they are in fact agreeable and
willing to have NATO assistance, should it be necessary, in their
judgment, then that is some indication that they still feel that there
are sailors alive. And so we are prepared to offer whatever we can to
help them.
STAFF: And just one more, folks.
Q: Mr. Secretary, have you offered or provided any information that
might help the Russians understand what happened to the submarine, the
cause of the accident?
SEC. COHEN: No, at this point we will have to wait until all of the
facts are in. But I can only assure you and the American people that
there were no American ships involved in this matter.
Q: Mr. Secretary, this administration is taking a bit of a beating on
the Republican campaign trail and at the Republican convention over
military readiness. And George W. Bush and others have been saying
that the military is not prepared to fight, there are divisions not
ready to go, and morale is at an all-time low. How do you respond to
that?
SEC. COHEN: I think the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General
Shelton, responded to that with great precision and professionalism.
Our forces are ready to fight. Anyone who suggests that they are
incapable of carrying out their responsibilities is seriously
miscalculating.
I think also President Clinton made it very clear during his speech at
his -- at the Democratic convention that anyone who would seize upon
any statements made during this particular period of time would be
making a gross miscalculation of our capabilities and would come to
rue it.
So we are ready, we are prepared. As a matter of fact, I think morale
is increasing. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to come to
you and lay out exactly where we are on retention, recruitment, and
what I see as an increase rather than a decrease in morale.
Q: So this is not a hollow force, and these are empty political
statements?
SEC. COHEN: Well, I assume during the course of any campaign that
defense and other capabilities will certainly come into -- to be
challenged. That's the nature of our political system.
All I can say is we have the most capable force in the world. It's
trained, it's ready and fully capable of carrying out its missions.
Q: One more on the submarine, sir. Did I just understand you also
correctly, you are not ruling out the possibility of U.S. Navy
personnel in the water in the Barents Sea helping on this mission?
SEC. COHEN: We've never ruled that out. As a matter of fact, what I
indicated in my initial letter to Marshal Sergeyev, is that we are
prepared to do whatever we can to help in this rescue effort, and we
would be more than willing to contribute our resources to doing that,
to help provide for that rescue.
Q: At what point does it become too late?
SEC. COHEN: I think that's a determination that the Russian
authorities will have to make. They are the ones who are on the scene
trying to organize the rescue effort. We hope that the British and
Norwegian participation will be productive and produce a happy result.
And there are great questions as to whether or not that will be the
result, but we're hopeful.
Thank you.
(end text)
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