U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #67, 97-05-02
From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>
829
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
I N D E X
Friday, May 2, 1997
Briefer: John Dinge
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1 BURUNDI: US Concern Regarding Increase In Violence
1-2 WEST BANK AND GAZA: Public Announcement
2 U.S. AND EU: Host Conference on Strengthening Transatlantic Ties
ZAIRE
2-3,6 Status of Meeting between Mobutu and Kabila
3-4 Reported French Support of Mobutu
4 Reported Angolan Troops and Armor Supporting Rebel Alliance
4-5 Other Countries' Involvement in Zaire Conflict
5 Reported UNITA Involvement on Behalf of Mobutu
5-6 US Contacts with Kabila
NORTH KOREA
7,8 North Korea's Food Storage/Assistance
7-8,9-10,11 Kartman Travel to Tokyo for Trilateral Talks re North Korea
8 Status of the Four Party Talks
8,10 US-North Korea Missile Talks
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
11-12 Status of Israeli-Palestinian Talks
11-12 Ambassador Ross' Travel to the Region
TERRORISM
12 US Policy re Dialogue with Terrorist Organizations
SOUTH KOREA
13-14 Arrest of Two Americans in Seoul
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #67
FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1997, 1:15 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. DINGER: Welcome to the State Department briefing. I have a couple of
announcements to make. I won't read any of them in their entirety. They are
all available in the press office shortly after the briefing.
First on Burundi, the United States Government notes with great concern the
increase in violence in Burundi. We condemn the recent acts of senseless
brutality against unarmed civilians. All acts of violence against unarmed
civilians are despicable. They are also inimical to the peace process to
which so many of Burundi's people have dedicated themselves. The United
States repeats its call for a cessation of hostilities and the commencement
of negotiations and at restoring constitutional order in Burundi. Security
for all Burundians will only come from negotiations and compromise.
There is a little bit of additional information in the full statement.
Next, we will be issuing a public announcement today regarding travel of
Palestinian Americans to the West Bank or Gaza. This is not a new issue,
but for some time there has been a requirement by the Israeli Government
that U.S. citizens who have ever held or now hold resident status in the
West Bank or Gaza should be aware that they may be subject to some travel
regulations governing entry to and exit from Israel that affect all other
resident Palestinians.
As I said, this is not a new issue but with the summer travel season upon
us, we find that it can inconvenience travelers. What we have here is a
description of the requirements imposed by the Government of Israel against
U.S. citizens who may have resident status in the West Bank or Gaza and, in
order to avoid confusion and inconvenience for these people, we have issued
a public announcement which will be very useful to them to, as I say, avoid
inconvenience.
QUESTION: Is there any sort of criticism implicit in that?
MR. DINGER: No, there isn't. No, there isn't. As I say, it is something
that has gone on for some time. What happens is American citizens who hold
resident status in the West Bank or Gaza are asked to get Palestinian
passports. What has happened is many American citizens have traveled to
Israel, then to the West Bank and Gaza, and only when it came time to leave
were made aware of the requirement to get a Palestinian passport.
There is bureaucracy involved. It could also often cause major inconvenience
to people who thought they were only going to be visiting for a few days,
only to discover it would take several more days or even longer to arrange
this documentation. To avoid that, we are just making an effort to alert
people before they travel to try and be aware of this and make the proper
arrangements. But, no, no criticism implied.
QUESTION: But this has nothing to do with the American passport holders
who have Jerusalem residence permits?
MR. DINGER: That is a completely separate issue. That involves east
Jerusalem. This involves Palestinian Americans. I have some points here.
There are many Palestinian Americans who will travel to Israel this summer.
Without the proper documentation, they may have difficulties in transiting
Israel to Gaza and the West Bank. For that reason, we are supplying this
information to inform potential travelers. Palestinian Americans who may
have residence status need a Palestinian passport before they travel. The
embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consul General in Jerusalem is providing
this information to Palestinian Americans who are already there. I
will just refer you to the statement. It is quite procedural in nature. As
I say, trying to avoid problems with a heavy summer travel season.
Just one other thing that might be of interest to you all is that next week
the U.S. and the European Union will host a conference on strengthening
transatlantic ties. This is a major international conference entitled,
"Bridging the Atlantic: People-to-People Links." It will be held May 5th
and 6th here in the Department. It is organized by the Department of State
and U.S. Information Agency. It will engage over 300 Americans and
Europeans, including CEOs, labor leaders, the media, heads of private
foundations, senior U.S. and European officials, legislators, etc.
This conference is a key initiative of the U.S.-EU new transatlantic
agenda. That agenda was launched in 1995 by President Clinton, European
Commission President Santer and then-European Council President Gonzales.
The agenda will focus on how governments and the private sector can give a
higher profile to programs that most effectively boost the transatlantic
partnership. It is quite an extensive schedule, which is available in the
press office, many different speakers and many different topics. It is
open to the press. I believe any event that is in the Loy Henderson
Conference Room is open to the press. There are some discussion groups that
are in other rooms and I think there is just simply not room to accommodate
members of the press in those events. That is what I have for announcements.
QUESTION: Is the Secretary going to be involved in that?
MR. DINGER: No, the Secretary will not be in Washington. She will be
traveling in Guatemala and Mexico and those states.
QUESTION: Could you bring us up to date on Zaire?
MR. DINGER: Well, as we all know, a meeting between President Mobutu and
rebel alliance leader Kabila is scheduled for today, May 2nd. President
Mobutu has left Kinshasa for Point Noire, Congo, and I do believe he is
aboard a South African ship at this time. Alliance leader Kabila arrived in
Luanda this morning from Lubumbashi. The last I have seen, Mr. Kabila
remains in Luanda. Since the meeting has not yet begun and since at least
Mr. Kabila's travel would involve a relatively lengthy helicopter flight to
the ship, I think we have to be frank and realize that it is very much
in question whether the meeting is going to take place today.
I would note that the South Africans, we believe, are still confident that
the meeting will take place soon, if not today, we would certainly hope
tomorrow. President Mandela, of course, is hosting the conference on board
a South African ship. We expect it to be in international waters off the
coast of Zaire. Ambassador Richardson and South African President Mandela
are currently in Point Noire. President Mandela and Congolese President
Lisuba have asked Ambassador Richardson to attend the shipboard talks.
As we said yesterday, Ambassador Richardson is most happy to fulfill
whatever role President Mandela, the UN special representative Sahnoun and
others believe will be useful. He does plan to remain and, hopefully,
participate in the meeting which will take place possibly today, but it now
seems more likely tomorrow.
I would just point out that these are very, very important talks. These
talks are very important for President Mobutu, very important for alliance
leader Kabila but, most importantly, very important for the people of
Zaire. We believe it is essential that these talks take place and we urge
the leaders to make that happen. At the same time, we also need to stress
that a Mobutu-Kabila meeting, while an important step, does not mean that
all of the very difficult issues remaining before them will be resolved.
Nevertheless, we do urge the leaders to make sure this meeting takes
place.
QUESTION: John, how complicating has been the French Government's efforts
to keep Mobutu in power?
MR. DINGER: The reports that perhaps we all saw this morning in the press
clearly involved alleged intelligence reports and, for that reason, I am
not going to discuss reports of French involvement in supporting President
Mobutu. What I would like to say though is that France and the United
States have worked very, very closely throughout this crisis. You will
remember before the conference in Loma we jointly demarched, I think it was,
some 20 or 30 African capitals. We believe that the United States and
France share the same objectives. Those include obtaining a cessation of
hostilities, seeing a negotiated transition to a democratic government,
responding to the urgent humanitarian needs of refugees in eastern Zaire,
and facilitating the repatriation of Rwandan refugees. So while I can't
comment on these intelligence reports of French covert support for
President Mobutu, I would like to stress how closely the United States and
France have worked towards the same goals in Zaire.
QUESTION: I didn't mention the word "intelligence" at all deliberately.
MR. DINGER: The press reports have, though.
QUESTION: But I didn't refer to them at all. I just asked you whether
French efforts to support Mobutu have complicated your efforts to try to
get some sort of a peaceful transition here.
MR. DINGER: We worked very, very closely with the French towards the same
goals in the same efforts, and those include finding a cease-fire,
achieving a cease-fire, pursuing a negotiated transition, responding to the
humanitarian need. So I guess in that way I am indirectly responding to
your question, I think.
QUESTION: You're saying that - well, let me try to break it down.
MR. DINGER: I'm saying that we're working together closely. So should you
ask in what way has it inhibited us, I would say very much the contrary;
the United States and France have worked cooperatively on this issue for
some months, particularly in this immediate crisis.
QUESTION: Does the United States though feel that France was trying to
beef up Mobutu as he was weakening in power and the rebels were advancing?
MR. DINGER: I don't have any reason to confirm that sort of attitude. As
I say, very much the opposite, that France and the United States very much
share policy in the goals in Zaire.
QUESTION: Have you seen the reports that Angolan armored units have
become involved in the fight?
MR. DINGER: We have seen the reports of Angolan involvement. I can't
confirm any of the specifics about Angolan involvement. I certainly saw the
reports today about bridging equipment and armored carriers, etc. It is
quite clear though that the Angolans have been providing support to the
alliance. We have very strongly urged the Angolans, privately and publicly,
at the very highest levels that they should end their military involvement
and that they should support international efforts to achieve a negotiated
end to the conflict in Zaire.
Having said that, we also have to allow that we continue to see these
reports of continued Angolan involvement. Ambassador Richardson was just in
Luanda and one of his principal purposes was to discuss Angola's involvement
in Zaire and to underscore in the strongest terms that we believe it is
clearly in Angola's interest not to become involved in Zaire because that
involvement is only likely to contribute to unrest in Zaire, which borders
on Angola. That simply can not be in the interest of Angola to contribute
to instability in Zaire. So Ambassador Richardson just yesterday was in
Luanda making these points very strongly. This is not the first occasion
that we have had to make our position known to Angolans.
QUESTION: Well, does this suggest to you that the spillover of the war
has already begun to occur in the neighboring countries?
MR. DINGER: There have been allegations since the current, shall we say,
crisis some six or eight months ago that there have been various outside
forces from many of the neighboring countries involved in the conflict in
Zaire. We have, from the very beginning, said in the strongest terms that
we don't believe there is any useful role for foreign forces to play in
Zaire. We have said that publicly and we have been in touch with all those
countries which are alleged to be involved urging them to stay out of
this conflict because it can have no positive impact on the situation
in Zaire, very much the opposite.
QUESTION: Is it clear that this could lead ultimately to the breakup of
the territorial integrity of the country which is now known as Zaire?
MR. DINGER: It is very difficult to say with any confidence what the
impact could be. Clearly, it threatens to create more instability in Zaire;
therefore, we don't believe any foreign country or forces have any useful
role to play. We believe this is a conflict that must be limited to the
people of Zaire and must be resolved by them. In that context, we are
working very, very vigorously -- particularly the President and the
Secretary have just sent Ambassador Richardson to Zaire -- in a very
strong effort to reach a cease-fire and to lay out, develop, a plan
that will eventually lead to a stable and democratic Zaire. The involvement
of foreign forces in Zaire can not contribute to that goal, very much the
opposite.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) on the list of those countries which you have seen
reported to be involved?
MR. DINGER: Well, I will let you review the reports of which countries
are reported to be involved. I will say that we have been in touch with all
of them and on more than one occasion to stress our point. The bottom line
here is that it is not in their interest to be involved in this; what is in
their interest is for there to be a stable, democratic and, frankly,
prosperous Zaire. Now, that goal is some ways away. But that is the
goal and, in order to achieve that goal, what we need is for President
Mobutu and alliance leader Kabila to meet, for there to be a cease-fire,
and that there be a transition to an inclusive democratic process and
government in Zaire. That is what we all need to be working on and that is
where people should be concentrating their efforts.
QUESTION: John, there have been reports of UNITA involvement on behalf of
Mobutu. Did Richardson meet with Jonas Savimbi and did this issue come
up?
MR. DINGER: I don't believe that Ambassador Richardson met on this
occasion with Mr. Savimbi. I can tell you, however, that we have been in
touch with all the parties in Angola who may be involved in Zaire and we
have made this point.
QUESTION: John, is there evidence based on Kabila's contacts with
American officials that he has a good understanding of what a transition to
democracy would mean and that he is prepared to carry it out?
MR. DINGER: Well, of course, our contact with Mr. Kabila has been
conducted on various levels. We have an officer from our embassy in
Kinshasa who is now in eastern Zaire. I am not positive he has met directly
with Mr. Kabila, but Mr. Bogosian has been in contact with Mr. Kabila and,
of course, we have a very persuasive special envoy at the present time
there who has just met with Mr. Kabila. Ambassador Richardson is very
persuasive. He has certainly, in the strongest terms, expressed our
policy and our point of view to Mr. Kabila. We certainly hope that
Mr. Kabila will understand that this is in the interest of everybody
involved but, most especially, the interest and the people of Zaire.
QUESTION: What kind of response did he get from Kabila? Did he get any
assent?
MR. DINGER: I don't think I will be able to offer you any replies from
Mr. Kabila, but I just leave it that we have made it very clear and that
Ambassador Richardson is a very persuasive person and that I am certain
that he made these points in a most convincing way. We are certainly
hopeful that Mr. Kabila recognizes this and, no matter what happens in
Zaire, that he will be a force for democracy and stability and progress.
QUESTION: Is it fair to say that his commitment to democracy still is an
open question?
MR. DINGER: The fact that he is not someone that we have had extensive
contact with over many years. It is certainly obvious that we can not say
with any certainty what his ultimate goals might be. Of course, we don't
want to speculate on what his ultimate achievements might be. I think what
we would say is that, regardless of what happens in Zaire, we would hope
that Mr. Kabila is a positive force.
QUESTION: John, is there some doubt that the two men will meet or do you
just attribute the fact that the meeting hasn't happened today to some of
the logistics that have been involved?
MR. DINGER: It is very difficult to know with precision what has caused
the meeting not to take place today. I think we have probably all seen the
reports, whether they be on television or on the wires, about the problems
that have arisen. Clearly, there are issues involving the health of
President Mobutu. There are issues about long helicopter rides. There are
all these issues. Logistics are a problem, but is very difficult to
understand exactly what happened.
We certainly hope that both leaders will make every effort to make this
meeting take place. We really think it is in their interest. I'll just
repeat once again, it is in the interest of Zaire, the country and its
people, that they meet and that they: one, achieve a cease-fire, a
cessation of hostilities; and that they, two, develop a reasonable plan, a
workable plan, that will lead to a transition towards democracy.
QUESTION: Another topic.
MR. DINGER: Yes, Bhil.
QUESTION: Thank you, John. Representative Tony Hall, the humanitarian
gave us a report on his trip to North Korea just a few minutes ago. It was
his conclusion that there is an urgent need for a great deal more grain to
be distributed rapidly in North Korea, primarily because, as Mr. Atwood,
Brian Atwood, said, the North Koreans are going to eat their crops before
they harvest them. They are going to eat their seed, things are so
desperate.
And secondly, John, I would like you to address the issue of thousands and
thousands of North Korea military people, observed by Mr. Hall, who were
thin, wasting away, wouldn't fit their clothes. Is this a dangerous
situation?
MR. DINGER: Maybe I will just address your second question first,
briefly. We don't have any reason to believe that there is any increased
danger due to the food shortage. No change in our view, I think, of
immediate danger in North Korea because of the food shortage.
Second, regarding Mr. Hall's assessment. He has been very, very forceful
and articulate. He has been forceful and articulate in his description of
what he saw when he went to North Korea. Of course, the World Food
representatives have also been very active in North Korea and been involved
in this crisis for some time. They have made several appeals, including,
most recently, an expanded appeal for food aid.
Clearly, there is a severe food crisis in North Korea. If fact, in all of
our meetings with the North Koreans, they have stressed the dire situation
there and the need for food aid. So although the details may vary or not be
entirely clear to us, since State Department officials are not there on a
regular basis; nevertheless, it is clear the situation is very, very
serious.
Of course, for that reason the United States has already contributed, I
think, to each of the World Food Program's appeals. In fact, we are the
largest contributor to those appeals. So, yes, there is a very serious
problem there. Everybody, including the North Koreans, makes that very
clear. Yes, the United States is very concerned and, yes, the United States
in contributing towards this and, in fact, is the largest contributor.
QUESTION: Would this government consider an accelerated aid program?
MR. DINGER: We have always said that we are prepared to study any new
appeals. We just met the last appeal, which was an expanded appeal. So
without speculating on what new appeal may come from the World Food Program
or perhaps another humanitarian organization, we are certainly willing to
study any future appeals.
QUESTION: John, there is a report out of Seoul that next week there will
be a meeting, and that Chuck Kartman from this building will be attending,
with the South Koreans, the Japanese, and the United States to talk about
North Korea. Can you give us some details on that?
MR. DINGER: Right. Chuck Kartman is going to be going to Tokyo next week.
I think it is a one-day meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday. These will be
trilateral talks with the South Koreans and the Japanese. The talks will
focus on North Korea, not surprisingly.
They, within that broader focus, will focus mostly on obviously the status
of the South Korean and the American proposal for Four Party talks. It has
been a couple weeks since Chuck Kartman was last in New York for those
meetings. We have periodic talks in this format. This is another of those
periodic talks. It will address the Four Party talks and also the food
situation in North Korea.
QUESTION: Have the North Koreans communicated in any way they are in a,
sort of, working-level group or otherwise since the breakdown of the last
session?
MR. DINGER: I am not aware that we have any new communication from North
Koreans on the Four Party talks. We have a couple of occasions that we will
probably be seeing the North Koreans soon, not on the Four Party talks or
on the food situation. But we do anticipate, as I mentioned yesterday, that
there will be talks about the return of the remains probably soon. That is
a DOD issue. So for details on who will be attending and when, I would
check with them.
Also, we still anticipate having missile talks in New York. Is it the 12th
and 13th? Chuck Kartman will not be meeting with the North Koreans on this
trip.
QUESTION: John, back on the food issue. I believe Nick said the first of
the two U.S. vessels is due on the 4th of May. Is that your recollection?
MR. DINGER: That sounds about right, but I don't recollect accurately. As
far as I know, there is no change. Whatever the records, the first two
ships, the 4th, and then shortly thereafter. I don't know about whether we
have lined up the exact shipment for the expanded appeal.
QUESTION: Could you take the question as to the date of the arrival of
the first one?
MR. DINGER: We will see if there is any update on the shipments.
QUESTION: You know that the Japanese Government is reluctant to give
North Korea additional food shipments and assistance. Actually, what kind
of conversation do you have with the Japanese Government on this issue? Or
is Mr. Kartman going to have conversations with Japanese (inaudible)
officials on this issue? Does he ask the Japanese Government to give North
Korea another assistance?
MR. DINGER: Well, in general, one of the issues is certainly going to be
the food situation in North Korea. We have made it very clear that this is
a decision for the Japanese Government to make. We have not, and certainly
don't plan, to change our view on that. Contributing food aid to North
Korea is a decision for the Japanese Government to make.
We have contributed. Obviously, that is what we are doing. But we will
leave it to the Japanese Government to make its decisions about food
aid.
QUESTION: But, John, to be fair, in addition to saying - on the one hand
it's for Japan to make this decision, the spokesman has been very clear
about saying that the United States thinks this is an urgent need and that
all countries should contribute. So presumably that implies Japan, and he
certainly made no exception for Japan or South Korea.
MR. DINGER: It applies to all countries.
QUESTION: Right.
MR. DINGER: We are definitely not singling out Japan.
QUESTION: So my question would be, in this meeting in Tokyo, is that one
of the messages that Mr. Kartman is going to take?
MR. DINGER: No.
QUESTION: He is not?
MR. DINGER: No.
QUESTION: He is not going to tell them that the United States believes
this is an urgent situation and all countries should contribute?
MR. DINGER: All countries? I'm not going to read off his talking points.
He is going, but he is not going to pressure Japan into providing food
aid.
QUESTION: So he won't even - he won't even be repeating the same kinds of
positions that have been spoken publicly from this podium?
MR. DINGER: He may well, but that is not a position that we have spoken
publicly, that Japan should - singled out Japan for contributing food
aid.
QUESTION: No, no. But as I just said, when he asks -
MR. DINGER: We are not sending any signals here to Japan in making that
statement. That is a general statement, and we have led by example.
Obviously, we have contributed food aid to Korea. It would be very odd if
we said every country in the world shouldn't. That doesn't really make
sense that we would do that. But to transfer it from the general to a
specific, I just don't think you can do that accurately.
QUESTION: Well, if you can't, then what is the point of making the
statement?
MR. DINGER: Let's not lose sight of what Japan does do. Japan is very
heavily involved in KEDO, for example. So let's also keep in focus Japan's
relationship with North Korea and what it does contribute to North
Korea.
QUESTION: Are you saying that the United States thinks that is enough?
MR. DINGER: No, I'm just saying let's not lose sight of the overall
picture here of our cooperation with Japan on issues dealing with North
Korea. It's been very, very close - very, very close -- and deserves to be
praised.
We are not singling out Japan on the food aid issue. We, obviously, are
contributing food aid to North Korea. We wouldn't do that if we didn't
think it wasn't needed, if we didn't think it was a serious situation.
Obviously, if we do it, we think others should do it as well, but we are in
no way singling out Japan on this issue.
QUESTION: John, on another subject --
QUESTION: Same subject.
QUESTION: There is a something quoted in the -
MR. DINGER: We'll have the same subject, Jim, for a second.
QUESTION: So you don't have the details of the MIA-POW Talks? When it
starts and who is the head of the delegation?
MR. DINGER: No, it's a Pentagon issue. So whoever the head of the
delegation is, it will be a Pentagon official.
QUESTION: The North Korean side, you don't know who is the head of the
delegation?
MR. DINGER: No, please check with the Pentagon.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) he is in New York, or he already left?
MR. DINGER: I don't--
QUESTION: The North Korean delegation?
MR. DINGER: I haven't checked recently. I am not sure. You might want to
call up to their mission in New York.
QUESTION: And the members who will have talks with the U.S.A., missile
talks, talks next week?
MR. DINGER: I do not know who the North Korean side is. The Pentagon may
know who will be leading the North Korean delegation. Regarding whether the
party is still there that was there two weeks ago, you might want to check
with the North Korean mission in New York and ask them. Betsy.
QUESTION: On the Middle East --
QUESTION: I have just one more. Sorry, I just want to try this one more
time. If the United States is not going to single out Japan for food aid or
urge them in any way to give aid again to North Korea, what else would be
brought up with food aid? You said food aid or the situation in North Korea
regarding famine will be brought up.
MR. DINGER: Well, it's a major issue, clearly, and the humanitarian
situation there is dire. I would add that in all of our talks with the
North Koreans, they do bring the issue up. So if we are going to have
meetings with the Japanese and South Koreans about the situation in North
Korea, clearly, that is an element of those discussions. No surprise
there.
QUESTION: Now?
MR. DINGER: Okay, yes.
QUESTION: On the Middle East, do you think you have found a formula for
resuming the Palestinian-Israeli talks?
MR. DINGER: We have had some ideas, and you know that those ideas have
been presented to all the sides, particularly when they came to Washington.
We have had continued contact since then back and fourth.
You know that Dennis Ross is leaving probably early next week to the region,
and the purpose of this trip is to continue this effort to find a way to
get the peace process back on track. A major element of that is to study
what the parties are willing to do, what steps the parties are willing to
take to try to get the process back on track.
QUESTION: Reports from there say that Netanyahu is willing to accelerate
Arab housing in Har Homa, but not to halt the present construction of the
Israeli project. Is that report accurate?
MR. DINGER: I don't have any details for you, Jim, on what proposals are
being made by which parties. As you know so very well, we have discovered
that we are most effective in our negotiations in the Middle East if we do
not speak publicly in any great detail about them. That effectiveness is
paramount to us, and so it still applies.
Dennis Ross is going there to see what steps the parties are willing to
take, to try and restore confidence, to get the process back on track. He
will take some ideas with him. He will listen to their ideas, and we
certainly hope that we will make some progress. But I don't have a details
for you or a detailed agenda for him.
QUESTION: Well, I'll try it another way. Is this trip a signal of
possible hope for resumption or is it desperation?
MR. DINGER: Well, certainly if it is a choice between those two, it is
the former. This is a long-term process, as we all know, and this is one
stage in a long-term process. He is going, as we have said, to try to see
what the parties are willing to do, to try to make progress, rebuild
confidence, and get the process back on track. I don't have any special
breakthroughs that I can give you that we are anticipating in this
particular trip.
QUESTION: Will he hook up with -
MR. DINGER: As you know, that has really just not been the history of
this process.
QUESTION: Will he hook up with the European Union mediator?
MR. DINGER: Ambassador Ross's schedule is not firm. As you know, as a
general rule, we don't give many details on his agenda, his schedule, his
meetings where he will be traveling; and that is true in this case, as
well.
QUESTION: This is the Middle East. Is there any change in the status of
Mr. Marzook from what you were able to tell us -
MR. DINGER: No, it remains an issue before the court. As it is a legal
issue, we are not commenting on it.
QUESTION: Do you have any plan to have some kind of dialogue with some
terrorist organizations, as a United States Government policy?
MR. DINGER: Well, I think Ambassador Wilcox addressed that issue during
his briefing. Maybe you ought to refer --
QUESTION: (Inaudible.) I was here.
MR. DINGER: Okay. I would just refer you what he said about that.
QUESTION: Okay, the question is -
MR. DINGER: As you know, particularly as necessary, we will have a
dialogue with terrorist organizations. I think that is what Ambassador
Wilcox said. But we have no policy, as such --
QUESTION: How about -
MR. DINGER: -- of engaging in a routine matter with terrorist organizations.
QUESTION: Do you encourage that any government, especially the Turkish
Government, have a dialogue with the PKK terrorist origination?
MR. DINGER: The PKK is a vicious terrorist organization and we don't
think they should be given any quarter. Obviously, they should not be
supported. Every effort should be made to oppose them and their terrible
acts.
QUESTION: John, Cuba. Yesterday, Stuart Eizenstat, on Capitol Hill, said
that there were concerns about this French agreement with Cuba on
investment and said it would be raised this week. Do you know if this has
happened?
MR. DINGER: Carole, I don't have any details on that for you. I'm
sorry.
QUESTION: Do you have any update on the two Americans who were arrested
in Seoul?
MR. DINGER: There have been, as we know, two Americans arrested in Seoul.
We understand that one is Mr. Donald Ratcliffe, arrested on charges of
violation of military protection laws. Mr. Ratcliffe has been in contact
with an attorney locally. We do not have any Privacy Act waiver from him
and so we, as you know, cannot provide any more details.
The other American is Mr. James Kwak. He was arrested, I believe, on April
24th. I must say I do not have the exact charges against Mr. Kwak. But also
in the case of Mr. Kwak we do not have a Privacy Act waiver.
QUESTION: Are the two men connected?
MR. DINGER: I would just refer you to press reports, which indicate they
are. As I say, we don't have a Privacy Act waiver for either of the
gentlemen. So as much as I would like to give you details on their arrest,
I simply can't.
QUESTION: I'm sure you're dying to give us details.
MR. DINGER: I'm dying to. It's part of our policy here, providing as much
information as we possibly can to the press.
QUESTION: Is this an espionage case or an information exchange case?
MR. DINGER: At the very least, I'm afraid I don't know the details of
Korean law. But Mr. Ratcliffe is apparently charged with violating military
protection laws. I'm sorry, I just don't know what that means in the Korean
legal system. At least that is what I have here.
QUESTION: Have you had consular access?
MR. DINGER: We have met with Mr. Kwak. We have not yet had an opportunity
to meet with Mr. Ratcliffe.
QUESTION: Have you tried?
MR. DINGER: We are scheduling a meeting with Mr. Ratcliffe and we hope
that will be very, very soon. I would guess that probably no later than
Monday we will have met with him. We have met with Mr. Kwak. I believe when
we were meeting with Mr. Kwak, we did, in fact, see Mr. Ratcliffe. But we
have not actually had a chance to perform our usual consular services in
the case when an American has been arrested.
Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 1:57 p.m.)
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