U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #92, 97-06-17

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U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing

I N D E X

Tuesday, June 17, 1997

Briefer: Nicholas Burns

ANNOUNCEMENTS/STATEMENTS
1-2         Republic of Congo - Brazzaville:  State Department issues
              Travel Warning, suspends embassy operations; Three-day truce
              agreed by warring factions
2           El Salvador: Public Announcement issued re incidents of
              violence at football matches
            Albania: Secretary Albright meeting w/ OSCE - Franz Vranitzsky,
              discuss elections
2-3         Unveiling of Press Office corridor display
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
3           Departure of Americans:  Numbers
CAMBODIA
4           Reported clashes; Effect on Secretary Albright's scheduled
              travel to Cambodia
CYPRUS/TURKEY/GREECE
4-6         US concern over reported Turkish military naval maneuvers in
              Cyprus
6           Under Secretary Pickering meeting with Greece Deputy Foreign
              Minister
6           Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke activities
15-16       US position on sovereignty of Imia/Kardak
PEACE PROCESS
6-8         US reaction to recent violence in Hebron; Status of peace
              negotiations
8           Consul General Abington comments on Israeli settlements; US
              discussion w/ Israel
9           Congressional consultations on shifting of aid from Israel and
              Egypt
TERRORISM
9           Reported Canada deportation of Al-Khobar bombing suspect
              al-Sayegh to US
SWITZERLAND
9-10        Nazi Assets:  Lawsuit against Switzerland for holocaust
              victims' assets Swiss Government actions to compensate
              victims
INDONESIA
10-11       Bishop Belo meetings at White House/NSC, State Department
11          Ramos Horta earlier meetings in Washington, discussion of East
              Timor
IRAN
11-12       Tests of Chinese-supplied anti-ship Cruise missiles; Danger to
              US troops in Gulf
13          US commitment to security of Persian Gulf; Iran support for
              terrorism
TURKEY/ISRAEL
12-13       Syria/Iraq/Iran front in response to Turkey-Israel
              cooperation; Joint military exercises
CROATIA
13          Assessment of elections; effect on Dayton Accords
              implementation
UNITED KINGDOM: Northern Ireland
13-14       US condemns IRA killing of policemen, terrorism; Sinn Fein role
              in talks
DEPARTMENT
14-15       Secretary Albright's schedule:  Summit Of The Eight in Denver;
              Travel to Asia (Vietnam/Cambodia/Hong Kong)
CUBA
16          Castro visa application to attend United Nations conference

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

DPB #92

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1997 2:00 P.M.

(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

MR. BURNS: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the State Department briefing. I want to welcome Professor Carole Ashkinaze, the Assistant Professor of Journalism for American University -- here again with another group of students from her journalism class. I think you are seated here and here. Thanks very much for coming.

A couple of things to announce, in addition to what the Secretary announced upstairs on our assistance program to Jordan. The first is that the State Department is issuing a travel warning for Congo, Brazzaville. We are warning U.S. citizens to cancel travel to Congo, Brazzaville, due to the vastly deteriorated security situation there, and due to the fact that the United States must suspend the operations of our American Embassy in Brazzaville.

There is considerable shooting, acts of violence, chaos and mayhem in the streets, active civil war underway both in the capital and throughout the country. That makes travel to Congo, Brazzaville an irrational act by anyone seeking to travel there and quite dangerous, as well. I would refer you to the travel warning we are issuing.

I can tell you that our ambassador, Aubrey Hooks, has just reported to us that the International Committee for Mediation of the Crisis in the Congo was able to convince the factional leaders today to agree to a three-day truce in the fighting. We would like to see this truce implemented. We would like to see the fighting stopped completely. We hope that is the case, as a result of the very fine work of Ambassador Hooks, the American ambassador, of the French Government, of the government of Gabon, and the government of Mali, as well as the government of Equatorial Guinea.

Now, the State Department is suspending operations in Brazzaville as of tomorrow morning, Wednesday morning. Our 12 official Americans, our diplomats there, a single Peace Corps volunteer who has remained in the country, and a Peace Corps doctor will depart via C-130 from Brazzaville tomorrow.

We do expect that the 12-member military team, along with embassy equipment will depart at roughly the same time. Our Deputy Chief of Mission Vince Valle, one of our consular officers Ava Rogers will set up a temporary observation post across the river in Kinshasa to monitor events from there -- events in Brazzaville -- to maintain contact with any remaining American citizens in Brazzaville. We do believe that there will be some American citizens who have elected to say behind in Brazzaville.

The Peace Corps director will go to Libreville in Gabon to complete the suspension procedures. Our ambassador, Ambassador Hooks, will be returning to Washington for consultations. This is a suspension of our embassy operations. We will keep the embassy open physically. We will have our local staff, our Congolese staff there to try to maintain the embassy and at least maintain some contact with the factional leaders, with any Americans who find themselves at the door of the embassy and in trouble.

We will be evacuating because we simply cannot ensure the safety of the American diplomats there when the French Government has decided to take the French troops out of Brazzaville. The French Government had effectively provided security for our embassy and other embassies in the area. Now that they are leaving we can no longer, with a good conscience, keep our diplomats there.

They have served over the last couple of weeks in an exceedingly dangerous environment. Some of them have literally put their life on the line in trying to help American citizens -- Ava Rogers being one of those people. As soon as we can resume the operations of the embassy with American diplomats, we will do that. So we are not breaking relations. We are not closing the embassy permanently.

We are suspending operations. I hope that is clear to all.

Let me also tell you, we are issuing a travel public announcement on El Salvador. This warns the American public about violence and disruptive behavior which often accompanies football matches in El Salvador, and which sometimes threatens American citizens who may be in the area. Witness the recent match between Guatemala and the United States in El Salvador. There was a quite dangerous situation that resulted as part of the emotion that accompanied the football match, and we wanted American citizens to be aware of that.

Now, two more notices before we go to questions. First, I do have a statement available on Albania. This concerns the meeting that Secretary Albright and Under Secretary Tom Pickering had yesterday with the former Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky.

He is the chair of the OSCE office for Albania. They discussed political developments and they discussed our very strong support for the parliamentary elections on June 29 and July 6.

The Secretary and Dr. Vranitzky agreed that these elections are a critical first step in moving Albania along the road to a complete political and economic and social recovery, including the need to form a government that is recognized by the people of Albania.

We very much support that process, and we thank Dr. Vranitzky for his leadership.

Finally, if any of you have walked down this corridor lately you will see that there are seven large bulletin boards there covered up with newspaper. Now, the reason for that is that we wanted to surprise all of you when we invite you to come at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon for an unveiling of these boards. The unveiling will then reveal the press office at work.

As you know, our press officers get in here at 4:30 a.m., 5:00 a.m. in the morning, and they stay until late at night. We thought we would do a pictorial snapshot of "A Day in the Life of the State Department Press Office." There's going to be champagne and other beverages. You are invited to come for the unveiling. I want to credit two people for doing all the work on this - Phyllis Young, our veteran, very capable press officer; and Stephanie Eicher, equally capable and impressive press officer.

They are the ones who carried this out.

Now, because I know that you all are interested in your own role in this process, we are planning a stage two, and that will catalogue the life of the press corps here at the State Department. We will be coming around to photograph you. So you will have to be on your best behavior.

(Laughter.)

I'm not sure we are going to give you any advance warning, and we are going to be on the record. We will be questioning you about how you spend your time here.

On this side of the corridor, in a couple of months, we hope to unveil stage two, which will be a pictorial representation of all of you -- George and Barry and Patrick and Judd and others - photographs and quotes and any advice you want to give those of us who follow the press.

QUESTION: No advance warning?

MR. BURNS: No advance warning.

QUESTION: Should we wear our Red Sox --

MR. BURNS: You should wear your Red Sox hats everyday.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: At any moment the photographer could show up in the bull pen. Thank you, George.

QUESTION: Did you say how many Americans are being involved in this suspension in Brazzaville?

MR. BURNS: I said that we would be withdrawing 12 American diplomats, a Peace Corps volunteer, a Peace Corps doctor, as well as the American military assessment team that flew into Brazzaville, oh, about ten days ago. I think that team is quite small -- roughly ten to 15 people in that team.

So we are talking about a little bit more than 25 or so, 26, 27 people who will be coming out tomorrow morning via U.S. military C-130 from Brazzaville Airport. We simply can't protect them any longer given the deteriorating security situation in Brazzaville.

George, any further questions on that? You okay? Judd.

QUESTION: New subject?

MR. BURNS: Yeah.

QUESTION: Cambodia.

MR. BURNS: Yes.

QUESTION: There is great - reports of fighting between followers, backers of the two prime ministers who share power.

Any comment on it? And does this endanger Secretary Albright's trip there next week?

MR. BURNS: Well, I can tell you that we have heard from Ambassador Ken Quinn, our very fine ambassador in Phnom Penh.

He does report gunfire and some explosions in the streets of Phnom Penh. He has tried to keep us updated.

I don't believe at this point that we have had any American embassy personnel injured in the fighting. But, of course, they are taking appropriate precautions. I do believe that an Agence France Presse reporter, an American, Matthew Lee, was apparently shot in the arm, was taken to the hospital. He is okay. He is going to recover, and we are very relieved by that. Obviously, we will give him all the support we can.

Ambassador Quinn visited Matthew Lee in the hospital and made sure that he was okay and that we would give him every assistance to take care of himself. We will be watching the situation, obviously, very closely. We have an important embassy there. They are on the spot.

There is no change in the plans of the Secretary of State. She plans to visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City and Phnom Penh next week before she goes into Hong Kong for reversion. Yes, Dimitris.

QUESTION: Yes, I have a question on Cyprus. A few days ago, the Administration praised publicly the Cypriot Government and the Turkish Government for unilaterally deciding the moratorium on over-flights. Today, just a few days before the start of the upcoming talks between President Clerides and Mr. Denktash in New York under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, Turkey broke its promise and had some warships approaching the Turkish Cypriot ports. Do you consider this as helpful to the creation of a good environment before the upcoming talks?

MR. BURNS: We are concerned about these reports. We are very concerned about the reports of the movement of Turkish naval vessels. The United States, frankly, does not know the reasons behind these reported military and naval maneuvers. I can't tell you whether or not aircraft have been deployed to accompany the naval maneuvers.

We are seeking an explanation from the Turkish Government. Turkey is a friend of the United States, as is Greece, as is Cyprus.

Of course, we want to seek an explanation before we say something in more detail. But we are concerned by it, because we think it's very important that all the parties involved in trying to resolve the Cyprus dispute not take any unilateral measures that would disrupt in any way the United Nations-sponsored peace talks that are slated to begin outside New York City I think early in the second week of July.

It is very important that we try to maintain a climate of cooperation, of stability, of peace so that those peace talks can begin under Secretary General Kofi Annan's leadership. That is important to us. We would not want to see any kind of provocative initiatives taken in the area.

Now, we will be very interested to hear from the Turkish Government whether or not these reports are accurate; and if they are accurate, why these naval maneuvers have been undertaken. But we are concerned by these reports.

QUESTION: Excuse me perhaps did you say the Turkish Cypriot ports? Or Cypriot ports?

MR. BURNS: I did not use that term, as you know. I did not say Turkish Cypriot. As you know, we recognize the government of Cyprus, as you know very well.

QUESTION: Otherwise, you are expressing the fear that somehow Turkey is moving for another advance on Cyprus?

MR. BURNS: Excuse me, Mr. Lambros?

QUESTION: Otherwise, you are expressing a kind of fear that Turkey is moving for another advance against Cyprus?

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, we don't know that the intentions of the Turkish Government are. That is why we wish to hear from the Turkish Government a complete explanation. But I did say that we are very concerned by these reports of naval maneuvers off the coast of Cyprus.

QUESTION: So far you don't have anything from Turkey since for the last two weeks Turkey is violating the Cypriot air space, plus the territorial waters from the Republic of Cyprus. So you didn't find out what is going on as far as --

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, let's take these one at a time.

This incident was just reported publicly this morning. We first became aware of it this morning. Therefore, we are reacting to this. We are trying to do the responsible thing here. We are trying to find out the facts before we have extensive comment in public. You would expect that of us. I know you wouldn't want us to do anything differently. That is what we are doing.

Once we have an explanation from the Turkish Government, then I will be very glad to report that to you.

Now, you referred to a prior incident. We were concerned by the air maneuvers of the Turkish Government a couple of weeks ago.

But when we were first asked about it, Mr. Lambros, we were in the same position that we are now; and that is, of course we had to talk to the Turkish Government first before we could have a detailed comment.

QUESTION: Any read-out for today's meeting between the Greek Deputy for Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kranidiotis and Under Secretary Tom Pickering?

MR. BURNS: Well, I know that they had a very good meeting today. They discussed a variety of issues related to U.S.-Greek relations. I know that he was also over - Deputy Minister Kranidiotis was also over at the Pentagon to meet Deputy Under Secretary Jan Lodal about some military issues that are important to the United States.

I think both these meetings were productive meetings. In the Pickering meeting, they discussed the upcoming UN-sponsored face-to-face talks on Cyprus, and of course, the very strong support that the United States gives to those talks. They discussed efforts to reduce tension in the Aegean area, which, of course, is a common interest of the United States and Greece, as well as Turkey.

I will leave it to the Pentagon to give a briefing on Deputy Under Secretary Lodal's meetings. But those were important, of course, in talking about confidence-building measures and talking about some of the military initiatives that we have underway with the Greek Government to, of course, enhance the capabilities of the Greek Government.

I also talked to Dick Holbrooke this morning. He was in Berlin.

He was traveling in Europe, and of course, he has been very active trying to plan his strategy. He's going to be watching very carefully the UN-sponsored talks outside of New York. Then I think you'll see, building on that, efforts by Mr. Holbrooke and his associates to try to strengthen the efforts of the United Nations.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) - did they discuss the also confidence-building measures in the Aegean? (Inaudible) -- in today's meeting.

MR. BURNS: They discussed the situation in the Aegean, and of course the agreement that we all have to try to reduce tensions in the Aegean if that may be possible. Dimitris, yes.

QUESTION: On another subject, do you have any comment on the problems in Hebron?

MR. BURNS: In Hebron? Yes, I do. I think you've all seen that there has been a great deal of violence in Hebron over the last couple of days - 28 people were wounded today - 28 Palestinians were wounded today.

We deplore the violence that has taken place over the last few days in Hebron and throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We particularly regret the serious wounding of Palestinian children, and we extend our sympathy to the families of these children.

That is most regrettable.

We call on the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli leadership to exercise maximum restraint in this period, to do everything possible to calm the situation, to end the violence.

The Palestinians and the Israelis have got to work together more effectively. They have got to find a way to break the cycle of violence, and find a way to take these problems between them back to the negotiating table. Any time you see children today in Hebron - Palestinian children - wounded by gunfire, it is extremely regrettable.

We hope very much that both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government can work out some kind of talks, some series of talks that will take the initiative away from those who want to resort to violence in the streets, and place it back upon the politicians who ought to be resolving these problems on behalf of the citizens of Israel and the Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Am I still on this issue?

QUESTION: Well, Jordan aid.

QUESTION: Still on this issue.

QUESTION: Oh, okay.

MR. BURNS: Yes, Crystal.

QUESTION: The Secretary used the metaphor of the bicycle today, and pedaling forward and backward. She said that sometimes in the Middle East we have a tendency to peddle backward. Do you think, in light of what you've just said about the situation in Hebron, are we pedaling backward? Would that be the climate that's happening?

MR. BURNS: Well, I think, to extend the Secretary's metaphor, we're certainly not moving forward. If it's possible to have a stationary bike, we may be in neutral. In some respects, the situation may be receding, heading backwards, because here you have hundreds of people over the last four days, wounded in Hebron and other cities - people resorting to violence when they should be resorting to discussion.

We are not, by the way, attributing any kind of blame to one side more than the other. We feel that both are responsible to bring the situation away from violence and towards peace. What we've learned, through bitter experience in the Middle East, is that when the people who want to resort to violence hold the upper hand, you see the result - you see bloodshed in the streets, you see misery among the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The only way to stop that is for political leaders to come forward with a will to resume negotiations. That's what Secretary Albright was referring to when she made her comment in response to the questions this morning.

QUESTION: One more follow-up on this - Time magazine reported, I think it was last week, that Mr. Abington, the consul general in Jerusalem, has come out to say that he believes that Israel's expansion of settlements is just to hold on to land and, in effect, be an obstacle and a wrench in the peace process. Is that something that has been looked at on the part of the State Department and the Secretary?

MR. BURNS: We do follow and have followed, actually, for decades, settlement activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

That is one of the responsibilities of our consulate general in Jerusalem, which Mr. Abington has headed with such great distinction over the last three years.

We prefer to keep our discussion with the Israelis on settlement issues - which is a very emotional issue for them and for the Palestinians - we prefer to keep those discussions private. I'm not going to launch any broadsides against the Israelis in public.

We're going to have private discussions. I should tell you two things.

One, our policy on settlements has not changed. They're not helpful and they complicate the peace process. But that has been our consistent policy for a long time. Second, I cannot speak directly to this story, because I don't know everything behind it. But I think we're going to maintain a private, confidential channel to the Israelis on settlements, and avoid any kind of public discussion because that's not helpful.

I can tell you that we do, of course, have great respect for Ed Abington and the work that he's done over the last three years.

Yes, Talal.

QUESTION: The Secretary of State Albright has said it upstairs during the Q and A that to move the peace forward in the Middle East, tough decision has to be taken by both sides.

Now, the Palestinian leaders have been asserting that they have taken the tough decision - namely the Madrid and Oslo agreements - and they're waiting for them to be implemented.

MR. BURNS: We're not going to intervene on one side or the other, and give one side a better grade than the other, if that's what you're asking me to do, Talal. I'm not going to do that. An effective mediator does not do that. Both of them should make movement forward - not just one party, both of them. The Palestinians are equally responsible with the Israelis to make progress in these negotiations.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) - and they're waiting for it to be implemented.

MR. BURNS: And the Israelis are also waiting for a clear signal from the Palestinian Authority - a clear, repeated signal - that political assassinations of land dealers will not be the order of the day. So I think there are grievances on both sides.

They need to get together and resolve them. Bill.

QUESTION: Can we move to Saudi?

MR. BURNS: Sure.

QUESTION: Saudi Arabia and the Canadian connection. CBC reports today that within 36 hours, the detainee - Mr. Sayegh -- will be coming to the United States. So, Nick, do you have any idea what's the deal that brings Mr. Sayegh here, rather than to Saudi Arabia?

MR. BURNS: I can tell you this - we have been interested to talk to Mr. Sayegh for a long time. We are interested in bringing him to the United States. I cannot confirm his present status.

I'm going to have to leave that to others, to the law enforcement agencies. I don't have any particular announcement to make today.

You'll have to ask the Canadian Government and our own law enforcement agencies about his status.

Let me tell you something else. We have not forgotten, and will not forget, the fact that 19 Americans, military officers, were killed at the Khobar barracks by ruthless terrorists. We are going to participate in the effort to hunt them down, to catch them, capture them and bring them to justice.

QUESTION: You can't say whether Mr. Sayegh made a deal to plea bargain --

MR. BURNS: No, I have no comment to make on that.

QUESTION: Nothing on that?

MR. BURNS: No.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. BURNS: Yes, Laura, you had something. I'm sorry, Judd.

QUESTION: A point of information --

MR. BURNS: Yes, yes.

QUESTION: Does the Administration need approval from Congress for taking $50 million each from Israel and Jordan this year?

I know in the future, for new moneys, you obviously do.

MR. BURNS: I know that we've consulted very closely with senior members of Congress on this initiative. We've taken great care to do so. Whether or not formal approval is needed, I'd have to check. Yes. Yes, yes, sir.

QUESTION: The Swiss Embassy has made a request through the State Department to urge the judicial authorities to be helpful or, in fact, to dismiss the class action suits against the Swiss banks. Is the State Department taking any steps in this direction?

MR. BURNS: Well, as you know, this is a matter that involves litigation in American courts. You know that Holocaust victims here in the United States have initiated this lawsuit. I cannot share with you the diplomatic correspondence on this issue between the United States and Switzerland. I don't think it's prudent for me to comment about a matter before U.S. courts. That's a separate branch of our government.

It's never useful when the Executive Branch makes comments that could or possibly affect a trial or litigation. Yes, sir.

QUESTION: And a follow-up -- does it mean that the State Department never or, as a rule, doesn't intervene in such cases?

MR. BURNS: The State Department very, very rarely intervenes in litigation in American courts probably - and I'm not a lawyer, thank goodness - but probably only when the State Department is one of the subjects in the litigation do, of course, we defend ourselves. That is not the case here. We are talking about Swiss banks and American citizens who are Holocaust victims.

Now, you should know that in this country I think there is pretty much a consensus in this country. My remarks are completely separate from the litigation, completely separate from your first two questions.

In this country we have enormous sympathy for the families of those people who perished in the Holocaust and enormous sympathy for Holocaust victims who survived the Holocaust.

I think if you look very closely at the study that Under Secretary Eizenstat authored along with our chief historian, Bill Slany, the United States has very clear views about what should have happened during the Second World War and after the Second World War on the issue of Nazi gold, and what didn't happen. That is most disappointing to all of us. I mean, clearly, justice has got to be done for those people, many of them elderly, in their 70s and 80s, who are at the end of their lives want to see some of their families' financial assets restored to them properly, after having been stolen by the Nazis. That is completely separate from the trial, completely separate from the litigation.

We also, I should say, have a lot of respect for the fact that Switzerland is taking some concrete steps as a country and as a nation to deal with the problem, the compensation fund. Some of the positive statements made by the Swiss leadership have been most welcome. We want to work cooperatively with the Swiss Government and the Swiss people to see this problem through to the end. Yes?

QUESTION: Nick, today Bishop Belo East Timor met with President Clinton. Can you tell us -- what did they discuss?

MR. BURNS: Well, I think you would have to ask Mike McCurry to give you a readout on the President's meeting. I understand that National Security Advisor Sandy Berger had a meeting with Bishop Belo and that President Clinton dropped in on that meeting.

I can also tell you that Bishop Belo will be meeting with our Under Secretary of State Tom Pickering today as well.

He is a widely respected and esteemed leader in East Timor. He has long sought peace and reconciliation through peaceful means.

The meetings today with the President, with Sandy Berger, with Tom Pickering illustrate the very great importance that the United States gives to dialogue between Indonesia and Portugal, between the parties, between different communities and different groups within East Timor itself. The United Nations has sponsored a dialogue between various groups in East Timor which we very much support.

We support the Portuguese-Indonesian talks and we are very glad that he is here. As you know, Mr. Ramos-Horta, the fellow Nobel laureate of Bishop Belo, was also in Washington a couple of weeks ago when Secretary Albright was overseas and Under Secretary Tim Wirth and Assistant Secretary John Shattuck had good discussions with him. So we very much want to continue to be part of the solution to the problems of East Timor and today's meetings illustrate that. Any follow-up or are you okay? Okay, George.

QUESTION: The Secretary chose not to say much about the Iran decision to test their cruise missiles, which apparently adds a new dimension to Iran's military capability. There is another component to the question. That is the fact that the Chinese were the apparent suppliers of this equipment, and I thought you might want to say something about that.

MR. BURNS: You know, George, I usually don't need this book very much. Today I need it on this question. I can't find it. I have no idea where this has been put. It's been hidden someplace. Let me tell you, this report this morning in The Washington Times is another report based on alleged intelligence sources.

I never comment on intelligence sources, number one.

QUESTION: What about Secretary Cohen?

MR. BURNS: Pardon?

QUESTION: Secretary Cohen announced it in the Gulf.

MR. BURNS: Are you talking about the article by Bill Gertz?

QUESTION: No, no.

MR. BURNS: That's the question you asked the Secretary.

QUESTION: No, no, no.

MR. BURNS: What is your question?

QUESTION: Secretary Cohen, in Bahrain, I believe --

MR. BURNS: I don't think then - I'm not sure. Well, anyway,

I think she thought you were talking about the other article.

QUESTION: Well, Secretary Cohen said the Chinese have begun testing an anti-ship cruise missile, and the implication is -

QUESTION: You said China.

QUESTION: What did I say? China. No, no, that the Iranians are testing these missiles. And the implication is that this could pose increased dangers for American troops in the Gulf.

And the suppliers, as I understand it, are the Chinese. It's been on the wires since 5:00 a.m. this morning.

MR. BURNS: And Secretary Cohen made these remarks?

QUESTION: That's right.

MR. BURNS: Haven't seen the remarks.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. BURNS: I have to check with the Pentagon and see what Secretary Cohen said.

QUESTION: I suppose some of our countries which leading Syria, Iran, Iraq try to establish some kind of military pact as a counter for Turkish-Israeli military cooperation agreement.

And, also, we heard that Libya showed a desire to join this counter -

MR. BURNS: Could you name the countries again?

QUESTION: Syria, Iraq, Iran and might be Libya.

MR. BURNS: That's a motley crew.

QUESTION: Yeah, it is.

MR. BURNS: Isn't it? You think so?

QUESTION: It is.

MR. BURNS: You know, I can't see anything good coming from an alliance of those countries. I can't see anyone who would want to join it. It's a bunch of dictators. We do talk to the Syrians. We don't talk to the Libyans or the Iranians or the Iraqis. It's a motley group. I don't think it's a very distinguished group of countries.

QUESTION: And also the Turkish navy is visiting the Israeli ports and most probably they are planning to prepare some kind of military exercise, navy exercise, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Do you have any reaction on this?

MR. BURNS: I don't know the particulars of these reported military exercises with the government of Israel, but we have encouraged Turkey and Israel to conduct military exercises and training together -- of course making sure this is outside any area of controversy in the eastern Mediterranean. That is always helpful in these cases. But we very much encourage the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel. It is significant. It is helpful to both countries and to the United States. Yes, Laura.

QUESTION: Generally speaking, do you think that Iran poses a threat to U.S. troops stationed in the Gulf region, regardless of the fact that you are unaware of Secretary Cohen's comment?

MR. BURNS: I did see that Secretary Cohen said this morning that the United States seeks peace in the Gulf. We also seek, and have sought for nearly 50 years now, freedom of navigation in the Gulf and of shipping, and we will keep the Gulf open for shipping. We will defend our troops and our assets and our allies, if necessary. The Iranians know that and they won't fool around with us because we are stronger than they are. I think that was the import of what I saw Secretary Cohen say on that particular issue.

QUESTION: Do you think that Iran supports terrorism?

MR. BURNS: Iran definitely supports terrorism. It is a chief funder and manipulator of some of the major terrorist groups in the Middle East -- Hezbollah and Hamas, to name two.

That is one of the three reasons that President Clinton and Secretary Albright have cited why the United States has such a lousy relationship with Iran. It's support of terrorism is a big concern of ours and we are not going to let Iran get away with it without public comment and private action to counteract it. Yes, ma'am, yes.

QUESTION: Now that the Croatian elections have been touted as being unfair, is that going to have any effect on the Dayton peace process or accords?

MR. BURNS: We hope it doesn't but, as Secretary Albright say yesterday, we are very disappointed in the way that those elections were carried out. They may have been free; they were not fair. We have made these concerns known directly to the Croatian Government, as has the OSCE and other countries.

We expect that Croatia will meet its Dayton commitments. That is its obligation and self-interest, and that message could not be more clear, as transmitted by us to Zagreb. Yes, Bill.

QUESTION: Speaking - yes, Nick, thank you -- of another peace process. It seems that the bicycle has gone down and perhaps been run over by a lorry in Northern Ireland. Basically, I wanted to ask if this country is going to sanction Sinn Fein now that Tony Blair and the Irish Republic Government have condemned this terrible act, this terrible atrocity yesterday?

MR. BURNS: I would encourage you to read President Clinton's statement that he issued yesterday condemning the murder of the two policemen. The IRA has proven again it is a vicious terrorist organization, and we have no business to do with the IRA.

As for Sinn Fein, sooner or later Sinn Fein has to make a basic choice -- they want peace or they want to support terrorism, or be associated, implicated with terrorism. Sinn Fein will have no place at the multiparty talks, no place -- according to the United Kingdom and the government of Ireland -- as along as there is not a cease-fire and an end, a cessation of all terrorist activities, which is currently not the case.

The United States fully shares the outrage of the Irish Government and the government of the United Kingdom over this incident. We are very disturbed by it, and we are not going to have much at all to do with Sinn Fein as long as Sinn Fein carries on these activities.

QUESTION: So is this government --

MR. BURNS: As long as the IRA carries on these activities, excuse me.

QUESTION: Nick, does this government believe what Mr. Blair said about the cynicism and hypocrisy of Sinn Fein and the IRA being sickening?

MR. BURNS: We fully agree with the outrage of the British Government. Two policemen in Northern Ireland were gunned down brutally and that frustration and outrage is shared by the Irish people and the Irish Government. The IRA is - they are a bunch of sick, isolated, brutal terrorists. They ought to be condemned by everyone around the world. Yes, Carol.

QUESTION: Nick, would you happen to have any details on the Secretary's schedule in Denver, if she has any meetings planned?

MR. BURNS: The Secretary will be accompanying the President to Denver. They leave on Thursday morning. She will be traveling with him on Air Force One. In presidential visits of this nature, the Secretary is there to support the President, and she will be with him in all of his meetings. She may or may not have a few meetings of her own with her ministerial colleagues, but that remains to be seen.

She will be pretty much there to help the President make Denver a success and make the United States proud of the fact that we have hosted the Group of Eight.

QUESTION: She returns with him, as well?

MR. BURNS: Yes, she does. She returns on Sunday from Denver. She is back in the office next Monday, the 23rd.

Early on the 24th, she will be off to San Francisco for the day. She is giving a speech in San Francisco, and then to --

QUESTION: Do you know how early?

MR. BURNS: Yes, 8:30 a.m. takeoff from Andrews. That means all of us need to get there at 7:30 a.m. to check in. Sorry.

San Francisco for the day and evening, a speech in San Francisco.

Travel across the dateline to Hanoi, then to Ho Chi Min City, then to Phnom Penh and then to Hong Kong. I expect her to return here the evening of July 1.

QUESTION: Does she leave on the 24th or the 25th?

MR. BURNS: From?

QUESTION: From San Francisco.

MR. BURNS: The morning of the 25th from San Francisco. We will be spending the night in San Francisco.

QUESTION: Do you know what time?

MR. BURNS: I can get the schedule for you. I don't have it all at the top of my head. Alison - the honorable Alison Shorter has the schedule and will be glad to answer any and all questions on the schedule. Is Alison here? Alison is not here.

QUESTION: She gets to Hanoi Thursday evening.

MR. BURNS: I believe we get into Hanoi late in the afternoon on Thursday, meetings on Friday, and then to Ho Chi Min City Friday afternoon, and then into Phnom Penh Friday night, all day Saturday, Saturday night, and then Sunday to Hong Kong. Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: The mapping agency of the Pentagon, with initial NIMA, N-I-M-A, stated for the public record that the State Department recently is insisting over and over that Imia should be included in the U.S. maps as a Greek - under Greek sovereignty and not as Imia-Kardack. I am wondering why the State Department is saying that only privately and not publicly. Are you afraid of Turkey?

This is my question.

MR. BURNS: No, we're friends with Turkey. We're not afraid of Turkey. There is nothing to be afraid of with the Turks. They are friends of ours. By the way, Mr. Lambros, we are also friends with the Greeks. We have a policy of friendship and alliance with Greece and Turkey and, while I'm at it, I should say we are friends with the Cypriot Government as well.

Now, we have no fear of anyone. We are the greatest power in the world. Now, Mr. Lambros, our position has not changed on that issue.

QUESTION: Allow me to proceed. That statement was published by the - prepared by Western Policy Center of California and a copy of which has been already submitted to the State Department.

So I would like you to comment. It's a statement by you; it's not my statement.

MR. BURNS: I'll tell you my comment. Our position has not changed. Well-known and unchanged on that issue. Betsy.

QUESTION: That's the answer?

MR. BURNS: That's the answer. Yes, with all due respect.

Yes.

QUESTION: Has Castro applied for a visa to come here for the UN conference next week?

MR. BURNS: I don't know if Castro has applied for a visa, but I'll look into that for you and I'll take the question and try to get you an answer.

Thank you, everyone. I'll see you at 3:30 p.m.

(The briefing concluded at 2:36 P.M.)

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