U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #111, 97-07-22

U.S. State Department: Daily Press Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>

U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing

I N D E X

Tuesday, July 22, 1997

Briefer: Nicholas Burns

ANNOUNCEMENTS/ STATEMENTS
1-2       Presentation of Baseball Cap from Mike McCurry to Spokesman Burns
2-6       State Department Correspondents Tribute to Spokesman Burns
6-7       Welcome to Visitors
7-10      Spokesman's Farewell Remarks
PEACE PROCESS
10        Meeting of Israel Cabinet Secretary Dani Naveh with Dennis Ross
10-11     Conditions for Resumption of Dialogue Between Israelis and
            Palestinians; Concern for Terrorism
11-12     Next Steps; Secretary's Involvement; US Engagement, Role as Mediator
12        EU-Arranged Meeting Between Yasser Arafat and David Levy
14        Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel Meguid Remarks re US
            Lack of Credibility
CAMBODIA
12-14     Allegations of Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodian
            Government Connections with Narco-Trafficking; Businessman Teng
            Bunma's Ties to Cambodian Govt.
HUMAN RIGHTS
14-15     Release of State Dept. Report on Religious Freedom for
            Christians; US Follow-up  Actions
15-16     Objection to Early Release of Report to New York Times; Timing of
            Report Release
BOSNIA
16-18     Amb. Richardson Meeting with Republika Srpska President Plavsic;
            Onward Schedule; Purpose of Richardson, Other Travel
17        Potential Plavsic Willingness to use Police Force to Apprehend
            War Criminals
17        Donor's Conference in Brussels
CANADA
18-19     Acting Secretary Response to Minister Axworthy's Letter re Salmon
            Dispute; Release of US Passenger Ferry
19        Burning of American Flag
19-20     US Position on Binding Arbitration to Resolve Pacific Salmon
            Dispute
GREECE / TURKEY
20-21     Evaluation of US-Greek and Greek-Turkish Relationships
COLOMBIA
21-22     Reported Cali Cartel Connection with President Samper
DEPARTMENT
21        Ambassadorial Nominations to Latin America:  Gov. William Weld
RUSSIA
22        Yeltsin Reported Ready to Sign Bill Restricting Religious
            Freedom; Impact on US Assistance
SUDAN
22-23     Status of Peace Talk; US Concerns

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

DPB #111

TUESDAY, JULY 22, 1997 12:15 P.M.

(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

MR. BURNS: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the State Department briefing.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Excellent, we get rid of all the tough questions.

Henry, you can leave with them. They'll come back; they will definitely come back. I want to - that was a nice gesture, wasn't it, by the wires? Carol, I see you didn't --

MR. MCURRY: That was done for me.

(Laughter and applause.)

MR. BURNS: I love your hat. I love your hat, buddy.

MR. MCCURRY: I'm happy to give you a hat, here, signed by your biggest fan at the White House. It says, "To Nick, you're still number one. From the President of the United States."

MR. BURNS: All right, I love it.

(Applause.)

MR. BURNS: Thank you.

MR. MCCURRY: We, your colleagues in government, wanted to congratulate you on your very good service. I talked to Ken Bacon this morning. We agreed that this is the toughest podium in all of Washington, D.C. I am probably the best person to say that in the life of the Clinton Administration, no one has commanded this podium better than you. I'm sure everyone here will miss you. We will miss your service. The President - he, after all, thinks of you as sort of an extraordinary plenipotentiary kind of guy -

(Laughter.)

MR. MCCURRY: -- so we'll be seeing you on happy trails along the way. Have a good last briefing. Be easy on us.

MR. BURNS: Thank you, sir. Stick around. Thank you for this.

(Applause.)

MR. BURNS: You don't want to stick around and answer some questions?

MR. MCCURRY: Oh, no, you're doing just great.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Like the China questions? Really?

MR. MCCURRY: All of my questions today will be referred to the State Department.

MR. BURNS: Thank you, Mike. Thanks, that's terrific.

QUESTION: Nick.

MR. BURNS: Yes. I'm not going to get a chance to talk today. I'll just sit here.

QUESTION: Actually, we wanted to do this before people started dropping off.

MR. BURNS: Nodding off?

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: Nodding off, yes.

MR. BURNS: That's what he really meant to say.

QUESTION: There have been a series of telegrams that have flooded into the State Department Correspondents' Association Office today on your last day.

MR. BURNS: I can imagine.

QUESTION: I'm just taking a few of them. I mean, there's hundreds. But we'll start with this one. It says, "Strongest recommendation you bring Mr. Lambros on board -Embassy Athens."

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: What do you think, Mr. Lambros?

QUESTION: Definitely --

MR. BURNS: You have to represent the United States, though.

You have to represent our views.

QUESTION: I accept the proposal.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: He accepted, Steve.

QUESTION: Then it continues, "To handle delicate relations with Turkey. Stop. Proven grasp of minutiae invaluable. Stop. Objectivity beyond reproach. Stop."

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: "Beaches fantastic. Expect protracted Cyprus talks. Stop. Best - Dick "Let's-Make-A-Deal" Holbrooke."

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: Another says, "Nick, suggest avoid cleaning garage on departure to Athens. Stop. Break a leg. Stop. Warren "I'll-just-have-a-virgin- decaf-Irish-Coffee" Christopher."

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: "Mr. Ambassador, glad you agree Parthenon should be moved to lower ground. Stop. Aging tourist constituency tired of climbing Acropolis. Stop. Expect kid glove hearing, big boost in Embassy Athens entertainment account. Stop. Next-day delivery of Red Sox video tapes Marc Theissen to arrange. Stop."

That's from Jesse "I-want-to-hold-your-hand" Helms.

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: "Monsieur Burns, please to inform, mon cher, Palais D'Orsay has awarded you the medal of legion of high dudgeon. Adieu. Jacques "je suis le grand Charles" Chirac."

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Andre, don't report that.

QUESTION: And here's one that says, "Nickster, despite heroic but failed efforts to get a head-on camera for briefing, television offers flooding in. Stop. Strongly advise abandon strike pants. Stop. The camera loves you. That's from Bob "I'm-going-to-make-you-a-star" Barnett.

And finally, we just got a report from my doctor who said it is narcolepsy, it's not boredom.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Is that why Ron Pemstein falls asleep in most of my briefings?

QUESTION: I think a senior fellow here has a --

QUESTION: We wanted you to have this clock so you could set it and know when the briefing actually began.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Oh, look at that.

(Applause.)

MR. BURNS: This is a Boston Red Sox clock.

QUESTION: It leaked once to The New York Times yesterday.

MR. BURNS: Oh, good; oh, good. Is it the Times' day to come to the briefing today?

QUESTION: No.

MR. BURNS: No, they don't. You're not from the Times, Mr. Lambros, no.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Barry --

QUESTION: You wouldn't want to miss the phone ringing.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Exactly. Barry, I'm really touched. This has the Red Sox logo and it's a slight dig at me that I never started a briefing on time, right? Is that all?

QUESTION: No, no.

QUESTION: I think Mr. Anderson had a few remarks, too.

QUESTION: Some of the excess messages slopped over to my desk and here's a couple of them. This one from R. Clemens.

It begins --

MR. BURNS: Is he finally going to sue me?

QUESTION: -- "The same to you, buddy."

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: "What is your ERA?" I guess that's Equal Rights Amendment.

MR. BURNS: His is 1.62, last time I checked.

QUESTION: Yeah. Another one is from F. Castro, Havana - "Same to you, buddy."

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: "Companero, what farm team did you try out for?"

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: Another one from J. Helms, U.S. Capitol --

MR. BURNS: Oh, boy, you're going to get me in big trouble.

QUESTION: -- "Looking forward to your hearing. It is now scheduled immediately after that of William Weld."

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Massachusetts guys like to stick together.

QUESTION: That's all I have here.

MR. BURNS: Well, my goodness. I think we should just end the briefing. I'm not sure there's a need to take it --

QUESTION: I have one more response.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Do you have a question on - you're responding to Mr. Anderson?

QUESTION: To the previous statement, the only thing I responded - with a bottle of ouzo in order to remember this briefing.

(Applause.)

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: Hey, if it's worth more than 25 bucks, don't take it.

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: The committee has big ears.

MR. BURNS: This is a bottle of ouzo. Mr. Lambros, is this worth more than $260? Federal government officials cannot accept gifts --

QUESTION: It's less.

MR. BURNS: Is it less?

QUESTION: I have taken this into consideration. I'm sure, 100 percent.

MR. BURNS: What do you think, Barry? Can I accept this gift?

QUESTION: It is - (inaudible) - isn't it?

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, you're a gentleman and a scholar.

Thank you very much; that's very kind of you.

Well, barring any other unforeseen appearances in the briefing room, I just have a couple of things I want to say. First of all, I want to welcome a very special guest of mine. She's an 11-year-old. Her name is Elizabeth Burns. Want to stand up, young lady?

(Applause.)

MR. BURNS: Elizabeth Burns was incredibly bored at home.

She finished her music camp; she didn't know what to do. So I said, why don't you come down and see the old man do his last briefing. That's what she's doing. You're free to ask questions - except about allowance and television.

(Laughter.)

Anyway, I also want to welcome--

QUESTION: She didn't know anything about boredom up to now.

(Laughter and applause.)

MR. BURNS: Oh, boy, I can see where we're going. Anything else you want to say, Norm? After two and a half years, you want to get anything else off your chest?

QUESTION: Can we ask her a question?

MR. BURNS: You can - yes, you can ask Elizabeth.

QUESTION: Is Elizabeth a Red Sox fan?

MISS BURNS: No.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Who's your second favorite team?

MISS BURNS: What?

MR. BURNS: Your second favorite team.

QUESTION: After Baltimore.

MR. BURNS: After Baltimore. The Red Sox. This is an unrehearsed press conference. Welcome, Elizabeth. I also want to welcome Constantine Karistinos, who's the press attache from the embassy of Cyprus. We have several State Department interns here today -- Sevan Ogulluk, Laura Ballard, Mike Rosenbaum, Michael Tremonte and our very own Caryn Mohr, from the Bureau of Public Affairs. Caryn is here someplace in this room.

Okay, I'm going to get a couple of words in. Then we're going to go to questions. I'm going to be mercifully brief, because you all think I'm very boring. That's what I get from these comments.

I was going to start with -- yeah, thank you, Barry.

I was going to start with some well-known words from a famous American politician. This is my last press conference and you won't have me to kick around any more. I'm very glad about that.

(Laughter.)

But it actually is very bittersweet for me because I've loved this job. I've loved coming out here every day and talking about American foreign policy with all of you. I really ought to thank three people for the opportunity to be here. The first is Warren Christopher, who is someone I look up to very much and admire very much. He is, I think, a great negotiator, a great person.

I don't know anyone in government who acquitted himself more honorably. I want to thank Secretary Christopher for inviting me to share these briefings with you over the last two and a half years.

I certainly want to thank Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who is a real inspiration to me. I think she has begun to redefine the job of Secretary of State in a very positive way as she talks more to the American people -- not just to the press corps and to foreign governments -- about our foreign policy. It's been a privilege to work as her spokesman for the last seven months.

And finally, I want to thank Strobe Talbott, who was my comrade-in-arms when I was at the White House working on Russian affairs; who has always stood behind me; who, as a former journalist, helped coach me through some thick spots -- tough spots - with journalists.

I owe a lot to Strobe. I have tremendous respect for Strobe and am very glad that he is, obviously, staying on and doing so well as deputy secretary of state.

I also want to thank our press office staff and our public affairs staff. This is a team effort. You don't see the team; you just see me out here every day. But those of you who are regulars here know that all of our press office staff are real professionals.

We have some wonderful people with great experience -- some of them sitting in this room -- and I want to thank them.

I particularly want to thank Jamuna Broadway, my secretary, who will be traveling on with Elizabeth and other members of my family and me to our next destination. Jamuna has been stalwart. Alison Shorter, who is here, who has traveled about a million miles with the press corps, and I think all of you would say has done an outstanding job as our special assistant. And two people who aren't here -- David Leavy, who is inimitable and really should be here; and Glyn Davies, who I thought was a truly outstanding spokesman here at the State Department, who has gone on to higher - bigger things at the White House.

I want to thank all of them. But most of all, I really want to thank all of you -- particularly those of you who sit in the first couple of rows -- who come every day, and particularly those of you who have been around here for a while and have seen spokesmen come and go. It was interesting, when I took this job two and one-half years ago, I received a lot of advice from people who weren't journalists, people in the government, about what journalists are like. The conventional wisdom, I must tell you, was not very flattering.

(Laughter)

I'm sorry to say this, but we have to speak frankly. We have to speak frankly.

QUESTION: You should hear what we say about you.

(Laughter)

MR. BURNS: Yeah, well, I know what you say about me.

No, no, this is not my conventional wisdom. The conventional advice that I received was that journalists - that you have to watch out; that journalists will go after you; that they are unduly cynical; that they will take your background quotes and put you on the record. I just want to say, after two and one-half years, that's not my experience, and that's not my judgment about the State Department press corps. I really have the highest respect for all of you and for the way you've treated me. You've treated me fairly, and you've given me a lot of breaks and a lot of leeway.

I have the utmost respect for the collective knowledge and expertise in this room on foreign policy issues. It has meant a lot to me to travel with you and to work with you, and to get to know some of the best restaurants and bars around the world with you, overseas.

I want to say particularly to the foreign journalists here, you are most welcome here. There may have been a time when a lot of foreign journalists didn't come to this briefing. I'm very happy you're here, because this briefing is not just for Americans; it's also for us to communicate our message overseas. I hope that perhaps those of you who come from countries that are not democratic -- and there are some of you here who come from countries that are not democratic -- are able to see what a fully functioning press does for a democracy. Our Constitution has given all the people in this room a lot of power to do something, and that is to question their government and to keep us honest and to keep us on our toes, and to make sure that we aren't operating in the dark here. I think it's a real example to authoritarian and repressive governments, communist governments, around the world that our press corps is independent and challenges the government.

It's been a very great honor to stand up here every day for the last two and one-half years to speak on behalf of the State Department and the United States. I know some people won't be sorry to see me go -- Saddam Hussein, Muammar Qadhafi, and Bill Gertz.

(Laughter.)

Now, I notice Bill Gertz didn't come down here today. His absence is duly noted. But I am going to miss my association with you, and I wish you all the best of luck.

Barry, let's get on with the questioning. I don't expect you to give me a break today, so we'll go right to it. Right?

QUESTION: I'd really like to know what you think of Fidel Castro, but mostly we appreciate your efforts -- I'm sure I can speak collectively -- for your attentiveness, your kindness, your hard work. And you probably were in most of those meetings your secretary said you were in when we tried to call you.

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: Especially on the road, we've had a pretty good arrangement, and we are grateful. And I really have no questions.

MR. BURNS: Oh, come on, Barry.

QUESTION: No.

MR. BURNS: News is happening around the world.

QUESTION: No, everything has been in the papers already.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Where is Steve Erlanger when we need him?

A PARTICIPANT: He's on the phone.

QUESTION: He's probably at a restaurant on K Street. I have to file this Hunt story, so I'm going to leave.

Sid, do you have a question?

QUESTION: Well, how did the consultations go with the Israeli cabinet secretary today?

MR. BURNS: Dani Naveh was in here this morning at 10:00 a.m. He met with Dennis Ross. They are consulting, as we did last week with the Palestinian leadership, about our efforts to see if we can push forward the Israelis and Palestinians in the peace negotiations. I don't have a report for you on that meeting.

I haven't spoken to Dennis since he started. But I'm delighted you asked. It's an issue dear to our hearts; we want to move this issue forward.

QUESTION: Well, he came down, you know, afterward, and he had a very - a sentence where "if" was a very big word. He said Israel is prepared to resume talks, if the Palestinians do more to deter terrorists. And he went on to accuse Palestinian officials, not by name, but Palestinian officials of involvement, as he put it, in attacks, terrorist attacks, he said, on Israeli civilians. Are those charges good; are they correct?

MR. BURNS: I think we have to distinguish among Palestinians.

It really wouldn't be helpful or accurate to try to generalize about a whole group of people and say they all support terrorism, which, of course, is not the case.

QUESTION: Police officials.

MR. BURNS: Well, I don't know what he said, but it's certainly not the case that the entire Palestinian Authority is full of people who want to promote terrorism. Now, let's just break this down for a minute. Chairman Arafat has unequivocally and vigorously objected to any association by members of the Palestinian Authority in any effort to destabilize Israel or to plan terrorist attacks against Israel. The Palestinians themselves, over the weekend, arrested four journalists - excuse me - four Palestinian Authority - just a slight Freudian slip there.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Let's start that sentence again. I really do love you guys. Let's start that sentence again.

Chairman Arafat had arrested four Palestinian Authority officials over the weekend, who are suspected of having been involved in plots against Israel. So I think he has clearly disassociated himself from terrorist efforts against the State of Israel, and we expect that of him.

Now, there is another man -- the former justice minister -- who stepped down yesterday, who did not disassociate himself from terrorism. In fact, he publicly advocated political assassination against Arabs who sold land to Israelis. In the papers this morning he called me a cowboy - "a vulgar cowboy with a Zionist attitude."

Well, I am proud to be called a vulgar cowboy with a Zionist attitude if, in fact, he is upset with me for calling him someone who has been irresponsible in public office and who doesn't deserve to hold public office.

We are very pleased he has resigned, and we haven't shed any tears over his resignation because here is someone who tried to pour oil on the flames and incite violence against Israelis. So I think, Barry, it is important to distinguish among those Palestinians who are doing the right thing for peace and those who are not.

The same, of course, is true in the State of Israel itself. We want people to support the peace process and not support efforts to destabilize it.

We saw an incident in Hebron a month ago where the prophet Mohammed was depicted in a vulgar manner by an Israeli. I think we can all reject extremism on both sides.

QUESTION: Nick, I mean, his basic message, after several rounds of consultations and lots of hand wringing, is Israel is still not prepared to resume the talks. Where do you go from here?

MR. BURNS: What we do is we don't give up. We understand that the United States has a special and unique role to play in the Middle East; that when times get tough we have to put our shoulder to the wheel. We have always acted like this all the way back to 1948. That is what Secretary Albright and Dennis Ross are determined to do. We will continue to urge the Palestinians and Israelis to get together. We will continue to give them ideas for how they can get together and move forward.

QUESTION: Is the Secretary prepared to take a more visible role here. You tell us she is quite active behind the scenes, but it looks as if it might take maybe a trip over there or something similar?

MR. BURNS: Secretary Albright has met with every major Middle East leader since she took office in January. They have all been through Washington. She has given this issue a great deal of time and thought. She is fully involved both in the strategy and tactics. I'm not sure what else she can do. It's not necessarily a panacea to say that an American Secretary of State should just get on a plane and fly somewhere and all of a sudden the problems will be resolved. The history of the last 50 years in the Middle East certainly doesn't teach that.

But the United States must remain engaged, and she will remain engaged. But I think she and Dennis Ross and others expect that the Israelis and Palestinians will put this problem squarely where it should be. It's their responsibility. It's their lives. It's their future. It's the future of their children. They have got to step up to the plate here and they have got to seriously negotiate with each other for peace. If they are willing to make that commitment, we are willing to be the mediator and help them get there.

QUESTION: Nick, the European Union is in the process of arranging a meeting between David Levy and Yasser Arafat. It may have taken place already. Is the United States part of that arrangement? Are you a player in that particular sideshow?

MR. BURNS: Well, we have a great respect for Mr. Moratinos, the European Union special negotiator, and we are in contact with him. We very much support his efforts to pull a meeting together.

Pulling a meeting together is admirable. It is a good first step. It won't solve the Middle East peace problems, not by a long shot. So we want to work very cooperatively with the European Union for longer term measures to help push things forward. That is certainly, I think, what the European Union wants to do with us.

QUESTION: Well, is there any coordination? Are you reading from the same sheet of music? Are you and the Europeans talking to the Arabs and the Palestinians about the same thing?

MR. BURNS: There is a great deal of coordination between Dennis Ross and Mr. Moratinos. They are in touch frequently.

We don't necessarily do the same things and say the same things, but our strategy is aligned and I think we're serving the same cause - that is to try to convince the Israelis and Palestinians that it's time to move forward. So we are very pleased to have the European Union involved and Russia, I might add, as our co-sponsor of the Middle East peace negotiations. Carol.

QUESTION: The other day when you were asked about Hun Sen's -- allegations of Hun Sen's involvement with drug trafficking, you seemed to have little information or knowledge about that.

There's now a published report which suggests that the United States is, in fact, quite concerned about his connections with various businessmen and receiving money from drug deals and stuff like that. Have you gotten any more information than perhaps you had the other day? Does this report - if, in fact, the government isn't aware of what this report suggests, is there any increased concern? And might you be more interested in taking a look at it?

MR. BURNS: Well, we have always been interested in taking a look at it and investigating it. As you know, we submit an annual report on narcotics to the Congress. In the case of Mr. Hun Sen, there have been accusations that high-level Cambodian officials, including Hun Sen, have been involved in drug trafficking.

But I can tell you that the United States does not have evidence that links Hun Sen himself, personally, to these accusations of narcotics trafficking.

But we are sufficiently concerned about the problem of narcotics in Southeast Asia, in Cambodia, in Burma, in Thailand, in other places that we are - we focus a very bright spotlight on that problem, Carol. We think the Cambodian Government can do a lot more to purge itself of obvious corruption in the government, of obvious linkages between the government itself, members of the government, and narco-traffickers. We have our eyes on some particular individuals.

I think in that story there was reference to a drug trafficker, a Cambodian businessman named Teng Bunma. There are allegations that he is closely aligned with the Cambodian Government. We have reliable reporting that he is closely and heavily involved in drug trafficking in Cambodia. This is a gentleman who has an American visa, by the way. He was given a visa before we understood that he had ties to - he was a narco-trafficker. I can tell you that we are examining now his profile very carefully, and his chances of getting into this country on a visa are obviously quite slim.

QUESTION: He still has the visa?

MR. BURNS: He still has the visa. There are two things that can happen in the case of someone like this. If we have allegations subsequent to the issuance of the visa that he or she has been involved in wrongdoing, then we have to review the evidence in order to make the basis decision. One option is if he tries to get into the country, he will be turned away at the border if we choose to put him on our lookout system. I don't know if he is in our lookout system.

Secondly, to chose to revoke the visa itself. That is quite a dramatic step, but we do it. We do it when we think there is just cause. We are looking at his record very carefully as we speak.

QUESTION: Are you looking at his links - his alleged links to Hun Sen, as well?

MR. BURNS: Well, we are obviously interested in links that narco- traffickers have with government officials, not only in Cambodia but around the world. We have made the very serious charge against President Samper of Colombia that he has been unduly influenced by narco-traffickers. There is a lot of evidence that narco-traffickers have their foot in the door with the Cambodian Government. But we have no evidence linking Hun Sen directly to that.

QUESTION: I know, but the question was different. Are you looking into - you say you are looking into this guy Bunma very closely. And my question is, as part of that investigation, are you looking into allegations of his links with Hun Sen?

MR. BURNS: I don't know specifically if there are allegations that link Bunma to Hun Sen that we are looking into. I don't know the answer to that question. But we are looking into the general question, and I think that should satisfy you.

QUESTION: Nick, you say there is no evidence that you have linking Hun Sen directly to drug trafficking. Do you believe, however, that he has benefited from the proceeds of drug trafficking?

MR. BURNS: I don't know personally whether he has benefited from the proceeds, from the actual sales of narcotics - illegal narcotics. That is a very serious charge. Obviously, if we were to make a charge like that in public, we would have to have the evidence to back it up. I suppose if we had the evidence, we would make the charge. That probably answers the question. Yes, Talal.

QUESTION: I would like to go back to the Middle East, please. I'm sorry. I know it's your last day. I would like to give you an easy time, but I have to ask you about the comment of the Arab League Secretary General Dr. Esmat Abdel Meguid. Yesterday, I am told, he criticized the United States and he said it has lost its credibility as a sponsor of the peace process and as a fair arbitrator or mediator. What do you have to say to Dr. Abdel Meguid?

MR. BURNS: Well, we have respect for Dr. Esmat Abdel Meguid, the former foreign minister of Egypt. I have not seen this particular comment. I don't want to respond to it. I haven't seen the full comment, but I can say this. Any charge that the United States is biased is wrong. We have excellent relations with Arab countries and an excellent relationship with Israel. That is they way it's going to stay.

If we have to call it like it is, from time to time -- particularly criticizing people who support terrorism -- not Dr. Abdel Meguid, but this Palestinian justice minister who has called for political assassination, we are going to do that. But I think the Arab countries and the Arab people should know that we want peace in the Middle East. But to get there it is going to take political compromise. Arabs need to compromise. The Israelis need to compromise, too. But it works both ways.

QUESTION: Why do you think he is saying that the United States has lost its credibility?

MR. BURNS: That charge has been made about the United States since about May 14, 1948. That was the day that Israel was created. This charge is not new, and we have had to deal with it. But I think if you look at the record of Republican administrations and Democratic administrations going back to Harry Truman, we have been the one country in the world that has stood for political compromise, that has stood for peace and that has actually made this a prominent foreign policy priority, as this administration does.

So the charge is easy to make, especially at a time like this when things aren't going well. But it is not true. It has no merit. It is without historical foundation. We will prove it untrue as soon as the Palestinians and Israelis put their shoulders to the wheel.

QUESTION: This charge is coming from a friend of the United States and an important Arab diplomat. He is a spokesman for the Arab League, representing all the Arab countries.

MR. BURNS: With all due respect, I have to reject that charge. Crystal.

QUESTION: Just moving back to this morning, the report issued about religious persecution around the world and the problems that crop up in various countries, Mr. Shattuck just talked in general terms about the report. He said it was to spotlight the problems in these countries, particularly countries such as China and Iran. There are a lot of problems all over the world. Other than just spotlighting the countries, what is the point of it?

What is it going to accomplish? Many critics say it's just another report. It's another - more rhetoric, and nothing is going to change. China still has problems on human rights. What is the big deal about spotlighting their problems on religious persecution?

MR. BURNS: Well, first I think Secretary Shattuck explained to you that Secretary Albright has asked that all of us incorporate human rights and religious rights and religious persecution into our foreign policy in whatever is happening around the world.

I think that is important when you see a new phenomenon developing in the world that you take account of it and you make sure that you are up to date with it and that your foreign policy is consistent with the effort to try to do something about it. I would also submit, secondly, that it's really in the best American tradition.

There are a lot of countries in the world which are democracies which do not stand up for human rights publicly which prefer to subordinate human rights to larger goals, they think larger goals such as trade and commerce. The United States doesn't do that because we were founded on a different principle and we have a commitment to human rights, and if we stop talking about human rights, then the world is going to lose its leadership and its focus on human rights. So that is another very important reason why John Shattuck came out here this morning, to talk publicly about the issue of religious rights because that is what Americans have to do. We are a world leader, we have to act like it. We have to stand for our fundamental principles.

QUESTION: But other than the dialogue, what other actions are being contemplated? What other involvement to make besides the report?

MR. BURNS: These issues - these human rights issues are part and parcel of our diplomacy. When Secretary Albright sits down with the Chinese foreign minister, as she will do in Malaysia in a couple of days, or with foreign ministers of any other state in the world, if human rights are part of our agenda, she raises them. The President does that. Shattuck does that. Our ambassadors overseas do that. So there is a very practical component of our policy beyond the rhetoric. But the rhetoric is important, too.

The words are important to showcase a problem, to demonstrate our commitment to it. George.

QUESTION: Nick, could I register an objection to the way the report was handled? In other words, as you were announcing the release of the report yesterday for today, arrangements were well underway to give it to The New York Times. You are always talking about the need to establish a level playing field. You're telling foreign governments about this need, and the way this was handled established a decidedly un-level playing field for the rest of us who were not given the report. You gave The New York Times a big advantage. And I just don't think this was fair to the rest of us. This is not to take away anything - all the nice things that Barry just said. I associate myself with all the nice things he said, but on this particular issue, I would like to raise that objection.

MR. BURNS: Duly noted, George, thank you. Steve.

QUESTION: Yes, seconding what George said, but beyond that to ask a question about the report itself.

MR. BURNS: You mean the good things he said about me?

Or the bad things he said about me?

QUESTION: Both.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: Okay.

QUESTION: Both. Was the report timed to a release after the issue of renewal for MFN for China?

MR. BURNS: I am not aware of it. I am aware of that at all. The MFN vote was sometime ago. When was it? Early June, wasn't it? This report wasn't ready until quite recently. Laura.

QUESTION: On Bosnia, do you know if Ambassador Richardson was able to meet with Mrs. Plavsic, and can you say whether he was carrying any particular message from the United States and if you have an assessment of her status, politically, in the Republika Srpska?

MR. BURNS: Yes. Ambassador Richardson is on a very important trip to the Balkans, and he did see Mrs. Plavsic yesterday, after he met with President Izetbegovic. He actually issued a joint press statement with Mrs. Plavsic, which I don't have in front of me, but which essentially put the United States behind the constitutional norms in the Republika Srpska. There's a band of brigands in Pale who are really bent on taking the law into their own hands and grabbing political power. They are trying to wrest it from her.

Now, we don't always agree with her. In fact, we have a lot of arguments with her, a lot of arguments with her, but we do believe that the constitution should be upheld in the Republika Srpska.

That's essentially what Ambassador Richardson said yesterday.

So now he has seen the Croats, the Bosnian Government; he's seen the Republika Srpska. He's going to be going on to Western Europe to talk to some of our allies about the effort to maintain a commitment to how the Dayton Accords succeed. It's a very important trip by the ambassador. I just wish we had more news from some of the people traveling with him. I hate to say this, but we just don't have much about what he's doing out there. We've asked them. It's not the Ambassador's fault. I have really great respect for Bill Richardson. I think he's really done a path- breaking job as our UN ambassador, and he's a special envoy for us on a number of issues. I think he's on an important mission. If people who are maybe reading this transcript or hearing these words would just call us now and then, it might help us to promote the ambassador's trips more.

QUESTION: Over the weekend, she was --

MR. BURNS: It's my last day. I get to say things like this.

QUESTION: There were comments attributed to Mrs. Plavsic where she apparently indicated she might be willing to use her police force to arrest Radovan Karadzic. I'm just curious, has this been pursued with her in any way? Do you know if Ambassador Richardson was going to raise that?

MR. BURNS: I don't know if that's been pursued, and it if had been pursued, I wouldn't talk about it. Efforts to apprehend war criminals need to be kept confidential, obviously, for obvious reasons, to help ensure the success of the mission. As we've said for the last couple of days, if Radovan Karadzic loses sleep because he has to wonder if people are going to come and get him in the night, that's a very, very good step forward, and a positive step forward in the Balkans. Betsy.

QUESTION: Another Bosnia question.

MR. BURNS: Yes.

QUESTION: Do you have any reports out of Brussels on the Donor's Conference for Bosnia yet?

MR. BURNS: No, I do not have any reports. I'm sorry.

QUESTION: On the nature of this trip, in general, what does Richardson - what special thing does Richardson bring to this trip? I mean, he's UN ambassador, and there's a lot of stuff to go on at the UN, which is his main responsibility, or at least it has been, as most UN ambassadors. You've had the Secretary go out there. You've had Gelbard make at least five trips to the region. Why does Richardson then have to go and see all the same people and raise the same message?

MR. BURNS: I think one thing we've learned over the last two and one-half years, three years, in trying to bring peace to the Balkans, is that you can never be too attentive to the problems there. You have to be on top of these people every day.

That's why we have a special envoy, Bob Gelbard.

Bill Richardson brings the following. In diplomatic terms, the fact that he's a cabinet member, a member of the President's cabinet, and he's our ambassador to the UN, lends a certain credibility and prestige to his mission that, frankly, lower level officials don't have.

Secondly, I think you all know about his brand of diplomacy. He is a former politician, an elected official. He's good with people. He has a very successful track record of sitting down with some of the toughest people in the world - and some of the people in the Balkans are the toughest people in the world - and maybe not convincing them of our point of view, but relaying a very clear message - the kind of message that Secretary Albright wants relayed to these people. He did that with President Tudjman the other day. He's done that with all the people - with Mrs. Plavsic yesterday.

So I think he brings that quality, as an individual, to diplomacy, which is very helpful. If we could have a member of our Cabinet in Bosnia every week, it wouldn't be too often because these accords are being held together by a very thin strand. They could fall apart, and all of us could fail in Bosnia if we don't commit ourselves to keeping it together.

As I look back over the last couple of years, no issue stands out more for me than Bosnia. Both the dark, negative side of it and some of the positive things that they have done and we have done. I think having Bill out there really adds to our credibility and I hope to our effectiveness.

QUESTION: Nick, if things are held together by a strand, as you say, then why would the Clinton Administration even consider withdrawing its troops?

MR. BURNS: Well, because if you look at the calendar, Sid, we've got a long, long, long way to go before June of 1998.

Nothing has changed there in our plans to withdraw SFOR troops and American troops, but the President and Secretary Albright keep saying - and I think you should listen to this - is that we've got many, many months ahead where we can make a profound difference. We did stop the war and win the peace in 1995. Now we need to consolidate it.

Madeleine Albright, Bill Richardson, Bob Gelbard, all of them going there, having meetings, telling it like it is, conditioning our assistance on their behavior - all of that has to happen.

We have to make sure that our soldiers are doing everything they can to preserve the peace. So none of us are really looking ahead to June '98. I know a lot of you are, but we're looking at what job we can do now to consolidate this peace, to put it into cement so it doesn't break apart when the troops leave. The troops have to leave. At some point, the troops have to leave and all of the aid workers have to go home and the people of that region have to live together. So we better put the onus of responsibility on them. We're there to help them prepare for that. Henry.

QUESTION: Has this building replied yet to the diplomatic note sent by Canada on the issue of the salmon?

MR. BURNS: Yes, I believe we have.

QUESTION: Can you tell us about that?

MR. BURNS: I believe that Acting Secretary Strobe Talbott, who is acting in Secretary Albright's absence, has replied to the diplomatic note from Minister Axworthy. I think the Canadian Government knows very well our position on the issue of Pacific salmon. Let me just say, we were pleased that the vessel, the MV Malaspina was released. We were pleased that the Canadian Government used its influence to have that vessel released.

Blockading the port was never a good idea. It was illegal. Burning the American flag was a great insult to the American people. The people who did that burning ought not to feel proud of it.

It was a rash and injudicious act. It was not an act of friendship with the United States. The fact that the Canadian Government stood up and went to BC and convinced these people holding the boat to release the boat was a very good thing.

Now what we hope will happen, Henry, we hope that we can resume the negotiations to complete discussions with Canada on Pacific salmon. The way to do that is to listen to the people of Washington State and Alaska and the people of British Columbia, and let them continue to be involved in the negotiations.

QUESTION: Can you be more specific about what your note says to the Canadian Government?

MR. BURNS: I don't wish to be, because these are confidential diplomatic notes. They are not to be made public. Therefore, it's not my job to make them public. But I can tell you that's the direction in which our policy is heading.

QUESTION: Let me quickly follow up. You're aware that the gentleman who burned the flag was Mr. Rod Taylor, and he's an American citizen?

MR. BURNS: You know, I didn't know that. I saw the flag burning on television. If an American citizen burned the American flag, I think that's disgraceful. It is disgraceful - especially to do it on foreign soil. It is absolutely disgraceful. I think that the vast - I mean, 99.9 percent of Americans would agree with that statement. It's disgraceful behavior.

QUESTION: But he's allowed to do it.

MR. BURNS: No one is saying he's not allowed to do it, Sid. It is disgraceful and inexcusable behavior.

QUESTION: Has the U.S. officially rejected binding arbitration?

Can you tell us that much?

MR. BURNS: Well, I don't want to go into the contents of our diplomatic note, because that was one of the questions to which we had to apply. I don't want to reveal what Secretary Talbott has said in the note. But I would repeat again what I said yesterday. Binding arbitration would not allow the people of British Columbia, Alaska and Washington and Oregon to participate in these talks. It would take them out of it. It would turn it over to someone who doesn't have a stake. We believe the stakeholders ought to be the ultimate decision-makers here in these talks.

QUESTION: I assume the answer to the question is yes.

MR. BURNS: I think I answered the question.

QUESTION: Are you expecting the Canadian Government to release this note? Is that why you're not talking about its position?

MR. BURNS: No, I don't expect the Canadian Government to release this note. Diplomatic notes are normally confidential notes. They're discussions between government, which need to be kept confidential. I expect at some point the Canadian Government will want to speak about its own position. Tomorrow or the next day we'll speak about our position. I assume that we're going to see Minister Axworthy - that Secretary Albright will see him, be with him in Malaysia for the ASEAN meeting. So there will be more discussions in Pacific salmon. Those of you traveling with us - we'll talk a lot more about this in the next week.

QUESTION: One long question today.

(Laughter.)

MR. BURNS: This is a first, Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: Yes. Upon your departure, and in conclusion, how do you assess and evaluate the Greek-U.S. relations and the Greek-Turkish, one.

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: From your personal point of view, based on your two and a half years of experience as spokesman of the State Department. What is your conclusion?

MR. BURNS: Mr. Lambros, thank you for that judicious question - and that very helpful question, I might add. I am going to be mercifully brief for everyone who knows all my views. I would just say, Mr. Lambros, I'm glad that foreign journalists are here.

I think that's very important. I would encourage you to continue come and ask questions of Jamie Rubin and Jim Foley. I just want to add, I think we have a great new team coming in in Jamie and Jim. I look forward to supporting them. I think they're both outstanding individuals. I know that they'll want to talk issues with foreign journalists.

I think this is a time of great opportunity and promise in the Eastern Mediterranean. There is a new relationship between the United States and Greece, which ought to mean that we can move ahead in a way we never have before. We have great respect for Prime Minister Simitis and Foreign Minister Pangalos. We think we can work with them constructively. We think especially we can work with them constructively on Cyprus.

Now, we're looking to three governments - the Cypriot Government, the Turkish Government and the Greek Government - to coalesce now and work with the United Nations and work with Dick Holbrooke to move ahead on Cyprus. There may not have been a better opportunity since the troubles began in Cyprus in the 1960s for Cyprus to be resolved. Dick Holbrooke is going to put all of his considerable creativity and experience behind our effort to be helpful to resolve the Cyprus problem.

On Turkey, we obviously look forward - now that Prime Minister Yilmaz is in power and the period of political instability is over - to a better relationship; a relationship with a government that is stable. Greece and Turkey, Mr. Lambros, will remain valued NATO allies. We have equally good and important relationships with both of them. A number of us look forward to working on those issues in the years ahead.

QUESTION: Nick, not to twist your words, but are you saying that the period of instability in Turkey hurt relations with the United States?

MR. BURNS: Not so much it hurt relations with the United States, but because of the political uncertainty over the Erbakan government and the problems between various ministers in that government, it wasn't possible to move ahead on certain issues because the Turks were obviously concerned with what was happening in their own government. Now you have a prime minister who has received a vote of confidence in Turkey. You have an exceedingly strong prime minister in Greece with a clear view of what he wants to do to preserve stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. I think this a time of great opportunity for all of us who wish to help Greece and Turkey and Cyprus create a new century of peace in the Eastern Mediterranean. That would be a great achievement for the Greek and Turkish and Cypriot peoples. Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Colombia, please. Cali Cartel member Mr. Pallomari today in a trial in Miami stated that Mr. Samper had, in fact, connections with the Cali Cartel. I wonder what would be your reaction to that? And also a second question, please -- do you expect important delays in the confirmation hearings for new ambassadors to Latin America after the case of Mr. Weld of Massachusetts in Mexico, especially in Colombia with this new coming ambassador?

MR. BURNS: Second question first. The Administration fully stands behind Governor Weld. He is an outstanding individual.

He has been an outstanding governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is one of the most uniquely qualified people in our society to be ambassador to Mexico. So we fully stand behind Governor Weld's nomination to be ambassador to Mexico. We hope that there won't be delays in confirming our ambassadorial nominees for Latin America because - name a region more important to the United States these days in looking ahead with the free trade of the Americas, on the narcotics issues, than Latin America.

The President with his busy travel schedule - three trips in 12 months to Latin America - I think is demonstrating how important our relations are with our neighbors in the hemisphere.

On the first question, there is nothing new I can say about President Samper. We have grave doubts about his behavior during his presidential campaign, and grave doubts about some of the money that fueled that campaign. It was dirty money. It was money from narco-traffickers.

We do not wish him to visit the United States. We hope that Colombia will turn towards a more positive relationship with the United States to fight the drug problem. If Colombia is willing to do that, they will have a partner in us. Bill.

QUESTION: Thank you, Nick, and thank you for your many days as spokesman here. I was going to ask you a broader question but I think I better go back to this thing. There is wire just out this morning from Moscow that Yeltsin - it says Yeltsin - two sources in the Kremlin saying that he is going to sign this bill, this religious restriction bill. And it says that he might sign it because there has been pressure on him from abroad and sanctions have been threatened. Do you have any response?

MR. BURNS: We don't know. We have not heard that President Yeltsin has made a decision on whether or not to veto the religion bill. We hope very much that he will because we think this bill discriminates against ethnic - against minority Christian religions and other religions in Russia. We note the objection of the Vatican and of Protestant and other denominal churches worldwide against this bill.

We do not believe, however, that even if the bill should pass in the Duma and not be vetoed, that it is therefore appropriate to go on and reduce American aid to Russia, because that is not in our interest, considering the vast importance of our relationship with Russia well into the future and the positive difference that American aid can make with Russia.

QUESTION: Thank you. I just wanted to ask further, would it not be well to remind Mr. Yeltsin and the reformist democrats in Russia that millions of Fatima-believing Christians the world over interceded for decades for the end of the Soviet Union, and probably contributed to that change in 1989, that they would, in fact, be discriminating against those who brought about the reforms?

MR. BURNS: Well, Bill, I think we all ought to congratulate the people who prayed and worked and fought for the end of the Soviet Union, but the first person who should receive credit for that is Boris Yeltsin. He destroyed the Soviet Union. Under his leadership over the last five years, Russia, for the first time in a thousand years, is a place where most religions can practice freely, where newspapers can be printed -- and there are a hundred different newspapers in Moscow that regularly criticize the government -- and that there is a fully functioning democracy.

Boris Yeltsin has changed the face of Russia. So let's not lose sight of that.

He has a very difficult choice ahead of him. This is a very complex issue, and the prevailing public sentiment and media sentiment in Russia is for him not to veto. So I think we have to understand where he is, even though we respectfully would wish that he would use his powers to reject this law. No one has done more for freedom of religion and speech and press in Russia than Boris Yeltsin, and we have to be mindful of that as we go along.

QUESTION: Will Gare Smith be bringing any specific message to the Sudan when he meets with the government there?

MR. BURNS: Gare will be making a trip there. We have very complex relations with the government of the Sudan. We hope that there's been a breakthrough in the willingness of the government of the Sudan to speak to some of the parties -- the groups, rebel groups with which it's been fighting for the last 14 years. There are significant human rights problems, significant problems of Sudanese government support for terrorism. I know Ambassador Tim Carney, who is resident in Nairobi, who goes in and out of the Sudan, is going to be mindful of this and continue to work on this, as will Gare Smith. When he comes back, perhaps we will make him available to some of you who are interested in these questions.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. BURNS: Thanks.

(The briefing concluded at 1:08 P.M.)

(###)

U.S. State Department: Daily Press Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article