U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #96, 99-07-27
From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>
307
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
I N D E X
Tuesday, July 27, 1999
Briefer: Lee Mcclenny
DEPARTMENT
1,4-5 Farewell to and Remarks by Press Office Director Lee McClenny
CUBA
1-2 Reaction to Fidel Castro's Speech Yesterday
SOUTH KOSREA
2 Reported Travel by Robert Einhorn to Seoul
RUSSIA
2 Status of Russian Files on Lee Harvey Oswald
CHINA
2-3 Detention of Falun Gong Practitioners
3 House Consideration of MFN for China
SERBIA (Kosovo)
3-4 Killing of Serb Civilians/Inter-Ethnic Violence
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #96
TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1999, 12:40 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. MCCLENNY: I apologize for being late again. I may have set a record
for being late for every single briefing I've ever given. With that as an
opening remark, I don't have any statements to announce. I think there will
be some statements later today, I know there are some things in the works;
but I don't have anything to start with.
QUESTION: My opening question is, is this your last day?
MR. MCCLENNY: This is my last day. Not forever and ever, but this is my
last day at the Department of State for a while.
QUESTION: We just voted - and it was 15 to 14 - to wish you well on your
new assignment.
MR. MCCLENNY: That's a close one. I know that the time I've spent with
some of you the last week or so probably pushed me over and got me that
15th vote. Thank you, thank you very much.
QUESTION: No, seriously. I personally appreciate all of your endeavors
over the past two years here and previously up in ARA - now known as WHA.
Thank you very much.
MR. MCCLENNY: Thank you very much. Did my mom pay you for that? Probably
not.
QUESTION: We're going to vote again.
(Laughter.)
MR. MCCLENNY: So there's still time for mom to intervene, okay,
thanks.
QUESTION: President Fidel Castro called for an extension or let's say a
beginning of drug cooperation between the United States and Cuba in a four
and a half hour speech last night. Do you have any response?
MR. MCCLENNY: Wow, a four and a half hour speech. That's pretty much par
for the course, isn't it, for him?
QUESTION: Not bad for 72.
MR. MCCLENNY: That I could give such a lengthy speech when I'm that age.
Hopefully I'll make it to that age, right?
I actually haven't seen the full text of the speech yet, so let's reserve
comment on the speech until we have the full text of the speech.
Criticism of the United States and suggestions for new ways that we can
have a better relationship - there's nothing new in that from Mr. Castro.
Our policy is clear and frequently stated. I think I'll leave my comments
at that point and not have anything more to say about it. But feel free to
come back to us if you'd like to ask, after we've had a chance to look at
the speech in greater detail. I'm sure the folks in Cuban Affairs have
divided the speech into sections and are busily working on it.
QUESTION: There's some word that Mr. Einhorn will be in Seoul tomorrow to
speak about the South Korean missile program.
MR. MCCLENNY: I'm not aware of Mr. Einhorn's travel plans, but I'll look
into it if you like. If we have something to say about that, I'd be happy
to provide it to you later in the day. Sorry.
QUESTION: The State Department has had, I believe, for over a month, the
KGB's files on Lee Harvey Oswald that were brought back to this country
after Clinton saw Yeltsin last time. They were in Russian, had to be
translated, and obviously, that job takes some time. But do you have a
progress report on how far they've gone with the translation and when they
might see the light of day? The expectation was that they would be given
out eventually to the --
MR. MCCLENNY: I have to take a pass on the question. This may have been a
development that occurred sometime in the period when I was away from the
office. As you know, I was away for a protracted period of time. But I'm
not aware of the presence of the files here. Let me look into it; I'd be
happy to look and see if we have such files and if, we do, the status of
their translation or disposition - whatever the case may be. I apologize,
this is the first I've heard of the subject. Maybe after the briefing
you could come up and give me some more information, and I'll look into it
for you.
QUESTION: China?
MR. MCCLENNY: China - I'll be very circumspect in what I have to say. The
Secretary's party has just left a short time ago. They had a lot to say. We
haven't digested everything that they've sent to us. But if I can be
helpful I certainly will be.
QUESTION: That was one question - about the Secretary's meetings. But
also the crackdown in China on the Falun Gong group is continuing. I wanted
to see if you had any update on the situation or new comments that you
could share.
MR. MCCLENNY: Well, we are aware that there have been detentions of
perhaps thousands of Falun Gong practitioners. We've seen reports that
among those practitioners detained in recent actions by Chinese security
forces may be some government officials and party members.
Secretary Albright spoke somewhat to the subject yesterday, I believe - or
maybe the day before - in which she said that while some sects in some
countries may create problems, the rights of peaceful assembly and peaceful
expression are very important. It's, of course, the responsibility of the
Chinese Government to ensure that these fundamental human rights are
protected. These are internationally recognized human rights.
The full extent of the membership of Falun Gong and the ramifications of
this crackdown remain unclear. We, as the US Government, we make no
judgment on the beliefs and practices of the Falun Gong. We have, however,
repeatedly raised our concerns about the ban on that group and the heavy-
handed tactics that have been used by Chinese security officials to detain
thousands of Falun Gong practitioners.
We urge the Chinese Government to exercise restraint and not to take
punitive actions against those who've done nothing more than exercise their
internationally recognized right to assemble peacefully and peacefully
express their views.
That may be language that you've heard from this podium before, I'm
sure.
QUESTION: Lee, also on China, you know the House is taking up Most
Favored Nation trading status - if I can get that out right - with China
today. Can you just restate obviously the Administration's message to
members who say, with what's going on just now - the crackdown on - a
little bit of a crackdown in China - and with other things they feel that
now is not the time to grant Most Favored Nation trading status?
MR. MCCLENNY: I want to be very careful here; this is a really important
subject. Could I - I'd like to get some notes on this and give you
something perfectly correct on that. I didn't think to put anything in the
book today, and I'd like to have the words in front of me as a reminder if
I could. Maybe we could come back to it later. All right - thank you -
sorry. Do you suppose we could get that, Phil?
QUESTION: On the subject of Kosovo, I believe Mr. Vuk Draskovic, a former
official in Mr. Milosevic's government has decried the murder of the 14
farmers -
MR. MCCLENNY: As have we.
QUESTION: Yes, and has said that in fact now there is a reverse ethnic
cleansing, in effect, in Kosovo. So I would ask you to comment about that,
and ask you to comment about what does the State Department think it is
going to take to stop the hostilities and the ethnic hatred?
MR. MCCLENNY: Well, I think first of all, that any comparison to what's
going on in Kosovo now to what was going on in Kosovo before is simply a
case of apples and oranges. There's no comparison either in quantity or
quality of the degree of inter-ethnic violence that's going on.
We have condemned in the strongest possible terms the killings of the 14
Serb civilians and other acts of violence that have occurred in the period
of KFOR activity in Kosovo. These barbarous murders have made the task of
establishing trust and coexistence between Serbs and Albanians even more
difficult rather than easier.
It wasn't the intention of the world to intervene in Kosovo and not halt
ethnic cleansing and atrocities of this kind. It was our intention to halt
these kinds of things. There are a lot of very good people who are working
very, very hard to bring these kinds of things to a halt.
Another outbreak of some kind of a cycle of violence is not what we foresee
for Kosovo. We're doing everything we can to see that that's not what
occurs.
QUESTION: Lee, while the UN is getting the new policing together, then,
is it really, then, up to NATO troops to do that job of -
MR. MCCLENNY: KFOR is responsible for the security inside Kosovo until
the police forces are up and running.
We had an extensive briefing about that here yesterday, and senior
officials discussed it in some great depth. Is it ideal, the circumstance
or the situation on the ground? No, the circumstances aren't ideal. But as
I said, there are a lot of very good people who are working very, very hard
and very rapidly to get the situation there rapidly under control.
QUESTION: Are more troops needed?
MR. MCCLENNY: I think we've got what we need to do the job, frankly.
This can't be it. Is this the point where I have to be - I've got some
words at the very end, too, I made some notes. I thought I'd take advantage
of my last time at the podium to ensure that the formal transcript - the
official transcript - reflects my thanks to several groups of people. I'd
like to thank publicly -- for the cameras, the transcript and everything -
the very loyal and hardworking and long-suffering staff of the Press Office,
who have put up with me and put up with all sorts of unreasonable
circumstances and situations in the two years I've been here. Long before
then, by the way, as well, and, for sure, long after. But I appreciate the
support they've given me in what has been a much easier assignment than it
would have been if I hadn't had such good people working for me.
I'd like to thank also the people above me in the Bureau of Public Affairs
and here in the Department, who have given me all sorts of opportunities -
as they say over at the Pentagon - opportunities to excel, challenges of
one sort or the other that have been extraordinary professional experiences
that I'll take with me onto further assignments.
And last, I would like to thank all of you - the folks here in the room and
the folks who can't be in the room today -- who have gone onto other jobs,
gone to other places. Through thick and through thin, through good and
through bad, I think that we've had a very good relationship -- a good
working relationship and a warm and friendly one, which is not entirely
what I'd anticipated when I came here. But I very much appreciate all the
support and help you've given me; the times - some of them pressed, like
today -- when you've sort of laid off and let me have a pass. Memories
of all of you I will also take with me and I would like to formally again
invite all of you - next time you're in Brussels - to look me up. We'll go
out and have some French fries and a beer and talk about old times here at
the Department of State.
Thank you all very much.
QUESTION: Are you saying as much thick as thin?
MR. MCCLENNY: It would really depend on the moment. Some of it was pretty
thick and some was pretty thin. Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 12:55 P.M.)
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