U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #147, 99-12-02
From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>
799
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
I N D E X
Thursday, December 2, 1999
Briefer: James P. Rubin
STATEMENTS
1 Release of Opposition Leader Mikhail Chigir
1 Baseless Charges in the Croatian Press
CROATIA
1-2 Allegations of Buggings & Break-Ins at US & Democratic National
Institute Offices in Croatia
CYPRUS
2 Talks on Accession of Cyprus to the EU
LIBYA
2 Visit of Italian Prime Minister / Enforcement of Iran-Libya
Sanctions Act
RUSSIA
2-3, 6 Status of US Diplomat Detained for Espionage / Status of Russian
Diplomat in Washington
6-7 Chechnya: Russia's Rejection of OSCE Visit to Chechyna
NORTH KOREA
3 Visit of Diet Delegation (Japan) / Roger Clinton Visit / Perry
Recommendations on North Korea
IRAQ
4 UN Security Council Resolution to Extend Humanitarian Program /
Oil-for-Food Program
4 Potential Return of UN Inspectors
4-5 US View on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Capability
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
5-6 Israel-Syria Peace Talks / Russia's Role as Co-Chair of Middle East
Mediation
12-13 Status of Framework Agreement on Permanent Status Talks / Goals of
Secretary Albright's Trip
HAITI
7 Resignation of Ambassador Timothy Carney
COLOMBIA
7-10 Return of US Trucks / Colombian Aid Package ("Plan Colombia" ) /
Criticism of "Plan Colombia"
MEXICO
10 US Helicopters
CUBA
10 Castro Claim of US Plot to Kill Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
11 Castro & Visa for WTO
11-12 Status of Cuban Boy Survivor / Has the US Received Requests for the
Boy's Return From His Family in Cuba
SERBIA (KOSOVO)
10-11 Allegations of Milosevic's Government Blocking Heating Oil /
European Views of Sanctions Against Milosevic
SUDAN
11 Decision on Aid Package
DROC
12 Allegations of Recruiting of American Mercenaries
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #147 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1999, 12:50 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. RUBIN: Greetings. Welcome to today's fourth briefing of the week,
today being Thursday; Thursday being the fourth day of the week.
We have a statement about the release of opposition leader Mikhail Chigir.
We welcome the release of this opposition leader from Belarus from
detention. He was arrested on politically-based charges. We urge the
Belarusian Government to drop all the charges leveled against him, release
other political detainees, and account for disappeared opposition figures,
including several figures that will be included in this statement.
Similarly, in another part of the world, let me say the United States
regards as baseless a number of charges that have come out in the Croatian
press suggesting that the United States is somehow secretly interfering in
the Croatian election. These charges have no basis in fact. The United
States and other western governments commonly provide assistance to non-
governmental organizations and political parties committed to advancing
democratic principles around the world. That is true in Croatia. These are
operations that are well known; take place in public. They are well
known to all and we urge those responsible to refocus on issues rather
than trying to divert attention on such counterproductive and baseless
allegations.
QUESTION: Can I ask a question on that? Have you cleared up any further
the allegations that the Croatian Government was bugging US and Democratic
National Institute offices?
MR. RUBIN: Those matters are still being investigated and we don't think
it would be prudent to draw conclusions publicly until those investigations
have been completed.
QUESTION: Is that the same answer you would give for the break-ins at the
homes of two Americans, including one diplomat?
MR. RUBIN: I thought that was what he just asked me.
QUESTION: He talked about a bugging, I talked about a --
MR. RUBIN: Break in.
QUESTION: Yes.
MR. RUBIN: Thank you for that distinction; I missed it. With regard to
all of those incidents about which we are deeply troubled, they are under
investigation and we are awaiting the results of that investigation.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - the start of the talks on Cyprus between Mr.
Denktash and President Clerides. They are supposed to be talks without
preconditions, but Mr. Denktash made the statement and he called for a stop
in the process of Cyprus accessing to the European Union. Do you have a
comment on that?
MR. RUBIN: I think it's fairly well known that we are not a member of the
European Union. But I think it's fair to say that we strongly support the
European Union's decision to start accession talks with Cyprus.
QUESTION: What do you make of the visit to Libya of the Italian prime
minister?
MR. RUBIN: With respect to that visit, let me say we are continuing to
watch Libyan actions very carefully and closely. We have acknowledged that
Libya has made statements indicating their intent to change their behavior,
but we obviously want to monitor that very carefully.
We have urged our allies, including Italy, when they are talking to Libyan
officials to urge them to follow through on their statements of their
intent not to provide support for terrorist organizations.
We have acknowledged certain positive steps that Libya has taken recently.
I think I did that yesterday. But we have also made clear that these steps
don't satisfy all of our concerns. Before we could support lifting UN
sanctions, we will expect full Libyan compliance with all Security Council
requirements, especially in the area of renouncing and ending support for
terrorism, cooperation with the trial which isn't scheduled to begin until
February, and payment of appropriate compensation.
So we are going to continue to urge our allies and friends like Italy when
they are in contact with Libyan authorities to call for the implementation
of those steps. We are also continuing to watch foreign investments in the
Libyan petroleum sector, and we will implement the requirements of the Iran-
Libya Sanctions Act.
QUESTION: Can you confirm that an American diplomat is being asked to
leave by Russian authorities?
MR. RUBIN: The Russian foreign ministry called in a senior embassy
official to protest alleged espionage activities of a diplomat assigned to
the embassy in Moscow. The foreign affairs ministry has given the person
ten days to leave the country. She will depart within the allotted time,
and that is about all I can say about that.
QUESTION: Can you say who it was that they called in? It wasn't the
Ambassador?
MR. RUBIN: I'll have to check that - DCM, the Deputy Chief of Mission,
Mr. Ordway.
QUESTION: So former Japanese Prime Minister Murayama and the North Korean
counterpart agreed to resume talks on setting up the -- (inaudible) --
provisions. Do you have any comment on that?
MR. RUBIN: We welcome the visit to North Korea of a Japanese Diet
delegation led by former Prime Minister Murayama and consisting of
representatives of all parties in the Japanese Diet. The United States and
its allies, Japan and South Korea, have consulted extensively and
repeatedly and we believe we are all pursuing a coordinated policy of
engaging North Korea in a dialogue in pursuit of peace and stability on the
Korean Peninsula.
In that context, we welcome dialogue between the Japanese parliamentary
group and officials in North Korea and hope it will lead to improved
relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang. With respect to further specifics,
it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment. That should come from those
involved.
QUESTION: Also on North Korea, does the State Department have any
feelings about the fact that the President's brother is going to be
serenading North Koreans this weekend in Pyongyang?
MR. RUBIN: I don't know whether it will end up sounding like a serenade
but let me say that we do understand that Mr. Clinton plans - that is Roger
Clinton - plans to participate in a charity concert in North Korea. As a
rule, we do not oppose cultural exchanges with North Korea. As far as what
he's going to do and not do, I urge you to contact him directly. We
have no official connection with this event in any way, shape or form.
QUESTION: Dr. Perry says, yes, his policy proposal - (inaudible) - US
will resume diplomatic resumption dialogues with North Korea - I'm sorry,
normalization talks with North Korea - and that Japanese and South Korea
would follow in talks -- (inaudible). That's his - I believe the --
(inaudible) - recommendation. So this resumption of talks between Japan and
North Korea wouldn't be contradictory of the recommendation of Dr.
Perry?
MR. RUBIN: I didn't fully understand your summary of Dr. Perry's
recommendation. But let me just say that we continue to work closely with
Japan in this area. Wendy Sherman, our counselor, has had a number of
trilateral meetings with Japan and South Korea.
As far as Japan's steps, I indicated our views on that in response to your
colleague's question and I don't believe that our effort to talk to North
Korea about the possibility of a high-level envoy coming to the United
States and the fact that Japan has had this parliamentary delegation are
either contradictory or inconsistent with Dr. Perry's recommendations.
QUESTION: Can you shed a new light on the discussions in the Security
Council today about extending the deadline on the humanitarian program to --
(inaudible) -- some allies are wanting to extend it six months.
MR. RUBIN: Right. Our view is that we hope and expect that a growing
number of countries will see the wisdom in moving to a vote on the
comprehensive resolution on Iraq that deals with the humanitarian question
of the Oil for Food program and allows an expansion of that program that
deals with the need to get inspectors back to Iraq and that holds open the
possibility of adjustment or a possible suspension of sanctions if Iraq
allows the inspectors to come back, fulfills key disarmament tasks and
cooperates for a certain period of time.
We think that that resolution has been discussed, debated, negotiated,
mulled over, pored over, looked at, from every possible direction by the
experts from all the countries for weeks and months now, and we think the
time has come for the Council to act very, very, very soon. So we think if
the Council can act on that resolution which includes the allowances for
oil sales, there won't be a need to have a lengthy extension of the Oil for
Food program.
I don't know what the ultimate decision of Council members about the Oil
for Food program. We would certainly support those who have suggested that
a short extension would be sufficient because we remain hopeful and believe
strongly that a comprehensive resolution that deals both with the Oil for
Food program and the inspectors could be acted on very quickly.
QUESTION: If this happens and the UN weapons inspectors are allowed back
in, do you have reason to believe that this time the officials there will
cooperate and that they will be able to do their job?
MR. RUBIN: We do believe it would be important for inspectors to return.
We do have formidable capabilities to determine and analyze what goes on in
Iraq of our own, but those capabilities would be greatly enhanced if there
were inspectors on the ground. The best way to determine what goes on
inside Iraq in the area of weapons of mass destruction is to have
inspectors on the ground.
We have no illusions about the regime and their intentions. At various
times they have cooperated, and at various times they have thwarted the
will of the international community and refused to cooperate. We think the
right next step is for the Council to rally around an approach that creates
a new organization for inspections, that sets up a clear plan for what that
organization will do, and then leave the question of whether Iraq will
actually comply with the resolution to be tested by the actual return
of the inspectors. We certainly would be reasonably placed in the
camp of those who remain skeptical that they would fully cooperate with
inspectors and that they would fulfill key disarmament tasks, but we'd love
to be proved wrong on that.
QUESTION: You just mentioned the other capacities the US has right now.
At this point, does Iraq have an ongoing weapons of mass destruction
program?
MR. RUBIN: We believe - and are concerned - that Iraq has taken steps to
reconstitute facilities that were destroyed in the Desert Fox military
operation. We are concerned about that. We monitor it quite closely. We do
not believe that they have crossed the red line that the President set out
at the time of that military enterprise, and that is that they have
reconstituted their weapons of mass destruction programs. We're concerned
that they are repairing and rebuilding some facilities that could
perhaps be used for that.
The best way to answer the question of what their programs have and don't
have and what they're doing and not doing, as I indicated earlier, is to
get the inspectors back.
QUESTION: I realize this is probably a dead end question, but I'm going
to ask it anyway. There were reports out of the Middle East today that the
US has offered up several new suggestions for resuming the Israeli-Syrian
peace talks. The Secretary is going to be asking for answers on her trip
next week. Is she going to be asking for or is she waiting to receive
answers from --
MR. RUBIN: The details of what we do and don't do with Israel and Syria
on trying to resume those talks, we do not believe it would be helpful to
discuss in public. I can say that we do believe that there still exists a
possibility and an opportunity for those talks to be resumed, and we will
continue to work to get those talks resumed and to enable them to move
quickly towards agreement until the day we conclude there is not such
possibility or opportunity. We still believe there is a possibility. We
will continue to do our work to try to capitalize on this opportunity
and we still believe that's possible. Obviously we do a lot of work in that
area, the specifics of which we do not think would be helpful to discuss in
public.
QUESTION: Can you say, at least, if there were new ideas floating
around?
MR. RUBIN: If I thought that it would be helpful to the talks, I would
talk either procedurally or substantively about what we were doing. If I am
advised that it won't be helpful to the talks for us to do that, I won't --
and so far as I know, I'm not supposed to.
QUESTION: The US Ambassador to Haiti resigned yesterday in what --
QUESTION: Have you seen the statement this morning after the meeting
between Russian Foreign Minister Putin and Israeli Foreign Minister David
Levy that Russia intends to reassert its role as co-chair of the Middle
East mediations?
MR. RUBIN: There's nothing to reassert. Russia has always been a co-chair
of the Middle East peace process that began in Madrid; they've been a co-
chairman. I know that on many occasions the United States and Russia have
consulted; worked together. We've been encouraged by the helpful way in
which Russia has encouraged parties in the Middle East to move forward.
As far as whether that will affect the day-to-day operations that we here
in the United States take, I wouldn't think so. But if there are ways in
which the co-chairs can helpfully work together to advance our common
objectives, we would be happy to do so. But in the meantime, Secretary
Albright is going to be traveling to the Middle East this weekend working
with Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Authority to try to move towards
agreements in those areas.
QUESTION: When he said Russia is going to reassert its role, it appears
to have meant that Russia is going to become more active than it has been
in recent times. Is that going to be helpful, do you think?
MR. RUBIN: We haven't found Russia to be anything but helpful on the
Middle East peace process in recent years, and Secretary Albright and
Foreign Minister Ivanov usually have a very full and complete discussion
about what we're doing; Ambassador Ross has briefed Russian officials about
what he's doing and Russia is a co-chairman of the process. So we would
welcome anything they can do to promote the kind of outcomes that we have
been looking for.
Having said that, Secretary Albright intends to continue the path that she
has chosen and will continue to have the meetings that she has chosen and
will continue to put forward the proposals and ideas or suggestions or
discussions that we had proposed, and we'll do that for its own sake.
QUESTION: Can I go back to the earlier question?
MR. RUBIN: Yes.
QUESTION: You said the diplomat in question has been given ten days to
leave the country. Is this case now closed; there will not be retaliatory
action against a Russian diplomat in Washington?
MR. RUBIN: I think that to answer that question in any way but to provide
you with the facts as have occurred in Moscow would be crossing the line
into beginning to address the question of the alleged intelligence issue.
It is my understanding that this diplomat has been declared persona non
grata and that she will be leaving - and those are the facts and I'm happy
to confirm those facts for you.
QUESTION: The US Ambassador in Haiti --
MR. RUBIN: Are you on the same subject? We'll get back to Haiti.
QUESTION: On Russia.
MR. RUBIN: Fine. We'll get back to you there.
QUESTION: I asked a similar question yesterday but, once again, the
Russians have rejected any kind of OSCE mediation in Chechnya. I'm just
wondering, how long are you guys going to keep beating your heads against
this brick wall trying to get them to do this? It has had zero effect thus
far.
MR. RUBIN: I think you have wildly underestimated the effect that our
policies have had. If you go back to the beginning of this conflict, there
was a time at which it was quite clear that refugees and displaced persons
were not being allowed to leave the sites of the battles, and we spoke out
very strongly against that and we condemned that and we urged the Russians
to allow the freedom of movement of people suffering from those military
attacks.
And if you were to go to those camps where the people are now, I think they
would have a very different view than you seem to have as to what effect
our involvement had in terms of their ability to leave these areas, as a
direct result of the international community's demands that Russia follow
the international rules of conduct in this area, and that has had a
significant effect.
With respect to the political question of Russia's moving towards a
political solution, we have not had the same kind of direct impact. It is
quite clear to us that the Russians made a commitment at Istanbul to allow
a visit and to permit a visit by Knut Vollebaek, Norway's foreign minister,
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, to the North Caucasus, to the region. The
summit declaration specifically says, "We welcome the agreement of the
Russian Federation to a visit by the Chairman-in-Office to the region."
The clear expectation of the member states at Istanbul was that this
visit would take place as soon as possible after the Istanbul summit.
So that is our view. We fully expect Russia to live up to the agreements
reached during the Istanbul summit. We understand other members of the OSCE
who were part of this decision will be delivering the same message to
Russia. Secretary Albright has raised this issue with Foreign Minister
Ivanov in their telephone conversation yesterday and I expect will continue
to raise it - and we do expect that visit to happen.
As I said yesterday, we don't get discouraged on any particular day when
what we particularly want to happen hasn't yet happened; we try to continue
to work the issue. That's what we do here.
Yes, we're going to Haiti, I believe.
MR. RUBIN: -- the issue. That's what we do here. We're going to Haiti, I
believe.
QUESTION: Thanks. Just any comments on the resignation of Timothy Carney?
Was this unexpected or abrupt, or do you have any explanation?
MR. RUBIN: I understand that it was considered a normal event. He
resigned after 32 years in the foreign service, two years in Haiti. The
President accepted his resignation effective at the end of this year.
That's what I know about it, and if there's anything more that I can offer
you I'll try to get it after the briefing.
QUESTION: On Colombia - first, Mexico returned to the United States'
helicopters and now it is Colombia returning trucks.
MR. RUBIN: Is your question is about Colombia or Mexico?
QUESTION: It's related. And why the United States calls Mexico and
Colombia its closest allies to combat narco-traffickers are given artifacts
that doesn't work and to use those helicopters or trucks Mexico and
Colombia need to spend a lot of money to fix them. So why is the United
States giving this kind of artifacts?
MR. RUBIN: I don't understand. We're not giving any artifacts.
QUESTION: Well, you're giving helicopters that are not useful to the
Mexican --
MR. RUBIN: Artifacts are an archeological term of art --
QUESTION: Well this kind of transportation --
MR. RUBIN: -- for something that is so old you have to test it with
chemical testing. I know. I'd be happy to answer real questions, but
questions loaded with that kind of language strike me as you already have
the answer in your head so you really don't need my answer.
QUESTION: So are you planning to cooperate with Colombia in terms in
giving what President Pastrana requested to the Clinton administration?
MR. RUBIN: Let me try to answer the question about Colombia. If you'd
like an answer to the question about Mexican helicopters, I'd be happy to
get you an answer about the Mexican helicopters. But that is a separate
issue and I suspect that you were more interested in making an point than
seeking an answer on the Mexican helicopters.
On the Colombia trucks, these trucks were provided as part of a Fiscal '98
counter-narcotics assistance package which allows for the provision of
articles and services drawn down from the stocks of government agencies for
counter-narcotics purposes. These trucks were provided to the Colombian
army after close coordination between the Defense Department and the
embassy. Equipment provided under such a drawdown is required to be in
operational condition, thus not an artifact, but is not required to be new.
If you're interested in a description of the exact age and capabilities
and quality and specifics of the trucks, I am not a truck expert and I
would urge you to go to the Pentagon to get that information.
With respect to the Colombian aid package more generally, President Clinton
and Secretary Albright have made very clear that we are going to work with
Congress in a bipartisan effort to support the Plan Colombia early in the
new year. The President and the Secretary of State have communicated this
commitment to President Pastrana. We are engaged in an intense multi-agency
effort to develop a serious package to support Plan Colombia. This
package would be an addition to considerable equipment and training
upgrades such as Blackhawk helicopters, which are being delivered and
deployed by the police. Additional support for the Colombian national
police from the Colombian military is also part of President Pastrana's
broad-based counter-narcotics strategy. We are discussing the specific
details of this essential enhancement of resources with the Colombian
police and military on a daily basis and have anticipate having a package
responsive to their needs in the very near future.
QUESTION: On the first part - on the truck part - do you have any idea of
why the US Government sent these 18 trucks in which the Colombian army and
all their parts of the Colombian military say that it would cost them more
money to fix them than to buy new ones. Why did that happen?
MR. RUBIN: Again, I think you probably will notice in response to the
question before, if you're interested in a description of the physical
condition of these trucks and whether those who are suggesting what you're
asking are correct or maybe they can be used for spare parts and may end up
being used for spare parts and may therefore be of net benefit to the
Colombian army, if you really want to get into the truck issue in a
detailed way, I'm not a truck expert and I can't make myself one overnight.
So I recommend you ask the Pentagon - where there are a lot of military
truck experts - and I'm sure they'd be happy to go into the question with
you. The trucks are required to be, as I said, in operational condition
pursuant to this program and the program was developed in close consultation
with the Colombian army.
QUESTION: On the second part, on the -- (inaudible) - part. General
McCaffrey criticized and blamed the US administration, even though he works
for it, and Congress in a statement quoted by a Washington newspaper
today.
MR. RUBIN: I looked for the quote that justified the lead in the
headline. I didn't find it, so I think until you can give me a specific
quote to justify the lead in the headline, I wouldn't accept your
characterization.
QUESTION: Correct me if I'm wrong - and I'm sure you will.
MR. RUBIN: It's my day to correct.
QUESTION: You seem to be suggesting that the Colombians, especially the
Colombian army, are somewhat ungrateful by saying that these - by wanting
to return these trucks and saying --
MR. RUBIN: Well, I don't know what their real position is. You know, you
hear from a particular officer or that particular officer, and I don't
believe the Colombian army wants to return the trucks. There may be some
grumbling and it's obvious that some people are picking up some of the
grumbling, but our view is that we were trying to help and that we had an
authority in addition to money to provide used trucks to help them.
QUESTION: So you don't think the Colombians are being ungrateful by --
MR. RUBIN: Right. Until I know there is an official position as opposed
to grumbling by some who don't understand the program which is specifically
designed - remember what we're doing here. If you don't have additional
funds to provide Colombia because the allocations have maxed out, we look
for other ways to help them. And if you have authority to provide
additional vehicles and you can use that authority and if you didn't use it
you provide no vehicles, people tried to help.
I explained the basis of the program, but if the specific vehicles in
question were deemed by some to be not up their expectations, I would ask
you to address the question of what "operational" means - because that's
the standard - to the Pentagon who would be in a better position to answer
that question.
QUESTION: In the case of the Mexican helicopters, is the United States
going to give the Mexican authorities money to fix them or return -- fix
them --
MR. RUBIN: I would have to get that answer for the record for you.
QUESTION: And if you'll allow me, I have one more on Cuba.
MR. RUBIN: You might say, and one more in the same vein.
QUESTION: Fidel Castro has just said that they found it was trying to
form a plot in Miami to kill President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Do you
have any comment on that?
MR. RUBIN: Mr. Castro has a history of making unfounded accusations
against the United States. We are a country that respects the rule of law.
We would be happy to see any detailed information on criminal behavior by
US citizens that Castro would provide us and we would forward it to
appropriate law enforcement agencies for analysis. There was no evidence
provided in his particular claim and he does have this history of making
unfounded allegations. But we, of course, would be happy to see any
information to back it up rather than just generalizations of this
kind.
QUESTION: A senior European Commission official has said that Yugoslav
officials are deliberately stopping oil from reaching the -- (inaudible) --
. Do you have any reaction to that?
MR. RUBIN: Certainly it's our impression that a very generous humanitarian
program that we were watching carefully that would provide heating oil to
people in Nis has been blocked. And President Milosevic obviously doesn't
care about whether his own people have enough heat as the winter approaches
and it gets colder and colder; and if the Milosevic regime cared at all
about the well being or warmth of its people, they would allow this
generously provided heating oil to go forward.
QUESTION: What does this association say about the European's approach to
sanctions against Milosevic?
MR. RUBIN: It was our view that we thought we were going to take a look
at this pilot program to see if it worked; to see whether the heating oil
could indeed get to the people and, based on its success, look at how we
could approach other wider distribution of that heating oil. I don't think
the story is over yet; clearly it hasn't yet reached its objective. But
just as in the cast of the Russian OSCE mission and the mission to Chechnya
and the case of the heating oil, persistence may pay off in the end.
QUESTION: Jamie, could I go back to Castro for a minute?
MR. RUBIN: We're really bouncing around - a global ping-pong ball.
QUESTION: Had he applied and been given a visa to Seattle, would that
have granted him diplomatic immunity?
MR. RUBIN: I don't know the answer to that question and I will have to
see whether our lawyers can come up with an answer to that question. I
suspect it's a case of first impression but I'll check for you.
QUESTION: And while we're bouncing around, can I ask has there been a
decision yet on the Sudanese food aid?
MR. RUBIN: No. I think yesterday I indicated that the bill was only
passed this week; it's still this week and I wouldn't expect the answer to
come in days. It's a complicated issue. I laid out some of the factors that
need to be analyzed and so I wouldn't expect it to be one of those things
that an instant decision is made.
QUESTION: And I'll stop asking if you promise to announce it when a
decision is made.
MR. RUBIN: Well, announce is pretty tricky, but I can understand why
you'll ask. Maybe we'll develop some code and you say Sudan and I say not
yet and then we'll keep it going like that.
QUESTION: Can you confirm that the US interest section in Havana received
letters from the grandparents of the boy who survived - who was picked up
on Thanksgiving Day, I believe, in an inner tube?
MR. RUBIN: On December 27, the Cuban Government delivered a diplomatic
note to the interest section in Havana seeking the child's return.
QUESTION: November?
MR. RUBIN: What did I say? Let me try that again. On November 27, the
Cuban Government delivered a diplomatic note to the interest section in
Havana seeking the child's return.
QUESTION: There have been no --
QUESTION: That's it?
MR. RUBIN: That's what the question was, right? Did the US receive a
request.
QUESTION: No. There are reports today that his grandparents - both
maternal and paternal grandparents - have asked in notes delivered to the
US Government that the boy be returned to Havana.
MR. RUBIN: I'm not aware of what additional steps have been taken in that
regard. With respect to this very tragic story, let me say that child
custody is a complex legal issue in the United States and this issue is now
governed by state law; in this case, Florida state law. We understand that
the Immigration and Naturalization Service is consulting with appropriate
state officials on this case and they would be the appropriate authorities
to answer further questions on it.
MR. RUBIN: I will check whether additional material was provided to our
interest section, but I suspect that it's going to be a regular process.
I'm not sure each piece of paper I'll be able to report to you. But in this
case, I'll make an extra special effort.
QUESTION: Can we go back to Africa? Do you have any comment on these
reports that the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is
recruiting American mercenaries, including from a firm just across the
river?
MR. RUBIN: Yes. I see these reports from time to time out of Africa. I
don't know that I have anything to offer on them. It's not an uncommon
report to claim that everything that happens in Africa - southern Africa -
by some is claimed or is the result of mercenaries from South Africa or
other parts of the world.
QUESTION: No, I mean specifically the --
MR. RUBIN: I understand you question. And it's not always possible for us
to confirm these facts, especially if they involve individuals who wouldn't
be reporting to us what they are doing. But I can certainly inquire as to
this specific case for you and try to get an answer.
QUESTION: One follow-up on the Middle East. You said a few days ago that
the US hopes Israel and the Palestinians will be able to resolve their
dispute over the five percent by themselves. There's really no time left
before the Secretary arrives -- Sabbath tomorrow and things like that - so
she's going to have to focus on that. Will she be satisfied getting a
solution on that, and can you say anything concrete that she's going to try
and do to further final status talks?
MR. RUBIN: Today is Thursday. Secretary Albright is leaving Sunday night;
will be in Saudi Arabia and Syria before she goes to Israel. I guess she
arrives in Israel Tuesday night if I have my dates correctly. So there are
several days remaining for the issue to be resolved and it remains our hope
that the issue be resolved. That doesn't mean that we have any sort of
guarantee that it will be resolved and we'll have to see what the
situation is when we get there.
With respect to the goal and focus of the trip remains the important need
to try to ascertain a work plan and an approach that will make it possible
for the February goal of a Framework Agreement for the permanent status
talks to be achieved. If you want to look at the calendar in that regard,
you will also see that we're starting to measure that in weeks, not months
any longer, and it has involved some excruciatingly difficult and emotional
issues - the permanent status talks - whether that be water or refugees,
the question of Jerusalem, the entity, et cetera.
So Secretary Albright will try and be both making an assessment of what the
prospects are to reach that agreement in February and also to try to make a
determination of how we, the United States, can best be helpful in
assisting the parties in achieving that goal. Beyond that, I don't think it
would be appropriate to comment in advance.
(The briefing concluded at 1:30 P.M.)
|
