U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #17, 00-03-03
From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>
547
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
I N D E X
Friday, March 3, 2000
Briefer: James P. Rubin
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1 A Hearty Congratulations and Best of Luck to Phyllis Young on Her
Retirement after 38 Years of Service
1 A Briefing is Scheduled with a Senior State Department Official on
North Korea at 3 p.m., Friday, March 3.
1 US Special Envoy for Sudan, Harry Johnston, Will be Traveling to
Khartoum from March 4th through March 7th. The Purpose off His
Meetings is to Encourage the Government of Sudan to Participate in
the Peace Process More Constructively; Press for Human Rights
Improvements; and, to Urge Increased Access for Humanitarian
Supplies.
SUDAN
1,3-4,8 Diplomatic Security Assessing the Viability of Security Conditions
in Khartoum to Enable Resumption of Embassy Personnel Visits / US
has No Plans to Reopen US Embassy
WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL
2 US Welcomes Verdict in General Blaskic Case
SERBIA (KOSOVO)
4 Attempts by Ethnic Serbs to Prevent the Return of Ethnic Albanians
to Their Homes / KFOR and the UN Operation Have Regained the
Initiative in Mitrovica
RUSSIA
5-6 Secretary of State's Position on Vladimir Putin / Journalist
Babitskiy Case / US Strongly Supports Press Freedom in Russia / US
Demands Accountability of Human Rights Abuses / Secretary Albright
Meets with Foreign Minister Ivanov in Lisbon / Secretary Urges
Russians to Allow an Assessment Team to Go in and Assess the
Humanitarian Situation / Foreign Minister Ivanov Indicates that
ICRC Team will Allowed to Visit Chechnya
MOZAMBIQUE
6-7 US Assistance to Flooding Victims
AFRICA
6-7 US Assistance to African Nations / Diplomatic Talks with South Africa
COLOMBIA
7 US Position Against FARC Remains Unchanged
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #17
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2000, 12:35 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. RUBIN: Welcome to this briefing here on Friday. I just want to let
you know we have a series of briefing plans for 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 4:30
on all the countries in the world, and ending with a 7:30 briefing on
Nigeria on this Friday evening. (Laughter). I hope that's all for your
pleasure and benefit.
Let me start, and I don't do this very often so I hope you'll understand
the significance of it, of wishing a hearty congratulations and a best of
luck to Phyllis Young, who has worked here in the State Department -- she
told me this earlier -- 38 years. I asked her if it would be okay for me to
say that she's worked here almost as long as I've been alive. And she said
it was fine, "Sonny."(Laughter). So, Phyllis, I want to thank you for all
the work you've done here in the Department, for all the help you've given
to us, and obviously I know all of you have benefited from her help. So
if you'll stand up for a second, I'd like to offer a little round
of applause for Phyllis. (Applause). Thank you for all you've done, and we
wish you well in Oklahoma. And in my future life, who knows, I might drive
through the lovely state of Oklahoma and stop and say hello.
On to other business. We do have a briefing this afternoon on North Korea
with a Senior State Department Official. That's just a reminder. It's at
3:00 p.m.
In addition, let me say that US Special Envoy for Sudan, Harry Johnston,
will be traveling to Khartoum from March 4th through the 7th, where he
plans to meet with people both inside and outside of the Sudanese
Government. Johnston's purpose in traveling is three-fold: First, to
encourage the government of Sudan to participate in the peace process more
constructively; second, to press for human rights improvements; and third,
to urge increased access for humanitarian supplies.
Any interest on that?
QUESTION: Can we go into the re-staffing of the Embassy in Sudan?
MR. RUBIN: Let me be very clear. We're not reopening our Embassy there.
We never formally closed it. In 1996, we removed full-time staff from the
Embassy and relocated them to Nairobi for security reasons. From Nairobi,
they traveled regularly to Khartoum to conduct normal Embassy business. In
the wake of the bombings in August 1998, of our Embassies in Nairobi and
Dar es Salaam, we suspended rotating visits by American staff to Khartoum
from Nairobi for security reasons. DS, our Diplomatic Security, is
assessing the viability of conditions there and that would enable us to
have the resumption of rotating nearly continuous visits by US personnel
from Nairobi to Khartoum. However, we have no plans at --
QUESTION: (Inaudible).
MR. RUBIN: Then why did you ask?
QUESTION: Because I wanted everyone else to hear it.
MR. RUBIN: I see. We're really taking our clothes off in public, aren't
we? (Laughter.)
However, we have no plans at present to return full-time American staff to
Khartoum.
On another subject, I would like to make a brief comment about the recent
actions of the War Crimes Tribunal. Let me say on behalf of the United
States, we welcome today's verdict in the Blaskic case. General Blaskic was
found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes on 19 of 20 counts
and sentenced to 45 years.
As commander of the Bosnian-Croat forces, he was found ultimately
responsible for having ordered atrocities in central Bosnia from 1992 to
1994. We believe today's verdict shows the progress that the international
tribunal is making in bringing justice to the victims of war crimes in
Bosnia. General Blaskic is the most senior military officer convicted to
date but other senior military officials are awaiting trial, including
three-star General Krstic, who will go on trial March 13. As you know from
our announcement yesterday, we are offering a reward of up to $5 million
for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those indicted by
the Tribunal.
Let me also say there was another judgment in the Ahmici case. We welcome
today's verdict in this case, which represents justice for the 100 Bosnian
civilians who were killed there in April 1993. The United States played an
important role in the voluntary surrender of these defendants. This
involves five Bosnian Croats guilty of massacres of 100 Bosniak civilians
in Ahimici, a town in Bosnia. And we were a major founder of the courtroom
that was built to enable them to be tried in a timely manner.
Today's verdict also represents continued progress in the work of the
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Those are my only statements.
On that subject? Yes, please, on that subject.
QUESTION: Could you comment on the reactions on the verdict of the
Blaskic case, particularly the announcement of the Veterans Associations of
Croatia to organize demonstrations on Monday in front of the US Embassy in
Zagreb?
MR. RUBIN: Let me say that we believe that justice in these cases is
extremely important. We support the work of the tribunal. I am under the
impression that some think the sentence was too long and some think the
sentence was too short and I need not even add which ethnic group thinks
which. But let me say that we support the tribunal's decision, we support
the case.
We think if we are ever going to have reconciliation in that part of the
world and ever going to have the opportunity for people in that part of the
world to enter Europe, to integrate fully with European institutions, then
we have to have individual responsibility assigned so that collective guilt
can fall away. So long as people challenge that principle, they're
relegating their peoples and their countries to a not so terrific
future.
QUESTION: May I ask on Sudan?
MR. RUBIN: Yes. Did you have a Sudan? And then we'll go to you.
QUESTION: I want to try to clarify a bit. You said that they -- basically
you were considering resuming these rotating visits. You haven't decided on
that --
MR. RUBIN: No. There are people there -- what DS is assessing is the
actual conditions on a case-by-case basis. What we're expecting to see is a
situation where there are nearly continuous rotating visits from the
diplomats from Nairobi, but that will be pending Diplomatic Security's
confirmation that it's safe. When I say nearly continuous rotating visits,
what I mean by that is there wouldn't be a permanent presence, but people
would come in and out but they would be coming in and out sufficiently
often that there would only be small gaps between the times of our
rotating visits.
QUESTION: At the present, they visit occasionally?
MR. RUBIN: Correct.
QUESTION: Another point. Is Harry Johnston taking anyone with him? I seem
to recall that somebody -- members of Congress or some other senior --
MR. RUBIN: I'll have to check that. I don't believe so. I don't believe
so. We don't know but we will check that for you
QUESTION: You said Mr. Johnston will be in Khartoum three or four days.
Is he meeting only with the Sudanese Government or is he meeting with other
--
MR. RUBIN: Well, he just returned from a trip about 10 days ago where he
met with a number of other figures, including Mr. Garang in Nairobi, where
he urged, as the Secretary urged them, to extend the deadline for the
various humanitarian organizations to negotiate an MOU. So in Sudan, I
don't have the full details of his schedule but, obviously, he would have
an opportunity primarily to meet government officials that he couldn't have
met outside of Sudan. Whether he will meet others while in Khartoum, I
will have to check with his office and try to get you some details
on that.
QUESTION: Did the Sudanese Government accept to see Mr. Johnston, before
they did not? Is this a step forward now in the relations between the two
countries?
MR. RUBIN: Well, I wouldn't exaggerate the significance of Mr. Johnston's
visit other to say that we, in terms of US-Sudan relations, they have often
met him, oftentimes not met him. I've described on various occasions if
they're willingness to meet him signals a new willingness to participate
constructively in the peace process, then that will be a hopeful sign. But
the fact of the visit itself I don't think should be blown out of
proportion.
With respect to his schedule there, I am advised that he will be meeting
both government officials and outside officials while in Khartoum and
Sudan.
QUESTION: On Kosovo?
MR. RUBIN: Kosovo, yes.
QUESTION: Do you have anything on the clashes today between the French
troops and Serb protesters?
MR. RUBIN: I do not have any latest information on that other than to say
that we've seen press reports of attempts by ethnic Serbs to prevent the
return of ethnic Albanians to their homes. We believe that KFOR, the NATO
forces, and the UN operation there have regained the initiative in
Mitrovica, and this has occurred as a result of a major increase in
security patrols.
KFOR forces continue to carry out their demanding mission in difficult
circumstances and they have the training, equipment and leadership to
maintain a secure environment. KFOR will resist robustly any challenge to
its authority. But for specific details, I would have to refer you to KFOR,
other than saying that we believe that all parties should cease violent
acts and confrontations and seek political solutions to their grievances.
QUESTION: In her testimony yesterday, the Secretary made a distinction
between a multi-ethnic society and respect for minority rights, as though
the second were slightly lesser -- a slightly easier objective. And she
also put emphasis on the second element.
Could you comment on that?
MR. RUBIN: Parse that for you?
QUESTION: Could you say what she meant by this?
MR. RUBIN: Yes, I think it's pretty straightforward and I wouldn't look
for too many DHMs, as we used to say in graduate school -- "deep, hidden
meanings." Bosnia is a multi-ethnic society. There are roughly a third, a
third and a third of ethnic groups, Croats, Moslems and Serbs. Albania --
Kosovo, not Albania, but Kosovo has something like 95 percent Albanians.
That is different than Bosnia. People often miss the distinction there.
So what we are talking about in Kosovo, we are talking about ensuring that
the vast majority of the people there, the Albanians, treat with respect
and assign proper rights to the 5 percent of the people there who are from
a variety of ethnic groups, primarily Serbs but including others. So that
is the difference the Secretary was making. I would consider it a numerical
difference rather than a philosophical difference, and hopefully she will
agree with that.
I did speak to her about that actual issue, and I'm confident that is what
she was referring to.
QUESTION: On Chechnya, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is coming
out with some pretty critical statements saying that the Clinton Administration
is more interested in doing well with President Putin than in protesting
these atrocities. Any comments?
MR. RUBIN: Well, let me say I've been made aware of some comments from
some members of that committee. I don't think that's a view of the entire
committee, but I take your point.
QUESTION: Ranking members?
MR. RUBIN: Ranking members I would be harder to dispute. Let me say that
I think there's a lot of misinformation out there, and I would urge all of
you to try to help dispel it. The Secretary of State has not said that
Vladimir Putin is a "liberal democrat" as was reported in today's
Washington Post Op Ed section by a particular individual. She has not
called him a liberal democrat, nor has she said he "is a leading reformer."
What she said was -- and I would hope that some of you could appreciate the
context and report the context. What she said was there are two strains --
a reformist strain connected with his time in St. Petersburg, and KGB
strain connected with his long service for the KGB. And we will have to see
how Mr. Putin's evolution leads us to one or the other conclusion. But she
did not say he is a leading reformer and, yet, it's repeated over and over
again in news services, newspapers and from some of those who are
even in this room. The Secretary's position is very clear on this.
There were two strains that she saw in his background, a reformist strain
and a KGB strain. She was going to meet with him. And then when she meet
with him she said the United States will judge him by his actions. So when
people take the little quotes, rip them out of their context, and then use
that to hit us over the head, that is called unfair.
With respect to Babitskiy and the Chechnya issue in general, let me say to
those of you who follow this issue, it's not an accident that we, the
United States, have time and time again raised the Babitskiy case. The
Secretary of State raised the Babitskiy case with Foreign Minister Ivanov
in virtually every conversation we had from the moment that this began.
There was one time when she didn't raise it with Acting President Putin
when we were in Russia because Mr. Trimble of the Radio Liberty organization
indicated that they had hopes that he would be brought to Moscow and
the case would evaporate. When it became clear that he was traded,
the Secretary told the Foreign Minister of Russia that we would hold them
responsible for his safety. In every subsequent conversation no matter what
the subject matter was, she raised the issue of Mr. Babitskiy.
I have raised the issue of Mr. Babitskiy dozens of times from this podium.
So those who say we haven't done enough on behalf of press freedom in
Russia are simply incorrect and wrong and inaccurate, and I would welcome
any of you taking the opportunity to correct the record.
When Secretary Albright met with Acting President Putin and the Babitskiy
case seemed to have been on the good track, she didn't neglect press
freedom. She took that opportunity to make a broader point, that the
Russians ought to provide greater access to the media in general in
Chechnya. Obviously that didn't happen. Obviously, we're deeply disappointed
with what happened with Mr. Babitskiy. And as far as the human rights issue
is concerned, we have been, I think, as clear as any government in Europe
or anywhere else, in demanding an accountability for these human rights
abuses. So much so that some of you may have noticed the Russian Foreign
Ministry actually put out a statement accusing this Department and me in
particular of information terrorism on the subject of human rights abuse in
Chechnya.
So when people just cavalierly suggest that we have not pushed this issue
hard enough, they are not operating from a base of facts, which I would
welcome the opportunity for you to provide to them. We have provided it to
them but perhaps it would be more meaningful if it were in the news
media.
Lastly, let me say that we have a policy about having a lot of questions
about what the future will hold in Russia in the democracy area. Secretary
Albright has talked about "Order" with a big "O" versus "order" with a
small "o" and what will become of Russia on the political side and she
has expressed serious concerns about that. So those people who casually
assign views to this Administration or this Secretary of State or this
Department ought to look at the comprehensive record, not pull little
quotes out of context and assert that we have taken a particular position
when we have not.
You pushed the right button there, apparently.
QUESTION: The Secretary did meet with Ivanov, I believe it was today in
Lisbon, and I know that she did have a press briefing. But I was wondering
if there was anything you can tell us about that meeting and what she
talked about?
MR. RUBIN: One thing I can certainly say but the bulk of it you're going
to have to get from your colleagues in Lisbon. And that is that in Moscow,
she had urged for the Russians to allow an assessment team to go in and
assess the humanitarian situation in Chechnya and, as I understand it,
Foreign Minister Ivanov has indicated that they will allow an ICRC team to
go in. We are still not satisfied that the Russians are going to move
as far as we think is appropriate on the humanitarian side and on the human
rights side. But, clearly, we would like to see the ICRC get in there for
an assessment of what the needs are. Beyond that, I will try to get you the
transcript of the press conference they all had in Lisbon.
QUESTION: Was that announced for the first time at their --
MR. RUBIN: I believe that happened in their bilateral meeting.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask you about Mozambique. First of all, have there
been any kind of diplomatic talks with the South African Government on
their refusal to allow military troops into their bases, the American and
British troops? And also just the larger question of criticism about the
slowness of the aid effort. If you could talk about the timetable, like
when you received the official request from Mozambique for aid and why it's
taken so long, if it's taken so long?
MR. RUBIN: I am not in a position to give you the exact dates, times of
any communications between our governments. I will say that we have
responded. We are continuing to respond. We are working very hard on this.
We have provided $11.7 million in response to the flooding.
AID will provide $7 million in food aid and will spend $4 million for
search-and-rescue operations. A 25-member Disaster Assistance Team has been
sent to Mozambique. This team arrived today and includes 14 paramedics who
are trained in rescue techniques. USAID has also activated a public
donations hotline.
An Air Force C-17 has delivered humanitarian supplies to Mozambique
including 6,000 5-gallon water containers, 6,000 wool blankets, and 200
rolls of plastic sheeting. I can give you some material after the briefing
that goes into greater detail on how you get to the $11.6 million.
We are also providing $25,000 to Zimbabwe to support the efforts of the
Zimbabwe Red Cross, $25,000 to South Africa and Botswana. This is what the
Ambassador can put out immediately. The Department of Defense delivered 4,
400 blankets and 134 tents to South Africa. So we're stepping up our
efforts. We're working very hard on this. Obviously in a tragic situation
like this, nobody is satisfied with the results, but I think we're working
on it.
With respect to the diplomatic issue you raised, let me say that the
countries of Southern Africa are united in wanting international assistance
to deal with the catastrophe that's occurred. They are in the process, that
is the South Africans, the Mozambicans, and the Zimbabweans, to work out
acceptable arrangements. There are obviously logistical issues of where
international relief flights can land, where they will be located in order
to minimize confusion and have the best logistical base possible for the
delivery of such assistance. We're working with both the governments
of Mozambique and South Africa to ascertain their views on how they
would like to see our assistance going in. And our efforts will continue in
that regard.
QUESTION: On Colombia, after their European tour which ended last month,
the leaders of the FARC have said that they would like to visit the US.
Would the United States welcome them to this country to learn about
capitalism and other subjects?
MR. RUBIN: I don't think our position on that has changed at all. If
President Pastrana decides that he wants to speak to those groups, that's
his decision, but our position hasn't changed.
QUESTION: What's your position on this, specifically on this?
MR. RUBIN: I will get you a specific answer, but we have made it clear
that until they provide the justice for those they have killed, that we are
not interested in having another meeting. That hasn't changed, and I think
you know that's been our position. You probably could say better than I
could.
QUESTION: At the Moscow meeting, the Multilateral Steering Committee
meeting, the ministers called for a revival of the activities of the
committee on arms control and regional security. When do you think these
activities will be revived?
MR. RUBIN: Well, we obviously are working on that. We would like to see
that happen. We are consulting with the relevant governments and, when we
have a time frame for you, I will be happy to provide it.
QUESTION: Will it be early in the --
MR. RUBIN: When I have a time frame to provide for you, I will be happy
to do that.
QUESTION: How goes the quest to get the ILMG together again?
MR. RUBIN: We're still working on that. There have been a number of
meetings in capitals. We don't have any announcement for a meeting in
Lebanon at this time.
QUESTION: Did the Sudanese indicate that they would upgrade or return to
their diplomatic missions here in the US?
MR. RUBIN: There is no connection between those. I am not aware of
anything new that they've said, but there's no linkage between whatever
position they might have and ours. But with respect to them upgrading their
efforts consistent with our improving the security that would allow near
continuous visits, there is no diplomatic linkage whatsoever.
I will get you the facts on exactly what the Sudanese have here and in New
York after the briefing.
QUESTION: Jamie, is it fair to say that bringing these guys on these
nearly continuous visits is a way to better figure out what is going on
inside Sudan, especially with this kind of rivalry between the president
and - what's his name? And to kind of keep up with our northern neighbor in
terms of diplomatic presence? The Canadians are saying that they're sending
--
MR. RUBIN: I don't think we normally make our decisions based on that
factor, keeping up with our northern neighbor, who we respect very
much.
QUESTION: That takes care of the second part of the question. What about
the first part of the question? I mean, there is kind of an information
starvation here about what is really going on inside of Sudan, inside the
leadership elite.
MR. RUBIN: We are sending people there on a near continuous basis for the
same reasons they went on an occasional basis.
QUESTION: I think something nice should be said about Phyllis and I would
like to thank her for her devotion to duty and her pleasant demeanor all
these years. And we took a vote before the briefing as to whether something
nice should be said and it was 9 to 7 in favor. (Laughter.)
MR. RUBIN: And those of you who voted against shall remain nameless, I
suspect.
A good note to end the briefing on this Friday. Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 1:03 p.m.)
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