U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, 01-07-13

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

Richard Boucher, Spokesman

Washington, DC

July 13, 2001

INDEX:

CHINA
1         US Reaction to Beijing’s Winning Olympic Bid
5         Update on Detainee Gao Zahn
ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
1-4       Update on Recent Violence/ Mitchell Report Recommendations
2-3       Reported Plan to Undermine Arafat
IRAQ
4-5       Recent Meetings with Iraqi National Congress
IRELAND
5         Update on Recent Violence / Peace Talks / Good Friday Agreement
CUBA
5         Measures to Help Cuban Dissidents

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any statements or announcements and I would be glad to take your questions.

Q: Please tell us what you think about Beijing getting the Olympics.

MR. BOUCHER: First of all, let me make clear this was a decision by the Olympic Committee, based on their standards, their practices and their decisions. As you know, we did not take a position as a government on this.

Second, it is obviously very exciting for China and for the athletes who will compete there. I am sure it will be a great place for our athletes to compete and we will wish them well at the appropriate time.

I would say also that the Olympics is not a political event; it's a sporting event. We are not intending to turn it into a political event. But we do think it is an opportunity for China. It is an opportunity for China to showcase itself as a modern country and as a progressive country, and we would hope they would take that opportunity.

Q: Is it also an option for them to improve their human rights record?

MR. BOUCHER: That would be part of being a modern, progressive country.

Q: On the Middle East, we have been asking you recently about when the period of quiet would start. Can I ask you the reverse question? If the period of quiet shows no sign of starting, how long do you leave it for? What happens then?

MR. BOUCHER: We have, I think, made clear, and the Secretary of State in discussing this at the end of his last trip made clear, that there comes a point when the Mitchell Report, instead of being the bridge from violence to peace talks, the way it should be, ends up being another piece of paper on the shelf if the parties don't go ahead and do it. And that is why we are so insistent. That is why we are emphasizing so much that the parties need to make maximum efforts now to create the quiet, to get that unconditional cessation of violence and to move into implementation of the Mitchell report in all its aspects.

There is not a time table for hanging it up. And I think whatever the status of the Mitchell Report or other things, the United States has a strong interest in peace, we have a strong interest in ending the violence, and we will continue to work in that direction. So it is not easy to say when everything turns into a pumpkin. On the other hand, it is quite clear that the moment is now and the time is now and the effort needs to be made to stop the violence, because people are still getting hurt, people are still unable to live normal lives, and that is what we want to return to first and foremost, and use that as a way to build confidence and get back to a peace negotiation.

Q: There has been some reporting out of Israel suggesting that the Israelis are possibly contemplating like conquering the West Bank and Gaza, driving out Arafat, attributed to various sources. Is this something that has interested the US enough to contact the Israelis about?

MR. BOUCHER: The United States has very consistently been in touch with Israel, urging the Israeli Government, as other parties in the region, to exercise restraint, to avoid anything that would provoke or incite more violence. We have certainly never given any kind of green light for Israeli military action. We have consistently urged them to exercise maximum efforts to end the violence and avoid provocation and incitement. So that has been a very consistent position that we have emphasized all along to the Israelis.

Prime Minister Sharon did call Secretary Powell yesterday, yesterday evening. They talked about the situation in the region. The Secretary once again emphasized the importance of immediate action on both sides to prevent any further deterioration on the ground. So that message of restraint has been a very consistent one the Secretary reiterated yesterday.

Q: Did you say the Prime Minister called the Secretary?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, he did. He called.

Q: And any conversations with Mr. Arafat one way or the other?

MR. BOUCHER: No, not yesterday.

Q: Although you said yesterday --

MR. BOUCHER: I mean, there have been contacts in the region. The Secretary has kept in touch with him, but not yesterday.

Q: Anything today?

MR. BOUCHER: Not yet.

Q: Can you explain why the Israelis chose that moment to call? Whether there was an occasion for the call?

MR. BOUCHER: No.

Q: Can I ask my question?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, please.

Q: Although you said yesterday that, as far as I recall -- you had no -- you weren't particularly aware of this Jane's report. Given that it seems to have had this impact, are you particularly concerned that the Israelis are looking more attentively at more aggressive options regarding the Palestinians right now?

MR. BOUCHER: I think Prime Minister Sharon has said that they are not going in that direction. At least, that is what he is quoted as saying in certain wire services.

The Israelis have not talked to us about any such plan, and as I said, we have never given any green light to Israeli military action. We have had a very consistent view of the importance of restraint and the need to proceed in the direction of calming the violence, avoiding incitement and getting on with the Mitchell Report in all its aspects. So I don't think that changes our opinion.

Q: The Secretary has said many times that there is no Plan B. But within the goal of getting towards implementation of the Mitchell Report, are there any kind of cosmetic things that the United States could do to change the atmosphere? I don't know, more meetings perhaps of the security talks. Dennis Ross has been talking about, last weekend, perhaps the US kind of having a card and marking each side publicly on how their performance is.

Is there any kind of -- without the Plan B, is there anything else you can do, apart from stand up there every day and say, we want the violence to stop?

MR. BOUCHER: We can do what we are doing, and that is working in the region on the ground, with the people involved to try to help them take the steps necessary to stop the violence. It may surprise you, but the chief vehicle for our policy is not to stand up here and make pronouncements, but it is actually to have people in the region working on this every day.

Our representatives are in continuous contact with the Israelis and the Palestinians. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs, David Satterfield, is in the region. His talks are focused on security cooperation, on the practical efforts to bring down the violence, and as we say, move forward towards discussion of the Mitchell Report timeline, the actual start of moving through this process. So we have people in the region working on this all the time and we will keep working with the parties to try to get them to take further steps to bring down the violence.

Q: Is the message that the United States gets from the Israelis and the Palestinians still that they want to implement the Mitchell Report, despite what you have seen? Is that what they keep saying?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes. Let's be clear about what we have seen. We saw some days that were quieter last week, again this week, and some days when there has been fighting and flare-ups of violence again. We have seen efforts by the parties and we think we need more efforts; we need maximum efforts from both sides. And we need the parties also to avoid provocation and incitement; steps that further inflame the situation. But as long as those steps have not all been taken, we will continue urging that people take those steps.

Q: Sorry to drag this out, but you said that you can't see what the timetable would be for this particular part as far as its turning into a pumpkin, as you put it. But, I mean --

MR. BOUCHER: Maybe I shouldn't have. (Laughter.)

Q: Presumably, there is a sense of frustration at the moment. So, I mean, if it really continues like this, does there come a point where you would say, all right, there is no point in keeping our people on the ground right now, and stop taking part at that level?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't want to forecast some course of action like that. That is not our intention. We are not intending to find a date that we can get out of this.

And, as I said and I think the Secretary has said, we are involved in the Middle East, we are going to stay involved in the Middle East because it is fundamentally in our interest to work on the situation there to help the parties calm the violence. So I am not threatening a cut and run.

But it is quite clear that the Mitchell Committee Report is there, it needs to be implemented in all its aspects. The time to do it is now. The time to achieve quiet is now. There is no reason why people should have to live with this kind of insecurity, either on the Israeli side or the Palestinian side. And that is why the effort is very much focused on getting a period of quiet and getting on with the Mitchell Committee recommendations.

Q: On Iraq, or more specifically the Iraqi National Congress. I think this came up yesterday when they were in to see -- the Iraqi National Congress representatives were in to see Mr. Burns. Do you have anything --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything on that. I think Mr. Armitage may have spoken to a certain wire service about the Iraqi National Congress, but I don't actually know what he said.

Q: Inaudible (Laughter)

MR. BOUCHER: All right, I'll check on that one for you and for all the others that might want to figure out what's going on with the Iraqi National Congress.

Q: If I can ask about Northern Ireland, have you anything to say about the violence there yesterday and overnight, I believe?

MR. BOUCHER: Our focus yesterday, as you know, was to welcome the resumption of the peace talks today, July 13th. I believe that has happened. We think that the parties should continue their intensive efforts to fully implement the Good Friday agreement, and given the increase in tension that we have seen in Northern Ireland, we want to see all sides exercise moderation. And we call on the political leaders to do all in their power to quell the violence.

Q: Do you have anything about new measures to help Cuban dissidents and to stop the blocking of US broadcasts to Cuba?

MR. BOUCHER: No. I think there were indications the White House might. I'll leave it to them.

Q: Has there been a trial date set in the last 24 hours for Gao Zhan?

MR. BOUCHER: Not that I know of. No, I don't think so.

Q: Thank you. [End]

Released on July 13, 2001

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