Exerpts: November 4 Press Briefing

Question: Can you please tell us what prompted the Middle East warning, the Middle East warning that just came out moments ago, and whether it has anything to do with the latest bomb blast in Jerusalem, any comment on it?

Mr. Boucher: The Middle East warning that just went out moments ago was a six-month update. We're sure, it was a six-month update.

Question: In fact, Richard, the previous one wasn't due to expire until November 20th and it's now only November 4th. And this warning also makes reference to the murder of the diplomat in Jordan.

So I'm wondering if you guys have come to the conclusion that that was, in fact, some kind of a terrorist attack.

Mr. Boucher: We don't have any conclusions yet. As you know, the matter is being investigated. We're participating, or supporting the Jordanians in their investigation. But I'm not in a position at this point to share any conclusions.

But certainly that kind of action, whatever its source, is something for people to be concerned about in their behavior.

Question: All right. Can you explain exactly, then, why it was -- why you decided to renew this 16 days before the old one was due to expire?

Mr. Boucher: Because we're more efficient than we usually are. No, I can't explain why 16 days before. But there have been a number of incidents, many of which are noted in here, there have been a number of incidents in the past month or so which we have been concerned about, and I think it's just we just felt it was appropriate to do it.

Question: I think you added the kidnapping warnings to that, as well.

Mr. Boucher: We added -- we added kidnapping to this? We added kidnapping to an Iraq one. I haven't read this one as carefully because it was really just an update, taking into account the things that have happened recently. But obviously, there have been a lot of things of concern that have happened recently.

Question: Okay. Any comment on the bombing blast?

Question: Well, in Jerusalem. How about that?

Mr. Boucher: You mean the most recent bombing? It just happened. We don't have a lot. Islamic Jihad, I'm told, has accepted the blame or claim of responsibility for this.

I would just say, first of all, we obviously condemn these kinds of activities in the strongest possible terms. We have been very concerned about the upsurge in violence and terrorist actions in the recent weeks, including shootings and bombings in the West Bank and Israel.

We have urged both sides to take steps to ease the situation, and particularly we've made clear to the Palestinians that they need to do all they can to immediately end the terror and the violence. Assistant Secretary Burns pressed them on this subject during his visit to the region.

Question: And Yemen? There was an explosion that I don't think was spontaneous combustion.

Mr. Boucher: I don't have anything on that.

Question: Do you know if known terrorists were extinguished that way?

Mr. Boucher: I don't have anything on that. I don't know. You'd have to ask the Yemenis. It happened in their country.

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Question: The Lebanese President is here, and I'm sure you noticed late last week, Friday maybe, the Justice Department cautioned that there's more activity by Hezbollah and other terror groups. They didn't say they're targeting Americans, but you know what Hezbollah has been able to accomplish over the year in killing Americans.

I wondered if the Secretary -- it sounds like something I've been asking for 17 years, at least -- is the Secretary going to try to lean on Lebanon to lean on Hezbollah, or is that something that other folks have to --

Mr. Boucher: Barry, we've been answering the question for 17 years, too. I've been answering it for at least 12. And every time you've asked, I've said that the United States always uses -- always raises the issue of Israel's northern border with people who have influence over the groups that are there, we have always supported the extension of the authority of the Lebanese state, and we will continue to make clear that we believe that everyone who has influence on the activity there should use it.

Question: Well, I mean, now the issue also is Americans here in this country. Hezbollah is hanging around town. Maybe not this town, but they're big in the US, according to the Justice Department. And I don't know who you would go to besides Lebanon and Syria and Iran, and you don't talk to Iran so --

Mr. Boucher: I think we have made very clear that the activities of Hezbollah as a terrorist group, wherever they occur, are a matter of grave concern to us, should be of concern to others. The President has been quite clear that all nations should oppose terrorism in whatever form it appears.

And so yes, we would expect people with influence to use their influence to get these organizations to stop engaging in terrorism, as well as attacks.

Okay, go on to the back.

Question: Can we stay on Lebanon?

Mr. Boucher: Okay, we'll stay on Lebanon for a while.

Sir.

Question: Are you going to be also asking about the whereabouts of one master terrorist, Imad Murghniyeh, who's also a perennial concern in US --

Mr. Boucher: I am not in a position yet to go through all the specifics of the meeting. We'll be talking -- the Secretary is going to talk to the Lebanese Prime Minister primarily for discussions of an upcoming Paris conference of the international donor community. The conference is going to be convened by President Jacques Chirac on November 23rd. At this meeting, the international donor community will be asked to consider measures to alleviate Lebanon's debt burden as an _expression of support for that country's economic reform program.

Obviously, we expect also a discussion of all these issues in the US-Lebanese bilateral relationship, pursuit of comprehensive peace in the region, joint counterterrorism efforts, and the status of international efforts to resolve the Israeli-Lebanese dispute over the Hazbani River and Wazzani Springs.

The Lebanese Government, of course, has provided solid support in our campaign against the al-Qaida network and we, of course, are interested in expanding that cooperation.

Question: Richard, can I just expand it to the general question of will you be discussing the specific issue of Lebanon harboring Hezbollah terrorists, which is apparently a big priority for the President in this new war on terrorism?

Mr. Boucher: We always discuss terrorism with countries in this region, but how exactly in specific terms we might do that today I'm not going to predict since the meeting was supposed to have started 19 minutes ago. And rather than making a prediction about something that's going on outside my sphere, I'd just rather not at this moment.

Question: Richard, Lebanon again. Has your water expert come to any conclusions about the rights and wrongs of the dispute over the Wazzani River, and what will you be telling --

Mr. Boucher: I don't think it's been a question of rights and wrongs. It's been a question of trying to work out arrangements that are acceptable to all the parties. And we want to see this dispute resolved peacefully, but resolved fairly. We have continued to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon. Our water expert from the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs is visiting the region again this week -- this is the third visit in four weeks -- and he is going to advance those efforts. Assistant Secretary Burns raised these issues when he was in Lebanon two weeks ago, as well.

So it's an ongoing subject that we're working on to try to see if we can't come to a settlement that is acceptable to the governments of Israel and Lebanon in conjunction with the United Nations, the European Union and others who are interested.

Okay, ma'am.

Question: Mexico, Latin America?

Mr. Boucher: Okay. One more on Lebanon.

Question: Sorry. When you talk about extension of Lebanese authority over their territory, are you offering any kind of assistance to Lebanon, be it military or further economic assistance, to help them deal with the security measures and things like that to crack down on Hezbollah?

Mr. Boucher: We have offered a lot of support over the years. That's the position. The position on extension of authority is one we have taken for many years, as well. We have supported the Lebanese effort to rebuild their capabilities over the years, as well.

Question: But will the Secretary be offering any new --

Mr. Boucher: Will the Secretary have offered by the time the meeting is over, which is ongoing now? Same answer I just gave. It's now 20 minutes after 1:00. The meeting was supposed to start at 1:00. I'm not about to start making predictions at this point.