Link to the entire briefing.
Question: Can we go back to the Middle East? I understand Hanan Ashrawi of the Palestinian Authority is visiting the State Department right now. Can you tell us something about the topic she's discussing with your Department's officials?
Mr. Boucher: She met this morning with the Secretary --
Question: Was she invited or requested the visit?
Mr. Boucher: I think -- I don't know. I think you would have to check with her on what her travel is about. I think we took the opportunity of her being in Washington to meet with her. We always take the opportunity to meet with a wide range of Palestinian leaders, leaders of the Palestinian community, discuss the efforts that we have underway to support reform in the Palestinian community and also to achieve the President's vision of two states living side by side in peace.
The meeting/discussion this morning was about the current situation, was about how to move forward, was about the upcoming Quartet meeting, about the roadmap, which is a work in progress, a roadmap that we continue to work on with others, lay out how to get to that vision of two states living side by side; discuss the status of reform in the Palestinian community as well as the humanitarian hardship of Palestinians and the difficulties of ordinary life that we have great sympathy with and we've been trying to do something to ease those hardships.
Same subject?
Question: Yeah. Well, first of all, did she have any other meetings in the Department?
Mr. Boucher: I think she did have other meetings, but I don't have a full list of them.
Question: Secondly, what is now the status of the roadmap? Is it getting closer to completion and will it be complete in time for the December 20th meeting?
Mr. Boucher: Well, we'll have to let the Quartet discuss it on the 20th and see where they get to. It's a work -- I'd say work on the roadmap is underway. We've had discussions with other members of the Quartet, as well as governments in the region and other friends, on how to proceed. As you know, the roadmap is based on UN Security Council resolutions, the President's June 24th vision, the Beirut summit initiative, seek to incorporate the Madrid terms of reference and previous agreements between the parties.
So it's an attempt to put all this together in a way that works based on reciprocal obligations, based on the responsibilities of both of the parties to move forward. And that's what we've been doing with the roadmap and we continue to work on it as we prepare for the December 20th meeting.
Question: Does the United States want to see that roadmap complete by the end of the Quartet meeting?
Mr. Boucher: At this point, I'd just say we want it to be discussed by the Quartet, and where they come to in the end, I'll leave for the moment.
Nicholas.
Question: Two quick points. Did she have anything to say on Iraq? And second, was Eliot Abrams in the meeting?
Mr. Boucher: No, Eliot Abrams wasn't in the meeting. He normally wouldn't be.
Question: Right.
Mr. Boucher: And did they talk about Iraq? Just sort of briefly in the beginning, just kind of the Secretary brought her up to speed where we are in the UN and the declaration and things like that.
_______________________
Question: Richard, when you talked about the humanitarian side of the Palestinian problem, the Palestinian-Israeli problem, does that include any direct American assistance for the Palestinians or will it come in the form of asking Israel to lift some sanctions and to ease the hardship --
Mr. Boucher: It comes in a number of forms. It comes in terms of our support for the UN, for the UN Relief and Works Agency. It comes in forms of things that we're doing with nongovernmental organizations in those areas, and that's direct assistance from the United States. It also comes in terms of the work that we've done with the Israelis and the Palestinians to try to improve humanitarian access, and that's something that we continue to work on, that remains very important to us. And I would have to say our overall efforts to see progress towards a political solution to all the difficulties.
Question: And the Palestinians are concerned that Israel might commit something foolish and in case of a possible war with Iraq. Was that a concern raised by Hanan Ashrawi?
Mr. Boucher: There was no discussion like that, no.
Question: With respect to those talks today, were there any mention -- there's reports saying that if Chairman Arafat does not go to Bethlehem over Christmas that there could be some street riots both in the West Bank and in Gaza. Have you been asked to mediate that with the Israelis and PA?
Mr. Boucher: We haven't gotten involved in that particular situation. We're aware, obviously, of the statements being made and the decisions being made. I wouldn't speculate on what might happen in that case.
Question: Do you have a view on whether Mr. Arafat should be able to go to Jerusalem for the Christmas celebration, as he used to do?
Mr. Boucher: Well, we remember that this didn't happen last year, either. I don't think I have anything.
Question: So what did you say last year?
Mr. Boucher: I don't know. I've got to check on it before I can say anything this year.
Question: Maybe you can find out, if necessary. Did you say something different this year?
Mr. Boucher: I would refer you to the parties involved for any comment. Our focus remains on bringing about what the President called a new dynamic in the region, a new Palestinian leadership brought about through a free, fair, credible election process. The new leadership needs to be transparent, accountable, free from associations with violence and terror, and capable of taking necessary decisions to prepare the Palestinian people for statehood, including the preparation of a constitution. So our focus remains on the issues of reform, on the issues of making progress, fundamentally on the political issues.
Question: It doesn't really deal with Jerusalem -- I mean, Bethlehem, does it?
Mr. Boucher: On Bethlehem, particularly, you can check with the parties for their views.
Question: Okay, thank you.
