08/08/2001: Daily Press Briefing Excerpts

QUESTION: The Israeli-Palestinian violence. There are a lot of stories coming out, frustration over here. Is there anything at all that you could say to give people hope to believe that any effective change might be coming at any time?

MR. BOUCHER: We have seen a lot of violence. We have seen continued violence and bloodshed in the region, including the shooting death of an Israeli earlier today in an Israeli helicopter strike on the West Bank.

We want to underscore what we have been saying all along. Both sides need to recognize that this path leads to disaster. Violence and escalation are a dead-end street that lead nowhere. We have been working very hard with both sides to get them to take the immediate steps that are necessary to restore restraint, to restore calm. And, ultimately, for the parties themselves to take the actions and take the responsibility to make these difficult decisions that will lead to implementation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations and an end to the violence.

This path that we are following is a path of hope. The parties themselves, the people themselves, both the Israelis and the Palestinians, say they are looking for security, say they are looking for safety, say they are looking for a normal life where they don't have to live in fear of bullets or bombs, and the Mitchell Committee recommendation is a path to achieve that.

The parties themselves say they are looking for an opportunity for political negotiations to resolve the issues between them through negotiation. That is what the Mitchell Committee report offers as well. So, in terms of offering hope, it's there. The prospect of resolving these issues, the prospect of implementing the Mitchell Committee recommendations in all their aspects is there, if the parties will take the hard steps, but the very real steps, that are necessary to cease the violence.

Do you have a follow-up?

QUESTION: Just reports about that situation and how it may be affecting what we are trying to achieve in Baghdad, Iraq. There has been some saber rattling, if you will, some speeches made today about Saddam Hussein and also some publications in Iraq have been doing likewise yesterday, and then some press reports are saying that the Administration is constrained because of the problems around Jerusalem.

Can you address this?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we have tried to address this periodically, and actually rather recently here. I would --

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. BOUCHER: Well, it's not mine. I can -- we can give you transcripts of what we have been saying on these subjects for a while. But I think the key point is that with regard to Iraqi speeches, we don't react to every single one, because they tend to make the same noises and the same threats, and they just reconfirm what we have always said, which is there is no sign that Iraq has changed its intentions, that Iraq still constitutes a potential threat to its own people and to its neighbors, and that we all need to be vigilant and take the proper actions to prevent them from acquiring the weapons or other means to carry out those kinds of threats.

In terms of the operation of the policy in the Middle East, and how these things interact, we do know that there is a relationship, how people feel in the region about doing various things based on the interplay between what goes on in Israel and the West Bank, what goes on in Iraq, what goes on in other parts of the region, and we do try to work these things in the context of our relationships with individual countries, as well as the way that the issues play.

That, at the same time, doesn't alter the fundamentals of what we are trying to achieve, and the first is try to achieve prospects for peace and negotiation in the Middle East, and to try to prevent Saddam, for his part, from threatening his own neighbors.

QUESTION: How does this Department react to the increasing or repeated use of helicopters -- US-supplied helicopters, very heavy shelling from helicopters overnight? And I believe that we heard the Secretary say that he didn't think this was going to continue to be a problem. Correct me if I'm wrong, and tell me if it's still a problem.

MR. BOUCHER: I think you are wrong. I think that was F-16s. But in any case, I think I would say that the issue for us is whether the cycle of violence is broken or not. The issue for us is whether the parties take the steps that are necessary to stop the cycle of violence, and to get back to a security that is formed by cooperation, whether they use the opportunities available to stop the violence and to get back to security cooperation.

QUESTION: So you are saying it is not an issue that they are using these helicopters? I know it is. It is discussed frequently, isn't it?

MR. BOUCHER: It is an issue that is raised, but there has been no determination regarding the legal implications of the use of US weaponry.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) said that this afternoon that we don't have any leverage with Israel anymore?

QUESTION: Can I follow up on that one?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we are heavily involved in the process. The parties want us involved in the process. I don't know about leverage, but certainly everybody looks to us and listens to us.

QUESTION: But can I follow up on the use of the American weapons? The Arms Export Control Act would require you to make a finding that these US-supplied equipment was being used for non-defensive purposes. You have condemned the targeted killings as excessive force and so forth. And yet, you have said there has been no determination made at this point, and I'm assuming you're referring to the Arms Export Control Act. So I'm just trying to square the circle. If you are condemning the targeted killings -- the targeted killings are used -- are made with US equipment, then why haven't you made a determination that they are in violation of the Arms Export Control Act?

MR. BOUCHER: Because the two things are not the same.

QUESTION: Well, how --

MR. BOUCHER: One is a legal determination, and the other is a political judgment. In terms of our political judgment about the situation and how to handle it, in terms of our regret of the loss of life and particularly things like the children who were killed, we do not believe that targeted killings is a good policy. We think it is wrong, and we think it is a terrible tragedy for many of the people that are affected by it.

That is not the same as making legal determination.

QUESTION: Well, just to follow up, then at that point, I mean, is it possible, considering that there hasn't been a legal determination yet, that this building would agree with Vice President Cheney that there are some cases when it is justified, or that there is appropriate use of defense there?

MR. BOUCHER: I am not going to try to expand on that. The White House did that subject thoroughly on Friday, and I thoroughly agree with them.

QUESTION: One more on helicopters, please. Wouldn't this building have the option to write to complain about this? Doesn't it, to Congress to write a report about this behavior, if they think it is a problem? Is there any talk about doing that? And can you also say whether it is being raised regularly with the Israeli Government that the US isn't comfortable with this?

MR. BOUCHER: We have made our position on targeted killings quite clear.

QUESTION: What about the helicopters.

MR. BOUCHER: We have made our position on targeted killings quite clear. You are raising helicopters in that context. Obviously, we are concerned about the violence. We have made our position about the violence, about targeted killings and other things quite clear to the Israeli Government. We do discuss that with them.

The report to Congress that you are talking about -- I would have to check the law. But I am pretty sure that is a report that is made -- if a determination is made. And since we haven't made any kind of determination, that wouldn’t kick in.

QUESTION: Is the State Department the lead agency on making that determination?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, we are the lead agency for the Arms Export Control Act?

QUESTION: Can I just follow up on that? Are you in the process of making a determination? Are you -- when would a determination be made?

MR. BOUCHER: We are quite aware of the law. We are quite aware of the events, and a determination would be made when we thought it was necessary to make one based on the events.

QUESTION: Just to follow up on that, can you tell us when the process of making this determination that hasn't yet been made began? Because the question of US --

MR. BOUCHER: No. It began 20 or 50 years ago when the Arms Export Control Act was started. We are cognizant of our responsibilities under the law, and we always evaluate events compared to our law. If we feel that it is necessary to make that determination, we will do so. What I am saying is we have not done that.

QUESTION: The question of Israelis using American-supplied weaponry arose in October, with the first helicopter attacks. Has -- was that when this question was first --

MR. BOUCHER: That question has been around for a long time, for decades.

QUESTION: So what is taking so long to make a determination?

MR. BOUCHER: Because we haven't felt it necessary to make that determination based on the facts and the law. We have not made the determination because we don't feel that the facts have yet reached the point where a determination is made under the law.

QUESTION: Well, what are the facts?

QUESTION: I'm sorry if you have already said this, and I just didn't get it, but are you -- is there an ongoing investigation at which point you will make the determination?

MR. BOUCHER: No.

QUESTION: Or you just don't feel at this time as if you have to go there?

MR. BOUCHER: We don't feel at this time that the facts have justified a determination under the Arms Export Control Act. We are very aware of our legal responsibility. We follow the events on the ground very closely. But at this point, we haven't made a determination because we don't feel that that portion of our law has kicked in.

QUESTION: A question a little bit different. What about the so-called weaponry that is flowing into West Bank and to Gaza Strip? State Department and Pentagon looked into where this is coming from? Is it coming from rogue states or in from Iran or, from that matter, from Iraq?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I have any information on that that I can share with you. I will double-check and see if there is anything.

QUESTION: I'm sorry. Could you just tell us what -- what would be facts that would justify determination? I mean, I know you don't like to do hypotheticals but what facts would you need? They used weapons, you have political criticized the use of those weapons in the targeted killings. What would the facts -- what more facts would you need?

MR. BOUCHER: I am not going to get engaged in a process of offering a prescription for what people can do to violate our law. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I am not asking for a prescription --

MR. BOUCHER: Well, that is what you are asking: List five things the Israelis could do that would violate our law with regard to weapons transfers. I am not going to do that.

QUESTION: Well, not even the Israelis. What could any -- you know --

MR. BOUCHER: Read the law. It says what the standards are in the law. If we think those standards are violated, we will make the determinations that are necessary. At this point, we have not done that. That is about as much as I can tell you. I am not going to give you a list of five or 10 things they could do that would violate our law.

QUESTION: The Secretary was last night reported to have spoken to Mr. Sharon on the telephone.

MR. BOUCHER: Last night?

QUESTION: In the Israeli press. And Mr. Sharon is quoted as saying that a team from Washington will next week go to the region to speak about the question of monitors. Can you give us any details on that?

MR. BOUCHER: I didn't check on phone calls this morning. I'm sorry, I will have to double check if he did talk to Prime Minister Sharon yesterday.

As far as teams going out, I would say that our Deputy Assistant Secretary David Satterfield is in Beirut, Lebanon, today for meetings with senior Lebanese officials. He will be visiting Damascus for meetings with Syrian officials and those discussions will cover a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.

Following those stops, Ambassador Satterfield will travel for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials. His focus will remain on the issue of urging the parties to take the steps that are necessary to implement the Mitchell Committee recommendations as quickly as possible.

 Complete Transcript of August 8, 2001 Briefing