08/14/2001: Daily Press Briefing Excerpts

EXCERPTS FROM PRESS BRIEFING RELATING TO THE MIDDLE EAST

Phillip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
August 14, 2001

(On The Record Unless Otherwise Noted)
Complete Transcript of August 14, 200l Briefing

QUESTION: Yes, apart from issuing statements, do you plan any kind of -- any other diplomatic demarche on (inaudible)?

MR. REEKER: Well, the U.S. remains in continual contact with all the parties and the two governments involved here. I don't have any specifics to share with you, but as you know, we have maintained our contacts and our views that I made clear just now. So I think that is the extent of it for right now.

QUESTION: Can you talk about the Egyptian delegation that is due here?

MR. REEKER: Sure, the Egyptian delegation about which I did not have information yesterday, and of course was able to check into that to make very clear that, I think, as you know, first of all, President Bush and President Mubarak had agreed that high-level consultations between our two governments would be useful. In that vein, Mr. Osama El-Baz, the national security advisor to President Mubarak, is visiting Washington this week for meetings with senior administration officials. I do not yet have any details of the meetings or times, but I expect to have something soon. So if you are particularly focused on that, keep in touch with the Press Office and as soon as we have details, we can share those with you.

Obviously, the meetings will cover a broad range of bilateral and regional issues between the United States and Egypt, including the current situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I think you know that we have long valued Egypt's critical role with those parties and we welcome this opportunity to consult with our Egyptian friends on the situation. So stay tuned.

QUESTION: We held an interview with him just within the last hour and he made some comments to us. He said that the situation cannot -- in the area cannot withstand more of the same. He also said that American interest is threatened in the area by the events that are taking place. He also said the American Government must move, implying that you are not doing enough. Do you agree with these comments?

MR. REEKER: Well, I'm not going to try to respond to an interview I haven't seen in any detail which took place in less than an hour with a gentleman who is going to be having meetings with senior officials from this administration in the coming days. But if you would like to talk about the situation in the Middle East, I think you are quite aware of our position and I think you know what we have said every day from this podium, in terms of our engagement. Senior officials here and in the region are in continuing contact with the parties. As you know, Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield has met with both Prime Minister Sharon and Chairman Arafat within the last day or so. We continue to encourage them to reduce the violence, facilitate the implementation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations as quickly as possible. These are the recommendations which remain the only path to safe and normal life for Israelis and Palestinians, and a return to negotiations towards a peaceful settlement.

So they have -- the parties have before them a roadmap, they have a structure in place, and they both need to maintain their efforts. We need to see a 100 percent effort in pursuing that and an end to the violence.

QUESTION: Leaving his comments aside, do you feel your interest in the area is threatened by the events that are taking place? And also, do you feel you are doing everything that you can do to contain the situation?

MR. REEKER: I think we have made quite clear that we do have interests in the region. That's why we have been engaged there for so many years, for decades, and why we will continue to remain engaged there, and why this is an important issue for us. It is why you come here every day and talk to us about it. But we have made our views very clear, that the parties need to take action. They have a roadmap, they have structures that they can use to pursue steps to get back to the peace table and pursue negotiations. We have made that very clear. They have got to take these actions. Both sides have to recognize, as we have said before, that down this path of escalation and retaliation lies disaster and certainly more despair for their peoples.

So in this time of heightened tensions, we once again urge both sides to do all they can to reduce the violence and promote an atmosphere of calm.

QUESTION: Can you just talk about the latest Israeli incursion last -- yesterday evening, and --

QUESTION: Can we stay on Egypt for a second?

MR. REEKER: All right, let's do it this way. We will stay on Egypt for a second, and then we will take Elise's question. Please, Eli.

QUESTION: The Egyptians have long proposed, along with the Jordanians, a more robust sort of peace plan that would involve starting political negotiations without a kind of period of quiet or calm. Is this something that will be discussed in meetings with top officials, and is this something that maybe the US would consider at this point?

MR. REEKER: I don't know exactly what will be discussed, other than that which I described for you a moment ago, that a broad range certainly of bilateral issues, but definitely the regional issue. And as I said, we have appreciated and long supported the Egyptian role and the contribution that they can play, as well as the Jordanians, as you pointed out. So I think we need to let these meetings take place, see what we discuss.

The two sides have before them the Tenet work plan on security, which they can use, a structure they can use to pursue the security talks, which are so vital for creating and maintaining an atmosphere conducive to moving forward then into the Mitchell Plan recommendations, which you all are familiar with.

More on Egypt, or are we going to move --

QUESTION: Do you have any word from the Arab states on any other visits by other officials from Arab states, other than Egypt?

MR. REEKER: Not that I am aware of.

QUESTION: Was this a surprise --

MR. REEKER: Was there something specific?

QUESTION: Was this a surprise visit from them -- I mean, relatively?

MR. REEKER: I don't believe so. I mean, I'm sorry I didn't have information for you on it yesterday, but I think it had only just been announced at that point. As I said, at the beginning, President Bush and President Mubarak, who have spoken, as you know, agree that it is useful to have these kinds of talks. So we are looking forward to this opportunity now to have --

QUESTION: Is there any further contact with any other Arab states involving any --

MR. REEKER: We have a lot of contact with Arab states, whether through our embassies or through direct phone calls. I don't have anything specific to share at this point.

QUESTION: On that, maybe -- I don't remember his title, Satterfield --

MR. REEKER: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.

QUESTION: Deputy Assistant Secretary -- is he expected to go to Jordan and in Egypt this week as well?

MR. REEKER: I don't have any further -- right now he remains in Israel, I believe. As I noted, he met with Prime Minister Sharon, he met with Chairman Arafat. I don't have a further readout on his next steps. I would be happy to keep checking on that for you with the Bureau.

QUESTION: Phil, did the presidents talk about this particular delegation coming here? You said they agreed that high-level consultations would be useful --

MR. REEKER: I would have to refer you to the White House for that. I think this is within the framework of that discussion.

QUESTION: From our -- but not about -- was there a conversation this week saying, oh, yeah, send your guys here, or --

MR. REEKER: I don't know. You would need to check with the White House on the President's calls.

QUESTION: You just said that they agreed that these consultations would be useful. I mean --

MR. REEKER: President Bush and President Mubarak have spoken and talked about the fact that it is useful to have our senior officials meet. I think this visit is certainly within the context of that. The specifics of what President Bush may or may not have discussed specifically at any specific time with President Mubarak is something you need to ask at the White House.

QUESTION: Specifics?

MR. REEKER: Right. Specifically take that question to the White House. Is this more, Teri, or do you want to go onto --

QUESTION: Do you have any readout on his meeting yesterday with Yasser Arafat, and any -- I know you said you didn't have any information on his travels, but do you know of any other meetings he has scheduled there in Israel?

MR. REEKER: I don't. I don't have anything further on Satterfield. Certainly, the points, as I indicated, that he has been raising, both in his meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and with Chairman Arafat, are continuing to encourage them to reduce the violence, to make a bigger effort, as the President indicated yesterday, to take the steps necessary to make a 100 percent effort to reduce the violence, because that is what is so crucial to this.

QUESTION: They haven't made any headway?

MR. REEKER: I think the proof will be in what we see on the ground, and we will be watching that very closely. And, as I said, I just don't have a readout of his schedule but will be happy to try to keep monitoring his next steps. I am sure he is having additional meetings with other levels of officials, coordinating obviously through our embassy and our consulate out there.

QUESTION: Can you talk about the last 24 hours' events --

MR. REEKER: As the President emphasized yesterday -- I think you saw his statements from Texas -- that all sides must exercise restraint. You know that we have condemned the acts of terrorism such as those that occurred recently in Jerusalem. Nothing is gained through such cowardly acts as deliberate murder. The Israeli incursions into Palestinian controlled areas are provocative and undermine the efforts of the parties and the international community to defuse the situation and stop the violence. And, once again, as I have already indicated today, both sides need to recognize that down this path of escalation and retaliation only lies disaster. And so we are continuing to urge both sides to exercise restraint, reduce the violence, promote an atmosphere of calm. There is no military solution to this conflict, and we will continue to make that message quite clear.

QUESTION: On the recent incursions last night, can you say whether, A, you think that the Israelis had taken those actions in order to promote or out of reason for internal security? Can you say whether or not they have decreased the stability in the region? And can you say whether or not you believe that they are defensive in nature?

MR. REEKER: A, you need to ask the Israelis why they took those actions. I am not going to try to --

QUESTION: I think it is relevant to what the State Department thinks of its internal security, given the restraints of the Arms Export Control Act.

MR. REEKER: I have made clear to you our view, Eli, that these incursions into Palestinian controlled areas are provocative and undermine the efforts of the parties and the international community to defuse the situation and stop the violence. I am not aware of any determinations under the Arms Export Control Act.

QUESTION: I am not asking for determinations, but you have said they are provocative. You know, you have said that -- you've gone very close to this. I just wanted to find out, do you think that the Israelis need to take those steps in terms of internal security?

MR. REEKER: That is a decision for the Israelis. My point is that we feel that those steps, the incursions that were made were provocative and undermined the efforts. And what we have done is called on both sides to make maximum efforts to reduce the violence and create an atmosphere of calm so that they can move ahead.

QUESTION: Even if they were -- even if you do call them provocative, do you think that they were necessary?

MR. REEKER: That is not a judgment I am going to make from here.

QUESTION: The Israeli position was before that there will be no more talks until the violence is stopped. The American position was similar, no involvement in a grand scale until the violence is reduced or stopped.

Now the Israelis are talking -- Shimon Peres is talking to the Palestinians and he is not even excluding talking to Yasser Arafat. Are you going to take your cue from the Israelis and change your position?

MR. REEKER: We don't take our cues from anybody other than the President of the United States and the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who have made our views quite clear. You heard the President yesterday. I have reflected the same message that the Secretary has delivered many times before. It is up to both sides, it is up to both the Israelis and the Palestinians to make that effort.

QUESTION: Well, they are talking now --

MR. REEKER: We think that's excellent. We talked yesterday a great deal -- you may not have been here -- about pursuing a security dialogue, which we facilitate. We stand ready to help however we can to facilitate that security dialogue. Director of Central Intelligence Tenet was in the region, as you know. He helped them develop a work plan to pursue the security dialogue, which is absolutely important in helping to create the atmosphere conducive for then cutting the violence, bringing calm to the region so that they can move into the steps necessary, as recommended by the Mitchell Commission.

QUESTION: Can you say if the Secretary has had any phone calls to the region or received any from the region today?

MR. REEKER: Not that I am aware of, but I wasn't able to check just before I came out, so I will be happy to keep looking into that.

QUESTION: And reports from the White House yesterday that he had spoken to leaders in the region yesterday --

MR. REEKER: No, I think if you read the President's transcript closely, he referred to the fact that the Secretary had spoken with leaders in the region as of yesterday. As I told you then, he had spoken to them on Friday. So do check your transcript closely.

QUESTION: You said you think that's excellent that they're talking. If it's excellent now, why was it not excellent before they agreed to talk? I mean, why would it not have been an excellent idea for them to talk a week ago or two weeks ago?

MR. REEKER: I don't think we have ever said talking wasn't a good idea, or indeed an excellent idea.

QUESTION: Yes, you did. You said that talks couldn't begin until the violence was reduced.

MR. REEKER: I think we need to talk about talking versus talks, Jonathan, and I am not going to play another day of word games with you. You know what our view is. I made it quite clear today, I made it quite clear yesterday. Foreign Minister Peres wants to pursue talks and that can help the process. We have talked about the security talks and that helps the process, were they to facilitate that. And we will continue to encourage that.

It is up to the parties to take these steps to reduce the violence. Until the violence is down, there cannot be a movement into the Mitchell Committee steps. As the Mitchell Committee recommendations state, you need to end the violence and then move into these steps. It is a roadmap back to a process where they can pursue peace.

QUESTION: Shimon Peres did say that not engaging in talks is giving every gunman a veto right --

MR. REEKER: I think that came up yesterday, yes.

QUESTION: Okay, fine. But are you going to up the ante now? Are you going to increase the efforts, since they are talking? I mean, my question is, are you going to make like what Dr. El-Baz said, America must move?

MR. REEKER: This isn't a poker game and we are not upping antes. This is simply our position, which we made very clear, our availability to help and facilitate in this process, and the steps that both sides must take, the calm that must be reached so that they can move ahead into Mitchell, which is what both sides have said they want to do, and that is what we will continue to look for.

QUESTION: I have a question about a Wall Street Journal article that appeared yesterday. And that is it claims that Islamic Jihad and Hamas and some of the other foreign terrorist organizations have Websites based in the United States. And I wanted to know if the State Department has ever looked into this and whether this is a violation of the law which prevents them from having any sort of base in the US and raising money in the US?

MR. REEKER: I looked at that article and it is a very interesting question. I don't have an answer for you. I don't think it is something that is addressed in Patterns of Global Terrorism. I haven't checked to see if the Website even appears there. You may want to check at the Justice Department, because they make a lot of those determinations under the law, in terms of implementing that law domestically.

But it is a good question. We will check on it. Obviously with the lawyers it is an interesting question based on new technology, in terms of the Web.

QUESTION: But doesn't the State Department usually pass the word to these organizations, like we did with the Afghans, telling them to close their office in New York? Wouldn't the State Department have had to give the word to some of these organizations to shut this operation down?

MR. REEKER: Well, in terms of Websites, it is an interesting question. As you are probably aware, the World Wide Web operates in such that the location of where that Website is controlled or created may not be in the United States. So as I tried to indicate, it is something we will look into, and I think it is an excellent question. It is an interesting question that is posed by the article and by you, and we will look into it as something that obviously lawyers and others will have to deal with.

It may be something that has already been looked into, but I don't know at this point.

QUESTION: Just one very quick one about the talks and violence. Would the State Department agree with Sharon -- the Egypt, Jordan, and Arafat -- that there is a potential that at least the talks could lead to a decrease in violence?

MR. REEKER: The two sides need to take steps to reduce the violence. What they can do to do that is up to them. We believe they can do more on both sides, and reducing the violence is the first priority goal so that they can move into implementation of Mitchell in all its aspects.

Okay, now we're moving on with Matt to a different part of the world.