EXCERPTS FROM PRESS BRIEFING RELATING TO ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS
Phillip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
August 15, 2001
Complete Transcript of August 15, 200l Briefing
(On The Record Unless Otherwise Noted)
MR. REEKER: Well, it feels like Friday but it is just Wednesday here at the State Department. But I want to welcome you all back, regardless. I don't have any announcements or other notes for the day, so I would be happy to begin with the questions, and Mr. Schweid is here representing the Associated Press.
QUESTION: Thank you. There is an Egyptian delegation and it will be here on Friday to see the Secretary. But are any meetings going on at other levels that you could tell us about?
MR. REEKER: I think as we mentioned yesterday, Mr. Osama El-Baz, the National Security Advisor to President Mubarak of Egypt, is visiting Washington this week. He will have meetings with senior administration officials, as you indicated, Barry, including a meeting with Secretary of State Powell on Friday morning.
The meetings, as I indicated yesterday, will cover the broad range of our bilateral and regional issues between the United States and Egypt, including the current situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. As we have said before, we have long valued Egypt's critical role with the parties and we welcome this opportunity to consult on the situation.
In terms of details of other meetings, I just don't have anything else for you at this point, Barry. You may want to check with others around town to confirm other meetings, and I believe the Egyptian embassy had some scheduling information for Mr. El-Baz.
QUESTION: Just a quick question. Will there -- I know you said you can't talk about other meetings. What about in this building? Will there be a meeting with Under Secretary Bolton and will, in that meeting, discuss sort of further nonproliferation issues?
MR. REEKER: At this point, I don't know. I don't have a full schedule or readout of his program. But I will continue to try to do that.
QUESTION: Are you guys trying to schedule it at this point?
MR. REEKER: I don't know, Eli. I have said as much as I have in terms of information on the gentleman's schedule, and we will try to get more information as the Friday date approaches.
QUESTION: Can you give us some idea of what the Administration is doing to try to stop the violence in the region?
MR. REEKER: Sure. We have discussed this at -- (laughter). Charlie seems to have an answer for you, so we will be happy to let Charlie come on up here to the podium, if he cares to have my job. I'm sure I could get paid more in Charlie's job. So when you want to do the switch, Charlie, you let me know.
Betsy, I think, as you know, as we have talked about for a long time, as the President said yesterday, as Secretary Powell also indicated yesterday, ending the current crisis means halting the violence and, in this regard, the Palestinians need to do a great deal more to control the violence, preempt attacks by suicide bombers and arrest those responsible for the violence. Without such an effort, it will be impossible to move through to implementation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations in all their aspects.
And, at the same time, as we have said before, Israeli incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas are provocative, they do not stop the violence and they undermine efforts to defuse the situation. Both sides need to recognize that down that path of escalation and retaliation lies disaster and despair, and at this time of heightened tension, we are continuing to urge both sides to do all they can to reduce the violence, promote an atmosphere of calm and exercise the utmost restraint. There is no military solution to this conflict.
As we have also discussed before, senior officials, both here and in the region, are in continuing contact with the parties. Our Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield has met recently with both Prime Minister Sharon and Chairman Arafat. We continue to give the same messages to those leaders as we do publicly, that they need to reduce the violence and facilitate implementation of Mitchell. These recommendations remain the only path to safe and normal life for Israelis and Palestinians, and a return to negotiations towards a peaceful settlement.
QUESTION: There is word that the Palestinians may be seeking a resolution at the UN. Do you have anything on that?
MR. REEKER: I'm sure there have been a number of reports about that. I think, as I just indicated, and everyone realizes, from the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, our objective has been to end the violence and restore trust and confidence, and create circumstances for the resumption of a political process.
We feel that action in the United Nations Security Council will not contribute to these objectives. But we will assist the parties, will be the continuing focus by the international community on the goal of moving to full implementation of Mitchell, and moving to that goal as quickly as possible.
So we and others in the international community will continue to work in this direction with the parties. As you know, we will be meeting with the Egyptians this week. Our Deputy Assistant Secretary of State is in the region. He is in Amman now. He will also be traveling to Egypt. Attempts to force a solution on the parties by a third party will only frustrate efforts to move forward with the implementation of Mitchell. And that is our main focus at this point.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell yesterday -- I think it was yesterday -- with the Seeds of Peace campers, said that there isn't a day -- forgive me if this is not when he said it -- but he did say in the last few days that there is not a day that goes by that I am not in touch with leaders in the region.
So we haven't really talked about specific phone calls that he made in the last few days, and if you could --
MR. REEKER: Right, I think I was able to tell most of you yesterday there were no phone calls to the region yesterday. Secretary Powell is in touch with leaders through his emissaries and representatives. As I said, our senior officials both here in Washington and in the region are having regular meetings. The Secretary is often in touch directly on the phone with Prime Minister Sharon, with Chairman Arafat and others, and I will continue to try to update you on any individual phone calls.
But the message is clear, and our contacts remain continuous with both parties.
QUESTION: Can I follow up? You keep calling from this podium, and also other officials are talking with leaders in the region, to take steps to stop the violence. Do you think that maybe a higher level of continued engagement -- I know the Secretary is very busy, but daily calls by higher level officials, or daily contact by higher level officials might induce the parties to take steps? Do you think that people on the ambassadorial level or the Deputy Assistant Secretary level are enough to induce the parties to take these steps?
MR. REEKER: I think our senior officials carrying out the actions which we have described in terms of delivering our message personally and directly, as we also do from here, as the Secretary himself does, as the President did yesterday. I think our contacts are continuous, they are at a variety of levels, and I think the message has been the same. It has been consistent and that is what we will continue to do. They know the message, they know the steps they need to take.
Both sides have said that they want to move to Mitchell, they want to begin that process which is the process towards peace, and they need to get the violence down, make the maximum effort necessary to get the violence down, break the cycle of violence, so they can move into Mitchell.
QUESTION: Can I try one more?
MR. REEKER: Sure, and then we'll move to Teri next.
QUESTION: The parties really got used to having President Clinton call them often, have them at the White House. Secretary Albright, when she was in office, traveled there frequently. So do you think that perhaps the parties are seeing the fact that they are not talking to the President or seeing the Secretary of State or hearing from them that often as not as strong of a message as perhaps during the previous administration?
MR. REEKER: I think the message is very clear. And our message has been clear and consistent and from the highest levels. And it is also a fact that we are looking for results on the ground, and that is what we want to see. We have made very clear what we think needs to be done. The international community has worked together to present a roadmap through the Mitchell Committee report and its recommendations for the parties. It is up to them to take the steps necessary to reduce the violence and move into that process of implementing Mitchell.
QUESTION: Even while Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield is there and having these meetings, the hot spots are popping up all over the place, as they have been. For example, yesterday these Israeli tanks went to the outskirts of Bethlehem, I believe, and there were armed Palestinians possibly waiting to meet it. This happened late in the day yesterday.
So can you tell us what -- both if there is reaction to those latest movements, and otherwise what has been the result of Satterfield there speaking with both Sharon and Arafat? Is there anything you can report back on those meetings?
MR. REEKER: The results will be what we see on the ground when the parties take the steps that only they can take to reduce the violence and move into implementation of Mitchell. Our reactions are what I described earlier. We have made very clear, the President did yesterday, so did the Secretary, that the Palestinians need to do a great deal more to control violence, preempt attacks by suicide bombers and arrest those responsible for violence. And at the same time, we have also made very clear that Israeli incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas are provocative; they don't stop the violence and they undermine efforts to defuse the situation. So we need to see them concentrate on the security process. We have also taken steps to help them develop a security process where we facilitate meetings where they can deal with security issues, which helps to create an atmosphere more conducive to then moving towards the Mitchell Committee recommendation implementation.
It is up to the parties. They have got to take those significant steps. We will continue to be available to facilitate, as I just described. We will continue to stress the points that we have made, what the President said and what the Secretary has said.
QUESTION: Well, if the results that you see on the ground is a deterioration, what's the use? You say the results are what you see; well, yesterday you saw tanks --
MR. REEKER: We are not going to give up on this, Teri, just because you say, what's the use. We're going to continue to --
QUESTION: It was a question, Phil, not a recommendation.
MR. REEKER: We are going to continue to stand by what we have been saying. We have been consistent in what we have called for. We have worked with the international community and directly with both parties to give them the opportunity to take the steps that they need to take to reduce the violence and take those forward steps into the path towards peace.
QUESTION: There was a big headline in USA Today about Israel weighing invasion options. Is that true, at least in a --
MR. REEKER: You would have to ask the Israelis that, John.
QUESTION: Is the United States aware of any plan? Does the United States have any view, and is Satterfield expressing any view to the Israelis on that possibility?
MR. REEKER: I think I made very clear, I think three times already now, that Israeli incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas are provocative. They don't stop the violence, and they undermine the efforts to defuse the situation, i.e. undermine the efforts that we are supporting, that we have called for.
QUESTION: I guess my question goes beyond the question of small-scale incursions into a concern about a more --
MR. REEKER: Small-scale or large-scale incursions, I think our position is very much the same.
QUESTION: And a follow-up question, there have been some reports that Satterfield, when, for example, asked by the Palestinians for a greater US role or a more concrete, perhaps, US role, has replied that he is there only on a fact-finding mission, and no authority to shift, adjust, or change or offer new US ideas or proposals. Is that accurate?
MR. REEKER: I think we have discussed Ambassador Satterfield's or other officials who have gone to the region to continue pressing the points that we make publicly, that the Secretary makes in his direct conversations with the leaders, that the President has made as recently as yesterday. It is the same message that we have continued to convey regularly and will continue to do. And so Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield will continue to do that. He will be coming back to Washington at some point obviously to report to the Secretary, and we are going to continue to work on this process. But ultimately it is up to the parties to take the steps necessary to make the efforts, the maximum efforts necessary to reduce the violence so that they can move into their process of implementing the Mitchell Committee recommendations.
QUESTION: Can I (inaudible) a question on your UN answer? Do you mean to say that the US will oppose any action in the UN Security Council on the Middle East dealing with the Palestinian issue? Because I understood there is a possibility of there not just being one resolution, the usual one about international protection force or monitors, but also one having to do with Orient House. Is the US opposed to any discussion or any action on anything?
MR. REEKER: Well, to clarify the basic point, there is nothing before them at this point. So I don't want to prejudge anything. But our position is that action in the Security Council isn't going to contribute to the objectives that we have had, and that what we need to do is continue as we have with the international community, focusing on implementation of Mitchell.
On Orient House, we certainly understand the concerns about Orient House. We talked about it at the time and several times since. It has long symbolized the importance of political dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and it is vital that both parties, both sides remain committed to those objectives. So we are actively engaged with them. We have discussed that and are urging them to implement the Tenet work plan, and the Mitchell Committee recommendations so that they can move beyond those things. That has got to be the process, not a third party process, not actions in the Security Council.
QUESTION: Not the Security Council. Okay. And can you shed any light on -- apparently the Russian Foreign Ministry this morning released some kind of a statement saying that Powell and Ivanov are calling together for Mid-East reconciliation? Do you know anything about this? Was there a phone call?
MR. REEKER: I don't know of anything specific. I do believe the Secretary has spoken with Foreign Minister Ivanov recently. I will have to check on exactly when that was. But I think it is quite consistent with what we have said for a long time --
QUESTION: I am not saying it is inconsistent. I am just wondering if you have a --
MR. REEKER: If I could finish the sentence?
QUESTION: The answer is, no, you don't know anything about a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry?
MR. REEKER: Right. If that is your question.
QUESTION: That was the question, simply ask that..
QUESTION: Do you have any specific comment on the latest targeted killing?
MR. REEKER: No, I don't have anything specific on it. I have seen the same press reports you are probably reading. You know our position on targeted killings; it has been stated many times by many people. I don't have anything specific on that one. But our position on targeted killings remains the same.
QUESTION: On the question of maximum efforts, when the Israelis bomb Palestinian police stations in the Territories, does that degrade Arafat's ability to arrest militants?
MR. REEKER: I don't know. I am not in a position to make that determination.
QUESTION: Does the State Department have a position on that? It would seem -- you keep talking about maximum efforts. Is it sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy --
MR. REEKER: Whose self-fulfilling prophecy?
QUESTION: You need police officers to arrest people and, obviously, police officers need a base, a police station. When they are blown up, and two have been blown up in the last week, it's harder, I would imagine --
MR. REEKER: Eli, our position, as it always has been, is that both sides can do more, can take further action to bring down the violence. We have said they need to make a hundred percent effort. We haven't seen that.
QUESTION: Do you take a position on what appears to be the arbitrary destruction of empty police stations? Do you think this --
MR. REEKER: You are clarifying something as arbitrary destruction --
QUESTION: -- regardless of the effect on the police --
MR. REEKER: Our position is on the broad issue of both sides breaking the cycle of violence, taking the actions necessary to break that, exercising maximum restraint. That is what we have called for, it is what we will continue to call for.
We have said before -- about provocative actions -- we have said before, and again today, that the steps that need to be done, a great deal more that needs to be done, in terms of controlling violence, preempting suicide bombers, for instance, and arresting those responsible for the violence.
QUESTION: Can I ask you another one? Since you --
MR. REEKER: What if I said, no? (Laughter.)
QUESTION: -- agreed to the seven days of quiet, I think in the last two days most of the acts of violence have been from the Israeli side. And since it is the Israeli side who are asking for the days of calm, is there any reason why you should not count these two days --
MR. REEKER: I am just not going to get into counting now. We don't feel that we have seen calm.
QUESTION: But as a matter of principle. I mean --
MR. REEKER: We don't feel that we have seen calm. Our position is what it is. You have heard it. You all get exasperated that we continue to say the same thing over and over again. You continue to ask the same thing over and over again. So I don't think I really have anything further to add to you, other than that we feel both sides need to take additional steps. We don't feel that there has been a hundred percent effort. They need to take the steps, they need to exercise maximum restraint, get the violence down and move into implementation of Mitchell.
QUESTION: Okay. So you seem to be saying that the Israelis, by continuing to play out these incursions, can delay implementation of the Mitchell Plan indefinitely.
MR. REEKER: We have been saying that we have not seen the calm that needs to take place for them to move in to Mitchell. We need to see more restraint, we need to see greater efforts at ending the violence. I mean, it's just days, Jonathan, that we have been talking about suicide bombers, horrible actions that have cost the lives of many innocent people. That needs to stop. There needs to be an end to the violence and there needs to be a greater effort exercised by the leadership on both sides to bring that about.
QUESTION: If I can just follow back on the police station question. Do you -- you said before that you see more effort from Arafat to arrest people as one of the parts of -- formulations of maximum effort, and I'm asking you, do you think that Arafat still has the same capability now as he did a week ago to arrest people?
MR. REEKER: I think he can continue -- as the President said yesterday -- Arafat can do a lot more to take the actions, I said, of controlling violence, preempting things like suicide bombers, and arresting those responsible for that. And that is what I say now, that is what I said before, that is what I will continue to say tomorrow.
QUESTION: And you don't want to comment on what seems to be Israel's policy of systematically targeting the security infrastructure that Arafat was given under the Wye Accords for that purpose?
MR. REEKER: Arafat can take more action.
QUESTION: Can we go to Macedonia?
QUESTION: One more on the Middle East. It's slightly different. Saddam Hussein called for --
MR. REEKER: That is different.
QUESTION: There you go. Called for Iraqis to volunteer to go and help their Palestinian brethren. Are you concerned that this might in fact happen? There are reports that people are training.
MR. REEKER: I am not really even familiar with those particular reports. Very little that Saddam Hussein says to grab media attention surprises me. Obviously, our efforts are focused on working with the international community, and I don't mean pariahs like Saddam Hussein, to work with the parties, the Israelis and the Palestinians, to try to help them implement the Mitchell Committee process. That is what we have been calling for; that is what the international community has provided them through Mitchell.
So I don't have anything for you, Betsy, on reports from Saddam Hussein. What we want to see is peace. The path to peace is through Mitchell. And they have got an obvious road map to get there and move ahead. Our concerns about Saddam Hussein and his threats to the region, his threats to his neighbors, his threats to his own people, are well discussed, well documented, and remain our concerns.
QUESTION: Do you know of any Palestinian arrests in the last -- pick your town time frame? You asked for -- the Administration asked Arafat to do more, to verbally discourage attacks on Israelis, but also to see that the people who carry out attacks are brought to justice. Have you seen any evidence of arrests being made?
MR. REEKER: I have seen various press reports, Barry, but as the President said -- President Bush -- earlier this week, we believe that Chairman Arafat can do a lot more to stop acts of terrorism and violence. And I have said already several times today that we think it is essential for Chairman Arafat to show 100 percent effort and do everything possible to convince those responsible for the violence to stop. I am not here to do your tic-toc of reports out of the Middle East. You can do that quite capably.
QUESTION: No, no. I would think that -- the United States, I would think, is looking into this situation. You would think that keeping a careful watch of attempts -- or if he is not active, of the Palestinian Authority making arrests.
MR. REEKER: And we do.
QUESTION: Okay. But you have no, you know, even round figures for us?
MR. REEKER: I am not here to provide that for you.
QUESTION: One more on Middle East. I'm just curious -- in one of your last answers you said the United States is committed to doing everything it can to help the parties get to Mitchell. Other than just saying the same thing every day, what are you doing to help?
MR. REEKER: We have presented them, as part of the international community --
QUESTION: Yes, that was months ago, Phil. Now, in the last couple weeks. Is Satterfield over there trying to help them?
MR. REEKER: Matt, they need to take the steps. Only the parties can take the steps necessary to bring down the violence and move into implementation of Mitchell, which is the solution that both of them have embraced.
QUESTION: Do you have anything on Iraq and Syria?
QUESTION: On the targeted killing? Is the United States making a distinction between what one would call a targeted killing and what some might call an assassination policy?
MR. REEKER: We have a policy on targeted killing. It has been well stated before, and I don't have anything new to tell you.
QUESTION: Well, but do you consider this an assassination policy? There's a difference.
MR. REEKER: I don't even have details or reports on this latest one. We have a policy on targeted killing; we stand by that.
QUESTION: What about an assassination policy?
MR. REEKER: I am not going to play word games with you. We have a policy on targeted killings. It has been enunciated numerous times.
QUESTION: Any comment on the -- what appears to be a mutual defense pact that has been reached between Iraq and Syria? And are you concerned that that could be a destabilizing development for the whole Mid-East peace process?
MR. REEKER: I saw a variety of press reports, none of which I could find, that alluded to a "mutual defense pact." But I did see reports about discussions and friendship pacts or something between Iraq and Syria. I don't have any specific information on those and I will continue to ask the Bureau if they could look into that. I think Teri had asked about that a couple of days ago.
So by the very definition of the reports about Iraq and Syria, I don't know that we necessarily would have a lot of information on their exact discussions, but I will look into that.
QUESTION: Just to elaborate on that, I'm not sure -- the pacts themselves, the friendship pacts seem to be economic in nature. But there was a comment from the Iraqi official involved who said they did have a defense element. It was a mutual defense pact in the event of a war with Israel. So if you could look --
MR. REEKER: Sure, we will look into the whole, broad thing. Like you said, there are various press reports on that. We will certainly ask the Bureau to keep trying to check into that. | 
