MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah, I have a couple things here. What we would say on this is that in the past year, the Cuban Government's -- the Government of Cuba's repeated failure to meet its obligations under the Migration Accords and address U.S. concerns about building and operational safety at the United States Interests Section substantially impaired the section's ability to operate. As a result, we will not be able to meet the minimum 20,000 travel documents for Cubans this fiscal year.

Cuban officials continue to refuse to allow U.S. Interests Section to hire local staff to replace those who have resigned or retired. For over a year, the Government of Cuba has held at least 28 shipping containers at the port and the airport combined. These containers have essential supplies and materials necessary for the safe and timely operation of the U.S. Interests Section.

The Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C., has failed to issue visas for temporary U.S. technical personnel needed for maintaining systems in the U.S. Interests Section. Some essential personnel needed for repairs have been waiting over a year for visas.

So that's a long way of saying that, of course, we want to meet our obligations under this accord, but frankly we've been prevented from meeting those obligations by the multiple roadblocks that I have listed here put in place by the Cuban Government that prevent us from meeting that number.

QUESTION: You said all this -- that it's one year. It's approximately the time since Fidel Castro has been sick. Do you think there's any relationship with it?

MR. MCCORMACK: You know, I can't tell you. Again, yet another opaque regime into which we have little insight as to how decisions get made or not made.

QUESTION: So this is -- the reason you're not able to grant the visas is because you're physically unable to process them?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, as --

QUESTION: (Inaudible) this as some kind of a tit-for-tat.

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think, Matt, this is a -- this is a pretty lengthy explanation of the variety of reasons why we have not been able to meet this target.

QUESTION: It's not that you're -- that you're unable to meet them, not that this is some kind of punitive measure?

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, I think this is a pretty healthy explanation of why it is that we haven't been able to meet these targets.

QUESTION: Well, that doesn't answer my question.

MR. MCCORMACK: Sorry for that, but I think that this is a pretty good explanation as to why we haven't met the targets.

QUESTION: Well, no, actually. Is it a political decision or is it a logistical thing?

MR. MCCORMACK: Matt, I don't have anything to add to what I just gave you.

QUESTION: We had spoke earlier with Noriega's attorney, Frank Rubino.

MR. MCCORMACK: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: And he basically was saying that it would be against the Geneva Convention to extradite Noriega to France. Back in 1992 a Miami federal judge considered him to be a POW, and that instead Rubino says that he must be repatriated to Panama.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right.

QUESTION: And along with these statements, Rubino says he believes that there is a conspiracy between the U.S. and Panama because Panama doesn't essentially want Noriega back, as they've claimed before. What are your comments?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I'll leave it to the lawyers to make legal arguments, but we have -- my understanding is the Department of Justice has with a judge -- a federal judge, I think, in Florida -- submitted a extradition request on behalf of the French Government. We, as a government, serve as a pass-through for these things and the State Department serves as a pass-through for these sort of things. And it's going to be up to the judge to decide on the merits of that request, as I understand it. I don't want to tread too far into legal territory where I shouldn't be, but I understand that's where the -- that's where the issue stands right now, and probably DOJ is in a better position to comment on the matter further than I am.