Middle East Digest: June 11, 2008Bureau of Public Affairs The Middle East Digest provides text and audio from the Daily Press Briefing. For the full briefings, please visit http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/. From the Daily Press Briefing of June 11, 2008: MR. GALLEGOS: Oh, on Pakistan? I do have something for you on that. One second. Here we go. Just want to make sure I give you the right thing. This is a regrettable incident. We’re sad to see the loss of life among the Pakistani military, who are partners in fighting terror. This is a reminder that better cross-border communications between forces is vital. We are sure that military on both sides will look into the matter and review how to prevent recurrence and how to prevent extremists from using this area. Ambassador Patterson has met with Pakistani’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir to discuss the incident. The Department of Defense, as you all know, has released a statement regarding this, and I’d refer you to them for further details. Mr. Lambros, why don’t we get started? QUESTION: Thank you. On Turkey. MR. GALLEGOS: Yes. QUESTION: Mr. Gallegos, according to reports from Ankara, General Yasar Buyukanit (inaudible) of those Turkish judges misusing* now to get at the constitutional court, in an obvious effort to overthrow* the government of Recep Erdogan by the end of August via judicial coup d’etat. Could you please once again clarify the U.S. position vis-à-vis to this crucial issue since this fascist move undermines legal democracy in Turkey? MR. GALLEGOS: As usual, overstated, Mr. Lambros. I’ll take that question and we’ll have somebody call you a little bit later on it. QUESTION: Thank you. One more question on Turkey. MR. GALLEGOS: Yes. QUESTION: Turkish military police strike again in northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels with prior approval of the U.S. occupation forces in Baghdad. Any comment on that? MR. GALLEGOS: Our antiterrorism cooperation with the Turkish Government is well known. It is something that we continue, believe in strongly, continue to support. We support their right to protect themselves from terrorist acts. We’ll continue to do so. Any details on any specific actions, I’d refer you to the Turkish Government. QUESTION: Could you comment on the results of the visit by the Iraqi Prime Minister to Iran? Would you share any assessment of the result of the visit? MR. GALLEGOS: No, I don’t have an assessment in terms of that. I think that Sean spoke earlier about what we think about this – the meetings. Obviously, we believe that this is a relationship that they must continue to develop. They’re neighbors. I think Sean’s words were, you know, the map isn’t going to change; they’re going to remain neighbors for a very long time. We hope that the Iranians can engage with the Iraqi Government in a positive manner. We’ll continue to develop that relationship and hopefully we’ll deal with them in a more and increasingly positive manner in the future. QUESTION: Can I get your comments on President Bush’s trip to Europe? He made some comments in Slovenia and Germany about diplomacy with Iran, and he said that all options are on the table, he says, but right now, they’re working on solving that diplomatically. But it would seem that he’s – they’re not working on that because Ahmadi-Nejad spoke today as well, and he said that Bush’s era is over and that they’re not going to stop enriching uranium. So that would seem that they’re not going to diplomatically speak. It is possible that – has President Bush made any, or Secretary Rice – have they made any comments regarding a possible military strike against Iran? MR. GALLEGOS: No, I think that the President was very clear in his comments today that he does – this Administration does want to deal with the situation diplomatically, that they will continue to do so. My understanding is that Javier Solana will be meeting with Iranian officials in the days to come to discuss this enhanced package of incentives. I think it behooves the Iranian Government to review it carefully, to come to an understanding of how it can help the Iranian people. This is an effort that we’re going to continue. We have our European and other allies with us working towards this goal. We’re going to continue that process. I don’t think I could speak any clearer than the President or the Secretary on this, and this is a message that they repeat constantly. QUESTION: And also, last comment on that. There are a handful of congressmen, American scholars, journalists, and Iranian ministers, those in the defense and energy sectors, that say that Israel is pushing for this military strike against Iran, more so than the United States, and they’re just kind of, you know, inaugurating* that agenda into President Bush’s trip. If you can comment on that. MR. GALLEGOS: No, I think that when the President states that he wishes and wants to resolve this diplomatically and that we are engaging the full – the full depth of our diplomatic team in doing that, that that’s what he means. And that’s the direction we’ve taken. We continue this process, the dual-track process, the carrot and the stick right now. I think we’re dangling the carrot. It has yet to be delivered. But I think that this is a process that’s ongoing yet difficult, one that needs to continue to take shape, and that we’re going to proceed in that manner. QUESTION: And your comments on Israel, them pushing the – MR. GALLEGOS: The comments on Israel, I’d say go talk to Israelis about anything specifically, like foreign affairs policy. Libby, in the back. QUESTION: I’ll shout. Going back to the Pakistan incident. MR. GALLEGOS: Mm-hmm. QUESTION: Was – Anne Patterson was called in? I don’t think you said that, or just – she was called in by the Foreign Ministry; correct? MR. GALLEGOS: What I have here is that she met with the Pakistan Foreign Ministry. I don’t have any particular details on that, so -- QUESTION: Do you have any particular details about their conversation? MR. GALLEGOS: No, I don’t have a readout of the conversation, so -- QUESTION: Okay. MR. GALLEGOS: Yes. QUESTION: The GCC states have criticized the human or trafficking in persons report saying that it’s based on inaccurate information. And they said that American policy toward the states is unfriendly. Do you have any reaction? MR. GALLEGOS: Yeah. I think that Mark Lagon – I was here for his briefing on the TIPs report. I’d – I’m going to refer you to his statements. I think that he went into substantial, if not great detail about the process in which we gather information, the way that it’s reviewed at our embassies around the world, and then the development and creation of the report itself. I’ll go ahead and let those words speak for that issue. QUESTION: Yes. The Palestinian Bureau of Statistics in Gaza reported that since the Annapolis peace process in November, 590 Palestinians have been killed and 30 Israelis have been killed – have been killed, excuse me. And also, Israel continues to build settlements, as you know, and – which is a violation of the Roadmap policies. And also, a couple different organizations – Amnesty International, UN Human Rights Council – have labeled Gaza one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world right now. So is the United States doing anything to fix the humanitarian crisis there? Because they haven’t been sending aid. And also, have they pushed Israel to stop building settlements which violate the Annapolis peace process, as well as the daily incursions* into Gaza which continue to kill Palestinian civilians? MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I think others have spoken from this podium with much greater clarity than I can summon today about our support for the Palestinian people and the aid that we’re – and assistance that we’re providing them. Obviously, the death of innocents doing any -- QUESTION: What aid *is it you’re talking about*? MR. GALLEGOS: As I repeat, I believe that others who can provide much greater clarity on that have spoken from this podium. I’d refer you to the transcripts. Someone in my office will be more than happy to direct you to those if you can’t find them yourself on the internet. But I believe that, you know, the President has spoken that we will continue to work towards a settlement in the region. That’s the most – one of the more important issues that this Administration has undertaken. We’ll continue to work closely with both sides. And we will see where we are at the end of the year. QUESTION: But, sir, not to dispute what you just said, but how are they working on fixing that problem when it looks like it’s not going anywhere? Officials from the Palestinian Authority -- MR. GALLEGOS: Yeah. QUESTION: -- have even said it’s a broken process, the Annapolis peace process, because of the violations – MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I think one of the other issues that we’ve – that we’ve – one of the other issues that we’ve decided not to do is to speak publicly about where the negotiations are. We do believe that there has been progress. We do believe that we have two committed parties on both sides of this. We’re going to continue working with them. We’re only about halfway through the year, and we’ll see what the end of the year brings. QUESTION: And I’d just like to note one last thing. The Bureau of Statistics also released a report that says no humanitarian aid from the United States, aside from nongovernment organizations, has reached Gaza. And that’s mainly because a piece of legislation that was passed that bans the United States from sending humanitarian aid because of Hamas being elected in 2006. MR. GALLEGOS: Unfortunately, I don’t see – I don’t have those details at my fingertips. I’ll have to take a look at that.
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