Middle East Digest: April 15, 2008

Bureau of Public Affairs
April 15, 2008

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 April 15, 2008:

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MR. MCCORMACK: Good afternoon, everybody. I don’t have anything to start off with by way of opening statements, so we can get right to your questions.

QUESTION: Yeah. Sean, can you – there seems to be some confusion, I don’t know where it’s come from, from either former President Carter’s staff or people in Israel at the consulate in Jerusalem or the embassy in Tel Aviv, but what is – did the United States ask the Israelis, Shin Bet specifically, to assist in providing security for President Carter while he was in Israel – President Carter?

MR. MCCORMACK: Sorry, not familiar with the details of this story. Let me look into it for you. The Secret Service provides protection for former presidents. We obviously – anytime you have a former president, we obviously have a liaison between the Secret Service and our Diplomatic Security. Let me try to get to the bottom of your question. I mean, the essence of your question is, did we go to the --

QUESTION: Well, it’s based on – apparently, there’s – there are reports and I think even from President Carter – former President Carter’s people themselves that they sought assistance from Shin Bet in – to – in protecting – in protecting him, not to take over from the Secret Service, but to assist --

MR. MCCORMACK: Right.

QUESTION: -- and that that was denied.

MR. MCCORMACK: Okay. So you’re --

QUESTION: And – and though they were told that – I’m sorry, that someone at the either the embassy in Tel Aviv or the consulate in Jerusalem had made this request to the Israelis and that that request had been denied. And there seems to be some confusion over whether, in fact, that request was actually made by the – by --

MR. MCCORMACK: I see. I see.

QUESTION: -- the State Department.

MR. MCCORMACK: Okay. Let me see if we can get to the bottom of the issue and get you an answer. We’ll post it up for everybody.

Okay. Charlie, come on, man. (Laughter.) You missed your chance.

QUESTION: I know there’s more.

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah, Michel.

QUESTION: Can I – go ahead.

QUESTION: Can I ask – this is an Iran and Carter security question.

MR. MCCORMACK: Yes.

QUESTION: It doesn’t have any role in the Pope’s visit, does it? Or does it?

MR. MCCORMACK: I’m not aware of any --

QUESTION: The Secret Service?

MR. MCCORMACK: -- any role that they may play. You know, I can’t account for – maybe they’re assisting in some regard, but they don’t have the lead. That’s right.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Sean?

MR. MCCORMACK: Michel.

QUESTION: President Assad has reiterated today that Syria is ready to provide all possible assistance requested by the Lebanese brothers, as he said. Do you have any reaction?

MR. MCCORMACK: I hadn’t – I hadn’t seen the statement, but – but again, there was, I think, about a week or two weeks ago, a similar offer of security assistance which I believe that I, as well as others, found highly ironic given the history of Syria offering “assistance” to the Lebanese people. They could, you know, if they truly wanted to, help the Lebanese people. They could start by actually treating Lebanon as a sovereign state. They could – they could encourage, in a number of different ways, the expansion and deepening of political and economic reform that would have the effect of strengthening the sovereignty of Lebanon.

So without having seen the full quote, I guess I can’t provide a detailed response, but color us skeptical that Syria truly has the best intentions and the best interests of the Lebanese people at heart when they make offers of assistance.

QUESTION: Can I follow up? Will there be any meeting in Kuwait on Lebanon? There were stories that there would be a meeting, that Secretary Rice will attend this meeting and other foreign ministers.

MR. MCCORMACK: Let me check into exactly what her schedule is going to be on the ground in Kuwait. There are going to be – she’s going there for the neighbors – Iraq neighbors conference, but I expect that there are going to be a number of other side meetings as well. I’m not trying to point you in the particular direction of any state, but let me – let me see where we stand with respect to the scheduling of those meetings. It’s still an evolving schedule.

Gollust.

QUESTION: Would – to follow up – this is a follow-on. I know what --

MR. MCCORMACK: Right.

QUESTION: -- you were referring to, but --

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah.

QUESTION: -- as long as you’re checking, would you --

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: -- check the schedule to make certain that you can tell us that there are no scheduled meetings with Iran or Syria --

MR. MCCORMACK: Sure.

QUESTION: -- as well as on Lebanon?

MR. MCCORMACK: I will.

QUESTION: Unless there are scheduled meetings, of course.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right, I will, yeah.

QUESTION: And North Korea. (Laughter.)

MR. MCCORMACK: All right. We’ll try to – we’ll try to provide you a full view into her meeting activities on the ground in Kuwait.

QUESTION: Is the Secretary pleased that the Embassy in Baghdad has finally been certified for occupancy?

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah. I haven’t talked to her about it, but I’m taking a flier* on this one. Yeah, she is pleased that we’re – that we have a facility that meets all of strict international standards for safety and construction that our people can now begin to use. When -- you know, when people actually move in there is going to be a decision for Ambassador Crocker to take along with his staff.

But the – I think the vast majority of the buildings and facilities on the compound are ready for people to begin the work that will allow people to effectively use those facilities, basically, you know, making – you know, moving equipment and computers and that sort of thing into the facility, so that when Ryan makes a decision about starting to move people from current facilities into the new compound, they’re able to pick up work like that and use it effectively.

QUESTION: Sean, the Iraqi Foreign Minister has said yesterday that the Iranians has conveyed the time and the date of the last meeting with Americans to the U.S. Embassy directly without passing by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. Do you have anything on that? And he said that’s why --

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah.

QUESTION: -- that meeting hasn’t been held.

MR. MCCORMACK: Let me check for you. You know, I didn’t check today where we are on the Crocker channel in terms of meeting. I’ll -- we’ll post an answer for you guys.

QUESTION: A final question on Iran. An Iranian military official has threatened today that Tehran will wipe Israel off the map if it targets Iran. Do you have any reaction?

MR. MCCORMACK: More unbelievable rhetoric out of the leadership of the Iranian Government about attacking a fellow member of the United Nations. You know, we’ve heard this kind of rhetoric before from President Ahmadi-Nejad and it -- I think any -- any civilized person finds that disturbing. And all the more reason why the international community is right to act in the ways that it has in order to, you know, not allow the Iranian Government to use the international financial and trading systems for illicit purposes, whether that is supporting terrorism or working on a nuclear program.

QUESTION: Thank you.