US Department of State Daily Briefing #39:
Monday, 3/11/91
Boucher
Source: State Department Deputy Spokesman Richard
Boucher
Description: 12:18 PM, Washington, DC
Date: Mar 11, 19913/11/91
Category: Briefings
Region: MidEast/North Africa, Subsaharan Africa,
Eurasia, Europe, Central America, E/C Europe
Country: Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Benin, United Kingdom,
Yugoslavia (former), India, Italy
Subject: Terrorism, Arms Control, Military Affairs,
International Law, Refugees, Human Rights,
Democratization, Regional/Civil Unrest
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I
don't have anything particular to give you at this moment, so
I'd be glad to take your questions.
[Iraq: Update on Civil Unrest]
Q What do you have on the continued fighting in
Iraq?
MR. BOUCHER: Unrest. Our information on the situation
inside Iraq is still limited. Civil unrest is continuing in a
number of cities, towns, and other outlying areas.
Since last week, opposition activity seems to have
increased in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq. Although
fighting continues in several locations throughout southern
Iraq, the overall levels of unrest appear to have declined some
what in these areas.
Q You can't say who's getting the upper hand?
MR. BOUCHER: No.
Q Richard, there is an article in the Guardian this
morning by a reporter who was in Baghdad for a long time, and he
said that there were indications there that Jordan had sent in a
number of technicians to help Iraqis operate the Hawk missiles
which were taken from Kuwait up into Iraq and that this missile
battery had, in fact, taken out three allied planes before it
was taken out itself. Do you have any comment on -- and that
Jordanians were injured when the attack took place?
MR. BOUCHER: I have not seen that story. It's
something I'll have to look into.
Q Has there been any decision on aid to Jordan?
MR. BOUCHER: No. It remains under review, as far as
I'm aware.
Q What about those boxes of ammo and guns from
Jordan?
MR. BOUCHER: That was being investigated, I think,
primarily by our military folks. I haven't heard any results on
that. I'll check.
Q Do you have any indications at all that poison gas
has been used by the Iraqi government anywhere?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I can't. Well, let me put it this
way: I can't confirm any chemical weapons used by the Iraqis at
this point.
Q You can't confirm. Do you have reports or suspect
--
MR. BOUCHER: There are reports which you've seen in
the press. I don't have any information that could lead me to
be able to confirm that CW has been used.
Q Is one of the items on the Secretary's agenda on
this trip the hostages -- our hostages -- in Beirut?
MR. BOUCHER: The President, I think, in his speech
said it would be; yes.
Q Do you have anything on reports that the hostages
have been moved to the eastern part of Lebanon from southern
Beirut?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't.
[US Warning to Iraq on Chemical Weapons]
Q Did you find out how the warnings or the caution
at the highest levels to Iraq were sent? Were they sent from
here as well as from the U.N.?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. We had reason to believe, as the
Secretary has said, that the Iraqis might be planning to use
chemical weapons in their internal conflicts. We took the
reports very seriously, and we issued strong warnings both to
the Iraqi United Nations Ambassador, al-Anbari, and to the
senior Iraqi representative in Washington. That was done on
Thursday evening last week.
Q That was when he came in here to talk about the
journalists. Did you take the opportunity -- how did it happen?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think it was in the same meeting.
I think it was done later in the evening.
Q After he came back?
MR. BOUCHER: On Thursday, we passed an updated list of
the 11 journalists -- the 11 missing American journalists -- to
the Iraqis. That's what she's referring to. But I think the
warning on CW use was done later.
Q Richard, the Washington Post is reporting that
there's an official report from Israel's Housing Ministry which
says that more than 10,000 units for the Soviet Jews coming into
the country are going to be located in occupied Arab territories
despite written pledges by the government to the Bush
Administration not to do so.
Do you have any comment on this report? Do you know
whether it is accurate or not?
MR. BOUCHER: No. I expressed last week the fact that
our opposition to the settlements was continuing but, for the
moment, I think any questions on this will have to be directed
to the Secretary who is now in Israel.
Q On the questions about the PLO -- do they also
have to be directed to the President or to the White House? Or
can you answer whether or not there's any change in U.S. opinion
towards the PLO?
In an interview that the President gave to 4 Arab
journalists over the weekend, he said that he wasn't the one
that had wanted the talks to end; he had wanted them to continue
as long as possible. He said that he wasn't telling the PLO
that they were bad guys; that there were some good guys in
there.
It was a very upbeat and not very anti-PLO interview.
Is there any change or any nuance of change in the
Administration's position toward the PLO?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not aware of any change in our
position on the PLO. I believe the Secretary, if news reports
are correct, has also addressed himself to the issue. If we can
get you a transcript of that, we will.
[UK: US Agreement on Airline Routes and Landing
Rights]
Q A totally different subject, Richard. Anything on
Pam Am-United Airlines negotiations, which are apparently taking
place here?
MR. BOUCHER: Heathrow.
Q Heathrow.
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. In fact, we've reached agreement.
U.S. and U.K. negotiators reached agreement today on rights for
successor U.S. airlines to serve London Heathrow Airport in
exchange for extensive new rights for U.K. airlines.
The new agreement will enable the transfer of Pan Am's
routes to United Airlines. It will also make it possible for
TWA to transfer routes to American Airlines, subject, of course,
to the approval by the Departments of Transportation and
Justice.
The new rights for the U.K. side include a second U.K.
airline at Heathrow which will fly U.S.-U.K. routes; the right
to cooperate on domestic and international service, something
that's known in the parlance as code-sharing agreements; and
then new connecting rights to Asia, Western Hemisphere, and
Western European countries.
Q Why is that negotiated at the State Department,
and not at the Departments of Commerce or Transportation?
MR. BOUCHER: It just is. I don't think I have a
precise answer for you on that. As far as I'm aware, aviation
negotiations have always been done from here. We have a
negotiator. These particular negotiations have been going on
for some time; I think since January of last year.
Q As of when will United be able to fly out of
Heathrow?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know precisely when that will be.
I guess it's subject to the approval of the Departments of
Transportation and Justice.
Q Are they interagency discussions that are just
chaired here? I mean, do you transport --
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. Obviously, it's an interagency
delegation. We cooperate very closely with our colleagues in
the Transportation Department, but we head the delegation.
Q Does this have anything to do with British
Airlines having the ability to have shares of American domestic
carriers? Does it affect that in any way?
MR. BOUCHER: You mean in terms of financial shares?
Q Yes.
MR. BOUCHER: Not that I'm aware of. In the briefing I
got, the domestic implications were an ability to share tickets
between international and domestic carriers to sort of service
an interior destination with one ticket but that it would be
shared between domestic and international carriers.
Q You said that there was one more U.K. airline that
will be serving the U.K. into the U.S. -- is that correct? --
out of Heathrow, or did I misunderstand that?
MR. BOUCHER: That's right -- a second U.K. airline at
Heathrow on U.S. --
Q Other than British Airways, who is it? Do we know
who that is yet?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know. I don't think it's for us
to designate.
[El Salvador: Election Update]
Q Do you have anything on the El Salvador elections?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. First, I have to note that final
results are not expected until later today. Preliminary returns
show President Cristiani's ARENA party leading in the voting for
the legislative assembly. Early informal vote counts from San
Salvador give ARENA only around 50 percent of the vote. It is
still uncertain whether they will have the votes to elect a
majority of the expanded assembly.
This election, in our view, makes a significant step
towards national reconciliation. The leftist political
coalition formerly affiliated with the FMLN's political front
has made a strong showing, according to the early reports. This
was made possible by El Salvador's major political parties which
agreed last year to expand the legislature from 60 to 84 seats
in order to give the small opposition parties greater
representation.
We see the election as a clear and unequivocal signal
that Salvadorans reject violence and seek political expression
through the democratic process, the best way to end the
country's civil conflict. We call upon both the FMLN and the
government to return to the bargaining table and make a
determined effort to negotiate political agreements and a
ceasefire.
Q It sounds like you're welcoming a strong leftist
showing?
MR. BOUCHER: We're welcoming the fact that the
elections were apparently -- based on the observer reports from
the OAS delegation -- free of fraud; that Salvadoran voters
turned out to vote; that all parties had the ability to contest
the election and that the votes are apparently being counted
now, and we'll see what the final results are.
[Yugoslavia: Update on Civil Unrest]
Q Do you have any comment on the situation in
Yugoslavia?
MR. BOUCHER: First, let me sort of review the status
of demonstrations. There were demonstrations called by Serbian
opposition parties to protest Serbian government control of the
media that resulted in two deaths -- one of a policeman and one
of a demonstrator -- and some 180 arrests on March 9 in
Belgrade.
Federal military units called in on March 9 by the
Federal Presidency to assist Serbian police have returned to
garrison. They returned on March 10. On March 10, which was
yesterday, and again today the demonstrations continued in
downtown Belgrade involving between 10,000 and 20,000 people.
One of the demands -- that is, for a special session of the
Serbian Assembly -- will reportedly be met tonight.
Of course, the U.S. regrets the violence and the loss
of life. We urge all concerned to work together in the spirit
of democratic dialogue to resolve differences peacefully.
Q Anything on the demonstrations in the Soviet
Union?
Q Can we have a follow-up on Yugoslavia before we go
there?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. Sure.
Q The U.S. policy on Yugoslavia is still that that
is a viable nation; that people of Slovenia have stated their
determination to leave that union. Do they have the right to do
so? The same goes for those in Croatia.
MR. BOUCHER: Alan, we have long supported unity,
democracy and dialogue in Yugoslavia. Those have been the
hallmarks of our policy. I think you'll remember the Secretary
talking about it last fall when he met with the Yugoslav Foreign
Minister, I think it was, in New York.
The structure of Yugoslavia and attendant matters are
things for the Yugoslav people to work out. We'll just
encourage them to work out these matters peacefully through
dialogue and not through violence or through pre-emptive
actions.
Q Soviet Union?
MR. BOUCHER: Oh, George asked about the Soviet Union.
I don't really have anything to say on the demonstrations there,
other than the fact that so many people can go out and express
their views peacefully without any interference from the
authorities is a positive sign. It's a welcome sign of the
freedom of expression in the Soviet Union. But as for the views
that they expressed, of course, we don't take any position one
way or the other.
[Albania: Update on Refugees]
Q Albania?
MR. BOUCHER: Albania. We have unconfirmed reports
that at least four Albanians were killed and ten wounded on
Saturday in Durres when security forces reportedly seized a ship
commandeered by citizens seeking to flee the country.
We regret the injury and, as before, we condemn the use
of deadly force. We also understand that some 1500 Albanians
have been returned by the Italians to Albania. We also note
that Italian authorities apparently have agreed to allow the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to determine the
refugee status of Albanians currently in Italy or those expected
there.
Of course, for further information you'd have to
contact the Italian government, and we understand that a joint
U.N. Secretariat and U.N.H.C.R. mission is planning to visit
Albanian this last weekend, but I don't have any information on
those activities.
Q What's the U.S. position on these Albanians? Do
you consider them to be political refugees or economic refugees?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think that's something we'd want
to see with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the
Italian authorities determine by talking to these people and
determining that. And, as I said, the Italian authorities have
apparently agreed to allow the U.N.H.C.R. to go in and do that.
Q Were you making any provision at all for any
refugees to come here?
MR. BOUCHER: I'd have to check and see what provisions
we have for Albanians --
Q But do you --
MR. BOUCHER: -- but nothing special that I'm aware of.
Q Would you see whether or not -- if each country
has a quota, does Albania, which doesn't have relations with
you, have access to that quota? Can Albanians come here?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll check on that.
Q Does the U.S. have a view about the Italian
decision to ship 1500 back?
MR. BOUCHER: No. I think that's really something
you'll have to ask the Italians about.
Q Do you have something on the renewed violence in
Israel and the Occupied Territories?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't. The Secretary, as I noted,
is in Israel. I believe that Margaret has addressed that out
there on the road, and I'll leave that to her and to the
Secretary if he might have spoken about it as well.
Q Any plans for him to have any press conferences on
this trip, i.e., in other words, are you having any days when
you're not briefing?
MR. BOUCHER: I hope so -- (laughter) -- but I don't
have anything definite for you at this point.
Q Richard, on the return of non-essentials to a
number of Middle Eastern countries --
MR. BOUCHER: That's right.
Q Can you list the states where they will not be
returning to? North Africa, for instance. Lebanon.
MR. BOUCHER: O.K. We put out, I think, the new travel
advisory this morning that lists the places where we've already
permitted people under voluntary departure to return.
The places where we still have authorized voluntary
departure are Dhahran, Manama, Damascus, Sanaa, Amman,
Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, Rabat, Casablanca,
Tangier, Algiers and Oran, Tunis, Bombay and Calcutta.
Q Beirut?
MR. BOUCHER: Beirut. Yes. I guess they're beyond
authorized departure. (Laughter) That's why they weren't
listed. Yes. Beirut.
Q Anything about the return of the Ambassador to
Beirut?
MR. BOUCHER: No. Nothing.
Q Just to follow that up: What is the problem in
Bombay and Calcutta?
MR. BOUCHER: In where?
Q Bombay and Calcutta.
MR. BOUCHER: In Bombay and Calcutta. I don't have
anything precise on specific places. I think the reason that
these places were not added to the list at this time -- and I
have to emphasize it's something that is under continuing review
-- is generally because the original reasons for putting out the
advisories remain more or less constant or have not changed
sufficiently to warrant lifting the authorized departure status.
That would be true, I'd say, in all these places with
the focus in some places, Dhahran and Manama in particular, on
the unknown health effects at this point about the oil fires.
So in some places our focus has shifted, but in others it's
basically that the original reasons remain more or less valid.
Q Could I ask about the referendum that's coming up
in the Soviet Union this weekend. When the Baltic republics
recently held referenda, the United States was part of an
international monitoring effort. Is there going to be any
attempt to monitor this national referendum in the Soviet Union?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to check. I don't know.
Q Could you?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to look into it.
Q You've probably got something on the election in
Benin.
MR. BOUCHER: As a matter of fact, I do.
Q Why don't you share that with Patrick, privately.
Q Because it's going to come out later, and I won't
be in the building.
[Benin: Elections]
MR. BOUCHER: Well, according to preliminary reports,
the first round of presidential elections proceeded smoothly in
Benin, with an estimated 75 percent of eligible voters
participating. There was a U.S. delegation which monitored the
election, and they report calm and orderly balloting throughout
the country.
Should no candidate win an absolute majority of the
vote, a March 24 runoff between the top two vote-getters will
determine the winner. The democratic process appears to be
working well.
Q Could you manage to bind and publish in an orderly
form your human rights report and, if so, could you make it
available to us?
MR. BOUCHER: Is it out yet?
Q Yes.
MR. BOUCHER: I think it's out. Yes. I think I got my
copy a week ago or so. We'll get you one.
Q I got mine two weeks ago.
MR. BOUCHER: There you go.
Q Do you have any comment on the meeting of
opposition figures in -- Iraqi opposition figures in Beirut,
either on the meeting or on what they said, and does the U.S.
support the opposition in Iraq?
MR. BOUCHER: I haven't seen too much of what they
might have said at this point. I think they're still meeting
for a couple days. Obviously, as we've said before, it would be
in the best interests of the Iraqi people and the future place
of Iraq in the region for the Iraqis to be able to choose a
government that would respect international standards of
behavior.
But, as we've said before as well, it's for the Iraqi
people to decide their political future. It's not the business
or intent of the United States to come up with alternatives to
the current regime in Iraq, nor do we support any particular
group. That's for the Iraqi people to do.
Q Thank you.
MR. BOUCHER: Thank you.
Q One last one: Almost two weeks ago now, I think,
an Ethiopian delegation and an Eritrean delegation started their
meeting here with the State Department mediating. We had asked
a couple of times about that. The negotiations are still going
on. Did they ever wrap up, or did anything ever come of that?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't remember anything particular
wrapping up. I think we put out a statement at the time of
those meetings here, about two weeks ago Friday, I think. I
haven't seen anything subsequently. I think the expectation was
that those kinds of contacts would continue.
Q O.K. At the time it sounded more substantive than
that. Can you check on it and see if they're still going on --
MR. BOUCHER: I'll check and see if there's anything.
Q -- or if they actually came to any conclusions at
all about --
MR. BOUCHER: I'll check and see. O.K.?
(The briefing concluded at 12:38 p.m.)
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