US Department of State Daily Briefing #57:
Thursday, 4/8/91
Tutwiler
Source: State Department Spokesman Margaret Tutwiler
Description: 12:38 PM, Washington, DC
Date: Apr 8, 19914/8/91
Category: Briefings
Region: MidEast/North Africa
Country: Iraq, Kuwait, China, North Korea, Turkey, Iran,
Cambodia
Subject: Regional/Civil Unrest, Development/Relief Aid,
Refugees, Arms Control, Nuclear Nonproliferation,
Human Rights, POW/MIA Issues, United Nations
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
I'd like to start off with a brief announcement about a meeting
with the Vietnamese in New York which will be held tomorrow.
[US-Vietnam Officials to Discuss Cambodia and
POWs]
Assistant Secretary of State Richard H. Solomon will
meet with the Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the United
Nations tomorrow, April 9, in New York. This will be the fifth
meeting between Vietnamese and American officials on Cambodia
since Secretary Baker's announcement last summer that the United
States would talk directly with Vietnam on the subject.
This meeting will be aimed at encouraging an early
political solution to the conflict in Cambodia and a rapid
acceleration of progress on resolving the POW/MIA issue. As we
have stated repeatedly, normalization of our relations with
Vietnam can only occur in the context of a Cambodia settlement,
and the pace and scope of normalization will be directly
affected by the seriousness of Vietnam's cooperation on the
POW/MIA and other humanitarian issues, including the Orderly
Departure Program and the release of all present or former
re-education detainees who are eligible for it.
With that, I'd be glad to take your questions.
Q Do you have anything on aid to the Cambodian
rebels? As I understand it, they're complaining that they've
been cut off. Do you have anything there on aid?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't, I'm afraid.
Q What specifically is Mr. Solomon going to talk
about? Can you be more direct?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm afraid I can't. They'll be talking
about the political solution to the conflict in Cambodia and
seeing if we can accelerate an early political solution there.
Q Bolton won't take part in this one?
MR. BOUCHER: Bolton is with the Secretary in Turkey,
or has been, so he won't be there.
Q The agenda will be limited to Cambodia?
MR. BOUCHER: No. As I said, it's both Cambodia and
encouraging an acceleration of progress on the POW/MIA issue as
well.
Q Richard, why are you saying MIA/POW issue? Do we
think there are POWs?
MR. BOUCHER: Until the exact status of people is
clarified, we carry a number of people as MIAs and POWs,
potentially. These are people whose exact status we need to
clarify and that's what this process is about.
Whenever we receive reports of potentially live
Americans there, we always follow up on them. I think the
Defense Department can give you some more information on what
we've done in the past. But I think it's basically a question
of following up on any reports, following up on the existing
information that we have, and clarifying the status of people.
Q When was the last meeting between high-level
officials?
MR. BOUCHER: Previous meetings we've had on this: It
started off at the Ken Quinn level, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State. He met with the Vietnamese Permanent Representative
to the U.N. on August 6 and August 30, 1990.
Assistant Secretary Solomon met the Vice Foreign
Minister on September 20; and then, as you remember, Secretary
Baker met with the Foreign Minister on September 29. This is
number five.
Q As far as the U.S. Government knows, is fighting
still continuing in Iraq?
MR. BOUCHER: In Iraq?
Q In Iraq.
[Iraq: Civil Strife Update]
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. Fighting continues in northern Iraq
between government forces and dissidents. Sulaymaniyah remains
in government hands but there was heavy fighting east of the
city over the weekend, and we believe that there has been unrest
inside the city itself. The government continues to send
additional re-enforcements to the north. Meanwhile, large
numbers of Kurdish refugees continue to approach Iraq's borders
with Turkey and Iran.
Q Richard, yesterday, various senior Administration
officials on interview shows and otherwise were talking about
the idea of creating possible United Nations buffer zones with
the refugees and the fighting there. Could you elaborate any on
what you have in mind?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I really can at this point,
John. I think you're aware of the fact that U.S. forces in
southern Iraq have been taking care of the refugees who are
there. That is an area where the U.N. Observer Force will
deploy. We have been in discussions with various U.N. agencies
about taking over the task of caring for these people once U.S.
forces depart.
Q But the U.N. Observer Force will be in size far,
far smaller than the number of American troops there. It's
mandate is very, very strictly limited under both the resolution
and the Secretary General's recommendation. It also has a
mandate to operate only -- what is it? -- about five miles
inside Iraq.
MR. BOUCHER: It's ten kilometers. It's not the same
thing as the U.S. presence, and that is why this is an issue
that has been of concern to us. It's an issue that we have been
discussing very carefully at the United Nations with other
countries and very carefully with the international
organizations which we are encouraging to take over from U.S.
forces once we depart.
I just don't have anymore definitive statements to
describe how it will work at this point.
Q Do you envision the possibility of another
resolution?
MR. BOUCHER: At this point, I'm not aware of any
proposals for another resolution.
Q Richard, the United States has gone into an
emergency mode concerning refugees on the Turkish border.
Apparently, Iran is claiming that there are far more on its
border. Is the United States planning any sort of airlift
there?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not aware of any plans for that,
Carol.
Q Why the dichotomy? If people are in need on one
side, why not the other side?
MR. BOUCHER: It's our strong interest in taking care
of people in need. Last week, when we talked about this, we
described how U.S. contributions to the international
organizations that are working on this are used to support their
efforts wherever people need the assistance.
The situations are somewhat different in either place.
We are supporting the work of -- we're doing what we can and
we're supporting the work of international organizations. They
will be assisting people in Iran as well as in Turkey.
Q But it seems that the main difference is that
we're friends with Turkey and not friends with Iran. So if
you're unlucky enough to be a refugee who sort of wanders on the
wrong side, you're not going to be assisted.
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I would not draw that conclusion
at this point. There is strong international support for this
overall refugee effort. We are talking very closely and
carefully with the U.N. organizations involved. I think you're
aware of the fact John Bolton was in Geneva last Friday. This
is a multinational effort of which the U.S. is playing its part.
It's playing a strong part, and we will continue to do so.
Q Why no airlifts, though? You haven't answered the
question, with all due respect. Why no airlifts there near
Iran?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I think the needs are best
addressed with international organizations, directly by us with
the countries involved where we have a bilateral relationship
such as the one we have with Turkey. In as far as the
situations differ, the way the international community addresses
those situations will be different. I can't explain why we
don't do everything that you might think we should do everywhere
in the world at any given moment.
The fact is that the needs of people, wherever they
are, are being addressed, and we will continue to work and to
address those.
Pat.
Q There are reports that Israel plans to release
1,000 Palestinian prisoners tomorrow, timed with the Baker
visit. Do you have any reaction to that?
MR. BOUCHER: Just that the Secretary is due to touch
down in Israel in about an hour and a half, and I'm not going to
touch issues related to Israel today.
Chris.
[Iraq: Refugee Estimate]
Q Richard, do you have a better handle on the
numbers of refugees on the Turkish and Iranian borders?
Also, what is the status of the Iranian border? What
is your understanding of that? Is it now closed?
MR. BOUCHER: That's not a question I asked this
morning, but I thought I saw statements by Iranians over the
weekend that the border is open. I don't have real good numbers
for you, frankly.
We put out, I think, on Saturday the most recent
information -- that is, as of late Thursday or Friday, really,
the information came to us. Then we put out on Saturday the
information at that time on the numbers of refugees.
In general, we understand that the international
organizations and the Turkish officials are estimating about
250,000 refugees have entered Turkey, and say that similar
numbers are on the border or moving towards the border.
In Iran, Iranian government officials report that more
than 500,000 refugees have entered the country and that hundreds
of thousands are near the Iranian-Iraqi border seeking some sort
of assistance.
But perhaps, especially during the visit to Turkey,
those travelling with the Secretary, and the Secretary himself,
were able to get better numbers that I just don't have for you.
Q Are you able to verify that this number is rising
dramatically? There are reports that because of more fighting
the numbers are increasing greatly?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, the numbers have increased. If you
look back at what we had in the middle of last week and then
late last week and now these numbers here. All the numbers do
remain estimates. But I think I also told you on the update on
the situation there that we know from various sources that there
are large numbers of people that are believed to be heading
towards the border.
Q Richard, does the United States have a position on
the rights of Kurds as Kurds, like we talk about Palestinian
rights, or things like this? Is there a position about what
rights, if any, people have by virtue of their Kurdish
nationality?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes, there is, and I don't remember it.
Also, let me get it for you after the briefing.
Q Also on the Kurds, a Kurdish group held a news
conference this morning, saying that their uprising and the
uprising of the Shi'ites in the south was in response to
broadcasts coming from a clandestine radio station, apparently
in Saudi Arabia.
They claim that the United States had some connection
with that radio station. Did it?
MR. BOUCHER: This was reported last week by one of the
news organizations. I didn't have any comment at that time, nor
did Margaret, nor do I have any comment today. It's an
allegation involving intelligence, and I'm not going to touch
it.
Q Does the U.S. Government take any responsibility
for statements fomenting an uprising?
MR. BOUCHER: Jim, that general question has been
addressed to the President and the Secretary many, many times,
and I'll stick with their responses.
[Kuwait: Announcement of Elections]
Q Do you have any comment on the first statement
made by the Amir of Kuwait with regard to general elections next
year and other parts of it?
MR. BOUCHER: Certainly. We welcome the Amir's
commitment to restore parliament and to expand political
participation in Kuwait. It is noteworthy that the Amir
specifically reaffirmed the platform of the October 1990 Jeddah
conference of Kuwaiti citizens which pledged a return to the
1962 constitution.
I would also note that as in Jeddah, the Amir made
special mention of the greater role which women have been
playing in Kuwaiti political life.
Q A follow-up: Do you have any comment on the
opposition's notice that it's a long time before getting
elections, that it's delayed unnecessarily?
MR. BOUCHER: I hadn't seen precise comments like that.
I know that as far as the question of the date goes, the Amir
did not set a specific date. But the Amir and other officials
have repeatedly committed themselves, both publicly and
privately, to having elections and to reopening the parliament,
and we have no reason to doubt that commitment.
Q Richard, back on the Kurds for a moment. Also at
this news conference the Kurd representatives say that they're
able to handle the ground forces, but why they are being driven
out is because of these helicopter gunships.
And they say that the United States bears some moral
responsibility for permitting them to continue to fly. And then
they go on to say that the United States should accord the
Kurdish guerrillas the same rights of self-defense that were
given to the Afghan guerrillas -- a reference to surface-to-air
missiles.
Have the Kurds that the State Department has talked to
made such a request?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not aware of any such request, Jim.
Q Could you look into it?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll look into it and make sure.
Q A follow on the helicopters, Richard. If the
Iraqi acceptance of the U.N. resolution of last week is accepted
and the ceasefire goes into effect under the auspices of the
resolution, does that negate the conditions of the de facto
ceasefire that the United States has with them, including our
threat to shoot down airplanes and helicopters?
MR. BOUCHER: John, I don't think I know the precise
answer to that, and I know the easiest answer is to say it's a
hypothetical since you started your question with "if." But let
me make two observations on it. I think it's been made clear by
our spokesmen, first of all, that we will do what it takes to
defend our forces.
Second of all, the President's statement of last Friday
on the provision -- the air drops provision of assistance to
Iraqis inside Iraq -- made very clear that we expect the
Government of Iraq to permit that effort to be carried out
without any inference, and that that message was delivered on
Saturday to various Iraqi representatives, both here and at the
United Nations.
Q Richard, the President made a kind of hint to
Lebanon, talking about the trip of Secretary Baker to the Middle
East. Is there any share to Lebanon in his interests in the
Middle East now or if he is going to meet any of the Lebanese
officials?
MR. BOUCHER: I guess that's a question that's best
answered by the party. The President's made clear our interest
in Lebanon. We have our Embassy back there now. We've had
close contacts with the Lebanese government. The Secretary did
have a meeting with a Lebanese -- I forget who it was -- the
Foreign Minister, last trip. But I think that if there's
anything specific in this trip, that has to be answered by the
party.
Q Richard, if we could move to Romania: President
Iliescu has been saying that Romania is finding it difficult to
get credit from international financial organizations, because
the Americans disapprove of him and his ties to the Communist
Party. Do you have any comment on that?
MR. BOUCHER: I hadn't seen those comments. I don't
have anything on it.
Q Can you take the question?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll look into it.
[United Nations: US Studying WHO Abortion Pill
Policy]
Q Do you have anything on the story about U.S. funds
being used by the World Health Organization for abortion?
MR. BOUCHER: We sent a letter -- Assistant Secretary
John Bolton sent a letter to the World Health Organization
several weeks ago, requesting information on World Health
Organization programs relating to the abortion pill, RU-486.
We have now received a data-FAX copy of the letter from
the World Health Organization's Director General. We have not
yet received the original copy of that letter. We are currently
studying the reply, and we have no further comment at this
point.
Q On a policy matter, though, is it against U.S.
policy to promote this pill?
MR. BOUCHER: Let me double check that. I think at
this point we're looking for information. I'm not sure we've
taken a policy position.
Q You're not commenting, because you haven't
received the original?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not commenting, because we're still
studying the FAX version.
[China: US Concern About Weapons Proliferation]
Q Does the United States have any information that
China may be selling ballistic missiles to Pakistan?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, first of all, I have to say that I
can't comment on the specifics of matters that are related to
intelligence. But let me state the policy on this.
The United States is firmly committed to combatting the
spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as
the missiles that can deliver such weapons. We have expressed
that commitment firmly and repeatedly to China through
continuing contacts and diplomatic channels, including through
high-level contacts with Chinese officials.
The Chinese have stated that they will not export
intermediate-range ballistic missiles to the Middle East and
will act "prudently and responsibly" -- that's in quotes -- with
respect to missile exports worldwide.
We expect the Chinese to live up to these commitments,
and we will continue to make our views clear to them at senior
levels on this subject.
Q You're including Pakistan in the Middle East?
MR. BOUCHER: You'd have to ask the Chinese, but, as I
said, they've made two statements -- one about the export of
intermediate-range missiles to the Middle East -- and they have
said in general that they will act "prudently and responsibly"
worldwide.
Q When was the statement with regard to the Middle
East made by the Chinese?
MR. BOUCHER: I think they've made it on several
occasions over the past several years.
Q The most recent one, do you know?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know for sure. But we have had a
continuing and ongoing dialogue with the Chinese on the subject
of proliferation, including missile proliferation. This is
something that we raise constantly in our conversations with the
Chinese.
[North Korea: Report on Developing Nuclear
Capability]
Q Richard, what about the North Koreans, when it
comes to proliferation of missiles to the Middle East? They are
active in this regard.
MR. BOUCHER: And certainly we feel very strongly about
the issue of proliferation. It's something that we have
cooperated with a lot of countries on in the Missile Technology
Control Regime. It's something that we raise in our contacts.
Of course, you know that we don't have relations with North
Korea.
Q Same country: There was a story in the Times
yesterday about North Korea developing a nuclear capability. Do
you have any response to that?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I don't think I can comment on the
specifics, but this has been an issue of concern to the United
States and other members of the international community. I
think we've always stressed the importance of full North Korean
adherence to the IAEA safeguards regimes.
Q Is it true that they are not adhering to those
safeguards, even though they're signatories?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to check exactly on the status
of that. When I last left it, they had indicated a willingness
to comply but hadn't actually concluded the agreements.
Q Do you have anything more on helicopters attacking
unarmed refugees along the border? You mentioned that at the
end of last week.
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any specific new reports of
that. I do know that overall levels of Iraqi helicopter
activity appeared to have fallen off during the past two days
and that during that period we've noted no fixed-wing aircraft
activity.
Q Back on Vietnam, you mentioned recent
U.S.-Vietnamese contacts, and you omitted the Secretary's
meeting with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister last October.
MR. BOUCHER: No, I didn't.
Q You did include it?
MR. BOUCHER: I said, "Secretary Baker and Foreign
Minister Thach on September 29."
Q But there was a meeting here in October.
MR. BOUCHER: In October?
Q Yes.
MR. BOUCHER: Let me double check that. O.K.
Q All right?
MR. BOUCHER: Let me double check. Yes. I think your
memory may be better than mine.
Q Can you give us a little status report on our
beloved U.S. Embassy in Moscow?
MR. BOUCHER: No. Not precisely today. I don't think
the situation has changed appreciably since last week when we
last talked about it.
Q I'm sorry. Are emergency services or visa
services being improved, or are they open, available? What's
the --
MR. BOUCHER: Let me double check on that. We'll have
to see.
Q Do you know that the Secretary made some comments?
He arrived in Israel already. Did he make any statements about
the Israeli release or --
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think he did arrive in Israel
already. I talked to the airplane about 45 minutes ago, and he
was in the airplane. In fact, they all were.
Q You can't make any statements at all?
MR. BOUCHER: No. He did a briefing on the airplane.
We expect we'll get the transcript of that when he arrives in
Israel.
Q Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 12:59 p.m.)