US Department of State Daily Briefing #63:
Thursday: 4/18/91
Boucher
Source: State Department Deputy Spokesman Richard
Boucher
Description: 12:41 PM, Washington, DC
Date: Apr 18, 19914/18/91
Region: MidEast/North Africa, Central America, E/C Europe,
Europe
Country: Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, Yugoslavia (former),
Romania, Japan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran
Subject: Regional/Civil Unrest, Development/Relief Aid,
Refugees, Human Rights, Nuclear Nonproliferation,
Trade/Economics, Immigration
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If
I can, let me update you on the refugee situation and what's
being done about it, and then I'd be glad to take your
questions.
[Iraq: Update on Refugee Situation]
Iraqi refugees continue to flee to Turkey, Iran, and
occupied southern Iraq. While the exact numbers are uncertain,
international relief organizations estimate that at least 1.5
million people have fled their homes and crossed into Iran and
the Turkey border region, and many more displaced persons have
fled from their homes and are heading towards border areas.
The U.S. military is in the process of setting up the
arrangements that the President announced the other day. I
think Pete Williams has done some briefing on the details of
that, so I'll leave that to him.
As they set up camps inside Iraq, refugees will be
encouraged to relocate to the camps, and refugees needing
assistance in moving to the camps will be accommodated in that
regard. In the meantime, the air drops and the land-based
transportation of humanitarian supplies to current refugee
locations will continue until the refugees can be moved to new
locations.
Operation of the temporary refugee centers will be
turned over to the United Nations and humanitarian organizations
as soon as practicable.
Turkey
A more specific rundown: In Turkey, over 400,000 Iraqi
refugees have entered Turkey, and a similar number are located
near the border area. The Turkish Red Crescent Society is
sheltering 15,000 people in camps and is preparing for another
50,000 and distributing food to thousands more.
American Embassy officials visiting refugee encampments
along the Iraqi border report a situation that still has major
problems in spite of our best efforts to get relief in place.
The three main problems are food distribution, medical problems,
and water.
Some medical care is available in most of the camps,
but the lack of sanitation and the scarcity of water is leading
to increased illness.
American Embassy relief teams report that distribution
of relief supplies remains a difficult problem, with mob scenes
around trucks and drop sites. But to date the Government of
Turkey has moved approximately 6,000 refugees to a new camp site
set up on the flatlands near Silopi, and the Turkish Government
continues to move about 2,000 refugees per day to this new
location.
Yesterday, U.S. military personnel began assessing the
needs in existing settlements and conducting surveys for the
establishment of new camps.
Military air drops and ground transport of relief
supplies continues. Yesterday, a total of 293.5 tons of relief
supplies were air dropped. This brings the total for the air
drops to 316 flights which have delivered 1,854.2 tons of
supplies to refugees.
Iran
In Iran: International organizations report that
nearly one million Iraqi refugees -- mostly Kurds -- have
entered northern Iran; 71,000 Shi'ite Iraqis have moved into
southern Iran; and as many as 500,000 are moving towards the
border.
The League of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
reports that some 75 kilometers of roads at the border between
Iraq are jammed solid with refugees -- 60 kilometers on the
Iraqi side, 15 kilometers inside Iran.
The Iranian Red Crescent is providing shelter, medical
care, and food to 250,000 refugees in 29 camps. The
International Committee of the Red Cross reports that it is
delivering relief supplies to Iran via an operation that has 20
flights per day. In addition, the International Committee of
the Red Cross is providing relief supplies via ground convoy
from Syria, Jordan, and Europe through Turkey.
The United States and other donor nations continue to
provide assistance through U.N. and international relief
organizations. We are in touch with Iranian officials through
our protecting power, the Swiss; and we are considering ways we
might be of further assistance.
Southern Iraq
In southern Iraq: U.S. forces continue to provide
necessary food, water, and medical support to the approximate
30,000 refugees and civilians in the area. U.S. forces are
implementing a policy not to abandon any refugees who desire to
come into the demilitarized zone during the withdrawal process.
In addition, the United States is discussing the plight
of the refugees with several countries of the region, including
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and with U.N. authorities. Discussions
are focusing on how best to help these desperate people.
The United Nations Executive Delegate -- the Secretary
General's Executive Delegate for Humanitarian Programs,
Sadruddin Aga Kahn, and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hussein signed an
agreement stating that Iraq would allow the United Nations to
provide humanitarian relief to refugees inside Iraq.
Let me give you some of the highlights from that
agreement. It says that Iraq welcomes the United Nations
efforts; that Iraq pledges its full support and cooperation;
that Iraq agrees to cooperate with the United Nations to have a
humanitarian presence in Iraq wherever such a presence may be
needed.
Centers will be established and will be staffed by
United Nations civilian personnel which, in addition to the
regular staff members of the relevant U.N. agencies, may also
include staff co-opted from non-governmental organizations.
The Red Crescent Society of Iraq shall be called upon
to play a role.
The centers that are established shall facilitate the
provision of humanitarian assistance and shall also monitor the
overall situation there.
Routes of return, with relay stations along the way as
well as a logistic back-up capability, will be set up urgently
in cooperation with the Iraqi authorities; and United Nations
staff will accompany groups of people who are moving back
towards their homes.
The United Nations may organize air lifts to the areas
concerned, as required, as well as transportation by road of
humanitarian assistance.
All Iraqi officials concerned, including the military,
will facilitate the safe passage of emergency relief commodities
throughout the country. Inter-governmental organizations, NGOs
-- that's non-governmental organizations -- and other relief
agencies will be encouraged to participate in the implementation
of the program.
UN-Iraq Agreement on Relief inside Iraq
And, finally, the Government of Iraq will help in the
prompt establishment of the United Nations sub-offices in
support of these centers and other programs in towns inside
Iraq.
We see the United States and the U.N. efforts as
complementary. We're pleased that the Iraqis have formally
agreed to the U.N.'s plans to provide humanitarian relief for
Iraqi refugees. As you know, this was called for in Resolution
688.
The U.N. plan provides for centers to be established
inside Iraq, and appears to provide a basis for the U.N. to take
over the operation that we will establish and to carry their
role from the immediate border area to the return of people to
their homes.
With that update, I'll be glad to take your questions.
Q Do you have any idea of how many of the 1.5
million refugees along the two borders are being reached by your
humanitarian efforts?
MR. BOUCHER: I really don't. I'll see if some
indication of that might be in the daily update that we do on
aid relief. But I'll see. If it's not there, I'll take the
question.
Q Richard, you said in your opening remarks that 1.5
million had fled into Iran and Turkey and that there were many
more to follow. Do you mean many more than -- i.e., more than
another 1.5 million or just in addition to the 1.5 million?
MR. BOUCHER: In addition to that, there are a lot of
people who are inside Iraq moving towards the border areas, or
near the border areas.
Q Not to quibble about numbers, but it seems to me
that the numbers that you gave subsequent to that add up to more
than 1.5 million?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, we said that 1.5 million have
crossed into Iran and the Turkey border region. There's more
people that are moving towards the border areas -- moving in
that direction. So, yes, the numbers of people on the move --
Q Are much, much more.
MR. BOUCHER: I guess if you add it all up, probably
somewhere around two million.
Q You're not sure what's moving them at this point?
Any understanding of what --
MR. BOUCHER: I'd go back to what Princeton Lyman said
in his testimony the other day, that refugees make their own
decisions; and that in coping with the situation like this, in
terms of where people want to go, we've always said we have to
take care of people where they are and provide facilities for
where we can take care of them.
Q But since the policy is aimed at getting them
back, it would be helpful to know why they're moving. And since
there's no military activity in any of these areas from the
Iraqis, as far as we know, do we have any indication at this
point as to why they continue to move toward places where they
might not be very well off?
MR. BOUCHER: It's a simple answer. I know it doesn't
clarify it much. People are moving because they don't, at this
point, feel safe in going back. Part of the effort of
establishing the U.N. presence, establishing camps, is to give
them places to go. It takes quite a bit for somebody to want to
stay on a mountainside in the middle of the rain and the
snow with all the illness and problems there. It takes quite a
bit to make them want to do that rather than stay in their
homes. So one of the efforts is to establish the kind of places
where they can go and be taken care of.
Q Maybe I should ask whether there's any indication
as to -- if there's any overt evidence of anything that's
pushing them?
[Iraq: Update on Fighting inside Country]
MR. BOUCHER: I thought I'd take the opportunity of the
question also to give you the update on fighting, which is not
much.
Despite media reports that we see as derived primarily
from dissident claims of some fighting, primarily in the south,
we cannot confirm any major fighting between Iraqi government
forces and dissidents in either northern or southern Iraq over
the past 24 hours. There does not appear to have been any
activity on the part of Iraqi military helicopters or fixed-wing
aircraft over the past 24 hours.
Q Richard, could I ask you a question about this
complementary relationship between the U.S. forces and the
United Nations? In this stage, will the U.S. forces be
operating under the aegis of the United Nations?
MR. BOUCHER: The U.S. forces are -- they're not
operating on behalf of U.N. agencies or anything like that.
They're operating under the humanitarian emergency situation,
under the announcement that was made by the President and under
the provisions of Resolution 688, which we feel provides full
authority for international relief operations inside northern
Iraq.
Q In that sense, since you say that these forces are
there under the authority given under 688, does that mean then
that you consider the U.S. forces would be covered by that
Letter of Agreement signed between the Aga Khan and the Iraqi
government?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think that's implied by the way I
put it, or by the word "complementary."
The understanding reached between the United Nations
people and the Iraqis involves the U.N. activities that will be
carried out throughout Iraq. We've described our efforts as a
response to an emergency situation. We've said it's intended to
be very temporary, but it's intended to provide the kind of
assistance that people need right now. We've always said that
we would like to turn that operation over to the United Nations
personnel as soon as they're ready and they're able to take
over.
Q The Iraqi government's radio stations have been
expressing the suspicion that the camps will be used as enclaves
or sanctuaries for Kurds who will go out and fight and then come
back in and rest. Is there any means of preventing that?
MR. BOUCHER: I think the first thing -- I don't know
if Pete [Williams] has more to say today, but what he said
yesterday was that the sole intention of our establishing these
camps is humanitarian. He said that the problem such as you're
talking about is a legitimate question, but at this point it
doesn't appear to be much of a problem because most of the
people who are coming to the camps and to these areas are women
and children. I don't really have any more definition than he
did, but in terms of maintaining the camps he said he thought
that we'd probably disarm people who were coming with arms.
Q Can you explain what language in 688 allows us to
offer humanitarian aid, and explain whether you think that same
resolution would allow us to offer humanitarian aid in Baghdad?
MR. BOUCHER: I didn't bring my copy with me today, so
I can't point exactly to it.
Q How about the gist of that?
MR. BOUCHER: The gist is that the Resolution provides
for humanitarian assistance to be given to people inside Iraq.
I think it says "in all parts of the country" or something like
that. As you know, the problem and our approach to the problem
is to deliver assistance to people where they are.
In the President's announcements of April 5, you also
remember that he announced a million dollars that would be given
to UNICEF. I think it was $869,000 to UNICEF and $139,000 to
the ICRC, plus a thousand tons of food that would be given for
other activities that those organizations are carrying on in
other parts of Iraq.
Q In your view, are there humanitarian needs in
Baghdad?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm sure there are humanitarian needs in
a lot of parts of the country. That's why we're doing various
things. We're directly assisting, U.S. military forces have
been helping people, in southern Iraq for some time. We have
provided assistance to the international organizations that are
operating inside Iraq -- from what I just cited of the
President's announcement -- and where these enormous
concentrations of refugees are, we're providing very direct
assistance to them.
Q So in your mind, the Resolution would permit us to
go into Baghdad to offer humanitarian assistance, is that
correct?
MR. BOUCHER: If you're trying to set me up as starting
an air drop into Baghdad, I'm not going to play that game.
Q I'm not trying to set you up for anything.
MR. BOUCHER: I'll get you a copy of 688 and you can
read it as well as I can.
Q But is it the State Department's interpretation
that you could offer humanitarian aid anywhere in Iraq? Is that
correct?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to go beyond what I just
said.
Q Richard, the Resolution says that it insists that
Iraq allow immediate access by international humanitarian
organizations to all those in need of assistance in all parts of
Iraq. Does the United States military qualify as an
international humanitarian organization?
MR. BOUCHER: The United States is providing emergency
humanitarian assistance. We've made very clear what our goals
are. We've made very clear what the scope of this operation is,
the fact that it's very temporary. These things are urgently
required, and we are doing what we can to help. I would say
that the United States military forces are on a very important
humanitarian mission right now, and they're carrying it out.
Q Richard, how long does the United States
Government expect the U.S. troops to be stationed inside Iraq
until the U.N. relief organizations personnel come into place?
MR. BOUCHER: You can ask Pete Williams if he has
anymore specific timeframe on the presence of U.S. forces. The
basic answer is what you said: until the U.N. presence is able
to take over.
Q Richard, do you know how many relay, or relief
stations would be set up under the agreement between the U.N.
and Iraq, approximately, and whether they would cover the entire
country or just --
MR. BOUCHER: We just got the agreement this morning.
I read it and I pulled out some highlights, but it didn't have
details like that.
[Iraq: Estimates of Recipients of Relief Efforts]
Q Richard, could I just clarify a number here? You
mentioned the figure two million. Is this two million more
people moving to the border, or do you expect two million to be
there once the people moving towards the border get there?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm sorry to do that. I could go back
through the various numbers I used. That was a very rough
estimate, out of my head, of what would happen if you took all
the numbers that I used in the opening statement about people
who had crossed and people who hadn't crossed to get a number on
where people are -- because I said that there were l.5 million
who fled, who have crossed into Iran and who have moved into the
Turkey border region. Later I said that there were
71,000 Shiites, Iraqis, who have moved into southern Iran, and
there were as many as 500,000 more moving towards the border.
So I took l.5 and added 500,000 and got 2 million, about.
That's the kind of numbers that we are dealing with in this
overall situation.
Q Richard, one of the points in the U.N. agreement
is -- reading from my own text here -- "The Iraqi government
will establish, together with the U.N., a relief distribution
and monitoring structure and permit access to all civilians
covered by the program."
Given that these refugees are fleeing the Iraqi
Government, or forces of the Iraqi government, don't you think
it is dangerous to allow the Iraqi government to set up
monitoring structures?
MR. BOUCHER: I think I really have to leave it to the
U.N. to explain their program in more detail than I have. The
U.N. presence in itself is intended to help people, first of
all, and in some ways to reassure them. We felt a U.N. presence
was important, but ultimately we get back to Saul's question,
that refugees will make their decisions based on what their own
feelings are. We'll see how well it works.
Q Well, you earlier have stated that the agreement
appeared to provide a basis for the takeover of the centers that
you would establish. That means that under this, you would be
establishing centers that would ultimately be subject to Iraqi
government monitoring.
MR. BOUCHER: I can't, at this point, give you a full
implementation plan, so I don't think I can really go beyond
what I have said already.
Q Is it still anticipated that a U.N. peacekeeping
force, or monitoring force, will be needed and would replace the
American and allied forces that are now there?
MR. BOUCHER: I guess that's an idea that has been
floated, that has been discussed. It is an idea that is out
there. I'm not sure if there are any really specific proposals
of that kind. At this point there is no specific resolution or
something like that before the U.N.
Q You are not aware that the Iraqi agreement with
the U.N. would replace that or would rule that out?
MR. BOUCHER: I didn't see anything in it that speaks
to it one way or the other.
Q Richard, do you have any details on compliance
with the IAEA today?
MR. BOUCHER: This is one sentence: No.
Q Oh, all right. Thank you.
MR. BOUCHER: We understand that the Iraqis have
presented some information to the IAEA. We, at this point,
don't have an official translation of that. So I don't have any
more information for you.
Q While we have plenty of access, television access
and access by the French and the British and us on the Turkish
border, the situation on the Iranian border seems to be just
about as bad. But we don't have access there.
Have the Iranians, through the Swiss or anybody else,
asked for help? Can you give us any more information on what
kind of help either the United States or the United Nations or
others are bringing to that part of the world? And what are we
offering through international agencies to that side of the
problem?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, first of all, I think what's going
on inside Iran with the League of Red Cross, the Iranian Red
Crescent, the 20 flights a day and things like that, I think I
gave you that at the beginning, so I'm not going to repeat that.
Yesterday, in terms of our contributions to
international agencies, I mentioned the fact that of the $l0
million refugee funds that we provided, $6 million was going to
the UNHCR, $2 million was going to the International Red Cross.
These are general funds for use by them for their activities
throughout the area. But of course those two organizations are
operating inside Iran.
As far as our exchanges, also, we have talked in the
last couple of weeks, I think, occasionally about our regular
contact with Iran through the protecting power in Tehran, the
Swiss, about U.S. actions to assist the Iraqi refugees wherever
they are located.
A little more on that is just to say that the Iranians
have indicated that they would welcome U.S. participation in the
international relief effort to assist refugees in Iran. They
have also given us some indication of the kind of assistance
they believe would be most useful, but they are now in the
process of further clarifying those needs.
Q Does that include the presence of U.S. citizens in
those relief efforts?
MR. BOUCHER: As I said, at this point, they are in the
process of further clarifying their needs.
Q When did you get that request?
MR. BOUCHER: I am not in a position to go into great
detail about it. I think you can see from the pattern of what
we have said that it was since the last time we talked about it,
which was last Thursday.
Q But this would involve U.S. flights into Iran?
MR. BOUCHER: I didn't say that. I said the Iranians
are in the process of clarifying their needs. I don't have
anything specific for you at this point until we know further
exactly what they want.
Q Would you be prepared to conduct flights into
Iran?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I'm sorry, I don't have anything
further for you until we know in more detail exactly what they
want.
Q Wasn't that the same statement you had last week
on this subject?
MR. BOUCHER: Not exactly, no.
Q Richard, is the United States concerned that the
property and houses of these refugees might be taken over by
other Iraqis during their absence and that they might not have
anywhere to go back to? And I have in mind the attempted
Iraqi-ization of Kuwait during their occupation there.
MR. BOUCHER: It's an interesting question. I hadn't
seen any reports like that in the current situation, so I'm not
aware that anybody has reported that that might be occurring
now.
Q People are drawing parallels between this
migration or flight and the Palestinians in 1948 in which, as we
know, a lot of Palestinian property was taken over, so it might
be worth bearing in mind.
MR. BOUCHER: We'll bear it in mind, Alan. Thank you.
Q Richard, can you describe the reaction of the
Iraqis through official channels -- there was a meeting here
yesterday at the State Department -- to the American military
effort?
MR. BOUCHER: I can't really describe an official Iraqi
reaction because, other than what you have seen various Iraqi
ministers and people say in the press, there hasn't really been
an official Iraqi reaction.
Yesterday afternoon David Mack, our Deputy Assistant
Secretary in the Near East and Asia Bureau -- Near East and
Southeast Asia Bureau, excuse me -- explained to the senior
Iraqi representative in Washington, that is Khalid Shewayish,
the plan for aiding Iraqi refugees as it was outlined by the
President Tuesday evening. So that was done, I think,
yesterday. Pete Williams said it had been done in New York as
well yesterday morning. But at this point we don't have any
official reaction other than the statements we have seen people
make in the press.
Q Richard, I'd like to get back to the Iranian
border where we have a million and possibly two million people,
I think --
MR. BOUCHER: Possibly one and a half.
Q -- one and a half million people, and it is also
bad terrain there. They do not have a safe haven. If they were
to cross or head towards Turkey, they would have to cross
through Iraqi troop areas or Iraqi-controlled areas.
When we have sent word through the Swiss to the
Iranians, are we in any way sort of suggesting that what we are
going to do in the Turkish border area we -- the United States,
France, Britain -- might be willing to do in the Iranian border
areas?
MR. BOUCHER: I am not in a position to provide you
with any more details of our exchanges with the Iranians. I
think maybe Pete Williams may be able to provide you with some
idea of the scope of the operation as is currently planned.
[Kuwait: Amnesty International Report]
Q Do you have a reaction to the Amnesty
International report on conditions in Kuwait in which it says
that hundreds of people have been arbitrarily arrested and
scores tortured brutally or executed in Kuwait, and that the
violations are still continuing and appear to be largely
unchecked?
MR. BOUCHER: I have not seen that report. I think
this is an issue on which we have reported to you many times.
We have reported to you our concerns. We have reported that
arbitrary detentions or persecution of Palestinians is
completely contrary to Kuwaiti government policy.
We have reported, I think, on the steps the Kuwaiti
government was taking to improve the situation. Specifically
with regard to detentions, I think you are aware that they have
established things like, done things like put Ministry of
Justice officials, civilian officials, in detention centers. I
understand the International Red Cross has also been visiting
detention centers in Kuwait.
So, without having an update today, I think it is
something that we have discussed many times in the past.
Q Just one more follow-up on that. Amnesty is often
quoted in the State Department's own Human Rights Report, so it
would be fair to say that the State Department has a generally
high opinion of the work that Amnesty International undertakes
-- question mark?
MR. BOUCHER: It sounds like it is going on the back of
book jacket.
I'm not going to offer you any sweeping endorsements,
Alan. We look to all the various human rights groups as very
important people who are able to provide information and provide
assessments.
Our Embassy in Kuwait, in fact, is staying in touch
with various human rights workers and international
organizations that are out in Kuwait. And I am sure we value
their judgments and their reporting very highly. But in the
end, our Human Rights Report is based on our own judgments.
Q Your answer to Alan's first question gave us no
sense as to the level of the abuses going on in Kuwait. You
talked about what they are trying to do to prevent abuses, but
you've given no sense as to the degree of the problem. Could
you take that question and get back to us?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll take the question and see what we
can get in terms of what we see as the degree of the problem at
present. In the past, as I said, we have talked about the
degree of the problem, as well as these other things.
[Japan: Joint Statement with USSR]
Q Richard, can I ask a question of a different
dimension? About an hour ago, Gorbachev and the Japanese Prime
Minister issued a joint statement that calls for the Soviet
troop withdrawal from the northern islands, except a small
contingence of Coast Guards of Soviet KGB forces. Do you have
any comment on this, or are you still analyzing this?
MR. BOUCHER: My comment is to say I find your question
very interesting because I haven't heard that, and I'll be glad
to get you something.
Q Richard, have you got any comment or can you give
us an update on the state of MFN to Romania?
MR. BOUCHER: No.
Q Could you look into that, please?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to look into that as well.
Q Another question that has really nothing to do
with what we have been talking about, but 29 Cubans were found
on a raft off Islamorada yesterday, five on a raft off Key West
yesterday. Twenty-one were picked up last week on a cruise ship
going into Miami by INS.
A lot of people down there are saying that this is
possibly the beginning of a new influx of Cuban refugees, and it
is also an indication that Castro may be having problems.
What's your comment?
MR. BOUCHER: It's news to me. I'll have to check on
it. I'm sorry, I hadn't noted that. Gil?
Q. Albania. There is a report of some more deaths and
unrest in Albania. Do you have anything on that?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't really have anything new on
Albania either.
Q Do we have an Ambassador to Albania?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think an Ambassador to Albania
has been announced yet.
Q No, one hasn't been announced yet. I mean, are
you expecting one to be announced soon?
MR. BOUCHER: I won't say anything about expectations
or otherwise until things are announced by the appropriate
people, which is the White House.
Q Has the State Department decided if Rudy Perpich,
former Governor of Minnesota, will maintain his United States'
citizenship while becoming Foreign Minister of Croatia? Will
that be possible for him to maintain his citizenship? And what
kind of decisions or factors enter into the process of making
that decision?
MR. BOUCHER: It is a very complicated legal question.
I know we are studying the question, but I don't think I have a
definitive response at this point. I'll have to get back to you
if there is something.
Q Richard, have the Israelis responded to the
demarche or protest, or whatever it was, that Ambassador Brown
made about the new settlement?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll leave that question to the
Secretary. He should be arriving in Israel about now.
Q Another -- maybe you can answer this one. There
is a move afoot in Congress to get the President to push for a
war crimes tribunal involving Saddam, among others. What is the
State Department's position on that move?
MR. BOUCHER: The State Department's position is the
Secretary's position as he stated it last night in Luxembourg,
and I think we have already distributed the transcript to you.
Q Richard, any chance of getting a definitive,
easily understandable -- that's the underlineable bit -- on this
aid program to Nicaragua?
MR. BOUCHER: On the what?
Q Aid program to Nicaragua. The President announced
$50 million, but as far as I figure it out it comes out at $54l
million that had already been previously announced. So what's
new in the $50 million? And Bernie
[Aronson] said that $20 million was going every month in
assistance since she'd taken office, which would make $240
million, but only $200 million has gone.
The figures don't add up any which way you try. Is it
possible to get a list that sort of details -- a "Nicaragua made
simple" basically?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll try, Jan.
Q Thank you, Richard.
Q Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 1:14 p.m.)