US Department of State Daily Briefing #66:
Tuesday, 4/23/91
Dillen
Source: Press Office Director Mark Dillen
Description: 12:51 PM, Washington, DC
Date: Apr 23, 19914/23/91
Category: Briefings
Region: MidEast/North Africa, Subsaharan Africa,
Caribbean, Central America
Country: Iraq, Kuwait, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Panama,
El Salvador
Subject: Regional/Civil Unrest, Development/Relief Aid,
Refugees, Environment, Democratization
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. DILLEN: Before we start, I just wanted to mention to those
not present here, but who may be listening at the Foreign Press
Center -- they like to know when we have a surprise appearance of
another personality -- my name is Mark Dillen, and I'm standing in
today for Richard (Boucher).
Again, ladies and gentlemen, my apologies for being tardy today.
I hope we will have something to make up for it.
I would like to simply continue our practice of giving you the
latest information on the refugee crisis, and one or two other
matters.
[Iraq: Refugee Update]
First off, on the numbers of refugees. The total numbers of
refugees in Turkey, Iran, and the southern Iraq area, including
those at or moving in those directions, has not changed
significantly.
Turkey
In Turkey, about 450,000 Iraqi refugees have entered Turkey and
about 400,000 are located near the Turkish-Iraqi border. It appears
that refugee flows into the Turkish border areas have stopped and
that as many as 2,500 refugees a day are being relocated from the
camp at Isikveren to camps on flatter terrain near Silopi in Turkey.
Iran
In Iran, approximately 1 million Iraqi refugees have entered the
country and another 500,000 are located at or near the Iranian-Iraqi
border.
Southern Iraq
In southern Iraq, about 24,000 Iraqi refugees are located in
southern Iraq in the coalition-occupied area. Between 30,000 and
40,000 people -- refugees and local civilians -- are being provided
assistance by U.S. military forces there.
In Turkey and the Turkish-Iraqi border, with regard to refugee
centers, progress continues on the establishment of refugee
villages and support centers for Iraqi refugees.
DoD reports from Turkey yesterday, as you may have heard if you
were monitoring Pete Williams briefing at the Pentagon, do not
indicate that Iraqi forces are interfering
with the humanitarian relief effort in northern Iraq. In fact,
the best way to describe this at this point is to say that they
are demonstrating a presence but they are not interfering with
the establishment of the refugee centers or the provision of
humanitarian aid.
[Iraq: Relief Supplies/Conditions]
A couple of words on delivery of relief supplies, just
to keep you up to date. On April 22 -- yesterday --
multinational forces, including the U.S., U.K., France, Canada,
Italy, and German forces, flew 120 missions and dropped a total
of 567 tons of relief supplies. To date, 898 air-drop missions
have delivered 4,732 tons of supplies to refugees in southern
Turkey and northern Iraq.
On conditions at the camps: In Turkey, distribution of
relief supplies has improved at organized camps in Turkey run by
international organizations or the U.S. military. Kurdish
leaders are being identified to assist in the management of the
camps. Most people in the camps are now under cover.
Finally, with respect to Iran: About 700,000 Iraqi
refugees are located in Bakhtaran and another 300,000 are in
west Azerbaijan Province. About half of the refugees are
children, by our reports.
In addition, international relief experts visiting the
area report that there are hundreds of thousands of refugees and
displaced people blocking the roads for almost 60 kilometers up
to the border.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the
International Committee of the Red Cross, and the French
organization, Physicians Without Borders, are working in Iran
with the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The Iranian Red Crescent
Society has fielded some 6,000 staff and volunteers and is
currently administering 29 camps holding 250,000 people.
In southern Iraq: There are an estimated 30,000 to
40,000 people in the area occupied by coalition forces near the
Kuwaiti border. The U.S. military forces in the area, as I
mentioned, continue to provide assistance and security for this
population along with assistance from the ICRC.
A final note on contributions: Since January 1991, the
United States has provided $63.3 million in cash and in-kind
contributions to the relief effort for Iraqi refugees. This $63
million figure includes an added $5 million that the Office of
Foreign Disaster Assistance plans to allocate to U.S. and
foreign private voluntary organization activities in northern
Iraq.
More details on this are available in the OFDA
Situation Report that was distributed this morning.
Mortality Rates
On the mortality rates, let me just mention that,
again, as we have stated before, accurate information about the
death rate among the Iraqi refugees is difficult to ascertain.
In northern Iraq/Turkey, the border area there, again,
doctors and health workers conducting surveys report that the
death rate has stabilized to approximately 6 deaths for every
10,000 persons. For a population of 850,000, which is our
estimate of the number of refugees in that border area, this
would translate into a rate of approximately 510 person, or
people, per day.
Q Mark, on that point, where do you get 850,000?
Your report says 450,000 in Turkey and 400,000 on the Iraqi side
of the border. I make that to be 950,000.
MR. DILLEN: Four hundred and four hundred and fifty.
Q Oh, I'm sorry; I'm sorry. You're right.
MR. DILLEN: And, again, these are just estimates. I
had one other item.
[Iran: US Refugee Assistance]
We recognize your interest in the matter of aid to the
refugees in Iran. As you undoubtedly know, from monitoring
Marlin's briefing and now the DoD briefing, there is a little
more news for you. If I could just summarize the situation for
you, and then we could move on to questions. I apologize for
taking so long here at the top.
As we've said before, and as the President has said, we
are interested in helping the refugees wherever they are.
The bulk of our assistance to refugees in Iran has been
and will likely continue to be delivered through international
relief agencies. The Iranians have told us via our protecting
power in Tehran that they would welcome international
assistance, including U.S. assistance, and have provided us a
list of some items which they would like to have. These include
a range of emergency relief items, including shelter components,
food, medicine, and other items.
We are now searching our inventories to determine what
items can be supplied most quickly. We are also examining how
to get them to the refugees in Iran by the fastest means
possible, whether directly or indirectly.
With that, I'll turn to questions.
Q Is there a possibility that you'll fly these
supplies into Iranian territory?
MR. DILLEN: I would say that, first, with reference to
precise decisions, no decisions have been made yet as to the
most expeditious way of delivering the relief supplies. But we
did mention, as early as the 11th of this month, that Iran had
indicated that its air space would be open to international
relief flights.
Again, we are examining how to get these items to the
refugees quickly and are looking at both direct and indirect
means.
Q Have we placed any conditions with regard to
delivering aid to those refugees -- conditions on the presence
of the Iraqi air force in southern Iran? I believe there are
about a 148 planes over there that Iraq still has. Have we
asked the Iranians for guarantees that they will not let them
move, etc., etc., before we actually do deliver?
MR. DILLEN: I'm not really prepared to go into any
particulars of the contacts that we may have had with the
Iranians through our protecting power. We've tried to indicate
that the priority and the motivation for this effort is, indeed,
the humanitarian needs of the refugees who have fled into Iran.
Q Can I just reformulate that question? Are there
political strings attached to the provision of relief supplies
for refugees in Iran?
MR. DILLEN: Political strings? No. This is an effort
that we will undertake as soon a we can establish the most
expeditious, most efficient way of carrying out the operation.
Q Is there an answer to the previous question about
the fate of planes, Iraqi planes, or other possible questions
about the fate of U.S. hostages in Lebanon? The answer is that
this aid has nothing to do with those questions?
MR. DILLEN: This aid is being extended in view of the
emergency situation affecting the refugees from Iraq who have
fled into neighboring countries, including Iran.
Q One would presume that the situation of those
airplanes is still unsettled?
MR. DILLEN: I have nothing to update the status of
those airplanes.
Q Mark, you and Richard have told us that in the
past two days that the Iranians have told you the exact list of
items -- about what they want.
How much, in terms of tons and quantities, do they add
up to?
MR. DILLEN: I don't have for you, Mits, any precise
listing of their needs to us. What we are trying to do now is
to match as best we can available supplies, inventories, etc.,
against what they have indicated their urgent needs are.
Q Mark, on the delivery options that are being
looked at, is the direct air drops by American military planes
one of those delivery options?
MR. DILLEN: Mark, I'll just have to leave it with the
way we have stated it, which is that we have made no final
decisions on the best way to deliver these emergency supplies.
We are looking at both direct and indirect means.
Q But in the direct, that would include military
planes doing the dropping; right?
MR. DILLEN: It would include air flights as a
possibility; yes.
Q Forgive me for insisting on this one. Since we're
talking about a coastline over here, what about shipping lanes?
MR. DILLEN: No final decisions have been made. We're
just not in a position at this point to indicate the way the
goods and supplies will be delivered. Jan?
Q Mark, in view of the relationship, or lack of
relationship, between the United States and Iran, do you need
special legislation or any form of directive to be able to
legally do this?
MR. DILLEN: Jan, that's a question I'll just have to
take, and maybe we can post an answer on it.
Q Does this aid that will be delivered to the
Iranian side also somehow reach the 500,000 or so who are moving
toward the border?
MR. DILLEN: I understand your question, Jim. I would
have to say that at this point the needs that would most likely
be addressed are the needs demonstrated by the refugees who are
actually in Iran.
The final disposition of aid that might come to
refugees on the Iranian side of the border would depend on the
needs, the requirements, the final outcome of the relief efforts
there.
Q Is there consideration being given to having an
enclave or safe haven, or whatever the word is this week, for
those people as there is in northern Iraq?
MR. DILLEN: Not that I'm aware of, Jim.
Q Can I follow up on that question. You have
400,000 people in northern Turkey. You have 500,000 in northern
Iraq and you have 500,000 people in southern Iraq. Isn't it
natural for people to ask the American Government whether there
is any consideration being made to do something to help this
500,000 people in southern Iraq? Whereas, the President of the
United States has announced he is ready to establish 5 or 6
communities -- safe haven villages for the 400,000 people in the
north.
MR. DILLEN: Is your question, "What about an expanded
aid program to include a larger portion of the Iraqi
population?"
Q Is there any consideration being made or being
discussed in the building?
MR. DILLEN: The U.S. contribution to the international
effort would include contributions to the U.N. agencies that are
endeavoring to help the civilian population, including that
population inside Iraq. But that's about where we would have to
leave it for today.
Q Mark, you have no doubt read in the press here the
various quotations of Kurds who say they are afraid to come into
these camps. What nature of assurances will future inmates of
these camps been given as regards their safety?
MR. DILLEN: You mean the camps in northern Iraq?
Q That's correct.
MR. DILLEN: Let me say, Alan, in our view, we believe
that the presence of the U.N., international organizations, and
private organizations should be sufficient to ensure the
security of the refugees in this area in northern Iraq.
I would remind that Iraq has signed an agreement with
the U.N. to facilitate relief and assistance for the refugees,
and we do expect, of course, that Iraq will abide by its
obligations.
Q Mark, does that mean the Iraqi military will be
allowed to stay in that zone?
MR. DILLEN: As to Iraqi military, I'd have to refer
you to the United Nations representatives or the DoD with regard
to whatever our personnel may have observed on the ground.
Q Mark, there's be no apparent attempt by the Iraqis
to interfere. But there are reports in the press this morning
that some of the Iraqi troops are tearing down power lines and
such, apparently in an effort to harass the camps. Are these
accurate?
MR. DILLEN: I've seen those reports. We've seen those
reports, Jim. But at this point, I think this was an issue that
was addressed at the DoD -- at the Pentagon briefing today --
and I have no other observations or assessments of those reports
at this time.
Q Why has there been such a delay in terms of
getting aid to the refugees on the Iranian border? You said
yourself that Iran invited us, or said it would make its air
space available, if you will, for flights. They've criticized
the slow pace of getting supplies to the region.
Why is it taking so long, when the Administration
itself regards this problem as enormous and acute, to get the
ball rolling as far as Iran is concerned?
MR. DILLEN: We regard the situation in its entirety as
acute and requiring international assistance. We have been a
part of all the international assistance that has gone into the
area, including helping the refugees who fled to Iran.
At this point, once we had a clear list from the
Iranians of the needs of the refugees in that region, we have
done our best to try to identify how we could help address those
needs with the goods and the supplies that we have in our
inventories.
Q If I could follow up, you're saying that Iran only
until recently provided you with a clear list of the inventory
that they needed, and that's the reason for the delay?
MR. DILLEN: Well, you'll have to give your own
definition to "recently," but we have indicated in this forum,
and constantly, the state of our activity across the board on
refugee relief. And I think if you check that record, you will
see that once we have had satisfactory information on what
requirements were, we have acted upon that and are acting upon
it. And as soon as arrangements can be made, this part of the
relief effort will be expanded.
Q When did you get the list from the Iranians via
the Swiss?
MR. DILLEN: Mark, I'd have to check on the precise
date.
Q Can you give us any idea when this new aid would
begin flowing? I mean, the government's been turning over its
stock for a couple of weeks now, and it shouldn't take too long
to figure out what's available.
MR. DILLEN: I don't want to, Mark, jump the gun on any
deliveries; so I would not want to take up your offer to suggest
a time when they might commence. They will commence as soon as
reasonable, as soon as those shipments can be arranged.
Q Mark, can I follow on my previous question? When
I asked what U.S. guarantees there would be, you said that the
presence of international aid officials, the U.N. officials,
were the guarantee.
Can I therefore infer that there will be no specific
U.S. guarantees as to these people's safety? The United States
is not saying to these people, "Come down to these camps, and we
will make sure that nothing happens to you." This is saying,
"Come down to these camps, and we're going to put a lot of
international relief workers in there to make sure that nothing
will happen to you."
MR. DILLEN: Alan, I think as far as guarantees are
concerned, that is a term I would not offer up. However, as we
have indicated, given the magnitude of the international relief
effort, including the presence of international teams of workers
setting up, helping to operate these camps, the United Nations
will certainly help to ensure and assure those refugees who are
in that area and who are considering going to that area.
Q So what are you saying to Kurds on the mountain
who fled because they were afraid of being gassed by Saddam
Hussein? You're saying, "Come down. You'll be O.K., because
there will be lots of international workers there, and therefore
Saddam Hussein won't dare do anything to you." Does that fairly
kind of encapsulate the message?
MR. DILLEN: I don't think that fairly encapsulates the
message. I think the message is as I've just given it.
Q What about the presence of Iraqi military and
Iraqi police? Are there any requirements as to how far away
from the camps must they stay?
MR. DILLEN: In northern Iraq?
Q In northern Iraq.
MR. DILLEN: That again is a question that you will
have to check at DoD to see what sort of, if any, arrangements
have been worked out as these camps have been set up.
Q Mark, forgive me for asking about my second
favorite subject -- the Secretary's trip. In the New York Times
somebody calls him the "Secretary of Stealth" because he's not
saying one word about it. Can you furnish any morsel of
information on why is he going to the U.S.S.R.? What's
happening, etc?
MR. DILLEN: I'm sorry. I thought we were helping you
out by giving you an update this morning that confirmed his
travel to Kislovodsk, but that's about where we'll have to leave
it for now.
[Eithopia: Famine Relief]
Q Can you give us an update on the famine relief
effort in Ethiopia, and what the U.S. attitude toward Mengistu
is?
MR. DILLEN: We did post a response yesterday afternoon
on the status of fighting in Ethiopia, and I believe the other
day -- I'll have to check -- but we did have something on the
status of relief efforts.
The only thing that I would add to those statements is
a comment on the results of the ongoing meeting of Ethiopia's
parliament. For now we have only preliminary reports on that
meeting, but it appears that the results have been positive and
that the legislators are taking a broad view of the need for
change in Ethiopia.
Q Can you give me any comment on camera on famine
relief in Ethiopia?
MR. DILLEN: I'm afraid not at this time.
[Caribbean Earthquake: Relief Efforts]
Q Mark, do you have anything on relief efforts for
the Costa Ricans or the situation there?
MR. DILLEN: Why don't I start with what we know now as
the reports are coming in on the results of the earthquake. A
severe earthquake struck the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and
northern Panama yesterday afternoon.
Early reports are that 29 people were killed in Puerto
Limon, Costa Rica. We have seen press reports giving a higher
figure, but for now the report that we have is that it's 29
killed in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
There are now reports in Panama of extensive physical
damage and deaths in the Bocas del Toro Province, and the latest
report we have is 15 deaths and 284 injured. However, we have
no information that any U.S. citizens were killed in Costa Rica
or in Panama.
On relief efforts, a team from our Embassy in Costa
Rica, including Defense Department and Office of Federal
Disaster Assistance officials, left this morning for Puerto
Limon. They will contact U.S. citizens known to be in the area.
The U.S. Southern Command in Panama is sending
helicopters and a C-130 transport with emergency supplies to
Puerto Limon. We have also supplied $25,000 in emergency relief
assistance to Costa Rica. This comes out of the Ambassador's
discretionary funds, as you know.
In Panama, over 100 U.S. military personnel who were on
a road construction project in Bocas del Toro in Panama when the
earthquake struck are all safe. The U.S. Agency for
International Development, the U.S. military and Panamanian
Government officials have left for the area to assess the
damage. There are four U.S. military helicopters in the area,
and here, too, we plan to provide the $25,000 in emergency
assistance that the Ambassador is authorized to grant.
[El Slavador: Talks Continue]
Q Do you have any comment on the breakdown of talks
between the El Salvadorans and the guerrillas?
MR. DILLEN: Well, we wouldn't quite describe it as a
"breakdown." In fact, our information is that the talks are
continuing, and we are still confident that they can succeed.
The two sides have agreed on many issues. We have urged the
government and the FMLN to stay at the table and to be flexible
so that definitive agreements can be reached.
We understand that the ceasefire discussion has been
deferred but not removed from the agenda of the talks. In
recent days, the parties have been discussing constitutional
reforms in an attempt to reach agreement before the current
Salvadoran legislature adjourns on April 30.
Q Mark, could I just follow on that? Just, I guess,
last week Mr. Aronson testified that there was concern that this
constitutional amendment issue could be used by the guerrillas
to, in effect, delay and torpedo an agreement with the
government. Are those fears still valid, given this latest
development?
MR. DILLEN: The fears as expressed by our Assistant
Secretary are still valid. But, as I mentioned, we are hopeful
that the talks can move forward, and they are continuing. And
we can point to some agreement that the two sides have been able
to reach.
Q Mark, a couple of questions back on possible aid
to Iran. One, in the past, the United States Government has
been loath to deal directly with the Iranian Government and has
chosen to do things through private organizations such as the
Red Crescent. Would possible aid to Iran have to go through a
private organization such as the Red Crescent, or might it go
directly through the Iranian Government?
MR. DILLEN: Chris, I think I've indicated as much, as
far as the modalities are concerned, of these supply deliveries
as I can today. We are looking at various means. We are
looking at the most efficient way to deliver the goods and
supplies that these refugees need, and we will continue the
emphasis on international organizations, in particular the U.N.
relief organizations, as the best means to deliver the
assistance to people who need it.
Q Another question: I assume, because you said that
there's still a 60-kilometer backup to the border with Iran,
that that flow is continuing, unlike in the Turkish border area.
Is that correct?
MR. DILLEN: That's correct. Yes.
Q And how many -- back over to the Turkish area --
how many refugees have actually gone to the U.S. established
camps? Have more than a handful actually taken advantage of
that opportunity?
MR. DILLEN: The ones in northern Iraq?
Q Right.
MR. DILLEN: Again, I'd have to refer you to the DoD
which is, as you know, in charge at this point in setting up
those camps to see how many have actually arrived on the scene.
My understanding is that we're still putting up the camps. They
are not operational yet.
Q Mark, the Iraqis have asked for special permission
to export a certain amount of oil to buy food, and today
Ambassador Pickering said in testimony that the United States --
I think he said the Security Council -- would take a dim view of
that request unless the Iraqis were more forthcoming on the
question of their chemical, biological, nuclear missile
capabilities.
Can you actually spell out for us the position of the
United States with regard to that Iraqi request? What
conditions do they have to fulfill in order for that oil to be
sold?
MR. DILLEN: I can't really spell it out beyond what
Ambassador Pickering stated this morning. Obviously, there are
a number of concerns that we have -- concerns that must be
addressed by the United Nations. And among the concerns that we
have are the ones that Richard [Boucher] discussed in the
reference to the Iraqi letters of last week.
Q Can you tell us what the other concerns are?
MR. DILLEN: Not at this point. I think I'll leave it
with what the Ambassador said this morning.
Q Mark, the question of a war crimes tribunal came
up this morning on the Hill. Do you have offhand the
boilerplate on what the U.S. position is on such a tribunal?
MR. DILLEN: I think that Assistant Secretary Bolton
addressed the issue in the discussion with the Committee, and I
certainly wouldn't describe it as "boilerplate." I think he did
a very effective job of discussing what our concerns were.
Q Can you tell me to what extent rebel fighting in
Ethiopia is hampering the relief effort there?
MR. DILLEN: No. I'll try to get you a more complete
rundown of the impact of the fighting on the relief effort in
Ethiopia.
Q Has the United States approved the Sierra Leone
request for military aid? The state radio in Freetown is
reporting that the aid has been approved.
MR. DILLEN: I didn't check on that this morning. I'll
have to check on it and post something.
Q Could I return to the Iraqi refugees? The Turkish
Government seems to be distressed by the press coverage that the
relief efforts about the refugees have been biased and critical.
Do you have any comments on that? Any observation?
MR. DILLEN: I'm not sure exactly what reports you're
referring to. Could you be perhaps a little more --
Q I mean, the government claims that they are doing
their best, and the undertakings have been beyond their means,
and the media coverage was still about the mishaps that have
been occurring and --
MR. DILLEN: About the only response really that I
would have -- and I'm not aware of those reports specifically
that you're referring to -- but we would certainly state, as we
have stated, and we would underline that from the very beginning
of the current crisis, the Turks have assumed a pre-eminent role
in assisting displaced Iraqis fleeing Saddam's repression. I
would just leave it there.
Q Back on war crimes. As I understand it, Assistant
Secretary Bolton said or indicated that a war crimes tribunal
could conceivably prolong Saddam Hussein's ability to remain in
power, and it was unclear as to how he came to that conclusion.
Can you help?
MR. DILLEN: No, I can't, George.
Q Mark, do you have anything on Congressional
discussions about China, trade with China, human rights, and so
on?
MR. DILLEN: No, I don't.
Q Do you have any update on the base talks with the
Philippines? Any date on the next round?
MR. DILLEN: Sorry. I didn't ask for that this
morning.
Q Mark, back to a factual thing. I thought Richard
said yesterday that the death rate was down to 60 per day, and
now you are saying by your estimate that it's 510 per day, which
is actually just as bad as it was last week or the week before.
MR. DILLEN: It was, as we explained in a notice that
we put out yesterday evening, an error in math, and we regret
that.
Q Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 1:29 p.m.)