US Department of State Daily Briefing #14:
Monday, 1/27/92
Snyder
Source: State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Joseph
Snyder
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Jan, 27 19921/27/92
Category: Briefings
Region: Caribbean, MidEast/North Africa, Eurasia, E/C Europe,
Subsaharan Africa
Country: Haiti, Israel, USSR (former), Russia,
Yugoslavia (former), Zaire
Subject: Regional/Civil Unrest, Mideast Peace Process,
Arms Control, Trade/Economics, Democratization,
Development/Relief Aid
12:52 P. M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. SNYDER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize
for the delay. I've got a couple of things. First, a housekeeping
item.
This is for the interest mainly of the trade press, but I wanted
to let you know. Ambassador Jan Baran, Chairman of the U.S.
Delegation to the World Administrative Radio Conference in
Malaga-Torremolinos, Spain, will discuss U.S. proposals and
priorities at this conference at 2:30 p.m. today at a briefing here
in the Briefing Room.
[Haiti: US Condemns Attack on Rene Theodore Meeting]
US The second statement is on Haiti. We strongly condemn the attack
carried out last Saturday against the man duly nominated to be
Haiti's next Prime Minister, Rene Theodore, by groups tied to the
current regime in Haiti.
Those who have taken power in Haiti have claimed that they
support a return to democratic rule. However, Saturday's brutal
attack on a peaceful political meeting does nothing but impede the
restoration of constitutional rule. The regime should know that
restoring democracy is the only way to end Haiti's political and
economic isolation.
In response to this event, we will recall our Ambassador to
Washington to discuss its implications for U.S. policy. We call on
the Haitian army and the de facto government to bring to justice
those who are responsible for this crime.
I'll be happy to take your questions.
Q Who's the Ambassador?
MR. SNYDER: Alvin Adams.
Q Albert?
MR. SNYDER: Alvin.
Q Do you have an update on Haitian refugees?
MR. SNYDER: Yes, I do. Let me first use our usual
caution. These are approximate figures. They don't sound
approximate, but they are figures that we have obtained from the
Coast Guard.
2,405 Haitians have been picked up since we last
provided you with numbers last Tuesday. According to
information provided by the Coast Guard, 79 were picked up on
January 21, 281 on January 22, 1,072 on January 23, 680 on
January 24, none on January 25, and 293 yesterday.
The total number of Haitian boat people picked up since
the coup now stands at 11,507.
321 Haitians have been flown from Guantanamo to the
U.S. during this recent period: 172 on January 22 and 149 on
January 24. This brings the total of Haitians who have come to
the United States to pursue their claim to asylum to 1,235.
To date, 3,194 Haitians have been found to have a
plausible claim to asylum.
I think I'll run through all the categories, because
it's been a long time since we've done them all.
594 Haitians have returned voluntarily to Haiti: 177
from third-country safehavens and 417 from Guantanamo.
The status of those remaining is as follows: There are
8,119 Haitians ashore at the U.S. Naval facility at Guantanamo
Bay. This number includes those who have been screened-in and
who are awaiting transportation to the U.S.
846 Haitians are on board Coast Guard cutters. 27
Haitians remain in temporary safehaven facilities in Venezuela.
146 remain in temporary safehaven facilities in Honduras. Two
have been medically evacuated to the United States, and 538 were
repatriated to Haiti in November under the Alien Migration
Interdiction Operation.
Q And where does the effort to repatriate the
Haitians stand now?
MR. SNYDER: The court case is still pending. We're
waiting for the court ruling. In the meantime, a ban on
involuntary repatriation remains in effect, and we're complying
with the ban.
Q The number is -- you say more 3,000 have been
found to have a plausible case, out of eleven and a half
thousand, roughly. So that's pretty dramatic. That means that
approximately one-fourth, if I'm correct, of the Haitians are
now believed to have a good case for political asylum. That is
a dramatic shift from the earlier days when only a fraction of
Haitian refugees were found to have the same case.
Is there a shift in policy, or are you saying that more
political refugees, bona fide political refugees, appear to have
arrived in the United States?
MR. SNYDER: Frank, those decisions, the case-by-case
determinations, are made by the Immigration Service, and I would
refer you to INS for discussion of why the changes.
Q What's the point of recalling Ambassador Adams to
Washington?
MR. SNYDER: We are recalling him in light of this
recent incident to discuss its implications for our policy.
Q And is it meant as a first step that could be
followed by others?
MR. SNYDER: It's meant exactly as we've said. We're
going to look at what the situation is in light of the most
recent developments.
Q It doesn't represent a break in relations, though?
MR. SNYDER: Not at all. No.
Q To what do you attribute this very large number of
Haitians picked up in the last week after a long lull?
MR. SNYDER: That is something we've asked ourselves.
We've asked other people and, quite frankly, we don't have any
answers. It's varied widely since the coup in Haiti early in
the fall. The people coming out have come in waves -- large
numbers at some times, none for long periods, and there's no
definitive explanation. Possibly weather; possibly
announcements that we've made, but no one really wants to pin it
down.
Q I would like to request that Ambassador Adams make
himself available for a backgrounder?
MR. SNYDER: I'll take that request under advisement.
Q Joe, the Israeli press is quoting Israeli sources
that the Secretary of State asked for a freeze on settlements
during his meeting Friday afternoon with Ambassador Shoval. Is
that true?
MR. SNYDER: Jim, the Secretary is in Moscow now, as
you know. I've really got nothing to say here on that subject.
Q Joe, there was a report over the weekend that the
United States may be backing off on the ABM Treaty and that, in
fact, that is one treaty that the republics have not been asked
to reaffirm their commitment to. Is this accurate?
MR. SNYDER: Carol, I've seen the reports. I should
point out that Marlin Fitzwater dealt extensively with this
subject this morning at the White House, and I don't have
anything to add to what he said.
Q More generally, do you have any further readout
from Reggie Bartholomew's trip of last week? What we're going
to do about the questions of dismantlement and former Soviet
nuclear scientists?
MR. SNYDER: No, we don't. As you know, he hadn't
briefed the Secretary by Friday, so Margaret [Tutwiler] really
was unable to go into any detail. He is back on the plane with
the Secretary.
Q Margaret was asked last week whether, in fact,
Bartholomew had discussed this concept of employing some former
Soviet scientists, and she said at first yes and then when it
was clarified she said she didn't know whether that sort of
proposal had been actually discussed with them. Do you know now
whether it has been?
MR. SNYDER: No, I'm sorry I don't. I'll see if we can
get something on that for you.
Q Joe, the Acting Secretary of State is meeting with
the Serbian representative today, I believe -- this afternoon.
I was wondering whether you have concluded reassessing your
position vis-a-vis a recognition towards Slovenia and Croatia?
And, if so, whether you intend to tell the Serbian diplomat that
the United States is about to recognize those two independent
republics?
MR. SNYDER: Frank, no, we haven't made any decisions.
As Richard said on January 16, we keep this kind of issue under
review always in situations like that, and we remain at that
point now. There's no change in our recognition policy.
Q Does the declared independence of Bosnia make any
difference to that review -- or any change in the U.S. view?
MR. SNYDER: Of course, the entire situation in
Yugoslavia has an impact on our consideration and Bosnia is one
of the republics. The review continues.
Q Joe, are there any lists of people attending the
Moscow conference from the experts level? Could you give us a
list of those? Djerejian, for example, did he go?
MR. SNYDER: He was with the Secretary's party, yes.
But the question of lists for the conference, or anything
dealing with the conference, will come from Moscow -- from the
party in Moscow. I've got nothing here.
Q Joe, this may have been dealt with by Baker or his
aides in Moscow, I'm not sure, but there appears to be a mystery
surrounding the whereabouts of Boris Yeltsin. Some of his aides
say that he is out of Moscow and has cancelled a meeting with
the Japanese Foreign Minister. Other aides say that he is in
Moscow.
Have you been informed officially whether Yeltsin is
keeping his appointment at 11:00 a.m., I believe, at the Kremlin
with Baker on Wednesday?
MR. SNYDER: I have not heard anything to say that he's
not. I must say I hadn't asked the party specifically. I
haven't asked that question and no one has mentioned that he's
not.
I should say that Marlin Fitzwater also dealt with
Yeltsin's trip to the United States extensively as well.
Q On another area: Do you know what's going on in
Zaire, and do take any views about it?
MR. SNYDER: Yes, Jim, I've got something on that. We
are following developments particularly closely in Zaire. Our
policy has been under continuing review for some time with a
view towards encouraging all parties to move toward peaceful
national reconciliation.
We urge President Mobutu and Prime Minister Nguz to
reconvene the National Conference without delay. Its immediate
reconvocation offers the best prospect for a democratic
transition in Zaire.
Q Am I correct in recalling that the U.S. aid
program has been cut off because of the Brooke Amendment
provisions, or something like that?
MR. SNYDER: Yes, I believe so. I don't have the
details of the aid program, but I understand that's the case.
As I recall, that's the case.
Q So there is no aid either forthcoming or in the
pipeline?
MR. SNYDER: Let me get something for you on that. I
don't have the details in my head.
Q Thank you.
(Press briefing concluded at 1:05 p.m.)