US Department of State Daily Briefing #23:
Wednesday, 2/12/92
Boucher
Source: State Department Deputy Spokesman Richard
Boucher
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Feb, 12 19922/12/92
Category: Briefings
Region: MidEast/North Africa, Caribbean, South Asia,
South America
Country: Libya, Israel, Pakistan, Haiti, Peru, Albania, Iraq
Subject: Mideast Peace Process, Terrorism, United Nations,
Cultural Exchange, State Department, Regional/Civil Unrest
12:41 P. M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Sorry I'm a little late today. I don't have any announcements
or statements, so I'd be glad to take your questions.
[Libya: Non-Compliance with UN Resolutions]
Q Do you have anything new on Libya today? The
Libyans are saying they're cooperating with the U.N. resolution,
and there are also reports that Libya's armed forces are
preparing for a possible attack.
MR. BOUCHER: Let me deal with each of those questions
separately, if I can. I think you're probably aware that the
Secretary General circulated a report in New York on his
conversations up there.
For our part, we think it's clear that Libya is seeking
to confuse the issue and remains unwilling to comply in any
meaningful way with the resolution adopted by the Council on
January 21.
Libya has not turned over promptly the persons accused
of the bombings for trial. Libya has not disclosed all it knows
of the crimes. Libya has not paid appropriate compensation, and
Libya has not taken concrete action to end its support for
terrorism. We'll be consulting with other members of the
Security Council about next steps.
There are some reports this morning, as George referred
to, about military movements within Libya. As with the
situation we had yesterday in regard to Iraq, I'm afraid I'm not
in a position to comment on reports that are alleged to have
come from intelligence sources.
As we've said before, Libya is well aware of the
demands made by the U.S., the United Kingdom and France on
November 27 and endorsed by the Security Council Resolution 731.
We fully expect Libya to comply with those demands. If Libya
fails to comply, as we've said before, we consider all options
open.
Q There are reports that these people are not dead.
They haven't been executed. Do you have anything on that?
MR. BOUCHER: There was a report like that yesterday.
I've seen various people -- a Libyan and I think a lawyer --
quoted in wire reports to say that those reports were not
correct. As we've said yesterday, we have no information to
confirm the reports. As for why they might be coming out now,
I'd suggest you'd have to ask the Libyan Government about that.
Q Are you interested to ask of the Libyans to show
the two accused?
MR. BOUCHER: We're interested in seeing these people
appear in the courts for a fair trial.
Q Richard, would we like for the Libyans to think
that we're going to attack -- be it as it may whether we will or
not -- but would we like for them to believe that?
MR. BOUCHER: Carl, I'm not here in order to like the
Libyans to believe something. I'm here to tell you what the
facts are, and these are the facts.
Q Is that a fact?
MR. BOUCHER: The facts are what I said.
Q Richard, do you have any response to comments
attributed to Yasser Arafat, saying that it was the Jews' fault
that Habash was hounded out of France, and that he would
retaliate against them?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any particular response to
Yasser Arafat. Remarks like this are clearly outrageous.
Comments like this can only be described as disparaging and
obnoxious.
Q Do you think that this could affect the peace
process?
MR. BOUCHER: It has no relationship to the peace
process. Racist and hateful rhetoric have no place in the peace
process.
Q About the peace process --
[Pakistan: Violence in Kashmir]
Q Do you have anything on the Kashmir situation?
MR. BOUCHER: The reporting that we have indicates that
a group of marchers from Pakistan has been blocked in their
attempt to reach the line of control. Between three and six
people have reportedly been shot in a confrontation with police
at a barricade, but we have no confirmation of those numbers.
As of this morning, our official reporting said the
Indian side was quiet, but I've just seen some press reports
that may indicate some confrontations there.
We support the efforts that Pakistan and India are
making to control the situation and avoid confrontation although
we regret the loss of life resulting from this incident.
We continue to believe that the problem of Kashmir must
be resolved through negotiations, not through confrontation.
Q The peace process: You put out the statement
today about where you suggested the 24th of February for
resumption of the bilaterals, but you haven't heard from
everybody yet. Can you tell us who you've heard from and who
you haven't heard from?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I can't, John.
Q Why not? You've done that in the past.
MR. BOUCHER: I'll leave it for them to describe their
views. I'm not in a position to do that right now. I'm sorry.
Q Have you heard from almost everybody?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't want to try to characterize it,
Bill.
[Haiti: Legal Status of Repatriation]
Q I understand the Supreme Court has given you until
Friday to respond to the allegations that Haitians are being
tortured and other such things. Is your response to the court
going to be what you read us the other day or do you have some
additional information?
MR. BOUCHER: Our response to the court is going to be
what the Justice Department says on our behalf in the court, and
I'll have to leave it to them to make the response.
As far as I understand the situation, there is no
current bar on repatriations and we are proceeding with the
repatriations. I can give you some new numbers, if you're
interested.
Today, there are 513 Haitians that are due to be
repatriated from Guantanamo. This will bring the total of
Haitians repatriated since the coup to 2,650. Further
repatriations are expected to take place tomorrow and Friday.
As for pickups, there are no new pickups. That leaves
the total number of Haitians picked up since the coup at 15,419,
and the number of boats interdicted in the 11 days since the
Supreme Court decision is 8 boats with a total of 389 people.
[Peru: Bomb Damages Residence of US Ambassador]
Q On Peru. Last night, there was an attack on the
residence of the U.S. Ambassador in which two people were
killed. Do you have any comments or observations?
MR. BOUCHER: There was a bomb that's estimated to
contain from 40 to 50 kilograms of dynamite that exploded
yesterday evening at 6:50 p.m. outside the wall of the U.S.
Ambassador's residence in Lima. Three Peruvian policemen were
killed; two more were injured.
The bomb destroyed over 30 feet of the residence wall
and severely damaged windows, window frames, and property inside
the residence. No one inside the residence was injured.
Ambassador and Mrs. Quainton were away from the residence at the
time.
The bomb had also damaged windows in a building across
the street from the residence which houses the British and
Israeli Embassies and private businesses.
No person or group has taken responsibility for this
bombing.
We deplore this violent attack and extend our
condolences to the families of the innocent Peruvians who were
killed.
Q Richard, in Algeria, there was firing heard not
far from the American Embassy. Do you have any comment on that?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't have any particular comment
on that. We've been following the reports closely and keep the
situation there under review.
[Iraq: Reported Fighting in South]
Q Richard, do you have any independent confirmation
of fighting in the south of Iraq?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything with me today. I'm
trying to think -- didn't we -- I think we said something about
such fighting a week or so ago. I'll double-check and see if
there's anything new.
Q Do you think the reports today are new fighting or
would it be --
MR. BOUCHER: I haven't seen the reports today. I'll
have to check.
Q Richard, do you have a reaction to the new Russian
proposals for arms control made in Geneva by Mr. Kozyrev today?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to leave any reaction to
Russian proposals to the Secretary who is headed that way.
Q Thank you.
MR. BOUCHER: Thank you.
(Press briefing concluded at 12:49 p.m.)