US Department of State Daily Briefing #29:
Wednesday, 2/26/92
Boucher
Source: State Department Deputy Spokesman Richard
Boucher
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Feb, 26 19922/26/92
Category: Briefings
Region: Eurasia, Caribbean, MidEast/North Africa, East Asia
Country: Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, USSR (former), Haiti,
Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Japan, China
Subject: Mideast Peace Process, Regional/Civil Unrest,
United Nations, Military Affairs, Trade/Economics,
Human Rights
12:45 P. M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
[Former Soviet Union: US Supports Russian Foreign Minister's
Efforts to Mediate Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict]
MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If
I can, I'd like to start off with a statement that adds to the
Secretary's comments of yesterday on Nagorno-Karabakh, then I'll
tell you about the return of Ambassador Adams to Haiti, and then
we can take questions.
As you know, the Secretary addressed the situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh and our support for Russian-Kazakh mediation
efforts yesterday in his testimony. But we are concerned about
the increasing violence in the area, and I'd like to amplify on
his remarks somewhat.
The U.S. Government strongly supports Russian Foreign
Minister Kozyrev's constructive efforts to mediate the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
We call upon both the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Governments to implement the communique issued on February 20 by
Foreign Minister Kozyrev and the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministers. Implementing this communique would be a
significant step toward ending the violence in Nagorno-Karabakh
and beginning the process of resolving the conflict through
good-faith negotiation.
The United States Government has consistently stated
that a lasting solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute can only
be achieved through good-faith negotiations between the parties
themselves. The Russian-Kazakh mediation effort, renewed by
Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev last week, offers the best hope
for beginning such good-faith negotiations.
The United States Government also welcomes the recent
CSCE rapporteur mission to the region and CSCE support for
Foreign Minister Kozyrev's mediation effort.
At the same time, the U.S. Government is deeply
concerned by reports of escalating fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh
and continuing blockades throughout the region. This escalation
of fighting only increases human suffering and
further complicates efforts to achieve a lasting resolution to
the conflict.
The blockades must end, particularly at a time when the
rest of the world community is coming together to relieve
humanitarian need in Azerbaijan and Armenia. We urge all sides
to end the fighting and lift the blockades in the region.
Q Richard, are any actions planned by the U.S.
Government?
MR. BOUCHER: We, as you know, sent some humanitarian
shipments into the area. We've been in contact with the various
parties; and I guess our actions would be to continue to support
the efforts of the Russian Foreign Minister, of the Kazakhs, and
of the parties themselves to try to settle the dispute.
Q As far as Azerbaijan, he just recently, I believe,
said the U.S. would have diplomatic relations; and he couched it
in terms not of approval but of an opportunity to maybe be of
some influence. Is there any reconsideration of that? Is there
any tactic that might be used diplomatically to put pressure on
the Azeris?
MR. BOUCHER: I think the Secretary made clear over the
past two days of testimony that the richness and depth of our
relationships with the various republics would be dependent on
how strongly they adhered to the principles, including the CSCE
principles. And so that's what I would say is the modulation of
our relationships there.
Q What is the distinction the United States makes
between the Republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan, where we're
withholding establishment of diplomatic relations with Georgia
because of the fighting inside that republic? They don't seem
to be viewing Azerbaijan in the same light.
MR. BOUCHER: I think the Secretary made clear the
different situations during the course of his meetings in the
New Independent States and his meeting with the Georgia
representative in Moscow, and he's addressed it in testimony
over the past few days. I don't want to try to do any further
comparisons.
Q Would you favor sending a peacekeeping force
there, perhaps a United Nations peacekeeping force or some other
type of peacekeeping force?
MR. BOUCHER: At this point, Frank, the situation
really depends upon the parties. We favor the efforts that are
being made by the Russian and Kazakh Ministers, and that's the
point we're at right now.
Q Do you want to bring the Europeans in? The West
European Union folks are here. They've been having talks for
three days. They have, you know, larger plans for that union
and peacekeeping missions and a brigade turning into a bigger
force. Is it too early to at least maybe ask the Europeans or
consult with the Europeans about interceding?
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, the Europeans are involved --
Q In Yugoslavia.
MR. BOUCHER: -- as we are, through the CSCE. There
was a CSCE rapporteur mission that completed its visit to
Nagorno-Karabakh not too long ago. They're preparing a report
that's going to be presented to a meeting of the CSCE committee
of senior officials tomorrow in Prague. So we're all involved
in supporting these efforts.
O.K. We'll go on to Haiti.
Q One more question.
MR. BOUCHER: One more, Sonia.
Q Does the United States think Iranian efforts to
mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan are helpful?
MR. BOUCHER: Sonia, as the Secretary said yesterday
and as I said again today, we think that the efforts of the
Russian and Kazakhs are the best way to go on this.
[Haiti: US Ambassador's Return to Port-au-Prince/
US Supports Agreement Reached Between Aristide and
Haitian Parliament to End Crisis/Repatriation Issues]
O.K. Haiti. Secretary Baker has instructed U.S.
Ambassador to Haiti Alvin P. Adams to return to Port-au-Prince
immediately. Ambassador Adams was withdrawn in response to the
attack on Prime Minister-designate Rene Theodore on January 25
when one of Mr. Theodore's bodyguards was killed.
The agreement reached between Haitian President
Aristide and representatives of the Haitian Parliament on
February 23 offers Haiti's best chance to end this crisis
through a peaceful, negotiated settlement. We strongly support
this agreement and urge its rapid approval and implementation.
Ambassador Adam's return signifies our willingness to
work with all Haitian parties toward ratification of the
agreement and the creation of a government of national consensus
which is called for in the February 23 accord.
Mr. Theodore and Haitian legislative leaders, including
the President of the Senate, Dejean Belizaire, and the Chamber
of Deputies, Alexandre Medard, returned to Haiti Tuesday. They
were peacefully permitted to enter the country, and they went
directly to the Parliament building to work on ratifying the
accord.
Q Richard, while all these people are going back, do
you have any traffic in the opposite direction to report?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't. As a matter of fact, I have
other people that are also going back to Haiti. There were no
Haitians picked up at sea yesterday. In fact, none have been
picked up now since February 19. The numbers in the other
direction are 517 Haitians that were repatriated to Haiti from
Guantanamo on Monday. There's a further 510 Haitians who are
being repatriated today. This brings the total number of
Haitians repatriated since the coup to 6,493, and there will be
further repatriations on Thursday and Friday.
Q Any growth in the total of people found to have a
legitimate political fear?
MR. BOUCHER: The latest numbers I have on that, since
there have been some flights from Guantanamo to the United
States, are now that 1,827 Haitians have been flown from
Guantanamo to the States to pursue their claims of asylum. To
date, 5,293 Haitians have been found to have a plausible claim
to asylum according to latest information we've gotten from INS.
Q Richard, what decision, if any, has been made on
those Haitians who tested HIV positive?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not aware of any decision, but you'd
have to check with the INS on that.
Q Could we ask about the Middle East?
MR. BOUCHER: Do you want to finish on the Haitians
first?
Q Can you tell us about where we stand with
Aristide? The Haitian Ambassador said that he could be returned
within two months. Is that realistic? And do you think the
fine-tuning of the embargo might have made it easier for the
current regime to resist his return?
MR. BOUCHER: The return of Aristide, I think, is
addressed in the agreement.
They created a process -- well, here's where we stand.
The legislative leaders, as I've said, have returned to Haiti.
President Aristide and Prime Minister-designate Theodore
continued their discussions Monday and released a protocol
governing how they will collaborate until President Aristide's
return.
They also created a process which will include the
participation of the OAS Secretary General, Baena Soares, to
determine the modalities for President Aristide's return. So I
don't have a timetable for that. That's something they'll have
to work out as part of that process.
Q And do you think the easing of the embargo or the
fine-tuning, in your words, of the embargo might have made it
easier for the regime to resist his return?
MR. BOUCHER: I just don't know. This is an agreement
that we expect to be ratified and implemented. We've urged
that. We strongly support it and want to see it followed.
Q But has the Haitian military signaled to the U.S.
Government it's more willing now than it was before to accept
Aristide's return? I understand they were pretty adamant about
not letting him back.
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not aware of any recent signals,
Frank. In fact, I don't think I've seen many public statements
either. I think the fact is these people are back there. The
Parliament, the legislature, is going to work on these things.
We think that they ought to ratify this agreement as soon as
possible and proceed to the next steps, which are things like
Theodore forming a government and moving forward with this
agreement.
I also understand the OAS Permanent Council is going to
meet to hear a report on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. from the
Secretary General about the process of negotiations.
Q Richard, is the State Department involved at all
in the negotiations, as Senator Leahy mentioned yesterday, on
the housing loan guarantees for a compromise proposal?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not sure what you're referring to
that Senator Leahy mentioned yesterday --
Q He said, "Within the next few days."
MR. BOUCHER: -- but the Secretary mentioned in very
extensive testimony where he stood in his discussions at this
point.
Q Right. I'm asking -- he didn't address that
particular point. Senator --
MR. BOUCHER: I really don't have anything to add to
what he said yesterday, Jim, so I'm not in a position to do that
either.
Q Well, let me ask the question anyway.
MR. BOUCHER: O.K.
Q Senator Leahy said within the next few days he is
going to put forward a reasonable compromise proposal if there
is no agreement between the Israelis and the United States
Government.
I'm asking: will the State Department be involved in
the negotiations that Senator Leahy intends to conduct?
MR. BOUCHER: Who did Leahy supposedly say that he was
going to negotiate with? That's what I don't understand about
your question.
Q Among others, Senator Kasten.
MR. BOUCHER: O.K. Well, in any case, with your having
asked the question, now let me give the answer. The Secretary
has discussed this issue and where he stands on it extensively
over the course of the past two days, and I don't have anything
to add.
Q Richard, the Secretary stands against any further
settlements on the West Bank, and so do the Palestinians. But
the Palestinians are not moving on the negotiations because they
want those settlements stopped first.
Does the Secretary -- we don't see him too often --
does he think that the negotiations should proceed on self-rule
even though there is this problem over settlements?
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, without buying into all your
characterizations as part of this, the Secretary, first of all,
addressed this question. He said that we're not interfering in
the negotiations. We're not negotiating on anybody's behalf as
regards the settlements question. We're taking a position based
on longstanding U.S. policy of many Administrations.
You've seen various statements by the parties on their
peace process talks. Those talks are continuing. Our
understanding is that talks have gotten into some of the
substantive issues that divide them; that each group appears to
be searching for a way to organize productive talks on these
issues. They're continuing their discussions, and we'll leave
it for them to provide further details on where they stand.
Q The Palestinian spokesman saw Djerejian today. Do
you want to either give us a report on what they talked about?
And, if you can include in it, when the spokeswoman came out and
said the Paletinians are asserting their national rights in
these negotiations, do you agree -- does the State Department
agree that this is the format for the Palestinians' national
rights, which I assume means statehood -- I don't know what else
it could mean -- to be pursued? Or is this negotiations over
limited self-rule?
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, I'm not --
Q You've set the rules for the negotiations, you
know -- the U.S. and the Russians.
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, we have never in the past -- and
I'm not going to start today -- reacted to every statement
that's made by people who are in the process of negotiating
something. I therefore don't have anything specific to say on
what you're telling me that somebody said.
Assistant Secretary Djerejian did meet this morning
with Hanan Ashrawi and Faisal Husseini. He's also scheduled to
meet with Souheil Chammas of the Lebanese delegation. Yesterday
he met with Ambassador Allaf of the Syrian delegation. He held
consultations with Ambassador Hadass of the Israeli delegation.
I'm sure the only way I can characterize their discussions is to
talk about the peace process and how things are going.
Q He didn't see the Israeli -- just consulted with
him? You mean by telephone? Is that what --
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know exactly --
Q Or is that a synonym for actually having a
meeting?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know exactly how that occurred.
Q Richard, after Moscow there was a statement by the
Secretary that he intended to play a more active role at this
session that was to convene on the 24th. Is that active role
limited to his testimony regarding the loan guarantees, or is
there in fact some other involvement that would be characterized
as a more active role than he played in Moscow?
MR. BOUCHER: As I remember it, after Moscow as well as
at other times, the Secretary repeated that we expected to be a
driving force in these negotiations, but that the decisions in
negotiating was really up to the parties; that we would stay
involved, as necessary, and from time to time we might submit
bridging proposals. That attitude on the part of the United
States has not changed.
Q Have there been any such bridging proposals
proposed this round?
MR. BOUCHER: Not that I'm aware of.
Q Since you are the party which initiated, or
possibly the host here for the talks in Washington, what's your
opinion of the proposal made by the Israelis early -- I think on
Monday -- about the self-government or self-rule -- that they,
the Israelis, want to discuss it with the Palestinians piece by
piece instead of coming with a long proposal or comprehensive
proposal over the self-rule or self-government. You have an
opinion on this? I'm quite sure that --
MR. BOUCHER: We're now in the fourth round of
bilateral talks between these parties, starting with Madrid. We
have not in all the previous rounds -- nor am I going to start
to at this round -- start commenting on proposals by different
sides or statements by each and every person from each
delegation.
Q But this is the core of the whole -- you know,
when the Palestinians say that they will assert national
self-rule, or whatever, I mean, this is the core of this whole
peace talks that we are talking about.
MR. BOUCHER: And the peace talks are peace talks
between the two parties, and I'm not going to try to comment on
everything they say or negotiate or discuss.
Q Richard, what about the venue? The Israelis said
yesterday that they'd submitted a long list and that they
understood that there had been no list submitted by the Arabs.
Now, this is a bridging proposal: Are you entertaining, as a
result of the visit on Djerejian this morning, a new list from
the other side?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, the talks are between the parties.
They're discussing a number of issues. They've been very
thorough in briefing you on what's going on in their talks.
We're not going to try to assume that role for them. I'm sorry.
That's not a question I feel prepared to answer.
Q But the Israelis said that you were considering
and were going to compare and hoped to get a simultaneous venue
for the next section of the talks. Is that true?
MR. BOUCHER: I believe all the parties have themselves
said this issue of venue has been discussed between them, and
I'll leave it to them.
Q No, no, Richard. The United States Government,
stepping in as the host, asked all the parties to present a
list, by some accounts, of ten possible places for the next
round. Baker is already on the record saying at some point it
might be a good idea to go some place else other than
Washington. The United States initiated this idea. The
Israelis say no one but the Israelis have responded. Is that
accurate, and do you have anything to say about it?
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, if you want to know if the various
parties have presented lists in their talks with each other, you
can ask each of the various parties.
Q But you're the folks that asked the parties to
respond. Don't you have anything to say when someone responds
or not?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't remember having said that, Barry.
I don't remember having discussed that in that much detail.
Q You mean the U.S. did not ask for suggestions?
MR. BOUCHER: I didn't say that. I said we have never
gotten into that level of detail about these negotiations.
Q Well, I mean, if you're going to be a driving
force, it strikes me just asking where we move next might be
mild or maybe a low-gear version of the driving force.
MR. BOUCHER: I can't answer you on some of these
details at this point, Barry. We're not just --
Q Well, can you give us any examples where the U.S.
has been a driving force to date? Or is it not yet timely to be
a driving force?
MR. BOUCHER: I would say that we're in the fourth
round of discussions.
Q A little early?
MR. BOUCHER: We're open and ready for business. We're
helping people out. They're having talks. They're dealing with
some of the substantive issues, and I think that's what we hope
to see and we're seeing it.
Q And you're providing transportation to get them to
and from the State Department; isn't that correct?
MR. BOUCHER: Are we really, Alan? I don't know.
That's not a detail I was prepared to deal with. Connie. Let's
go to the back.
Q This Washington Times story about Jordan and Iraq
-- Jordan providing back-door assistance to Iraq. Do you have
anything on that?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes. Let me say a couple of things about
that, starting with the fact that, of course, the Secretary
addressed the policy issues relating to Jordan yesterday in his
testimony. I believe that specific story talks about jet
airplanes and repainting and things like that. I have to say we
have absolutely no information to substantiate that report.
The situation, as we see it, is that most of what
transits Jordan is food and medicine, which are not under
embargo. We know that some other items -- mostly consumer goods
-- have leaked across the border as well. We monitor this
situation very closely. We're in regular contact with the
Jordanians about it, as the Secretary mentioned yesterday.
The Jordanian Government has taken many visible and
sometimes unpopular measures to ensure compliance with
sanctions. In any case, it's clear to us that whatever leakage
occurs has not significantly undercut the overall impact of
sanctions on Saddam's regime.
Q Richard, the U.S. monitors with its own personnel
in Jordan, for instance? You know, the way they keep track of
settlements, for instance, on the West Bank.
MR. BOUCHER: Howard, I think I have to just leave it
to say that we're in close touch with the Jordanian Government,
and we also follow the situation there closely.
Q But you're getting reports from the Jordanians on
compliance?
MR. BOUCHER: We talk to them regularly about the
question of leakage and compliance and issues like that, and we
also monitor the situation.
Q How satisfied is the United States --
MR. BOUCHER: Let's go back here.
Q I'd like to go back on the Middle East. The mood
of the negotiation, is that getting better or worse or the same?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to try to characterize it.
The parties have done a great job of talking to you every time
they walk in and out of the building, and I'll leave it to them.
Mark?
Q How satisfied is the United States with Jordanian
cooperation?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have a way of characterizing it,
Mark, other than noting the facts as I've noted them. They've
taken a number of steps to ensure compliance with the sanctions.
Naturally that pleases us. There is some leakage going on.
We'd like to see steps that could make that stop.
But as I said, in terms of the overall impact, it
doesn't appear to have had a significant impact in propping up
the regime.
Q With regard to the issue of human rights, on
February 10 the U.N. Human Rights Commission -- a special
rapporteur of the Commission in Geneva -- issued a request to
the U.S. Government regarding a response on accusations of
political persecution against Democratic Presidential candidate
Lyndon LaRouche. They have received no response from that
request.
Is this stonewalling on the part of the Government to
respond to a U.N. Human Rights Commission? And is it wise, in
the situation now -- when the United Nations, of course, is
playing a much more significant role -- in regard to U.S.
policy? And doesn't it contradict the concern for human rights
violations everywhere, or is there a special criteria in one
part of the world and not in the other part of the world?
MR. BOUCHER: I wasn't aware of this request from the
U.N. Human Rights Commission. I'll have to look into it and see
if it has any deadlines or anything like that attached to it.
Q In the question -- in your response on Jordan, you
used the phrase -- once it was printed and once you verbalized
it -- "There's some leakage."
Now, wait a minute. You said at the beginning of your
statement, food and medicine -- sort of humanitarian.
MR. BOUCHER: And I also said we know that some other
items, mostly consumer goods, have leaked across the border as
well.
Q Well, there's a little air between "some
other/mostly." Is there anything -- what is Jordan doing for
Iraq that you can tell us, apart from food and medicine?
There's some leakage. Most of the some other items. I think
you're leaving something out -- the State Department is?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have a list of items that have
been shipped surreptitiously.
Q Well, anything that goes "bang bang," for
instance?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll check if anything that goes "bang
bang" is going across the border into Iraq.
Q Besides sandwiches.
[Kuwait: Situation A Year After Iraqi Invasion]
Q Richard, I understand it's Liberation Day today in
Kuwait. Do you have any words to mark that occasion? And if I
may, after you've answered that, I have a follow-up.
MR. BOUCHER: He already thinks that my response is
going to be insufficient. (Laughter).
Q No, no, not at all.
MR. BOUCHER: I asked people to look at the situation
just in case you wanted me to do this, so let me go through it
in some way.
One year ago, coalition forces achieved the goal of
driving out Iraqi occupying troops from Kuwait. This was a
military triumph, but it was also a stunning victory for the
international rule of law.
One year after Operation Desert Storm, we note that,
first of all, the Iraqi dictator can no longer threaten to
blackmail the world with weapons of mass destruction or with
control of critical energy resources.
The United Nations is supervising demarcation of the
Iraq-Kuwait border, and United Nations observers supervise a
demilitarized zone which straddles the border.
Kuwait is free from the grip of a horrific occupation.
Kuwait is also well on its way to restoring the economic and
social infrastructure. For example, Kuwaiti schools opened on
August 24. Firefighting teams, as you know, have brought the
wells under control well before the experts had predicted. Life
has fully returned to a shattered country.
Following liberation, the Emir of Kuwait announced that
the government would hold elections for the National Assembly in
October 1992. That is a move which we strongly support.
The Kuwaiti Government abolished prior censorship of
the press on January 12. Kuwaiti press coverage of the opening
of the campaign season and the full range of political and
social issues, we understand, is critical and is vigorous.
Regrettably, there is much unfinished business. Over
1,000 Kuwaitis and other residents of Kuwait who disappeared at
the hands of Iraqi forces still remain unaccounted for.
Iraq is obliged under the U.N. Security Council
resolutions to cooperate fully with the International Committee
of the Red Cross on repatriation of all detainees. It has thus
far refused to do so. The United States will accept nothing
less than full Iraqi compliance with this as well as other
United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Q I note one omission from your statement, otherwise
a very full statement; and that is that before the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait there was a flourishing Palestinian community
of roughly a quarter of a million people in Kuwait. Since the
liberation, that community has been sent away, deported,
transferred, to use a word, from -- to borrow a word from the
Israeli lexicon. Don't you think that's worthy of comment in
some way?
MR. BOUCHER: I hadn't focused on that situation in
particular, Alan. I know you've been following it. Various
people have been following it. We've seen various reports about
what's going on there with this community.
Let me see if I can get you some kind of update.
Q Well, with the greatest of respect, you just gave
us a very full statement. You talked about oil wells; you
talked about elections; you talked about the military triumph;
you talked about the Kuwaitis that are still missing. You
completely omitted the Palestinians. I find that --
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I tried to focus on any
particular community or group in Kuwait, Alan.
Q Or a group that no longer is in Kuwait, in this
particular case.
MR. BOUCHER: I'll look into it and get you something.
Q Do you have any comment on it?
MR. BOUCHER: Not off the top of my head. I said I'd
look into it and I'd get him something.
Q You've addressed this issue before.
MR. BOUCHER: We have addressed the issue before. We
expressed our concerns about some of the violence that took
place in the --
Q This is an omission --
MR. BOUCHER: We cited in the past, I think, many of
the steps that were taken to end the abuses which had occurred
against Palestinians and some others inside Kuwait. We have, as
I said in my statement today, not really focused on any
particular groups or the population inside Kuwait, but I'll be
glad to get an update.
Q Can I ask you one more? There are 250 women --
mostly Asian women -- who have taken refuge in the embassies of
Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India and Bangladesh. They're maids
who have come to Kuwait to work for Kuwaitis and they say that
they've been beaten and raped and cheated. There are pictures
of some of them with cigarette burns on them, and they're
basically barricaded in the embassies.
Are you aware of this situation? If you are, do you
have any comment on it?
MR. BOUCHER: I personally am not aware of it. I'll
have to look into it and see what we know.
Q Richard, a follow-up on the same issue. A large
percentage of the Palestinians who were expelled from Kuwait are
now in Jordan -- something approaching 250,000, it's my
understanding. It comes close to the number of formerly Soviet
emigres now in Israel for whom the U.S. has expressed a great
deal of support and is now obviously negotiating the $10 billion
loan guarantees.
Is there any intention on the part of the U.S. to take
some level of similar responsibility in supporting the Jordanian
Government's efforts to provide housing, for example, for the
Palestinians who are, I believe -- many of the them -- still in
camps in Jordan without adequate shelter, food, education,
medical care, etc., in very large numbers as a result of the
Gulf War?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to look into that.
Q Can I go back to the Leahy-Baker question and
simply ask, are the two coordinating or consulting --
coordinating is really what I mean -- in the public statements
they're making about housing loan guarantees and settlements?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know, Barry.
Q Could I put the question --
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know how to answer that. The
Secretary and Senator Leahy have met in the past. The Secretary
has consulted with various members of Congress as he's gone
forward with his discussions. That's about all I can tell you
on that.
Q But Leahy is out front, especially. It has some
earmarks of a good "cop/bad cop" technique. The Secretary is
rather adept at political strategy, and I wonder if somehow this
is going to turn out to be the result of Israel being offered
something they could have had in the first place but it would
look a lot better after all this. And I wonder if the two are
working together.
MR. BOUCHER: Barry, I'm not in a position to go beyond
saying that the Secretary has consulted with various members of
Congress. You know that he's had meetings with Senator Leahy.
He himself has described his negotiations with the Government of
Israel and his three meetings with the Israeli Ambassador. I
don't have anything to go beyond that. He's described what he's
doing.
Q By the way, when you talk about "driving force,"
is he considering a trip to the Middle East in April, do you
know?
MR. BOUCHER: Not that I've heard of, Barry. Again,
I'd have to check.
Q There was talk yesterday in the briefings of the
delegations to the peace talks that they would like to extend
the current round of peace talks until March 11, since the month
of Ramadan will begin next month and they will not be meeting
for a long time. Do you have any opinion on this -- extending
this beyond March 4, which had been set earlier?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, as far as we're concerned, the
parties are welcome to stay and negotiate as long as they like.
Q Richard, has the Department been approached by the
Japanese Government to get involved in the stabbing murder of a
Japanese businessman in California a couple of weeks ago in what
may have been a hate crime?
MR. BOUCHER: I'd have to check on that, Bill. I don't
know.
Q Can you, please?
MR. BOUCHER: Yes.
Q Richard, another question about the missing
Kuwaitis. You say the U.S. will accept nothing less than Iraqi
compliance with the requirements to allow inspectors. What kind
of deadline, what kind of muscle are you envisioning behind that
commitment?
Q Can we get a copy of that statement about Kuwait,
please?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll try to get you a copy once I clean
mine up.
I think the basic point is that in accepting Resolution
687, Iraq reaffirmed its obligation to work with the
International Committee of the Red Cross to resolve this issue.
As I said, they haven't lived up to this obligation. They
continue to deny ICRC unrestricted access. They haven't
cooperated with the ICRC in investigating the whereabouts of
those on the list of missing submitted by the Kuwaiti
Government.
In fact, in their statements to the United Nations they
even refused to acknowledge the existence of such a list.
We're continuing to work with our coalition partners to
resolve this and all the other outstanding issues from
Resolution 687. We think that maintaining the economic
sanctions which the U.N. has imposed upon Iraq, is a key to
obtaining Iraq's compliance with this and the other applicable
resolutions.
Q Do you have any comment on Mubarak-Mitterrand
talks regarding Libya and the pressure on Libya which are going
on in Paris today?
MR. BOUCHER: No.
Q Richard, China has handed down some sentences from
the Tiananmen Square days. Do you have any reaction to that or
statement on it?
MR. BOUCHER: We're deeply disappointed that the
Chinese Government persists in considering peaceful expression
of political views to be counter-revolutionary incitement, thus
deserving of imprisonment.
We again call on the Chinese Government to immediately
release all those detained purely for the peaceful expression of
their political and religious views.
Q The usual follow-up -- any action, apart from the
statement from this Department? You want to put back the
sanctions you took away last week? Do we want to delay MFN, or
any --
MR. BOUCHER: We maintain various measures that have
been imposed in the past. We continue to urge the Chinese
Government to take these steps. We continue our discussions and
hope to continue our dialogue with them on human rights issues.
Q Richard, it would be useful if you could maybe
provide us -- if it's possible -- with a list of measures that
are still in place, because I guess some of us are finding it
hard to keep track of what's still there and what isn't there
with regard to sanctions.
MR. BOUCHER: It shouldn't be too hard, Alan. It's
essentially what was imposed in June 1989.
Q Does that include a ban on high-level contacts,
for instance, and meetings?
MR. BOUCHER: It includes the cancellation of the
high-level ceremonial type visits that we've had. We've said
then, and we have said over the course of some meetings, that
when we have business to pursue at a certain level, we'll do
that. You know the Secretary has had some meetings, but you
also know that we're not delivering weapons. We haven't gone
forward with the liberalization of high tech that was planned at
the time. We're not supporting OPIC insurance, OPIC programs,
trade and development programs for China. We're not supporting
multilateral development loans that fall outside of the area of
basic human needs. Those are the ones that I can remember off
the top of my head.
Q Well, was it stated as ceremonial visits -- were
the words a ban on ceremonial visits?
I know that the Secretary has had some meetings, but --
MR. BOUCHER: The Secretary has had some meetings.
We've had some other meetings where it was important to pursue
business and to get progress like the progress we've seen in the
areas of non-proliferation, missile technology control, and to
continue the dialogue that we've had on human rights.
Q Yeah, but my question is, when that was originally
stated, did it say "ceremonial visits," the way you've just
expressed it?
MR. BOUCHER: It said that there were not going to be
certain high-level visits, and I think we specified at that
point exactly which ones.
Q Last Thursday, when Faisal Husseini met with
Secretary Baker before the peace talks began, he brought to the
Secretary the concern of the Palestinian delegation that two
members of the delegation -- Hourani and Shoubaki -- were
arrested and they are behind bars. I think there was some
assurances of Mr. Husseini, when he -- after the meeting, he
spoke here briefly that the Secretary will follow this and the
State Department is very concerned about this.
Have you been following this with the Israelis? And
what do you have to report to us so far, and when will they be
released, if you can?
MR. BOUCHER: Last week, when this happened, we
expressed our concern. We said we raised it with the Israeli
Government. I will try to get you -- I'll see if there's update
on that.
Q Thank you.
(Press briefing concluded 1:21 p.m.)