US Department of State Daily Briefing #184:
Monday, 12/28/92
Snyder
Source: State Department Spokesman Joseph Snyder
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Dec, 28 199212/28/92
Category: Briefings
Region: Subsaharan Africa, E/C Europe, Eurasia, East Asia
Country: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro, Somalia,
Israel, Lebanon, Haiti, Russia, China, Iraq, North Korea
Subject: Regional/Civil Unrest, Military Affairs,
Development/Relief Aid, United Nations,
Mideast Peace Process, Trade/Economics, POW/MIA Issues,
NATO
12:42 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. JOE SNYDER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't
have anything for you. I'll be happy to take whatever questions you
might have.
[Bosnia: NATO Views]
Q There's an interesting story in the Times today about what
the United States might do if the Serbs take aggressive action
against Kosovo. Do you have anything on this?
MR. SNYDER: George, that was a reference to a message by the
President. As you know, we don't comment on Presidential
correspondence.
However, I can say we're deeply concerned about the situation
in Kosovo. We have discussed this with other governments, and our
concerns are widely shared in the international community.
We're watching and will continue to watch Serb actions in
Kosovo carefully. There should be no doubt that the United States
would take very seriously destabilizing acts by Serbia in Kosovo.
Let me repeat for you what NATO said on this subject on
December 17. I'm quoting from the NATO communique: "We are
deeply concerned about possible spillover of the conflict in Bosnia
and about the situation in Kosovo. We call urgently on all parties to
act with restraint and moderation. Serious negotiations on the
restoration of autonomy to Kosovo within Serbia and the guarantee
of full human rights should begin immediately under the
international conference on the former Yugoslavia.
"We are in favor of a U.N. preventive presence in Kosovo. An
explosion of violence in Kosovo could, by spreading the conflict,
constitute a serious threat to international peace and security and
would require an appropriate response by the international
community."
Q Precisely what is it that the Serbs are doing that is causing
deep concern?
MR. SNYDER: There's a general litany which we've gone
through before about their suspending the autonomy of the
province, educational policies and other things. I don't have a
laundry list right here.
Q Joe, has any directive gone out from the United
States that Americans should be out of Bosnia within the next
two weeks?
MR. SNYDER: Not that I'm aware of. We have a travel
advisory on urging Americans not to travel to Bosnia. In that
sense, there's a long-standing directive that there shouldn't be
any Americans there at all. But I'm not aware of anything new
that's gone out.
Q Joe, is the U.S. prepared to act unilaterally if
this conflict should spread beyond Bosnia and into Kosovo, or
anywhere else?
MR. SNYDER: I really don't want to have any further
comment on this article, which I presume is what your reference
is to.
Q Is there any further signs or any indications of
stepped-up Iraqi aggression anywhere else? CIA Director Gates
said there's been a long pattern of it. But in the last 24
hours since the incident, has there been any other indications
anywhere, either in the air, or the ground, or any Iraqi
movements or pronouncements that --
MR. SNYDER: Specifically in the last 24 hours I'm not
aware of anything. But we do see this flight of the Iraqi plane
into the "no-fly" zone as part of a pattern of an Iraqi
challenge to the United States and the U.N.
Iraq has continued to engage in a pattern of harassment
against various U.N. operations in Iraq, against UNSCOM
inspectors in the south, and against humanitarian operations in
the north of Iraq. These actions appear aimed at testing the
resolve of U.N. officials as well as the U.S. and coalition
allies in enforcing U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iraq.
This testing continued yesterday with their deliberate
intrusion into the "no-fly" zone established by coalition forces
to facilitate monitoring of Iraqi compliance with U.N. Security
Council Resolution 688.
U.S. and allied forces remain on alert and capable of
enforcing relevant U.N. resolutions. We are closely monitoring
the situation and are prepared to respond as necessary to
further harassments of U.N. operations.
Q Joe, is the U.S. moving another warship closer to
the area?
MR. SNYDER: Well, that would be a question for the
Pentagon.
Q You have nothing on it?
MR. SNYDER: The Pentagon is not going to comment on
future movements.
Q Present movements? Fait accompli?
MR. SNYDER: Ask the Pentagon.
Q OK.
Q Joe, since the plane was shot down there's been no
further evidence of Iraqi sorties?
MR. SNYDER: I'm certainly not aware of any evidence of
sorties or of any other specific actions. That's part of the
pattern which has been going on. This is -- what? -- 48 hours
old.
Q Anything new on southern Africa or ...
Q Wait, let me just take you back to the question
that Pam asked you before about whether the United States was
prepared to take unilateral action. You left -- you basically
didn't answer that question, leaving the distinct possibility
that the United States could take unilateral action. Is that
the impression you want to leave?
MR. SNYDER: Well, we've been working closely with the
United Nations, as you know, all the way through the entire
situation in the former Yugoslavia. We will obviously continue
to work closely with the United Nations. I just don't want to
-- as we have many times in the past, we don't rule out any
specific action; don't necessarily rule it in.
Our pattern has been to work closely with the U.N., and
it's important to us that we continue to work with the U.N.
Q Do you have anything new on the general situation
in southern Africa -- South Africa or Angola?
MR. SNYDER: Nothing especially, no.
Q Back to Iraq, Joe. What about a situation update
on northern Iraq, the sabotage of relief efforts you all were
talking about a week or so ago? Are the trucks moving again?
If not, why not?
MR. SNYDER: As you alluded to, the humanitarian relief
convoys have been suspended since a large number of trucks were
damaged or destroyed by Iraqi-planted bombs several weeks ago.
We understand that the United Nations is seeking to
organize a relief convoy to northern Iraq today. I don't know
the results yet, but there are continuing concerns on the part
of Turkish truck drivers regarding security for these convoys,
so we'll have to see what happens.
Q Anything new on the Palestinian deportations?
MR. SNYDER: We remain very disturbed by the situation.
There's an immediate humanitarian need that must be addressed.
We've been in touch with both Israel and Lebanon about
both sides' permitting international relief agencies to provide
the deportees with food, water, and medical supplies.
Q Any comments on why no other countries would take
them in?
MR. SNYDER: No. We don't comment on what other
countries do or don't do. It's up to them to comment.
Q Sometimes you do.
Q What about the United Nations role in this? Is
there anything you can tell us off the record or on the record
about negotiations in ...
MR. SNYDER: No, I've got nothing to say about the U.N.
Q ...Tel Aviv?
Q Do you have anything on Haitian migrants -- boat
people?
MR. SNDYER: I've got nothing specific, but do you have
a specific question?
Q Well, the continuing flow of the boat people,
whether there's any policy changes planned?
MR. SNYDER: There are no policy changes planned as far
as I know in the next three weeks, which is all I can talk
about.
Q Right.
Q Thank you.
MR. SNYDER: Thank you.
(Press briefing concluded 12:51 p.m.)