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US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1993
Subject Page
ANNOUNCEMENT
Introduction of Student Intern Danielle Tracy ..1
HAITI
Implementation of Governor's Island Accord .....1-2,5
-- Caputo Calls for Talks among Parties .......1-2,5
Sanctions/Naval Blockade: ......................2-3,8-9
-- Ship Boardings .............................2,6
-- Tightening Sanctions/Policy of US/Others ...2-3,8-9
-- Impact on Haitians .........................3
-- Assets Frozen in US ........................3
Restoration of Democracy .......................4-5
Return of UN Mission/Timing ....................5
Report 650 Marines Aboard US Ship/Purpose ......5-6
Possible Broadening Political Participation ....6-8
Haitians Departing/Repatriated/Detained ........8
Safety of Aristide .............................9-10
LEBANON
Reported Abduction of General Aoun's Supporters 11
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
Bilateral Talks ................................11
-- Israeli-Jordanian Talks on Banking .........11
-- Upcoming Talks in Washington ...............11-13
Reported Visit to US by Rabin ..................11-12
Responsibility for Rabin-Arafat Meeting ........12-13
Implementing Declaration of Principles .........13
NORTH KOREA
Has Blix Report on Safeguards ..................13-15
IAEA Inspections/Replacement of Film ...........14
GERMANY
Attack on Americans by Neo-Nazis ...............14
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
Report Bosnian Army Killed 19 Escaping Prisoners 14
DEPARTMENT
Secretary's Speech Tomorrow on NAFTA ...........15
-- No Daily Press Briefing ....................15
Secretary to Testify on Hill November 4-5 ......15
(###)
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPC #144
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1993, 1:05 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. McCURRY: A cheerful good afternoon to all of you. I have
one announcement at the very outset. I'd like to introduce Danielle
Tracy. Danielle, please stand up and show yourself off for our troops
here.
She's an intern in our Press Office, studying journalism at
Binghamton University in upstate New York. She's been of very great
help to us, and I know she'll be a help to you. She's here to learn
from all of us and, unfortunately, from all of you as well (laughter)
given that her professional interest is journalism. But as I often say
of all of you and said to her, this is I think arguably the world's
finest press corps, so I think she can learn a lot from you.
And with that happy thought -- a good way to begin on a
Monday. O.K., that's the last nice thing we'll say today. I'll go to
your questions.
Q Gee, I don't have any.
MR. McCURRY: All right. Anybody? Great. See you later.
(Laughter)
Q Can you tell us what's going on on Haiti?
MR. McCURRY: On Haiti. I think the latest on Haiti -- a
couple of things that I'll cover. Starting with what I think is most
important is the initiative we talked about Friday by the U.N. Special
Envoy, Dante Caputo. I think, as you know, he called for urgent high-
level talks among the parties to resolve the problems, the impediments
that have developed as the Governor's Island process itself continues to
await implementation. He indicated that the talks that he has called
for between the parties that he has invited could be held in a location
-- including a location inside Haiti -- but that has not been resolved.
Again, I would emphasize, these are not discussions or talks
that are aimed at rewriting any part of the Governor's Island Accord.
They're really designed to unblock those impediments that have
developed to full implementation of the accords agreed to by the parties
in New York. Those steps are the same ones that you're familiar with.
They include the creation of a new police force, the appointment of a
new army and police commanders, an amnesty law and President Aristide's
return to Haiti, steps necessary for the restoration of democracy to
Haiti itself.
That's the status of the dialogue. We continue an aggressive
program of enforcing the sanctions that have been implemented by the
United Nations. I've got some update, I think, on total boardings.
Through Sunday, there have been a total of 39 ship boardings, 12 ship
diversions. Seven of the ship boardings occurred since we talked on
Friday. Five vessels were allowed to proceed; two were diverted because
their cargo was inaccessible. My understanding is that the cargo
container ships -- it wasn't possible to examine the cargo and they were
diverted elsewhere.
I think that's about all I have. I think the Times story
today concerning the CIA, I've got nothing to say on that. No comment
as it is an intelligence matter.
Q Mike, last week Aristide called for stiffening the
sanctions still further. Can you explain what the U.S. Government's
position on that is right now?
MR. McCURRY: In addition to the sanctions ordered by the OAS
and the United Nations, we, in a sense, stiffened the sanctions on our
own through some of the unilateral steps that we took, including
freezing certain assets and restricting certain travel by named
individuals in Haiti.
We continue to believe that's an effective tool that can be
used to bring pressure on those who are blocking implementation of the
Governor's Island Accord. We continue to urge other countries to
consider similar measures to bring more weight behind the pressure
growing on those responsible for thwarting the implementation of the
accord and the restoration of democracy to Haiti.
Q Has any other country taken you up on that?
MR. McCURRY: We have had some indications from other
countries -- I can't detail them for you -- but some indications that
other countries are willing to consider similar measures.
Q That does not address the question of whether or not the
United States supports the notion of a total embargo, as requested by
Aristide?
MR. McCURRY: We have not ruled out a total blockade. The
steps that we're taking at the moment, though, are the ones that you're
aware of and ones that we think, over time, will have an impact. We
think that the economic pressure that is growing as a result of the
U.N. and OAS ordered embargoes will have their effect on the political
dialogue in Haiti and that we continue to think, given time for those
sanctions to have their effect, the pressure will grow on those
authorities and that they will understand their responsibility is to
return to exactly the type of discussion that the Special Envoy has
asked for so that we can resolve the impediments that have been placed
in front of the Governor's Island process.
Mary.
Q But how concerned are you that a total blockade would --
there's been interview after interview on TV each night of aid workers
in hospitals in Haiti saying patients are dying already because of the
blockade; more will surely die. How much does that factor into the
thinking on a total blockade?
MR. McCURRY: That is a factor. I think you've often heard us
describe economic sanctions as a blunt instrument and it is true that
innocents pay a price for economic sanctions. That's the nature of the
tool itself. But it's also a reminder to those who would claim to be in
a position of authority in Haiti that their own people will suffer
because of their continuing refusal to honor the commitments they made
at the time the Governor's Island Accord was negotiated.
Q Can you say what the other factors are? I guess I'm
curious why there's any hesitancy at all to maximize the pressure on
these guys -- the same sorts of sanctions we have on Serbia, for
instance.
MR. McCURRY: Well, I think exactly because of Mary's question
and because of the reports some of you are familiar with, because of the
nature of the tool itself, there are consequences for those who are not
responsible for the disruption of the Governor's Island process. That
is a source of concern to us. Obviously, we are troubled when innocent
civilians -- especially innocent children -- pay the price for these
sanctions.
But the important point, again, is ultimately -- the burden of
those consequences fall upon those in Haiti who are refusing to honor
the commitments that they made.
Q Mike, I think it was last Friday you were asked to
quantify the frozen assets. Have you gotten any numbers on it?
MR. McCURRY: I haven't had a lot of luck with that. We have
been in contact with the Treasury because they administer sanctions
enforcement, I think as you know. They tell us that the dollar volume
of assets involved with our unilateral action on freezing assets is in
the "tens of millions." They do have some information on specific
individuals who are directly affected by the sanctions and I think if
you contact them, they can walk you through some of that.
It's a changing number -- the number of blocked accounts --
and the assets involved is apparently something that is hard for them to
give any great specifics to. I would suggest that you call the Treasury
office responsible for looking at that question. They do have some
information that's available.
Q And this "tens of millions" just refers to the frozen
assets that are in the United States, or within U.S. reach?
MR. McCURRY: I believe those are accounts within the United
States. I'm not positive of that, though, so it would be good to
double-check that.
Q What about any estimate of global?
MR. McCURRY: Foreign accounts?
Q Yes.
MR. McCURRY: They may have some estimates on that. I don't
have that here, though.
Q Michael, is this Administration establishing any
difference between the goal of return of democracy to Haiti and return
of Aristide to Haiti?
MR. McCURRY: We're not splitting hairs in that sense because
we remain fully committed to the Governor's Island process. That has a
number of steps -- the ones that I identified just a moment ago -- that
culminate in the return of President Aristide who was elected by the
Haitian people. So that is the process that we are attempting at this
points to unblock.
Q Are you saying that the return of Aristide is a
sinequanon condition for the return of democracy?
MR. McCURRY: It is the culminating step of the Governor's
Island process which represents at this point the process that's being
backed by the international community as it seeks the restoration of
democracy in Haiti.
Q Mike, the suggestion in a column yesterday that Aristide
step aside and that new elections be called, has that scenario been
discussed by any Government official that you're aware of?
MR. McCURRY: Not that I'm aware of. I think there have been
a variety of calls. I think, as you know, over the weekend, there were
some comments made by individuals associated with the right of center in
Haiti. All of those proposals to us at the moment represent something
other than the process which we believe -- and which the international
community believes -- offers the best prospect for the restoration of
democracy, and that's the step-by-step, fairly meticulously drawn
process that was negotiated at Governor's Island.
Q You say that the Administration remains committed to the
Governor's Island process. Does that mean it remains committed to
placing the 600 U.S. military trainers and advisers back into Haiti?
MR. McCURRY: As the U.N. Special Envoy said, the
establishment of that United Nations mission, as contained in Paragraph
Five of the Governor's Island Accord, is one of those steps that is
outlined in the process and it's something that the United States does
attach importance to, yes. As we have said all along, that they would
return -- we indicated that that mission would return to Haiti at the
point at which it could successfully complete its assignment.
Q On the proposal for new elections, you said, at the
moment they represent something other than what we support -- what the
United States supports -- which is the Governor's Island process. What
do you mean by "at the moment?" You mean it's possible that the United
States might support a return to democracy, i.e., the calling of new
elections?
MR. McCURRY: No, I didn't want to indicate that that's
something that we could conceivably support. What we support is the
process negotiated at Governor's Island, the one that the U.N. Special
Envoy is now attempting to reinvigorate with his call for additional
talks in Haiti or elsewhere.
Q Is it your understanding that the accord itself is, you
know, on the table again? You know, can be renegotiated?
MR. McCURRY: It's very specifically not up for renegotiation.
What is up for negotiation are discussions about how you can unblock the
hurdles that are being placed in front of this process.
The Special Envoy made very clear on Friday when he called for
these new negotiations that they were not designed to renegotiate the
accord itself. They were designed to examine those impediments being
placed in the way of the process to see how they could be removed.
Q Mike, a ship with 650 Marines on board has now taken its
place in the picket line. What's the purpose of having Marines on board
a ship if we don't have any intent to invade Haiti?
MR. McCURRY: I was not aware of that, but I'll check with the
Pentagon folks who can tell me a little bit more about what they've got
deployed. You're not referring to a Coast Guard vessel?
Q No.
MR. McCURRY: I'll see if we can talk to the Pentagon and find
out more about that deployment.
Q Mike, I was going to ask, in connection with -- if there
are no other questions asked -- among the 39 boardings, was there any
resistance? Anybody hurt? And what flags were these ships flying,
these 39 ships that were boarded?
MR. McCURRY: I don't have the detail on what flags they were
carrying. The only one that I'm aware of is the one we talked about
Friday. One Cypriot-flagged vessel was diverted because there was some
evidence that it had military-type vehicles on board, but I can see if I
can get some more information on what other flags --
Q And what about incidents, if any?
MR. McCURRY: I'm not aware that there have been any incidents
with any of these boardings. I think they've all been conducted within
peaceful norms.
Q It would appear then, from what you were just saying,
that the 650 Marines who were sent there are not there because of any
incidents connected with the boardings or something else?
MR. McCURRY: I don't want to speculate as to their mission
not knowing how they're deployed and where they're deployed.
Q Can I go to the Middle East now, please?
MR. McCURRY: We've got some more here.
Q Among the demands of the right-wingers, evidently, is
that Caputo himself step down and there's been one suggestion that he be
replaced by Colin Powell. Do you have any thoughts on that?
MR. McCURRY: As highly regarded as Colin Powell is, it's
Dante Caputo who is now negotiating on behalf of the United Nations. I
believe he has the full backing of the United Nations, including the
United States.
Q Mike, one of the hurdles that's been put in place for
Governor's Island has been a suggestion that President Aristide broaden
his government, which was made to him and rejected. Is that once again
a live option?
MR. McCURRY: You'll have to refresh my memory because I think
some discussion of this occurred while we were travelling with the
Secretary abroad. But I think during that period there were some
discussions that we had about the importance of broadening the political
coalition that could help with the restoration of democracy in Haiti.
I believe there were some suggestions made here by
policymakers within the Administration that it would be useful to
include other elements of the political life of Haiti within both the
government and within the political coalition that could support
President Aristide and the Malval government. They specifically
excluded participation by those who would clearly be seen as thwarting
the process of democratization in Haiti. I think there were some very
specific people mentioned.
Q Can I follow up on that? Have there been any direct
discussions with President Aristide or Aristide's people on this issue?
MR. McCURRY: I don't know the answer to that, Steve.
Q I want to be clear because --
MR. McCURRY: There have been close discussions with Prime
Minister Malval and with others in the Governor's Island process, but I
don't know the detail to which they've discussed questions like
broadening the political participation within the government itself.
Q I want to be clear because that changes things from the
harmony guidance, I guess I would call it, that Christopher recited when
asked about Haiti in Latvia. His position then was we have no
objections. We don't stand in the way should they decide, for the sake
of harmony, to bring in opposition parties but, gee, we wouldn't want
them to bring in any of the thugs.
MR. McCURRY: No. That's exactly the position.
Q No. You said something more. You said this is being
pushed, or this has been proposed by people in the State Department. Is
it now a U.S. initiative to lean on Aristide to bring in opposition
people?
MR. McCURRY: No. My remarks were meant to be entirely
consistent with the Secretary's. It's not something we would object to,
but we have encouraged -- we haven't made a specific request to any of
the parties to take specific steps to include specific opposition
parties. In the general proposition of making sure there's broad
political support within Haiti's political life for the work of the
government and for the effort to restore democracy, that is something
that we have suggested in our conversations with him, but not as to
specific participation by specific opposition elements.
Q Mike, you mentioned this initiative to broaden political
participation as one of the ideas that some people in the building think
could help unblock the Governor's Island process. Are there any other
ideas that are out there that the U.S. State Department thinks could
help unblock the process?
MR. McCURRY: The principal idea is to have the discussions
that the Special Envoy has called for. In the course of those
discussions, you can explore different ideas that would work to unblock
the process. I don't want to detail them now. I think what we're
hoping for is exactly the type of conversation that would provide some
answers to a question like that.
Q Is the number of boat people on the upswing again?
MR. McCURRY: Not that we have detected. The last
interdiction by the Coast Guard was on October 26 when there were 28
Haitians picked up. They were repatriated to Port-au-Prince without
incident.
There were four Haitians who were held by the police following
the interdiction of 15 Haitians on October 25, and their repatriation to
Port-au-Prince on October -- they were repatriated on October 27.
I think those were the four who had been held by the police,
and our understanding is that they were released Friday afternoon.
These were the only two interdictions and repatriations since September
20.
Q Well, on that point, one of the reasons you and others
have said that this is a matter of U.S. national security is the
prospect of hundreds or thousands of boat people heading this way. This
does not appear to be happening.
Does this reduce in any sense the vital national interests of
the United States?
MR. McCURRY: No. I think it would reflect, to the contrary,
the very strong presentation we have made publicly about the
continuation of our policies as they relate to refugees, and it's also
the very strong commitment we've made through the presence of the United
States Coast Guard off Haiti to demonstrate that we intend to follow our
policy very, very carefully.
I think that message is probably being received loud and clear
in Haiti.
Q Michael, if I could just follow up. I just want to tie
up some loose ends on this question of the blockade. I'm a little bit
confused. Are you saying that the U.S. would support a more
comprehensive blockade, even though it does believe that a more
comprehensive blockade would cost the lives of some Haitians?
MR. McCURRY: No, I'm saying that we have not ruled out
additional stricter sanctions. But at the moment the sanctions that are
in effect, that we are helping to enforce, we believe can be effective
in bringing pressure to bear on the parties that need to get back to the
Governor's Island process.
Q Mike, let me follow on Barry's question. When the
Secretary was in Riga, he and other U.S. officials made it pretty clear
that they didn't think it was safe enough for Aristide to go down there
over the weekend.
My question is how -- what needs to happen on the ground for
it to become safe enough for Aristide, as far as the Administration is
concerned?
MR. McCURRY: I'm not a security expert. I wouldn't want to
speculate on it, but I can tell you one thing that I think would
generate some confidence is for the parties to accept the invitation of
the U.N. Special Envoy to begin the discussions about getting the
Governor's Island process back on track. That would be certainly among
the things that would inspire some confidence about the security
situation in Haiti.
Q Mike, isn't it a fine line between talking about what is
necessary -- negotiating to unblock the Governor's Island Accord and
renegotiating the Governor's Island Accord. I don't understand the
difference.
MR. McCURRY: I don't know that I want to help you understand
the difference. (Laughter)
Q I just wonder how long do these negotiations and the
sanctions go on? Is there no time limit? Is there no limit to the
patience of the United States in bringing this to a conclusion?
MR. McCURRY: I mean, "patience" is not the accurate way to
describe the very vigorous enforcement of the sanctions ordered by the
world community that's now going on off Haiti, and those do, in effect,
provide a timetable because they begin to have enormous consequences for
the people of Haiti and specifically for the military and police
authorities that are currently blocking the process.
So that provides in a sense a timetable that does bring
additional pressure.
Q Well, have you noticed any yielding on the Governor's
Island Accords as a result of the sanctions so far?
MR. McCURRY: We haven't noticed yielding, but there continue
to be discussions underway, and there continues to be hope by the
Special Envoy that the type of convocation that he is describing might
make a difference.
Q Most of the people there simply report -- most of the
reporters there simply report the belief of the military and the police
that the Governor's Island Accords are now history. That's what they
think.
MR. McCURRY: I don't know whether that represents a majority
opinion in Haiti, but I do think that there is a process embedded in
that accord that can be useful in looking at ways to restore democracy
to Haiti. I think that's why the United Nations Special Envoy, and the
United States working with that U.N. effort, believes that that accord
can be made the foundation for steps that would, in fact, bring back a
return to democratic life in Haiti.
Q Mike, can I follow up on Sid's question on what would it
take to make Haiti safe for President Aristide. Given the fact that
you've got all these Duvalierists and others who are actually calling
for Cedras to resign, has the United States identified any elements
within the Haitian military or police that would be able to provide a
secure environment once President Aristide is returned?
MR. McCURRY: Within the existing military and police?
Q Yes.
MR. McCURRY: I'm not aware of any, Steve. The only steps
that I'm aware of that we've taken are to train some Haitians who might
be able to serve as a bodyguard function for President Aristide. But I
do believe -- the sense has been that would be successful only to the
degree that there was some cooperation from the military and from a
separated civilian police.
Q Who's going to lead this military or separate civilian
police? If you haven't identified people who would guarantee Aristide's
safety, who is going to be the commander of this new army and this new
police force?
MR. McCURRY: Through the Embassy, through the work of
Ambassador Swing, they have had -- I mean, they watch very carefully the
emerging political dynamic in Haiti, and I think that they certainly are
aware that there would be people who would replace those whose
resignations or departures are suggested in the Governor's Island
Accord. That is a question that you can presume that they have
examined, but not one that I can comment upon at any great length.
Q Has the Administration offered bodyguards -- American
bodyguards for Aristide if he wants to go back?
MR. McCURRY: Yes -- no, I'm sorry -- we have participated in
training Haitian bodyguards, feeling that that is the appropriate --
Q No offer of Americans to go help to --
MR. McCURRY: Not that I'm aware of.
Q Okay, Mike?
MR. McCURRY: Next subject.
Q Thank you.
MR. McCURRY: Joe.
Q A colleague has asked me to ask you about the situation
in Lebanon in which seven Lebanese who were supporters of General Aoun
-- Michel Aoun -- have been kidnapped and taken away some place for
possible torture, and so on, and they presume that Syrian agents, armed
civilians, abducted him. Have you something to say about that?
MR. McCURRY: I don't. Thank you for calling it to my
attention. I can see if we know anything about it and if we've got
anything to say about it.
Q Now, what about the beginning of the resumption of
bilateral talks? Do you have something on that?
MR. McCURRY: I don't, other than to say I think some of you
know that there are some -- I wanted to let you know in case you are
wondering -- the Israeli and Jordanian representatives have got some
discussions going on today on the issue of Jordanian banks and how they
might operate in the occupied territories. These talks are, in fact,
part of the bilateral peace negotiations between Jordan and Israel, and
they are talks technical in nature, expected to continue for a few days.
We'll leave it up to the parties to provide any detail on those
conversations.
As to the larger question about the resumption of talks, I
think you know Ambassador Ross has returned from the region, and he's
discussing with the Secretary the steps that we could take next to
continue to prod the process forward.
I don't at this time have any information on when we might
resume a round of discussions here in Washington or when the Secretary
might travel to the region, but those are all steps that are certainly
being discussed and contemplated here and with the parties themselves.
Q Mike, one Israeli newspaper is reporting today that Rabin
is coming to the United States and moving up his arrival here by a
couple of weeks to discuss, among other things, U.S. security guarantees
for the Golan should Israel get down from the Golan. Do you know
anything about that?
MR. McCURRY: I'll separate the questions. I wouldn't steer
you away from the idea that he might be coming, he might be coming some
time this month -- shortly, in fact. On the substance of his agenda, I
wouldn't want to speculate on that.
Q These banking talks, are they in Washington or in the
region?
MR. McCURRY: Here. Here, I think in the Department.
Q Mike, the Secretary has already said the U.S. is prepared
to provide security guarantees to Israel and Syria, should they work out
this question on the Golan. Is that still the case? Those things that
were discussed several months ago are still on the front burner?
MR. McCURRY: I don't know of anything that would -- any
change in the type of discussions that we've had on that question with
the parties.
Q Michael, when you say he's coming and coming soon, is
there a reason why this can't be announced?
MR. McCURRY: Only because I want to check with my friends
over in the direction of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before I say anything
specific -- which you might do.
Q But did the U.S. speed up his visit? I mean, he had the
spontaneous idea to come here earlier, or did you kind of put a little
push behind him?
MR. McCURRY: The subject of his travels here and what his
agenda would be --
Q He was going to come around Thanksgiving time.
MR. McCURRY: -- came up in Ambassador Ross' recent travels.
I don't know the degree to which they discussed his itinerary or his
timing.
Q That's very polite, but did the U.S. ask him to be --
MR. McCURRY: I tend to be very polite.
Q -- over here pretty soon, because we want to talk to you
about the Golan Heights?
MR. McCURRY: I don't know that we communicate in that fashion
when we're talking with our close ally.
Q Well, you always have before.
Q Mike, you mentioned Dennis Ross (inaudible) the Middle
East. Following his speech before the National Association of Arab-
Americans, the second anniversary of the Madrid Conference, there's been
speculation that while some of the tactics that were employed in
bringing about the September 13 ceremony at the White House, the chief
architect of the proceedings since Madrid was by the United States, and
that Dennis Ross was the chief craftsman.
Can you comment on some -- that he was the strategist that
brought about this train of events coming to culmination on September
13, including the meeting between Arafat and Rabin.
MR. McCURRY: Ambassador Ross is an enormously talented and
gifted diplomat, but I doubt that even he would take that much credit
for the historic events that unfolded here in September.
Q In his speech last week, he took a lot of credit for the
United States. Norway's role seems to be vanishing and the U.S. role
seems to be growing every day, and those of us who were around this
story didn't happen to see all this activity.
I mean, we saw a lot of, you know, comings and goings and
Dennis kept going and coming and coming and going. But as far as we
figured out at that point, Israel and the PLO kind of did this
themselves with some help from Norway. But then history's conveniently
rewritten all the time.
MR. McCURRY: I think given the enormous and correct interest
that the international media had and the valuable role played by Norway,
Ambassador Ross was perhaps suggesting that there were some others who
helped nurture the process along. I believe that was the intent of his
remark.
Q Could I go a little further. What about the money for
the Palestinians? The Palestinians seem to be asking for a police force
of 25,000 officers and even if they only got $5,000 a year apiece, that
would be almost one-fifth of all the money that the Donors Conference
raised with such fanfare on -- when was it? -- October 1.
What do you think of things like that? And they want 700
square miles to represent Jericho, and all these other things. Is this
helping the peace process?
MR. McCURRY: I don't know that we have rendered any specific
judgments on that request. So what I can tell you is it is important
that within the structure of the joint Declaration of Principles, there
is a mechanism to address exactly this kind of issue. So, of course,
it's something that will go to the committee that's been established
that's now looking at the best means of implementing those accords.
Q There's a meeting supposed to be held by the committee
representing Jordan, Israel and the United States, to be held within a
few days. Is that to be held here? I don't know much more about it. I
didn't ask anyone.
MR. McCURRY: It's a good question. I don't know the answer
to that, but we certainly can find out more about when they're
scheduled. This is the three-way group called for in the Declaration.
I'll find out more about that, Joe.
Mary.
Q Michael, can you tell us what the status is with North
Korea on the issue of possible sanctions at the U.N.?
MR. McCURRY: I can't tell you anything at the moment beyond
where we were on Friday. My understanding is that the Director General
of the IAEA, Mr. Blix, will be reporting shortly in New York on the
status of his evaluation of the continuity of safeguards in North Korea.
Any suggestion that those safeguards -- the continuity of the safeguards
had been broken would likely trigger very quickly a referral back to the
United Nations Security Council, although it's not necessarily the only
thing that could trigger such a referral.
But at the moment, I think we're awaiting that report. We'll
certainly evaluate what he has to say, and we will continue to encourage
North Korea to take those steps necessary to satisfy the world community
that the continuity of important safeguards relating to proliferation
issues have been maintained.
Q That report's due today?
MR. McCURRY: Yes. It's my understanding it's being made by
the Director General at some point today, maybe even during this hour.
Q Mike, didn't the North Koreans say over the weekend that
the IAEA could replace the film in the cameras where it had run out?
MR. McCURRY: I saw some news accounts over the weekend
indicating that they had indicated a willingness to allow some
inspections. I don't know whether those are inspections that would
satisfy the concerns of the IAEA, and again we'll see what the Director
General of the IAEA reports on that question.
Q Do you have any reaction to the attack on Americans by
German neo-Nazis, and has this been taken up with the German Government
at all?
MR. McCURRY: I don't have a reaction here. There was some
discussion earlier of developing something, so if you could check in
with the Press Office later on this afternoon.
Q Mike, any reaction on the reports out of Bosnia that
members of the Bosnian army -- Muslim-dominant Bosnian army -- killed 19
prisoners, Croatian prisoners, who they claim were trying to escape?
MR. McCURRY: I had not seen that report. Reports of that
nature are things that we look at very carefully, because incidents of
that nature are something that we, of course, would condemn in the
strongest possible language. But I'll see if we've got something
further on that specific report.
Q Anything on the reports that U.N. peacekeepers have
involved themselves in the rapes --
MR. McCURRY: We saw that report just prior to the beginning
of the briefing, and we're attempting to learn more about that. I did
note on the news account that I saw that a spokesman for the United
Nations indicated that would be something that UNPROFOR would
investigate with a certain amount of urgency, which, of course, we would
expect.
Q Mike, are you going to make a comment after the Hans Blix
report to the U.N. Security Council this afternoon, or we have to wait
until tomorrow?
MR. McCURRY: I'll check an see if -- it may be possible,
depending on the nature of the report, that we might be able to get you
something today. If not, we will have to post something tomorrow.
By the way, there will not a Daily Briefing tomorrow, due to
the Secretary's speech in California on the important foreign policy
implications of NAFTA. I would also remind you later on in the week
that the Secretary's got some important appearances on Capitol Hill on
both Thursday and Friday, so we'll probably curtail the briefing
schedule for those days. But you'll have the Secretary those days
rather than the Spokesman.
Q With that in mind, if you get anything on the German
situation, could you maybe get it to us today?
MR. McCURRY: Yes. We'll get that out.
Q Could we get a guest speaker, Assistant Secretary level,
tomorrow?
MR. McCURRY: Not tomorrow. Later on in the week, I'm
arranging some -- during those days in which we're not having any formal
daily briefing, I'd like to have some others to come down and talk about
some things they are working on. I've got one planned for Friday at
this point, but I'll tell you more about it later in the week.
Q Would you let us know in advance?
MR. McCURRY: Barry, whatever we provide, it would be of
enormous interest to the press corps, I'm sure.
Q Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 1:40 p.m.)
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