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US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1993
BRIEFER: Christine Shelly
Subject Page
YEMEN
Status of Haynes Mahoney ......................................1
NORTH KOREA
Response to US Proposals Still Pending ..........1-2
NICARAGUA
US Aid
........................................................................
......2
DEPARTMENT
Penalties for Diplomats Not Paying
Parking Fines
..............................................................2-4
IRAN
Travel Warning re: Salman Rushdie ...................4
HAITI
Prime Minister's Meetings in Washington ........4-5
-- Prospects for Resignation/US View ...........4-6
Effectiveness of Sanctions ....................................7
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
Results of Trilateral Committee on Economic
Development Meeting in the Department ........6-7
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPC #155
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1993, 1:11 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MS. SHELLY: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't
have any announcements to make so I'd be pleased to proceed directly to
taking your questions.
Q In Yemen, I understand that the government is not
interested in meeting the demands of the kidnappers, and I wonder if you
still believe that Mr. Mahoney will be released shortly?
MS. SHELLY: I have very little for you really on that. We
remain confident that the Yemeni authorities are doing all that they can
to obtain Mr. Mahoney's release.
We remain in close contact with the Interior Minister and with
other Yemeni officials.
We have received more messages from Mr. Mahoney indicating
that he remains in good health and in good spirits. But as to any other
factors related to his release and what is happening in those
negotiations, I cannot speculate on that.
Q So you are still confident that he will be released
shortly?
MS. SHELLY: We urge that he be released immediately.
Q And when you say more messages, this is beyond the tape
that you talked about yesterday?
MS. SHELLY: That's correct.
Q Can you say anything about the nature or the content of
these messages?
MS. SHELLY: I don't have any information on that.
Q Can I ask about North Korea, please?
MS. SHELLY: Sure.
Q Do you have anything further -- informal or formal --
from North Korea, or any further reading on the statements of yesterday?
MS. SHELLY: I really don't. The public statements are
obviously continuing to come out. We take note of what's in them; but,
as I said yesterday, we still are waiting for an official response.
Nothing has happened on that score. No plans for any meetings at
present, and I really don't have anything to add beyond yesterday.
Q Is there any indication of when you might get something
from them in New York?
MS. SHELLY: I honestly don't have any idea.
Q Do you have anything further on Nicaragua?
MS. SHELLY: On Nicaragua?
Q Yes.
MS. SHELLY: Nothing really in particular. As you know, the
President made his announcement on this yesterday and it was followed up
by a statement on U.S. assistance which put this in some context.
I think there really is very little that I can add to this
statement that we issued on this yesterday. I think basically the
statement stands on its own.
Q Can this be seen as a change in U.S. policy, as an
increase in the level of our support for President Chamorro?
MS. SHELLY: I think the reasons for taking this decision now
were made fairly clear both by the President and in our statement. So I
don't want to get into any kind of characterization about changes.
Q Is the State Department going to deny diplomatic plates
to countries that do not pay up on their parking tickets?
MS. SHELLY: I have something for you on that. If I can just
take a moment -- you're referring to The New York Times story on this,
in particular? Okay. If I can just take a minute to sort of go through
where we are on that.
The Department has not yet received New York's formal
proposal. We've been guided by a draft plan which was provided by the
city last year. We believe that the city's program represented in that
draft is fair and reasonable both to the city and to the diplomatic
community. We're prepared to lend our full support to that program.
The basis upon which the Department would be prepared to
withhold registrations in support of the city's program is something
that would still need to be worked out with the city once we receive
their formal proposal.
An important aspect, though, of the Department's plan in
support of the city's enforcement program would be to deny registration
or renewal of registration to vehicles with parking fines outstanding in
excess of one year.
As I'm sure you know, we have a similar kind of program that's
been going on in Washington on this.
The Department, early in 1993, submitted its proposal to the
District of Columbia on this. We are now working with them to reach the
final details on the formal plan. We expect that this will also, like
the New York plan, include denial of registrations or renewals on
approximately the same basis as in New York, and that this would go into
effect in early 1994.
Q And it would just be those two cities?
MS. SHELLY: My understanding for the moment is that it's just
these two cities which have embarked upon an effort to try to deal with
the problem. I don't have any information on any other cities at the
moment.
Q Have you seen an increase in the number of countries
paying up their fines in light of the Washington program?
MS. SHELLY: I don't actually have the numbers on that. I can
endeavor to get a response for you on that and see if I can post
something this afternoon. I know there was some movement once the
District of Columbia's program was announced. But as to exactly which
countries and what has been done, I'll see if I can get some data on
that and post it later.
Q In particular, Russia would be of interest since they, I
think, owed the largest amount.
MS. SHELLY: I'll see what we've got on that and see if I can
post something.
Q Do you have a list of those countries that actually are
involved? There are some obvious ones like Russia, but there are
others.
MS. SHELLY: Yes. I'll see what I can post.
Q So this actually has not happened yet?
MS. SHELLY: No. We're still in the process of working out
the final details of the program. But even the announcement of the
program and the anticipation that it was going to go into effect, at
least for the District of Columbia at the beginning of 1994, did
stimulate some payment actions.
Q Were there governments that protested this action, said
they would retaliate with our diplomats?
MS. SHELLY: I'm not aware of any. I'll be happy to check on
that point, though.
Q Has there been any concern or any hard intelligence
coming in of fears of any actual terrorist attacks against U.S.
consulates or diplomatic outpost overseas in retaliation for the
President meeting Salman Rushdie?
MS. SHELLY: No, I have no indication to that effect.
Q So the alert which was put out was a precautionary alert.
It wasn't in response to any concrete intelligence or fears that
anything specific might happen?
MS. SHELLY: The last time that a visit by this individual
occurred, we also deemed that it was the prudent thing to do, so we
issued the warning. It was deemed once again that that was the prudent
thing to do. I'm not aware that it was based on a link to any concrete
information on something. It was simply deemed to be the prudent thing
to do.
Q Can I go to Haiti? Prime Minister Malval is due here
tonight. Do you have anything on that?
MS. SHELLY: He is traveling to the United States. He intends
to meet with President Aristide. We will certainly also be having
official meetings with him while he's here. I don't have an appointment
schedule for you. I can see if can find something more concrete.
We do expect that Assistant Secretary Watson and Ambassador
Pezzullo will have meetings with him. And, if there's anything else I
can provide on this schedule, I'll try to do so later this afternoon.
Q Malval has indicated to Aristide that he plans to resign
as of December 15. Is the U.S. going to do anything to try to encourage
him to stay on, and what impact is that going to have on the whole
process if he does go through with this?
MS. SHELLY: My understanding is that he had said for some
time very openly that he wanted to serve in government until this
December 15 date, after which he might wish to return to private
business.
I think there are kind of mixed reports about the status of
his resignation. I've seen the reports on this as well. But I think
the precise question of this is really something that would need to be
put to him, himself.
Our view of this is that Malval has worked courageously to
help restore democracy to Haiti. His efforts have been absolutely
invaluable. We certainly recognize that the decision is his to make,
and we respect that. But we certainly would urge him to continue to
serve and certainly to be involved.
Q Do we favor greater sanctions at the U.N.?
MS. SHELLY: I don't have any specific thing for you on that
right now.
Q Wait. When you say, "urge him to continue to serve," do
you mean as Prime Minister?
MS. SHELLY: I think that we will respect whatever decision he
wishes to make. I think that we feel that he is a very critical player
in the process. I'm sure that this will be a subject for discussion
between him and President Aristide, so I don't really want to go beyond
that.
But certainly the timing of any potential departure is his to
make, but we would certainly be very happy if he would continue to serve
in his current position.
Q Doesn't that leave a really serious gap if he were to
leave? Who would be left in Haiti that you can deal with and try to
resolve this problem?
MS. SHELLY: That is kind of difficult to answer, since it is
really the whole mechanics of this and what his intentions are and what
might or might not happen related to either his decision to leave or any
potential successor, since that is all something that is going to be
discussed in a major way. I just wouldn't want to speculate on that. I
don't really have any light I can share on that at this point.
Q Can you tell me what incentive Pezzullo or Watson could
give him in trying to -- in urging him to stay? I mean, what's in it
for him to stay, or what's in it for his view of what ought to happen in
Haiti?
MS. SHELLY: The key point here, of course, is to try to get
the whole process and to get the goals that were identified in the
Governors Island agreement and all subsequent discussions and
negotiations -- the point of this is to still try to get the process
back on track, and Malval has certainly stayed the course on this. He
has devoted an enormous amount of personal energy and effort to trying
to keep the country going, trying to get the various parties to agree,
and to get closer to implementation of those commitments.
As to the exact specifics of what might be discussed by Watson
or any other officials, I just can't get into that. I am sure that they
will try to look for solutions to the current impasse, and we'll
certainly very much try to keep him engaged in the process in whatever
capacity.
Q It's just that he puts his life in danger, but the
United States has said that it's not in the national interest to put an
American life in danger to see the Governors Island Accords implemented.
MS. SHELLY: What's the question?
Q The question is: Why should he stay and remain in
danger?
MS. SHELLY: I don't want to address the danger point. He is
a man who clearly has a very strong sense of public service, and that
is, I'm sure, why he has stayed as long as he has. He has indicated
certainly his willingness to be involved, to be engaged, to try to get
things on the right track, and I think that his efforts on that, in
whatever capacity he would be in, we would certainly hope and expect
that those would continue. I don't think there's really much else to
say.
Q Perhaps I could simply ask, is there anything further
that the United States intends to propose to Mr. Malval to keep him on
the job? That is, any further action that the United States is prepared
to take that it hasn't already taken?
MS. SHELLY: What happens next is clearly the subject of his
meetings with the U.S. officials, and I just can't get into the
substance of that at this point.
Q Do you have anything about the meeting yesterday at the
State Department between Jordanian, Israeli and American officials?
MS. SHELLY: Yes. I have a little bit on that.
The second meeting of the U.S.-Jordanian-Israeli trilateral
economic committee was held in Washington on November 30 through
December 1. The group met in plenary and, as agreed at its first
meeting in Paris, proceeded to convene two sub-groups -- one on trade,
banking and finance, and one on economic cooperation and development.
Among the results of this trilateral, first, a Jordanian-
Israeli memorandum of understanding on banking was concluded which will
enable Jordanian banks to operate in the West Bank.
Secondly, there was a discussion about possible activities of
overall resource development in the Jordan Rift Valley. For example,
human resource development, industry, water and energy.
Thirdly, the participants agreed that the establishment of
trade arrangements was crucial to the economic well-being of the region.
All of the sides agreed to continue more detailed discussions
on these and other issues in the near future in the two agreed sub-
groups of the trilateral.
Q Could we go back to Haiti for a minute? Do you have any
assessment as to how well the sanctions have been working?
MS. SHELLY: I don't have any recent information really on
that. Still, my understanding is that the food and the medicine are
still getting to the most vulnerable. The humanitarian side is still
functioning.
We probably see the same reports that you do about the impact
in other respects on the economy. I'm not aware that we have done any
recent assessments or analysis of the precise impact. I'm certainly
happy to check into that and, if we have something concrete to say, I'll
try to post something this afternoon.
Q Thank you.
MS. SHELLY: Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 1:27 p.m.)
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