US State Dept Daily Press Briefing: 21 August 2007

Daily Press Briefing
Gonzalo R. Gallegos, Director, Office of Press Relations
Washington, DC
August 21, 2007

US State Dept Daily Press Briefing: 21 August 2007

INDEX:

IRAN

Reports of Dr. Esfandiari’s Release Require Confirmation
Other Detained Americans are Discussed on a Regular Basis Through the Swiss

IRAQ

We Know and Understand the Difficulty of the Political Reconciliation Process
We Encourage the Dialogue Underway
Reports of Iranian Engagement with Kurdish Party on Iran-Iraq Border

CYRPRESS

American Firm Among Those Bidding for Oil And Gas Exploration Licenses

RUSSIA / CZECH REPUBLIC

U.S. Working Towards a More Secure and Stable Europe

NORTH KOREA / DENUCLEARIZATION

Date for Working Group to be Held in Moscow Not Set
Blair Hall Has Been Attending Useful Discussions in Moscow
Bilateral Meetings Forthcoming

HURRICANE DEAN

No American Deaths to Report So Far
Special Briefing on the Hurricane this Afternoon

INDIA

Discussions of Civil-Nuclear Agreement by Indian Parliament is Their Prerogative

CUBA

Policy on Embargos Unlikely to Change

PAKISTAN

Release of Al-Qaeda Linked Prisoner
Pakistan Remains a Strong Ally and Friend

SERBIA / KOSOVO

Commentary on Plans for Kosovo’s Future

BANGLADESH

We Encourage Caretaker Government to Uphold Rule of Law / Human Rights

ISRAEL

Reports of International Meeting to Convene in Washington Area

TURKEY

Reports of Plane Hijackers Captured in Turkey

TRANSCRIPT:
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12:48 p.m. EDT

MR. GALLEGOS: Good afternoon. Okay, I don't have anything specific for you.

QUESTION: Can we start with the case of Dr. Haleh Esfandiari of the --

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes.

QUESTION: -- Woodrow Wilson Center? Do you have any confirmation that she has, indeed, been released on bail?

MR. GALLEGOS: Arshad, we've seen the reports and I'm working to confirm exactly what her situation is right now.

QUESTION: But you don't know if she has been released?

MR. GALLEGOS: No, we're continuing to try and find out exactly what her situation is at this moment.

QUESTION: How are you doing it? Is it through the Swiss, through the family? I mean, have you been in touch with the family?

MR. GALLEGOS: We -- there have been contacts made. We're -- we believe we're getting some good, solid information and once we have that, we'll share some more with you. But at this moment, that's about all I'd like to say about it.

Yes.

QUESTION: Gonzo, in respect to that situation, Lee Hamilton is saying from the Woodrow Wilson Center that he's even having trouble with the Iranians. They're obfuscating and not coming clean and he expected to get her release momentarily. Is that what you're seeing from the Iranians?

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I think the important thing for us is that all of the Americans will have the opportunity to be released first and then to come home and to be reunited with their families. That's what we're working towards. We're hoping to be able to get to that point and we're going to keep working at that.

Yes, Param.

QUESTION: Please comment on reports from Baghdad quoting --

QUESTION: Can we stay on this a little bit more?

MR. GALLEGOS: Sure, sorry about that. We'll get back to you, Param.

Yes.

QUESTION: Just -- can we have a little bit more on the current status of the other -- if I may use the word, hostages -- any other communications or any other requests for consular access to speak to any of the other detainees, anything else?

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, we work on a regular basis, you know, with the Swiss. I don't have the exact dates of the last time we've had a formal communication from the Swiss to the Iranian Government. However, we are in regular communication with them. We believe that they're communicating with the Iranians and we're working towards that point, so that's what we have for you today.

QUESTION: And was the first -- you said you've seen the news reports about Esfandiari. I mean, was this the first -- are you just relying on those reports? Was this a complete surprise, you just saw the reports today, or did you have any indications prior to this that she might be released?

MR. GALLEGOS: We have regular communications, we're getting information out, and I'd rather not go into the details of that at this point.

Yes, Param.

QUESTION: New topic?

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes.

QUESTION: Yeah, I just wanted to get to know the thinking in Washington following -- remarks by Mr. Crocker that the Iraqi progress has been extremely disappointing and that U.S. support for the government of Maliki was not a blank check.

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I think, first of all, your colleagues had an opportunity to attend Ambassador Crocker's briefing this morning. I'd probably refer you back to what they were able to see and the questions they were able to respond to. I have yet to see a transcript for the briefing. However, I think that we have -- we here and Ambassador Crocker has been clear about the difficulties in reaching political reconciliation, but also about its tremendous importance for Iraq. So we're working towards that. We know and understand from the President on down that this is a difficult task. We are helping them to do this. We will continue that effort and that's an important issue that we're going to follow up on. We're going to continue working through.

QUESTION: Is the organization frustrated by the lackluster progress and --

MR. GALLEGOS: Yeah. I would say that we all know and understand that when different equities are involved in any type of political discussion, there are differences of opinion that have to be worked out. The important thing is to bring the groups together. The important thing is for them to have a dialogue, which they seem to be doing. We're going to encourage that dialogue. We're going to continue working with them. And I believe that in any political process you reach a point where you're able to work through these difficulties, an agreement is reached and then you can continue on. That's what we're working for now.

QUESTION: Do you have any comment on the two senators who are quoted as saying they don't support the Maliki government?

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I think the important thing is that this Administration supports the Maliki government. We stand forthrightly behind them and we're going to continue working with them to reach this political reconciliation to help stabilize the country and to assist them in becoming a country that can secure itself, that can provide for itself and that can continue forward in a democratic way.

Yes, Lambros.

QUESTION: Mr. Gallegos, any respond to the -- yesterday's pending question on oil exploration by the Republic of Cyprus in its own economic zone?

MR. GALLEGOS: Besides the taken question that I posted and then one of my staff handed to you, I'd be happy to go into that.

QUESTION: Just for the record.

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes. The Republic of Cyprus has announced the results of bids to obtain oil and gas exploration licenses in Cyprus's exclusive economic zone. An American firm is among the bidders. The Republic of Cyprus is a sovereign nation with the right to request bids for oil exploration within its own economic zone. The involvement of U.S. firms in such investment is a business decision, not a political one.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes.

Yes, Arshad.

QUESTION: Did you check and do you have any comment beyond what you had this morning about the Russian chief -- chief of the Russian military staff's comments about how Czechoslovak -- the Czech Republic, excuse me, should reconsider its willingness to host part of the missile defense shield on its territory?

MR. GALLEGOS: No, I don't really have anything beyond that, Arshad. I think our position on that has been the same throughout and we hold firmly that, you know, we're working towards this effort to provide a more secure and stable Europe not only for ourselves but for our allies, and that includes our friends and allies in the region, including Russia. We will continue working with them, discussing the issue and moving towards that goal.

QUESTION: And did you get any -- do you have anything more to say either on the working group, the North Korean working group talks in Moscow, and have you yet scheduled a U.S.-North Korea bilateral working group meeting? Do you have the who, what, when and where of that yet?

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, to your last question, Arshad, I do not have -- I don't have a date, time or location for the working group meeting. However, Blair Hall, our Director of Eastern Asian Pacific Regional and Security Policy Office, has been attending the meeting. They held useful discussions in Moscow. Talks were full, open and undertaken in an cooperative spirit. These were working discussions to explore ideas and make recommendations to the heads of delegations for further consideration, and they weren't made to reach any formal agreements.

The working group discussed the principles and norms that might guide the Northeast Asia peace and security mechanism and touched on possible confidence-building measures among the six parties. Remember, what we're looking here is building blocks for the next plenary meeting to ensure that once they come together -- the six parties -- they can work towards the ultimate denuclearization of the peninsula.

QUESTION: And anything new on timing for six-party ministerial?

MR. GALLEGOS: No, I still don't have that.

Goyal.

QUESTION: Different subject?

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes.

QUESTION: On the (inaudible) you mentioned for the six parties, what exactly are these in terms of? The confidence-building measures.

MR. GALLEGOS: Oh, the -- oh, in terms of the six parties, we've had -- the working groups have met, are meeting, and we're still looking towards the U.S.-North Korea bilateral and the Japanese-North Korea bilateral, for which I don't have dates or locations yet for you. The idea here is that they're able to come together, that they're able to discuss openly the different issues that we need to come to an understanding of how we're going to first demobilize and then the content of the declaration that North Korea we hope will ultimately -- will ultimately make.

The idea is that they're able to iron out the issues that confront them so that when we do bring together the senior officials in the coming weeks, or the coming month, that they're able to act and not have to work through these issues that the plenaries -- that the -- excuse me, that the smaller groups, the bilaterals and such, are working through.

Yes, Charlie.

QUESTION: Can you give us an update on the hurricane? Any U.S. casualties noted from there, your people in the field?

MR. GALLEGOS: What I'd like to say right now is that we still do not have any reports of deaths or injuries -- American citizen death or injuries due to the hurricane that's moving into the Mexican peninsula. What I'd like to do other than that is to wait until we have our briefing at 2:30 so that you all can get a full accounting of our humanitarian assistance and the other actions we've taken, in addition to the earthquake that happened in Peru.

Goyal.

QUESTION: Could you make it clear where India and U.S. stands as far as this civil nuclear agreement in concerned? Last week, Sean said that if -- in case India tries to -- then the whole agreement is out of the way or scrapped. But yesterday, Prime Minister of India in the parliament told lawmakers there that as far as -- he's seeking their support from the left and right. And they do not agree with this agreement. But he said that the clear message is that India has a right to test, in case, if we have to. So where do we stand as far as -- clear the way for this agreement and the law?

MR. GALLEGOS: You have -- what I'd like -- Sean made a statement last week. I think that stands. I don't feel a need or would I try to expand on that. I refer you back to the statement that he made. My understanding is that the Indian Government is working through the issues internally. Obviously, we would have no comment on that. That is an issue for them to decide. We're working with our Congress here to move towards this agreement and we will continue that effort. We believe that this is an opportunity for India to have access to cheap electrical -- low-cost electrical power and an opportunity for the people to have economic development beyond the capacities at this point. So we're working our side of the issue here. The Indian Government is working their side. And we're committed to hopefully coming together and succeeding in this.

QUESTION: Just to follow up --

MR. GALLEGOS: Yeah.

QUESTION: That -- what Indians in India are concerned, and as do the Islamic who do not agree with this agreement, is that if neighbors like China and Pakistan continue to test nuclear tests and all that with them, where India stands, because India has no choice but to counter? That's the problem there.

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I think you should probably ask the Indian Government leaders about that issue; Indian parliamentarians. I'll leave them to comment on that.

Yes, Elise. Oh --

QUESTION: Are we still on India?

QUESTION: I'm still on India, yeah. When you said we are consulting with Congress here, did you mean to suggest that the Administration is trying to change either the terms of the agreement that Under Secretary Burns negotiated and concluded a couple of weeks ago, or that the Administration is trying to change the provisions of the law that I believe was passed in December that governs aspects of the agreement? Or was it more of a general statement that you're not engaged in any such effort now?

MR. GALLEGOS: No, that was more of a general station -- statement that we're having conversations --

QUESTION: Great.

MR. GALLEGOS: -- to express the position of the Administration and this Department on why believe this is an important initiative and why believe it should ultimately succeed.

QUESTION: But you're not looking at renegotiating?

MR. GALLEGOS: No. I'm not looking to change any policy on that issue from this podium today. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Fine.

MR. GALLEGOS: Or the rest of this week. (Laughter.)

Yes, Elise.

QUESTION: On Cuba, Barack Obama has an op-ed out today calling for an easing of the embargo to Cuba. Just wondering if you have any comment of that; if you think that's an ill-informed suggestion and whether you think that these types of comments by political candidates negatively affect the policy that you're trying to advance right now.

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, first of all, I'll be loathe to enter into the political realm; the political ring here. Suffice it to say that this Administration's policy on that is well known, has not changed, and I don't believe it's going to be changing in the near future. I know and understand, having served in Cuba, in Havana, the feelings of some people who believe that the policy should be changed. However, I've also seen the effects of a regime, the Castro regime, that has a tremendous capacity to take U.S. dollars and other funds that enter into Cuba to strip it away from the people who live in Cuba and then to use it to maintain their totalitarian regime.

The government there has become quite efficient at this. They've only become better at it as time goes by. And we don't see a willingness to open the society and therefore don't see a reason to be changing the policy there.

Yes.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) and forgive me, I don't remember his name, but that a person with alleged links to al-Qaida who had allegedly served as a source to the Pakistani Government and provided information about al-Qaida has been released. And I wonder what the U.S. Government thinks about his release. Should someone like this be released? Is this a good thing?

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, we coordinate closely with the Pakistani Government on a host of counterterrorism and security issues. I don't really -- I don't have any more information specific to this case; however, we're going to continue to work closely with them as a friend and ally under President Musharraf in our counterterrorism efforts.

QUESTION: But when you say you coordinate closely, were you aware that they were going to do this?

MR. GALLEGOS: Unfortunately, I don't have any more specific information on this -- on this individual case.

QUESTION: Could you take it? Could you see if -- the Pakistani Government for review?

MR. GALLEGOS: Yeah, I'll be happy to take it. Yes.

QUESTION: Especially the fact that the -- this guy was basically involved -- allegedly involved in al-Qaida plots to stage new terror strikes in the U.S., Great Britain and Kenya.

MR. GALLEGOS: Okay.

QUESTION: Why would you want somebody like that released? And if you didn't, did you make that clear to the Pakistani Government and/or are you making it clear to them now?

MR. GALLEGOS: We'll take the question.

Yes, Lambros.

QUESTION: On the Balkans. Mr. (inaudible) of Serbia said that U.S. must abandon an alleged plan to turn the breakaway province of Kosovo into "a NATO state" if it wants normal relations in future. Any comment?

MR. GALLEGOS: I'm not sure exactly what that -- I haven't heard. Let me take that and we'll see.

QUESTION: And one more related to that. The Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic stated, "Washington must give up the dangerous experiment that started with illegal and ruthless destruction of our country." Any response?

MR. GALLEGOS: I'll take that question.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes, Samir.

QUESTION: Yes. Iran has been for the last two weeks launching a bombing campaign against a Kurdish party called the Free Life Party on its border with Iraq. Do you have anything on this development?

MR. GALLEGOS: No, I don't have anything on that, Samir.

Goyal.

QUESTION: As far as Bangladesh is concerned, there still are problems going on. But when you talk about human rights and religious persecution, Hindu temples are under attack and they are demolished day by day in Bangladesh under this current -- what do you say -- nongovernment or government. Any comments on --

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, you know, we continue to expect and encourage the caretaker government in Bangladesh to uphold due process, the rule of law, and respect for human rights during their state of emergency. We continue to urge them publicly and privately to support these principles.

QUESTION: I'm told that Israeli President Peres said publicly today that he expects the Middle East conference that the United States plans to convene to be held in Washington. I don't know if he meant Washington specifically or in the Washington area. Have -- is that right and have any (inaudible) been made about where to host them?

MR. GALLEGOS: I have not heard any information about the date or the location for that.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: One more, quick?

MR. GALLEGOS: Yes.

QUESTION: Do you know anything about two plane hijackers captured in Turkey two days ago, one of them who has Egyptian nationality arrested in the United States many years ago? Do you have anything?

MR. GALLEGOS: I've seen the reports, but I don't have any information about his -- any previous arrests or his -- any contact that he may have in the United States.

Last one, Goyal.

QUESTION: Thanks. If I may go back on Pakistan, yesterday, Mike Boyer of the Foreign Policy magazine, he was on the radio and television, he was saying and so did U.S. Senate that today, Pakistan is the most dangerous place as far as al-Qaida, terrorism, and also as far -- transfer of nuclear technology is concerned and it may get in the hands of those terrorists which are in there, according to a U.S. report that -- including Osama bin Laden. Where do we stand as far as the nuclear issue of Pakistan is concerned?

MR. GALLEGOS: Well, I would say that our policy hasn't shifted. We see them as a friend and an ally.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. GALLEGOS: Thank you.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:08 p.m.)

ENDS

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