U.S. Foreign Policy

3:34 P.M. EDT

Real Audio of Briefing

MR. DENIG: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Washington Foreign Press Center. I am delighted to be able to welcome to the podium for the first time, for the so-called "maiden voyage," the new Deputy Spokesman of the Department of State, Adam Ereli. We are very pleased that he is here with us today. He'll have a brief opening statement, and then take your questions. Adam.

MR. ERELI: Thank you all for being here. This is, as Paul said, my first briefing, and it's no accident that it's at the Foreign Press Center.

I think, as the steady parade of U.S. officials over the last couple of weeks demonstrates, the Foreign Press Center for us at the State Department and throughout the U.S. Government is a very important place because we recognize the important role that you, as foreign journalists in Washington, play in informing your public about what the United States is trying to do, and how the United States approaches international affairs.

And for that reason, this is an important place for us to come and meet with you and engage in a dialogue. I hope today will be a good example of this. So I don't have any other announcements. Let's just go to questions. If I could ask that you introduce yourselves and your organization so that I can remember your names.

QUESTION: My name is Khaled Dawoud. I'm from Egypt's Al Ahram Newspaper. I would just like to follow up on State Department -- or the U.S. position right now concerning your volatile situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and why the United States so far has not officially backed Mr. Abu Alaa as the Prime Minister of Palestine.

MR. ERELI: We have noted the fact that the new prime minister has accepted his position, and we have pointed to the importance of doing everything that he can to stop terror. Because it's quite clear to us, and I think quite clear to others, that progress towards the President's vision of a two-state solution in the Middle East really starts with an end to terror and violence.

And for that reason, it's so critically important that the Palestinian Authority take concrete steps to end any association with terror, to clearly and unequivocally distance itself from those organizations which are perpetrating terror, and have a cabinet whose members are free from any association with terror. And these are all things that we think is important to do. And we are obviously meeting and speaking regularly with the new prime minister-designate and other Palestinians to try and work together to advance that agenda.

QUESTION: What about Israel?

MR. ERELI: Israel -- we have also been very clear that the roadmap includes commitments that both sides have accepted, have committed themselves to, and it is important that they both stick to them. I think the National Security Advisor yesterday made that point very clearly, that this is a process that includes commitments by both sides.

Obviously, at this point, one of the critical things is to stop the terror and violence. And it's very difficult to have progress on many of the other issues without that. At the same time, we have made it quite clear that the settlements need to stop and outposts need to be dismantled.

QUESTION: I'd like to change the subject. My name is Dmitry Kirsanov. I am with the Russian News Agency Tass. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Stephen Rademaker, is traveling to Moscow; in fact, he is there right now, as far as I understand.

I'd like to know what is the topic of his discussions with Russian counterparts and stuff like that.

MR. ERELI: I'm sorry. I don't have anything on the Secretary's travel to Moscow.

QUESTION: Khaled Abdul Kareem, Middle East News Agency of Egypt. My question is about the public diplomacy. About two years into the 9/11 attacks, and since these attacks, the State Department basically has been launching a massive operation to win the hearts and minds of the Arabs and Muslims.

Can you tell us what have you done? What have you -- what are these results with the launching of a magazine like Hi recently? And before that we have Sawa, Radio Sawa providing songs for 18 to 35. That's the year age.

So far what's your assessment of that outcome of the public diplomacy operation? Have you been winning the hearts and minds of the Middle East, or do you believe that there is some need for a change of policy, maybe (inaudible). Thank you.

MR. ERELI: It's a hard question for me to answer, as spokesman in Washington, to tell you what is in the hearts and minds of the Arab world. I would simply say that I think the point that we try to make fairly consistently is that -- and I would refer you, in that sense, to Secretary Powell's speech of last Friday, I believe, at George Washington University, where he said that what the United States is trying to do is -- and he was echoing the words of the President -- to develop partnerships, not polarity.

There has been a lot of talk -- I mean, it was even before September 11th, but certainly after September 11^th -- that there is a clash of cultures, a clash of civilizations, that there is a divide between the Islamic world and the United States, and I think a lot of our efforts has been dedicated to the proposition that the United States and the people in the Arab world share much more -- that there is much more that unites them than divides them, and that we are trying to advance our common interests on those issues where we share goals, whether that be in the Middle East peace process, where you see in places like Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh a unanimous consensus that terror is a scourge, not only to the rest of the world, but in the Middle East, and that, only together, working together, can we fight it. Whether you see it in new free trade agreements through the region, certainly with Jordan, and discussions with other countries, including well-advanced discussions with other countries to institutionalize the benefits of free trade and sharing of commerce, sharing of goods, in a freer way.

Or whether you see it, those other partnerships, in terms of, frankly, what's going on in Iraq, where you have an international effort underway that includes 30 countries from across the world, contributing people and resources to build a functioning democracy in a country that has known desperate tyranny for 30 years.

So I think that's the message we're trying to get across. But it's not only a message, we're matching actions with words so that it's quite more than rhetoric. It is policy, and it is action, and it is the resources of the United States that are being committed to this.

And I think the examples you cite, Radio Sawa or Hi Magazine, are manifestations of that, but they are reflections of what is a very substantive reality, which is partnership, which is working together in ways to achieve shared visions and common dreams.

QUESTION: My name is Said Arikat from Al Quds Newspaper. Israel in the last few weeks has used U.S.-supplied F-16s to bomb Presidential areas in the Palestinian territories, in Gaza. Isn't that a violation of the U.S. Arms Export Act? That's one.

And second, there is breaking news on Al-Jazeera English site, website, saying that Arafat may be thrown out over the next 24 hours. That's what the Israeli Minister of Health -- where does the U.S. stand on that?

MR. ERELI: Right. Well, I think that our policy on both is pretty well-established. You know, obviously, that we are concerned by the broader consequences of the attacks. Yes, Israel has a right to defend itself, although we do make it clear that the wider consequences, the broader consequences of these actions, need to be taken into consideration. And we're very outspoken about our opposition to the killing of innocents.

As far as the exile of Arafat goes, you're asking me to respond to press reports that it may happen, which is, which is double speculation: both the press report, the fact that it's a press report, and the fact that it may happen. On the issue as to where the United States stands on that, again, the Secretary was pretty clear. This is not something that we're supporting. Clearly.

QUESTION: Thank you. China New Service. My name is Donghui Yu. Yesterday, some senators said if the China Government didn't change their currency policy --

MR. ERELI: Currency?

QUESTION: Yeah, currency policy -- they would propose a bill pushing for more tariffs of 27.5 percent on Chinese products exported to the United States. So what's your comment on this issue, and do you feel this bill will come true? Thank you.

MR. ERELI: I'm not going to comment on it for a variety of reasons. First, because I didn't see the minutes of the Senators' or Congressmen's comments, and, second, because, again, it's a question based on presumption, and I'd rather not engage in that level of speculation.

I think [Secretary of] Treasury Snow just completed a visit to China which addressed the issue of currency. So I would suggest the Treasury Department would probably be in a better position to answer that specific topic.

In the back. Ma'am.

QUESTION: Hi, Nadia Tsao with the Liberty Times. We know that Dalai Lama is currently visiting Washington and he met with Secretary Powell yesterday. What there are -- can you tell us, you know, what are the major points they talked about, and Dalai said he was happy that they had resumed contact with Beijing. And he believes the U.S. will, you know, help further in the future to breach the dialogue. Can we know that -- will there be any further action? Thank you.

MR. ERELI: Sure. Thank you. The Secretary had a friendly and interesting discussion yesterday with the Dalai Lama. Also, in that meeting, for your information, were Under Secretary and Special Coordinator for Tibet, Ms. Paula Dobriansky, and the Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Jim Kelly.

His Holiness reviewed the process of dialogue between the Dalai Lama's representatives and China, and the Secretary expressed our continuing support for that process. With regard to that process, we are encouraged by the two visits of the Dalai Lama's special envoys to China over the past year, and we hope that this process leads to substantive dialogue and resolution of longstanding areas of difference.

QUESTION: Do you have any further actions like to express, you know, U.S. interests to promote this dialogue?

MR. ERELI: That's what I just did. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Okay, thank you.

MR. ERELI: Ma'am.

QUESTION: My name is Amal Chmouny. I'm from Albalad Newspaper, Lebanon. Next week, the Syria Accountability Act (inaudible). Did the State Department choose the person who will attend this hearing?

And as -- I heard that Ambassador Bolton and [Ambassador] Cofer [Black] maybe will be there. Why Ambassador Satterfield or Ambassador Burns, who are experts in the region, do not attend this kind of -- or give their opinion about this? And always did like in the State Department on the Syrian issue regard to the extremists and the -- why -- can we really know your position?

MR. ERELI: Well, my position is that people at the State Department aren't extremists. (Laughter.) That's number one.

Number two, as to who is appearing on the Hill next week, I would wait for -- until there is an official posting on who is going to appear. I am not aware that it has been decided yet. I can look into it and get back to you if there has been a decision, but I am not aware that there has been one at this point.

Samir.

QUESTION: Samir Nader, Radio Sawa. Is Mr. Armitage still planning to visit the Middle East and did you -- do you know which countries he will go? Also, the President today said Secretary Powell is planning to go after his trip to Geneva to visit other countries. Is he considering visiting France, for example?

SECRETARY POWELL: Secretary Armitage is still looking at a trip to the region, at a time to be determined. There was consideration being given to doing something around the present time, but because of various scheduling and timing issues, that visit has been put off for an indefinite time in the future. So I think that current thinking is that the Deputy Secretary could go to the region, but it is not clear, really, at this point, when.

As far as the Secretary's concerned, he is planning to travel to Geneva to meet with the “Perm 5” [of the UN Security Council], to join, at the request of the Secretary General, the other P-5 members for discussions on Iraq. He will also -- I think it's been announced -- be going to Madrid in late October for a donors conference in Iraq. So those are the trips we have planned.

Ma'am. Yes.

QUESTION: Thank you. Sonia Schott, Globovision Venezuela. On Latin America, on Venezuela. The latest remark of Assistant Secretary Mr. Roger Noriega on Venezuela, they were not very welcomed by the government of Venezuela. Do you have any comments on that?

And my second question is, President Chavez is coming next week to the UN -- to the Assembly in New York, but he is coming to Washington, too. Do you have any information of any meeting with any official -- official meeting or other? Thank you.

MR. ERELI: I don't have anything for you on President Chavez's schedule at this point. I just don't know anything -- don't know anything about it, frankly.

As far as Assistant Secretary Noriega's statements go, I have not read them, so I really wouldn't want to comment. I don't want to distance myself from them, obviously.

What was -- was it regarding the national referendum?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. ERELI: I can state our policy on that. I'm sure this is very consistent with what was said [by Assistant Secretary Noriega]-- that is that the United States is committed to helping achieve a peaceful, democratic, constitutional and electoral solution to the political crisis in Venezuela, and we continue to believe that an electoral consultation, a referendum, is the democratic and peaceful solution to Venezuela's political crisis, and that the electoral council is central to that goal.

In the back, yes.

QUESTION: Norman Fu of the China Times of Taiwan. Ambassador Randt, U.S. Ambassador to Beijing, is now in town. He'll be testifying on the Hill, and also addressing SAIS in the afternoon. Can you tell us about his trip back here? Has he seen the Secretary? What the purpose of -- the main purpose of his trip here? This is my first question.

A follow-up on the Dalai Lama. There are press reports indicating the Chinese, I mean the mainland Chinese, they're not terribly happy about his visit here. They have made representations to the United States about his visit here. Can you confirm that? You know, have they lodged a protest, or what?

MR. ERELI: I really don't have any comment on that. And as far as the Dalai Lama's visit goes, obviously this isn't the first visit. He comes as a religious leader, we meet with him regularly, so that this visit is very consistent with past practice. So it really shouldn't be too controversial.

QUESTION: What about the first question?

MR. ERELI: The first question on the Ambassador's visit, I'd refer you to the East Asia Bureau in the State Department, the Public Affairs office there, to find out what his schedule and program is. I just don't have that here.

QUESTION: Giampiero Gramaglia, Italian News Agency, ANSA. On Middle East, are you still working on the idea of a ministerial meeting of the Quartet, and is that possible before the General United Nations Assembly the last week of September?

And do you have any kind of reaction or comment to the new video of Usama bin Laden?

MR. ERELI: On the Quartet meeting, I really don't have anything new for you on that. There's nothing at this time that has been scheduled, and I wouldn't really want to, at this point, speculate on when it may or may not happen. I would just add to that, that we do remain in close consultation with the other Quartet members.

The UBL tape -- let's call a spade a spade. These guys are killers, they're murderers, they are opposed to everything that people with civilized human values hold dear. And while the script may change, the message stays the same. They're out to kill and destroy whatever good things the rest of the world is trying to do, whether that be in Iraq or elsewhere.

So, we have made clear our commitment – and I think our partners in the coalition have made clear their commitment, and the UN in the wake of the tragic bombing of the UN Headquarters has made clear its commitment -- to do everything we can to stay the course in Iraq, to reestablish security, to root out the elements that are so destructively working to undermine our efforts.

And we're going to succeed. We are going to prevail, we are going to make the world a peaceful, better place, these videotapes notwithstanding.

QUESTION: Practically, don't you think that the emergence of this tape is another, like, sign of the failure of the United States to achieve its war against terror in getting bin Laden dead or alive, as announced (inaudible)?

MR. ERELI: Not really. If you look at it, number one, two-thirds of the Taliban and al-Qaida chiefs have been captured or killed and the rest are pretty much on the run. That's number one.

Number two, we've always understood that defeating terror is not a question of weeks or months, but it's a question of years. This is going to take a long time.

But the fact is, we have the will, and resources, and commitment internationally to get the job done. And it will be done. It's not a question of “if,” but a question of “when.”

QUESTION: Reha Atasagun, Turkish Television. Your State Department informed Congress that the Bush Administration is ready to go ahead with the eight and a half billion credit for Turkey, and this is on condition that Turkey cooperates with them in Iraq. And the Turkish Government is working on ways and means to cooperate, whereas the Iraqi Kurds are opposing not only the deployment of Turkish troops, but any troops from countries in the region.

Aren't you -- I mean, isn't this a way of opposing, actually challenging the U.S. policy in Iraq? Where they are working with you in northern Iraq, but, on the other hand, they are challenging your policy?

MR. ERELI: Let's try and be precise on the supplemental, or on the financial assistance package. The President signed a supplemental appropriations act on April 16th that provides $1 billion in approved appropriations for Turkey that could be converted into as much as $8.5 billion in loans or loan guarantees. And we sent the Congressional notification for this assistance package on Friday, September 5th. These funds have been appropriated to help Turkey in carrying out comprehensive economic and financial reforms and for balance of payments purposes.

And under conditions of the appropriations act, this assistance would be conditioned on -- you mentioned Iraq, but I think the actual point is, there will be conditions on Turkey's implementation of strong economic policies. I think strong economic policies is what is the actual fact, so let's stick to the facts.

As far as Turkish troops to Iraq goes, we would obviously welcome a contribution from Turkey to the stability force. And we are confident that such a contribution would further the process of achieving stability in Iraq.

I think the National Security Advisor yesterday spoke to this issue very well when she said we are also confident that should there be a willingness by Turkey to contribute troops, that an acceptable arrangement for such a contribution, and deployment of such a contribution, i.e., acceptable to all the parties involved, could be worked out. And I would certainly second that.

QUESTION: Do you expect a delegation from the State Department to (inaudible)? Do we know when, exactly, and who will be on the delegation?

MR. ERELI: We may, but I don't. Again, I would, like on the issue of the Chinese Ambassador, refer you to the Public Affairs Office of the European Bureau.

QUESTION: (inaudible) from Africa. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. My understanding, my belief is that the Americans' determination to fight against terrorism is a global policy, and it should involve all the countries, because what happened that day is really cynical, and all the national, all the (inaudible) should get committed to American ideal.

I would like to know what the United States has been doing to get other countries, African countries, basically French-speaking countries, to get committed to that goal of fighting against terrorism. Because I've noticed that the American effort is basically focused on the Middle East and other Arab countries. But I understand that terrorists can be everywhere, anywhere and everywhere, and the United States should try to get support from all the countries to fight against terrorism.

I would like to know what America has been doing today to promote that cooperation, international cooperation, to achieve that goal that everybody should share.

MR. ERELI: Sure. Well, you're absolutely right, and I would just try to correct any misperception that the fight against terror is limited to the Middle East or one region, or cooperating with countries of one region.

As you say, it's a global threat that requires a global solution, and that includes Africa. I think if you look across the continent, you will see quite a few cases in which not only the United States, but international institutions are cooperating to combat terror. I mean, it's certainly the case in Djibouti, in Kenya, where we have terrorist threats and we're coordinating closely with local governments to combat those.

You have training of police forces throughout the continent. You have an ongoing effort to interrupt flows of terrorist financing through money-laundering detection and prevention schemes, which cover financial institutions and organizations throughout the world, including Africa. So between the operations going after terrorists, the operations to train law enforcement, and stopping money flows, you've got just the tip of the iceberg in terms of a wide-ranging and profound effort to address this problem.

QUESTION: Dubravka Savic, Belgrade Daily Novosti. On Kosovo.

Last week, the Contact Group gathered, and they issued support for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. When do you expect this dialogue to begin, and what concrete results do you expect from these talks?

MR. ERELI: You know, I really don't have anything too specific for you on that, beyond saying that we have been actively encouraging officials in both Belgrade and Pristina to collaborate actively with UN Special Representative to Kosovo Harri Holkeri in his efforts to initiate a direct dialogue between them on practical initiatives to improve the lives of all Kosovo residents and to promote stability in the region.

As for the precise timetable for that, I'm not in a position to give it to you at this time.

QUESTION: Hi, again, Khaled Abdul Kareem, Egyptian News Agency, MENA. And I need to ask if you have any specific reaction to today's attack on -- last night's attack on Mahmoud Al-Zahar. He is one of Hamas' leaders.

I mean, besides the general statement that Israel has a right to defend itself and that it should take into account the implications of its actions, do you have a specific reaction, especially that some non-Hamas people, some innocent people who were killed in that, or injured in that operation, and you understand that it may lead to more suicide bombings on the part of the Palestinians? Do you have any reaction to that? Thank you.

MR. ERELI: I would say this is part of a cycle of violence that has to stop. The killing that's going back and forth is just tragic on so many accounts. Not only for the human cost, for the individuals involved and the families, but also for the setback for those who are working so hard -- Palestinian, Israeli, American, European, Arab -- working so hard to bring peace to this region. And it's why it is yet another reminder of why it is just so critically important that the terrorist organizations that are opposed to peace be dismantled, be disarmed, and be taken care of.

QUESTION: But the part about (inaudible).

MR. ERELI: I understand that. I understand that. I am saying that this is a part and parcel of a cycle of violence that is serving nobody's purpose. Because it is keeping us from the real goal, which is a two-state solution where both Palestinians and Israelis can live in their own states securely and peacefully side by side. And it's yet another reminder that unless we get this terrorism problem under control, it's going to be very, very hard to move forward.

QUESTION: Thank you very much.

MR. ERELI: Thank you.