Weekly Briefing for Foreign Media

 3:39 P.M. EST

MR. REEKER: Thank you all for coming again today, and welcome to our friends, colleagues from Caracas. I hope we'll be able to take some of your questions with the 21st-century technology. I'm glad to have you joining us as well.

Since we do have colleagues from Venezuela, I did want to start out by mentioning in the region the fact that Hurricane Michelle has caused significant damage and human suffering along its path through Central America and the Caribbean. We understand that the death toll includes a number of people, numerous injuries, and some very serious property damage.

And the United States is expressing its sympathy to those who suffered personal loss, and we stand ready to assist those in the region who have been hardest hit by this natural calamity. The United

States is prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to those most affected by the terrible disaster, as we've already done for Honduras. So again, our sympathies to those who have suffered loss from Hurricane Michelle.

Why don't we let Caracas ask one of the first questions, if our connection is working. Go ahead from Caracas.

Q Yes.

MR. REEKER: Is the connection working? (Pause.)

(Technical difficulties.)

STAFF: We'll get them on the phone.

MR. REEKER: Okay. We're going to try to connect to Caracas later. So hang in there. We'll keep trying.

In the meantime, let me turn to questions here from the general audience. Sir? Microphone, please.

Q Nestor Ikeda (sp) from the Associated Press, Latin America.

MR. REEKER: Yes.

Q Yes. And as you know, President Cardoso of Brazil is coming tomorrow to meet President Bush. And how would you term the help the U.S. received from --

(Noise from technical problems.)

MR. REEKER: Let's just hold on till we get our technical problem resolved here. I think we're going to have to disconnect --

STAFF: It's really bad.

MR. REEKER: -- that connection. (Chuckles.) And let's go back to Nestor (sp), who's --

Q Yes. Phil, as I said, President Cardoso of Brazil is coming tomorrow to meet President Bush.

MR. REEKER: Sure.

Q And how would you term the international cooperation that the U.S. received from Brazil?

MR. REEKER: Well, for any specific commentary, first, Nestor (sp), on the Brazilian visit, I'd want to refer you to the White House.

Obviously the president looks forward to welcoming his Brazilian counterpart there.

I think Brazil has joined with so much of the hemisphere, obviously, but much of the world in our coalition against terrorism. As you know, many countries are doing many different things, be it on the financial side -- the president has spoken a lot about that today -- as well as intelligence and information sharing. And we're letting each country speak for itself in terms of things that they want to highlight they've contributed. But certainly Brazil is a valued member of the Organization of American States, our hemispheric neighbors who have all expressed extreme solidarity with us.

Let me remind you that Secretary Powell was in Lima at the special conference of foreign ministers of the Organization of American States on September 11th, when this event occurred. The conference went ahead and rapidly ratified the democracy pact and also expressed their solidarity with us. So we count Brazil as one of our close friends here in the region, and we'll continue to work with them very closely on so many bilateral regional issues and wherever we can work together on combatting global terrorism.

Yes, sir? Wait for the mike.

Q Roy Hagelston (sp) from the Australian Newspaper, Phil. Two questions on Saudi Arabia relations. First I was reading a piece in the New York Times the other day which quoted from a textbook from Saudi Arabia which said that the -- "compulsory for Muslims to be loyal to each other and to consider the infidels their enemy." How concerned is the U.S. about that textbook, given what the president has said about the peaceful nature of Islam? And have in fact the U.S. at all raised this with the Saudi government?

MR. REEKER: On the specifics of that textbook issue, I'm not really familiar with that particular textbook or thoughts there. I think I'd just want to refer you to what the secretary of State has said today, again, reiterating what we've said for a number of days -- and I think Ambassador Boucher echoed this at the press briefing over at the State Department earlier today -- that Saudi Arabia has been very supportive. We're very pleased with the support we've gotten from Saudi Arabia in the campaign against terrorism. And just to point out what other Arab and Muslim leaders have been saying about this -- and specifically about bin Laden and his attempts to brand other Muslims as infidels, his attempt to perverse the Islamic religion for his own secular, criminal aims.

He has killed many Muslims. The Taliban regime, which supports Osama bin Laden and works with him in Afghanistan, has caused suffering and death for untold numbers of Afghans and Muslims.

So the attempt to draw in and twist Islam is something I think we've addressed quite regularly, and we're hearing it certainly from the region. The secretary-general of the Arab League noting this week -- Amre Moussa -- that bin Laden doesn't speak for Arabs and Muslims.

So we work closely with Saudi Arabia. We appreciate their support. They, as the secretary has said, have done all we've asked of them. They're an important ally in this, and we'll continue to do that. But we will not allow the twisting of Islam and its teachings to be used by bin Laden in this way.

Q Just a quick follow on that. The secretary also has said in briefings with the Congress that -- he was asked about the -- about domestic politics in Saudi Arabia. And he said cryptically, that "Unto dust thou shalt return the day you stop representing the street." How concerned is the State Department about stability of the Saudi government?

MR. REEKER: I think those are obviously issues for the Saudi government. We continue to work closely with them on complex diplomatic relations, and obviously, as I just mentioned in the campaign against terrorism, each country needs to deal with its own domestic issues, and we'll leave that to the Saudis. As far as the comments the secretary made, I'll leave it to those and the descriptions that you or others want to give to them.

Yes, ma'am, in the back.

Q Sandra Bigarda (ph) from RCN TV from Colombia.

President Pastrana is going to meet with President Bush this weekend in New York. What does the U.S. government expect about this meeting?

MR. REEKER: Well, again, I think I'll leave it for the White House to describe any meetings that the president is going to have. Obviously in New York, at the U.N. General Assembly meeting, there'll be an opportunity to meet with a number of heads of state. The secretary of State will also have a number of meetings there with President Bush and some on his own, thorough Monday.

As you know, we work very closely with President Pastrana, supporting his Plan Colombia, supporting his efforts to make positive change in Colombia and working together to counter the narcotics trafficking, which affects our country, as well. So Plan Colombia and our support for that I think is well known.

Our broader Andean Regional Initiative is also something we've also discussed at length -- how we want to continue with funding and joint projects with President Pastrana's government -- to support not just the counter-narcotics efforts, but for the whole region.

So I think we'll have an important meeting there. As you know, Secretary Powell was on his way to Colombia when the September 11th events took place, so he came back to Washington. But I know that at some point, he would like to make a trip to Colombia again.

Q We can expect any changes between the relationship between Colombia and the United States, when you see that the peace talks is not very well. (Inaudible) -- giving any response about what the Colombian government is doing?

MR. REEKER: Well, our relationship with the government of President Pastrana is particularly strong, as I just indicated. And I think that will continue in that way. We have joint interests. We've applauded President Pastrana's efforts at consolidating democracy, fighting narco-trafficking.

As far as the FARC and other organizations, the ELN and also the AUC -- you're well aware that they are designated under our law as foreign terrorist organizations. And so that has implications in terms of the way we treat those organizations and people tied to them.

And we will continue to look at those as we fight terrorism all over the world. So I think it's quite clear how we view those organizations. And certainly our support for President Pastrana and his policies is well known.

Yes, ma'am?

Q Barbara Ferguson with Arab News. There is buzz that the president has decided to announce his support for a Palestinian state, and that the secretary of State will mention this on November 11th, or at least at the United Nations. I'm wondering if you could comment on this, and also if you could comment on the situation right now in Israel?

MR. REEKER: I think the buzz has been buzzing for quite a long time, since the president made those comments a number of weeks ago. And I don't have anything further to add in terms of what he has said about a viable Palestinian state being a part of the equation for the long-term peace arrangement for the Middle East, just as Israel needs to be recognized by all the parties, their right to exist and to have stability there. So I don't have anything to add at that point.

The secretary will be in New York with the president. I'm not aware that he has any speeches planned. The president will be making his speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, as the White House has already announced.

In terms of developments in the region, I don't have a lot to add today. We've said before that Israeli withdrawal, and the recent withdrawal now from Ramallah, is a positive step, following the withdrawal from Bethlehem, Qalquilya and Beit Jala. Israel should act now, as the Israeli cabinet declared earlier this week, to complete the process of withdrawal from all Palestinian-controlled areas.

And once again, we call upon Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to act immediately to carry out their responsibility and find, arrest, and bring to justice all those responsible for terrorist acts and violence.

As we've said so many times, it's important for all sides to act in a manner that helps to restore calm, and reinforces efforts to confront terror and violence, and allows the parties to get into the Mitchell committee recommendations, that is the roadmap back towards a dialogue and negotiations, so that they can pursue a long-term, final status arrangement on the basis of the U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, with which I know you're familiar, because it's going to take sustained positive action, credible Palestinian actions to confront terror and violence, and Israeli steps that avoid provocation and build confidence to allow the parties to get back into that.

So our message stays very much the same, and we'll continue to engage with both sides, both through visits, through phone calls and our representatives in the field, our diplomats, to keep repeating those messages and, of course, through you, the media, to reiterate what we're saying publicly as well as privately.

Q May I ask a follow-up, too?

MR. REEKER: Sure.

Q Does the secretary have any plans to meet with any of the Palestinian delegation in New York?

MR. REEKER: I don't have a schedule yet for the secretary. I think if you keep in touch with the State Department, the Foreign Press Center will be able to help you with that. As the schedule evolves for his bilateral meetings outside of the president's schedule, they should have that emerging in the next couple of days.

Sir, here, in the front.

Q Thank you. Good to see you. Ben Bangoura again.

Two weeks ago in response to one of my questions regarding the upcoming referendum on -- in Guinea, you mentioned that the United States has made clear to the government of Guinea in several instances its concerns. I would like to know what are those concerns.

MR. REEKER: I think our concerns have been in terms of following a constitutional order. Our diplomats there, our ambassador has been in to see representatives, I think, at the Guinea Foreign Ministry. I'm not going to go into any details of our diplomatic conversations, but we've certainly called upon the president and the government to think about the importance of the constitution and democratic process and what that means for the future of Guinea.

So we'll continue to monitor the situation closely. The secretary has been quite clear how important we view Africa in our foreign policy. He was speaking about Africa last night. President Bush has reiterated this on a number of occasions through some of the focus we've had on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, trade opportunities with Africa so that we can see in all countries in Africa a positive economic direction. The work we've been doing on HIV-AIDs in dealing with that national security threat, which is a real threat to so much of Africa. So even while we focus so much attention on the campaign against terrorism, other foreign policy priorities like Africa remain important. And I can assure you that, whether it's Guinea or other countries, we're monitoring our relationships closely. Our ambassadors are active out in the field. And we'll continue to monitor developments there as well.

Q What can you tell us so far as things keep moving and the date set for the referendum itself is around the corner right now?

MR. REEKER: I don't know that I can offer anything more specific on that. As I said, we'll keep in touch with our embassy, which is in a better position to watch developments are day to day, and certainly make clear our concerns when it comes to democratic processes, when it comes to respecting the constitution, and thinking about the long-term health and importance of the process there and what's in the best interest of the country. So we'll continue to be touch.

Q Thank you.

MR. REEKER: Yes, sir. My Russian friend.

Q Dmitri Girsanov (sp), Russian News Agency TASS. Mr. Reeker, I wonder if there is some kind of disagreement, misunderstanding, or arguing between Moscow and Washington at this point over the future government of Afghanistan. Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov called the possibility of having Taliban representative in this government unacceptable, while Secretary Powell recently said -- Secretary Powell did not exclude such a possibility. Any comment on that?

MR. REEKER: Well, I think what you have to be careful of is taking comments out of context.

I think everybody is in absolute agreement that the Taliban leadership has to go. They have made their own situation. They're living deep in their own caves, and we've seen what the Taliban has done to Afghanistan, to the Afghan people over the past five years, the suffering that they've brought, the way they've treated women, their expectation that everyone in the Islamic world and beyond should live as they choose to live, their decision to support foreign invaders -- that is, the al Qaeda terrorist network, their choice to go with the al Qaeda network, even after President Bush had made quite clear their choice, the demands that we had on them, on their opportunity to give up bin Laden and his lieutenants. So I think they have shown that they cannot govern, that they are using food as a weapon against their very own people. And I think we're in complete agreement, certainly with our Russian colleagues, with others at the U.N., Mr. Brahimi, others in the Six Plus Two group -- that is, the six neighbors of Afghanistan, the countries surrounding Afghanistan, and Russia and the United States working together. We expect to have a meeting in New York of that group at the ministerial level. I think there's broad consensus that there needs to be a broad-based government for Afghanistan that represents its geographic and ethnic diversity, that is able to actually govern, bring stability, and, of course, a terrorist-free environment to Afghanistan.

And that's for the Afghan people to bring together, with the support of the international community. President Bush has been quite clear in our pledges to help with reconstruction of Afghanistan, and we will do that, and we'll do that working very closely with the Russians.

So, I think, contrary to what may have been pieced together in some press reports, we're very much in sync with the Russians and with all the other countries who are concerned about Afghanistan. I think there is a very strong consensus for the direction Afghanistan needs to go, and we'll continue to work with all the different Afghan factions, the different groups in different parts of the world, to help them where we can pull together a broad-based government and see a better, terrorist-free Afghanistan.

Q Can I just follow up on that --

MR. REEKER: Sure, go ahead.

Q I believe today Congress passed a bill of $25 million for an advertising campaign working -- you're working -- sorry. The State Department is overseeing an advertising campaign, with the Voice of America, in regards to Afghanistan. I'm wondering if you could comment on your priorities with your work with VOA in regards to the Afghan Voice of America?

MR. REEKER: Well, I think we work very closely with the Voice of America, which you know is an independent -- part of an independent agency, under the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The Voice of America has prided itself over many years, more than 50 years, in telling the truth, bringing news and facts to the people of the world in many, many languages. And they do have a Pashto service, they have Urdu service, they have other services, languages of the region. And as much as possible, they are trying to expand their service to bring news and fact to the people of Afghanistan and the people in the region. So we certainly work with the VOA like we work with all the other media -- with you guys here, with the BBC and others, to help them do that.

I'm not aware of specific legislation that's been passed. I know there are a number of proposals that are out there in terms of funding for different things. We view all of our work with the media as part of our broader public affairs and public diplomacy work, which has been talked about a great deal in recent times. There is an important job to be done in terms of conveying a message, when you're dealing with Afghanistan and other parts of the world, where you're dealing with people who are isolated, who are struggling to survive under the Taliban regime and under some severe conditions. So that's a challenge.

It's also a challenge for us worldwide to get out our story, what the facts are, to counter some of the propaganda we see coming regularly from the Taliban and others. And I think not just United States, but others around the world in all different communities, whether it's the king of Morocco or King Abdullah in Jordan have been quite clear in some of the messages for all in the world to see. So that's part of our efforts.

I think we're going to -- on Friday, from here have a briefing for foreign journalists on some more of the public diplomacy efforts we're taking at establishing communications platforms, reinforcing some of the things we've been doing for so many years in terms of exchanges for long-term understanding between our country and other countries, looking at ways to establish a dialogue between Americans and those from other parts of the world. Because after all, that's the way we can communicate now, in the 21st century. We can discuss differences, we can discuss policy, we can discuss different approaches to a variety of issues through dialogue and through the various institutions that we've created over the last 50 years.

MODERATOR: Phil, if I could just -- we have received questions from our journalists that are gathered in Caracas.

MR. REEKER: Okay. Let me try -- welcome, Caracas.

MODERATOR: Yeah, they are listening in, so --

MR. REEKER: I'm sorry for the problems. Go ahead with the questions.

MODERATOR: Yeah, let me -- I'll read them on their behalf, since we don't have audio coming our way.

MR. REEKER: Okay.

MODERATOR: The first is from Reynaldo Trombeta (sp) from El Nacional. Foreign Minister Davila said last Monday that the relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela is normal. Do you agree, and are there any areas you would cite that could possibly improve -- make for improved relations between Venezuela and the United States?

And a second question, Ambassador Frank Taylor stated here in the U.S. that Islamic terrorist groups are operating in Venezuela. Have you received the desired cooperation from the Venezuelan government in -- to pursue these terrorists and bring them to justice?

MR. REEKER: Let me take your second question first. I'm not familiar with exactly what Ambassador Taylor has said about foreign terrorist groups operating in Venezuela. As we've said many times, al Qaeda and so many other terrorist groups have vast networks that expand to many, many countries around the globe. That's why this is truly a global campaign against terrorism, why in some ways we've described it as the civilized world all coming together to fight this, because its reach is indeed global and affects all of us.

Some of the effects can be seen most directly, like September 11th and the attacks on the United States. But we have to be wary of those threats everywhere and watch that.

We're letting every country describe their own contributions to the campaign against terrorism. There are so many different areas where they can contribute. Some countries are offering military support for the very focused military action that's being taken in Afghanistan. Other countries are working in law enforcement cooperation. We've seen something over -- near 40 countries that have made arrests of members of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in recent days and weeks. We've got literally hundreds of countries that are involved in the seizing of assets of terrorist groups, the sealing off of bank accounts, cutting off of funding, which is a very important aspect, and President Bush has highlighted much of that today.

In terms of the broader U.S.-Venezuela relationship, both countries have an interest in maintaining our historic, productive, cooperative relationship, which I think is very important to us. We have been concerned, as you know, about the state of our bilateral relationship with Venezuela, and we were concerned enough that we asked our ambassador -- our ambassador to Venezuela, Donna Hrinak, to come back to Washington for some consultations, so we could get her views and discuss some of the concerns that we've had with the relationship. Of course, once those consultations are over and the ambassador's also completed participating in a regional chiefs of mission conference -- it's being held yesterday and today -- she will return to Caracas. She's going to meet with a number of officials here, and we'll be able to discuss various aspects of our relationship with Venezuela.

I will note that over the weekend, President Chavez asserted that he did not, as it was quoted to me, have the slightest intention of damaging relations with the U.S., in terms of some of the comments that we had seen earlier. And so, as I said, while we continue having an interest in maintaining our strong, solid relationship, we'll just remind everyone that the war against international terrorism is an issue of fundamental importance to the United States, and we've been very clear and unequivocal on that subject, and we expect the same of those that have joined us in this struggle. And Venezuela, as part of the Rio Pact, as part of the OAS, has joined us in condemning the terrorist attacks; as part of the U.N. General Assembly, in recognizing that the United States has been attacked, that we're acting in self-defense.

And we take that very seriously, and we'll continue to talk to Venezuela as we talk to so many other countries about that and other aspects of our relationship.

We can move on to my friend here.

Q Khalid Abdel Kareem (sp), with Middle East News Agency (Rijit ?). And my question is about the remarks made a few days ago by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield -- it was at the conference of the Palestinian Policy Center -- in which he described the Palestinian intifada as an act of terror. So while these remarks actually caused some sort of friction in the Middle East and unease. And my question is, is it the position of the administration, of the State Department to say that the intifada is terrorism? Is it the position of the administration that the Palestinians have no right to resist, or just they are expected to rally peacefully and just say "Down with Israel," things like that?

MR. REEKER: I think first of all it's far too easy to take words out of context, to try to make issues where an issue doesn't belong. We've been very clear in our condemnation of terrorism in the Middle East, and we've been very clear that Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority need to act. They need to act immediately, they need to carry out the responsibilities, the commitments they've made to find, to arrest, to bring to justice those responsible for terrorist acts, those responsible for the violence. And so playing semantic games and trying to point fingers here and there isn't going to make a difference in people's lives. What's going to help is if both sides take the action they know they have to take to get the violence down, to move into the processes which both sides as well as the international community have embraced, have said they want to follow, that is, the recommendations outlined by the Mitchell committee, which give the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority the opportunity to move forward, to move out of this horrendous cycle of violence where people live in fear, where people die, and move beyond that, get back to the negotiating table, get back to a dialogue where both sides can establish security. And we've participated in helping with that in providing models and providing an attendant work plan to give both sides that opportunity. Both sides know what they need to do, and all sides need to act in a manner which helps restore calm and reinforces efforts to confront terror and violence, spend less time focusing on individual words and statements and more time focusing on the big picture, which should be to work toward a long-term peace for all the people of the region so that their children and grandchildren can live in more prosperity and more security.

Q If I can just follow up, just away from the remarks made by Mr. Satterfield, just to draw a line in the sand, I mean, is it -- the intifada, the Palestinian resistance, is it, in the eyes of the administration, an act of terrorism?

MR. REEKER: I think we've seen terrorist acts on many occasions, and we talked about that. We've looked at acts of terrorism. We've talked about groups that perpetrate terrorist acts. I think we need to look at getting the violence down. I think we need to look at leadership taking the steps they know they need to take, the steps they promised to take to get that violence down. And Chairman Arafat and the whole Palestinian Authority need to take those actions. There are -- those that perpetrate terror, those that are responsible for terrorist actions and violence, they need to be arrested. We need to get the violence down.

Q On the same -- on the same --

MR. REEKER: Sure, why don't you follow up on that?

Q Yes, please. How about Sharon sending tanks and people killing Palestinian leaders trying to resist?

MR. REEKER: We've been very clear in our views of what we think Israel needs to do in terms of withdrawal. We already talked about that. We call on them to complete the process of withdrawal. And we've said that incursions contribute to an escalation of tension, of violence, and those should cease now.

Again, we've given our message to Chairman Arafat, to the Palestinian Authority. I've reiterated that here. Both sides need to take those actions. Both sides need to think of the long term, and the opportunities they can do to get into the Mitchell plan, because that's the plan, that's something everyone has embraced; it gives them a way back to negotiations so they can be focused on the long term.

Q If I could follow up on that?

MR. REEKER: Okay, and then we've got to move on, because I've got a plane to catch.

MODERATOR: We have time for two more questions.

Q Yeah, just one more question.

MR. REEKER: Sure.

Q Since Bush reiterated his firm commitment to a Palestinian state, how does Jerusalem fit into that?

MR. REEKER: Jerusalem has always been an issue for final-status negotiations between the parties, and that's obviously what they need to work back to so that they can address that issue. They'll have to decide it.

Yes, my friend from --

Q Norman Fu with the China Times of Taiwan. Mr. Reeker, there's a story saying that the Pakistani government has put a ban on the Taliban's envoys conducting virtually daily press conferences to conduct the propaganda war against the United States.

My question to you is, was the U.S. involved in this at all? Did the U.S. ask the Pakistani government to, you know, pressure the Taliban envoy not to do this against the United States?

MR. REEKER: We do understand -- and we've probably seen the same stories -- that Pakistan asked the staff of the so-called Taliban embassy to desist from criticism of the United States and other third countries during the press conferences that they hold in Islamabad. This is clearly a decision for the Pakistani government. All I can suggest is that you contact them. I think they had a spokesman from their ministry who discussed this, and they could give you a further explanation. It's their decision and I'll leave it to them to describe.

Pakistan, as you know, is cooperating fully with us. President Musharraf and, I think, the vast majority of the Pakistan people have understood where the most important things are for Pakistan in this and what is in the interest of the Pakistani people and their future. And so they've been cooperating with us in all matters ending the use of Afghanistan as a haven for tourists -- pardon me -- for terrorists. (Laughter.) And so we are hoping that --

Q In the caves.

MR. REEKER: -- (laughs) -- that -- I think we're all confident, as we've said many times in response to some of those Taliban statements, that the propaganda being pushed by Taliban representatives, from Pakistan or wherever, Islamabad, is not going to really change the minds of many people who look at the facts.

Q Does the United States have any contact whatsoever, formal or informal, with the Taliban regime at all?

MR. REEKER: We have had some contacts previously -- I don't know of the current ones -- with consular officials regarding the two American citizens who remain detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime. I don't have an update when the last time we actually had a direct contact. We've been in close contact with the lawyer retained by the families of those detainees. But previously we had had some contacts with the Taliban about the American citizens.

Was there one last --

MODERATOR: We'll make this the final question.

MR. REEKER: Was there was another one from Venezuela, or did we --

Q No, that's -- (off mike).

MR. REEKER: Okay. (Laughs.) It's been taken care of.

Q Can you take a last one about Peru?

MR. REEKER: About Peru? I don't know if I know anything about Peru, but -- (laughs) -- why don't you give that a shot?

MODERATOR: We'll make this the last question.

MR. REEKER: Okay.

Q This is Nestor Iqeda (ph) from AP. And as you know, the Department of State has listed 28 terrorist -- international terrorist groups. And one of those groups is in Peru, Shining Path.

The Peruvian vice president has said today that the country would be ready to receive any kind of help from the U.S. to fight Shining Path in Peru, except troops. Have you been talking about that possibility with --

MR. REEKER: I am not familiar with the specifics on that. Indeed -- and you have our list of foreign terrorist organizations, as designated under our law. They were redesignated, in fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I think, and we can easily get you that list. I don't know of any particular discussions with the Peruvians on that.

However, I'll remind you that the campaign against terrorism, fighting terrorism, is not simply about military troops. There's a tendency to focus on that. If you'll look at what we've been doing over a period of many years, in terms of trying to combat terrorism -- our law, our designations, the sanctions, the financial steps that are taken -- there's a lot that can be done in terms of intelligence and information sharing, in terms of cooperation at the law enforcement level, the financial steps that we discuss, diplomatic efforts that can be taken to isolate these terrorists, to cut them off.

And the secretary has said by working as a coalition -- and the coalition takes many different forms, and people in the coalition will have different tasks at different times -- we have a multiplier effect in using each of these tools.

And so I'm sure, in our bilateral relationship with Peru and our discussion broadly about terrorism, we will cooperate and share information on those things, because we've been quite clear -- and certainly in designating certain organizations as foreign terrorist organizations -- that our campaign focuses on al Qaeda right now and the Taliban regime that protects them, but that we will be going after terrorists worldwide, because our goal is to return to a time when we can live in security without the threat of these criminals who perpetrate these types of murders and other crimes against civilians. That is these terrorists, and there are many groups of them everywhere.

MODERATOR: Thank you all very much.

MR. REEKER: Thanks a lot.

END.

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