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State Dept. Daily Press Briefing March 27, 2006

Daily Press Briefing Sean McCormack, Spokesman Washington, DC March 27, 2006

INDEX:

DEPARTMENT Secretary Rice's Travel toGermany/France/United Kingdom Consultations with KeyEuropean Allies P-5 Meeting in Berlin

IRAN Status of UN Security Council Presidential Statement Discussions and Meetings in New York / Bolton / Burns Documents on US War Plans and Russian Intelligence Possible Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister / Dan FriedPhone Call to Russian Ambassador European Responseto Talks on Nuclear Program

IRAQ Military Incidentin Baghdad Possible Discussions With Iran on Iraq Iranian Compliance with Treaty Obligations Meeting ofArab League / US Encouragement of Interaction with New Iraqi Government

NIGERIA/LIBERIA Charles Taylor /International Court Talks with President Obasanjo andLiberian President Liberia and Nigeria to Work onModalities

UKRAINE Election Update / Use ofInternational Standards

NIGERIA Release of Hostages

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY Hamas and Conditions Set byInternational Community US Working with Quartet and EUon Humanitarian Assistance

AFGHANISTAN CourtDecision on Abdul Rahman / Rahman's Release US Positionon Rahman Case Fundamental Freedoms / Principles ofAfghan Constitution

NORTH KOREA New Representativeto Six-Party Talks / Meetings with Hill and Joseph

JAPAN Working-level Meeting in Tokyo on US MilitaryRe-alignment

TRANSCRIPT:

DPB # 51

12:35 p.m.EST

MR. MCCORMACK: Good afternoon, everybody. Howare you on this Monday? Pretty rested after the weekend?Okay. I guess not. Well, maybe we'll see. I have one announcement for you that we can start off with it and thenwe can get into questions.

Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice will travel to Germany, France and theUnited Kingdom from March 29 to April 2, 2006. During thetrip she will consult with key European allies on the rangeof common challenges, including Iran, the United States isaddressing with its transatlantic partners. Secretary Rice'strip to Berlin and Paris will provide an opportunity for herto continue her dialogue with German Chancellor AngelaMerkel and French President Jacques Chirac and other topofficials. Her visit to the United Kingdom will take her toLiverpool and Blackburn where she will accompany ForeignMinister Jack Straw. The trip mirrors that which theSecretary and the Foreign Minister made to Alabama lastSeptember, underscoring their shared values and culturallinks between the United States and the United Kingdom.

With that, I'd be pleased to take your questions.

QUESTION: Jack Straw says there's a P-5 meeting inBerlin. Can you fill us in?

MR. MCCORMACK: There will bea P-5 meeting in Berlin P-5 plus 1, so it will be P-5plus Germany. And the Secretary looks forward to attendingthis meeting with her ministerial colleagues. I expectthey're going to be talking about Iran and they will betalking about their medium to long term I think the focus will be on the medium- to long-term issues about howto get Iran back into compliance with its nonproliferationtreaty organizations, how to get Iran back into themainstream of the nonproliferation framework and how to getit to roll back its nuclear program. So I think those willall be topics of discussion.

QUESTION: Do you need apresidential statement before then?

MR. MCCORMACK: Ithink that right now we are working on the presidential statement. Up in New York, John Bolton had some meetingsthis morning. I haven't gotten a readout of it, but theconversations up in New York continue. Nick Burns, as wellJohn Bolton over the weekend, were in contact with their counterparts working on language. And I expect thediscussions will continue today and into tomorrow as well.

QUESTION: Will you have a meeting if there's nostatement?

MR. MCCORMACK: I believe that there will be ameeting on Thursday, regardless of where we are in theprocess, finding the right vehicle with the right languageto convey to the Iranian government that they need to comeinto compliance with their Nonproliferation Treatyobligations as outlined in the IAEA Board of Governors'statement.

QUESTION: Are there alternatives to astatement under consideration?

MR. MCCORMACK: Right nowwe are working on the presidential statement. That is wherethe focus of our energies is.

QUESTION: Would the meetinggo another direction, though, if you hadn't to anothervehicle to

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, you know, I'm notgoing to look out and see where we're going to be onThursday in terms of our discussions, but we are continuingright now to focus up in New York on the presidentialstatement.

QUESTION: Are there any draft resolutions inthe works?

MR. MCCORMACK: Right now, we are focusing onthe language of the draft presidential statement.

QUESTION: Secretary Rice said that people will be workingall weekend, so can you report any progress whatsoever?

MR. MCCORMACK: We are continuing to work the language. Wehaven't obviously haven't come to a consensus onlanguage yet or else I would be up here reporting to youthat we have a presidential statement. So there was workdone over the weekend and that continued this morning and Iexpect it will continue this afternoon and probably intotomorrow as well.

Elise.

QUESTION: Obviously, a P-5meeting means the Russian Foreign Minister will be inBerlin. Do you anticipate the Secretary having a privatemeeting with him to discuss the recent revelation of thesedocuments that the Russians provided intelligence to SaddamHussein about U.S. war plans? She said over the weekend ininterviews that she would be discussing this with theRussians.

MR. MCCORMACK: Right. I expect if that's thefirst opportunity for her to have a conversation with theForeign Minister then she will bring it up then. If not, itwill be before then in a telephone call. It clearly is, asthe Secretary stated over the weekend, any hint thatinformation provided to the Iraqis may have put our troopsin harm's way would be very concerning. So we're as shesaid over the weekend we're going to be looking into itfrom our side. Assistant Secretary Dan Fried has alreadyhad a call with the Russian Ambassador here in Washingtonasking the Russian Government to look into the matter andthe Russian Ambassador said that he would pass that messageback to Moscow. So either in a telephone call or in person,I'm sure the Secretary will raise it with Foreign MinisterLavrov.

Charlie, you had a question?

QUESTION: Yes.Back to the P-5 plus 1, do you expect in addition to ForeignMinisters to have political directors there as well? Mightthis continue beyond the Secretary's

MR. MCCORMACK:I'll check for you, Charlie. I'll see if political directorswill be there as well.

Joel.

QUESTION: Change ofsubject. There are differing stories coming out today on the Sadr city attack against the mosque with cleric al-Sadras well as the whole front page story here in the WashingtonPost in an editorial written by Michael O'Hanlon ofBrookings. Have you read that editorial? Do you have any comment?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I have not read the op-ed,sorry to say. In terms of the incident in Baghdad, I knowour military commanders have addressed it. I know theIraqis have spoken to it as well. This was an Iraqioperation. U.S. forces were in support and the Iraqis weregoing after a cell of individuals who were suspected ofcommitting acts of violence as well as kidnappingindividuals. They took action against them. And it is myunderstanding from our Embassy in Baghdad that theoperation was not did not take place in a mosque. I know that that's been something that's been out there, but weunderstand from the Iraqi as well as U.S. officials that itdid not take place in a mosque.

Teri.

QUESTION: Just arequest for an update. Has there been any progress on arranging meetings with Iranians in Iraq?

MR. MCCORMACK:Nothing new for you.

QUESTION: Nothing new.

MR.MCCORMACK: Okay. Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: ElBaradei said inBerlin today that he thinks those talks should cover theIranian nuclear issue that it is part of that you can't that the nuclear issue isn't severable from the regionalsecurity issue. Is that something he's raised with theSecretary? Do you have any response?

MR. MCCORMACK: Notthat I'm aware of. Our response is that the potential for discussions between our Ambassador in Baghdad and theIranian Ambassador in Baghdad is on a very narrow set ofissues. And those issues concern Iraq and the fact that wehave a large presence, obviously, in Iraq and, as the Secretary has said, we think it is a good idea to have thatchannel of communication. The nuclear issue is somethingthat is being dealt with now in the Security Council aswell as in the IAEA, and we believe that that's the proper those are the two proper venues.

QUESTION: A follow-upon this?

MR. MCCORMACK: Yes.

QUESTION: There areEuropeans who suggest that the U.S. needs to be part of talks with Iran on the nuclear issue. I wonder if that'ssomething that Secretary Rice will consider when she goesto Berlin.

MR. MCCORMACK: At this point, that's not partof her plans. Right now, the onus is on Iran. The Iranianregime needs to come into compliance with its NPT obligations. It needs to prove to the world that it willnegotiate in good faith concerning their nuclear program. Itneeds to come back into the mainstream. So right now, thisis not an issue between the United States and Iran; this isan issue between Iran and the rest of the world. So theIranian regime needs to take a hard look at where it findsitself now, before the Security Council, and we hope thatit is receiving the strong, clear message that it needs tocome back into compliance with its treaty obligations and itneeds to act to rebuild the trust that it has completelyeroded over the past several years on this issue.

Yes,ma'am.

QUESTION: I have a question about the visit of theNigerian President. I wondered if you could make a commentabout the State Department's view about the anti-gay lawwhich is under consideration and if you can speak to whetherthat might come up during the visit.

MR. MCCORMACK: Interms of President Obasanjo visiting here, I believe hewould be visiting the White House, so I would leave it to mycolleagues at the White House to comment on this visit.

QUESTION: But the State Department has made a statementabout this in the past, if you could just reiterate what theview is of the State Department of the

MR. MCCORMACK:We'll try to get you something after the briefing.

QUESTION: I have something related to Obasanjo. Howquickly would the U.S. like to see Charles Taylor handedover? Are you offering any support to get him into custody?

MR. MCCORMACK: He needs to be brought to justice. We'vemade that clear. I understand that the international court,as well as the Nigerian Government and the LiberianGovernment, are working on the modalities of the handover ofCharles Taylor to see that he faces justice. It is incumbentupon the Nigerian Government now to see that he is conveyedto the international court. Obviously, we have talked toPresident Obasanjo about this. We have talked about thisissue with the Liberian President as well when she wasvisiting here. But this is right now mainly an issue for thecourt, for the Liberians as well as the Nigerians to workout in terms of the modalities and all the logistics ofmoving him from one place to another.

QUESTION: There's alot of concern though that he may already have fled, that he is going to escape capture. What is the U.S. doing toprevent that?

MR. MCCORMACK: Right now we have made clearboth in public and in private to the Nigerians that it istheir responsibility to see that he is able to be conveyedand face justice, so that would be the Nigerian Government'sresponsibility. I know that he is in Nigeria at the currenttime. I can't tell you what his current status is, where inthe country he may find himself.

QUESTION: I have anotherNigeria question. Do you have a position on whether it wouldbe appropriate for President Obasanjo to seek another termand to have the constitution amended so that he could seekanother term as president? He's been president about eightyears already. Do you have a view on that?

MR. MCCORMACK:I'll have to check the facts for you, George. We'll get youan answer.

Charlie.

QUESTION: Just want to tie up aloose end back on the issue of the Russians and the Iraqis(inaudible). Is it correct that notwithstanding any contactsyou've had so far with Dan Fried or the Secretary, youhaven't had any substantive information back from theRussians explaining this?

MR. MCCORMACK: That's right.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. MCCORMACK: That's right.

Yes,ma'am.

QUESTION: There is a report in The Washington Posttoday that Mr. Yanukovych would be open to an economicunion with Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan as opposed to thealliance with NATO that President Yanukovych was consideringor exploring. Can you comment on that and what is thelikelihood of the alternative economic union taking place?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think that's getting ahead ofourselves right now. There's just been an election in theUkraine, which we , as well as the OSCE, has found to befree and fair, a vast improvement over the presidential election of 2004. We found that in, not only on election daybut in the run-up to the election, that this was anelection that was conducted according to the internationalstandards of a free and fair democratic election. There was access to media, NGOs were able to do their work, people hadaccess to the polling places. There were someirregularities, but our understanding is that there wasn'tanything that could be really characterized as a nationwide problem; they were really localized.

So right now, wherewe find ourselves, they're going to be finishing the vote tallies. I don't think that they finally certified theresults of the election. And the Ukrainian President willcall upon the parties in the Rada to form a majoritygovernment and I don't think we're at the point now ofexactly knowing what coalition might come together. So thatgets to your point about somebody proposing new policiesfor the Ukraine when, in fact, we don't yet have a new government so I couldn't speak to that.

QUESTION: Back onNigeria. Can you confirm and give us any additional details about the two Americans who are now free former hostages?

MR. MCCORMACK: Two Americans and one British citizen whowere released in Nigeria. I believe that they are incontact with their families and they're looking forward tobeing reunited with their families. We're very pleased that they have been released. And in terms of other information,I don't believe I have anything else to add.

QUESTION:To your understanding, how is it that they came to bereleased?

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't have any furtherinformation for you, Teri.

QUESTION: On the Palestinianterritories. The new Hamas prime minister designated calledfor says he's ready to dialogue with Quartet. Would the Quartet be ready to dialogue with Hamas?

MR. MCCORMACK: Ithink what the Hamas government needs to do is meet the conditions laid out by the international community. TheQuartet was very clear in what those conditions are. Theonus is now on Hamas. That said, I would expect in thecoming days and weeks that we're going to be working veryclosely with the Quartet as well as the EU, talking abouthow we might provide humanitarian assistance to thePalestinian people and that's where our focus is now. But interms of dialogue, Hamas needs to meet the conditions laidout by the international community.

George.

QUESTION:The Arab League, as I understand it, is meeting tomorrow inSudan. Among the topics they will take up is thepossibility of Arab recognition of the Iraqi Government. Doyou have some words of encouragement for them as they deliberate on that issue?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, we havefor quite some time encouraged Arab governments, Iraq'sneighbors and governments around the world to providewhatever support they can to the Iraqi Government as theypush forward along the pathway to democracy; that includesdiplomatic recognition, that includes diplomatic presencein Baghdad as well economic or other kinds of assistance. Sowe would certainly encourage as much interaction betweenIraq's neighbors other Arab governments and we wouldencourage other Arab governments to be as supportive aspossible of the new Iraqi Government.

Anne.

QUESTION:On the Afghan. Anything new since yesterday's announcementthat it looked like the case was going away and is the U.S.Government doing anything or has it made any offers tosecure his safety if he is released?

MR. MCCORMACK: We dounderstand that he will be released. That the Afghan Government has found that there were substantial evidentiaryproblems with the case and that the case would has beenreferred back to the Ministry of Justice and that he willbe released. We're pleased by that.

In terms of where hemight go after that, that is going to be up to Mr. Rahman.And I understand now that the details of his release and anypotential onward travel are being handled as a privatematter.

QUESTION: Is there any attempt for U.S. officialsto talk to him, see if he wants safe passage

MR.MCCORMACK: I don't believe we have been in contact with him.We certainly are pleased that he will be released. We lookforward to his release and that certainly his physical wellbeing continued physical well being is an importantissue as well.

QUESTION: Are you concerned about hisphysical well being, that it's under threat?

MR.MCCORMACK: Well, this has been a sensitive matter for theAfghan people. We understand that. So we think in the comingdays, in the coming weeks as this case is resolved thatthere be calm and that any differences the Afghan people some Afghan people may have with regard to the resolution ofthe case, be handled without resort to violence. It's a we are going to continue to work with this young democracyto see that the fundamental freedoms, and at the base ofthat is freedom of worship enshrined in the Afghanconstitution, are put into practice, that those principlesare put into practice. So that, I think, is going to be ourfocus looking forward from this point.

QUESTION: How wasthe news of the court's decision conveyed to the U.S.?

MR. MCCORMACK: It was this was handled with ourembassy on the ground. I can't tell you exactly who wascontacted. It might have been I think it might have beenour chargé at the time.

QUESTION: Any contact withKarzai?

MR. MCCORMACK: No further contacts since theSecretary's phone call.

QUESTION: Beyond Rahman'srelease, how do you want to see a reaffirmation of theprinciples? Secretary Rice spoke about, you spoke about lastweek, are you looking for something specific to come fromthe Afghan Government? You know, change of the constitutionor something along those lines?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, as Ireferred to as Secretary Rice talked about over theweekend, these principles and these fundamental freedoms areenshrined in the Afghan constitution. So as we look forwardfrom this point, you know, we are going to focus on ourwork and working with the Afghan Government to see thatthose principles that are enshrined are put into practice.Ultimately, those are going to have to be Afghanistan'sdecisions to take, the Afghan people and the AfghanGovernment's to take. But I think the Afghan people and theAfghan Government understand the importance of seeing theseprinciples put into practice, the importance not only forAfghanistan's future but for the international communitythat continues to support Afghanistan as it makes its wayalong the pathway to democracy and greater prosperity.

QUESTION: Well, Sean, the resolution isn't because theyreaffirmed those principles. The resolution, as youmentioned, is because they decided there were problems inthe case.

MR. MCCORMACK: And as I said, we are pleasedthat he is released. And also as the Secretary said overthe weekend and as I'm saying now, that these are fundamentally this is a fundamental issue that the Afghanpeople in building their democracy is going to need towrestle with how to put into practice those principleswhich are enshrined in their constitution. And this is goingto be an ongoing, I expect, process as their laws, as theirconstitution is put into practice, as their constitutioncomes up against reality. And what I'm saying is that everystep of the way along the way we intend to work with Afghanistan and the Afghan people to see that thosefundamental principles are put into practice.

QUESTION:But as far as you're concerned now, you don't need to hearanything more from them?

MR. MCCORMACK: I would just saythat we're pleased that Mr. Rahman will be released.

QUESTION: Tomorrow there's a congressional debate overthis immigration reform. Now, immigration reform may notoccur. It's a dicey issue. President Bush is headed toMexico for meetings. What might be the outcome and have youalso spoken to the Canadian Harper government? It's lesssevere there, but with these immigration troubles, Mexico isgetting the brunt of this and yet there are other South Central American and South American individuals that are jumping the border coming here to the United States. Alsotwo congressmen of the Republican Party, Congress Tancredoas well as Senator Specter, were at odds in televisioninterviews yesterday.

MR. MCCORMACK: Joel, I thinkinasmuch as your question involves a matter of domesticpolitics or presidential travel, you should probably talk tothe White House.

Back here we've got a couple. Okay.

QUESTION: Do you have anything on the update on UnitedStates and South Korean delegation meeting last Friday?

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't this is the new representativeto the six-party talks?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. MCCORMACK:I know that he met with Assistant Secretary Hill and Under Secretary Joseph, but that's all I have for you. I don'thave any details of the meetings.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION:I'd like to ask about the U.S. military realignment inJapan. There was a working level meeting, DPRI last week inTokyo, and they it seemed that they didn't have someconclusion for implementation plan. So do you have anycomment or something for

MR. MCCORMACK: We're going tokeep working at it.

QUESTION: A follow-up. They want tomake an agreement in this month.

MR. MCCORMACK: That isthe goal that we set out for ourselves.

QUESTION: Thankyou.

MR. MCCORMACK: Thank you.

(The briefing wasconcluded at 12:57 p.m.)

Released on March 27, 2006

ENDS

THIS ISSUE Lead NZ News NZ Politics World News FeaturesInternational News Nigeria: Agreement to Hand Over Taylor Vital Step - Nigeria s announcement that it will consent to the transfer of former Liberian President Charles Taylor to Liberia is a landmark step toward ensuring justice for West Africa, Human Rights Watch said today. Now Taylor must be physically transferred to the U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone. Nigeria must ensure that Taylor is not permitted to flee from justice and the international community must ensure that security in Liberia is maintained during this process. See... Nigeria: Agreement to Hand Over Taylor Vital Step

Scoop Audio: Latest UN New Brief... UN Agencies to Launch Joint Immunization Campaign in Somalia - Annan Urges a World Free of TB - Halving TB Death Rates in Africa and Eastern Europe More Challenging - UNHCR Fears for Safety of Palestinians in Baghdad - UNICEF Concerned about Haiti's High Child Mortality Rate.

Tony Blair: Down Under - As the war on Iraq is entering its fourth year British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be visiting New Zealand. However, the lies that heralded the invasion have continued with the occupation. Bush, Blair and Howard continue to bleed the word "democracy" of any meaning. The freedoms that they claim to be fighting for are being taken away, and not only in Iraq. So called anti terrorism laws have eroded civil liberties in many countries. See... Protest planned against Tony B.Liar visiting NZ ALSO:Please help David Hicks: Brown to Blair

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:[ISM Updates] Beit Sira bites backPacific: No TV News For New CaledoniaCambodia: Setback for Decriminalising DefamationUN envoy backs Lebanon's approach to Palestinian mTerminator rejection - a victory for the people

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