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USIA - State Department Report, 97-02-25
From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>
REPORT ON STATE DEPARTMENT NOON BRIEFING, FEB. 25, 1997
(Saudi Arabia, Chile, North Korea) (290)
Acting State Department Spokesman Glynn Davies briefed informally; no
transcript is available.
SAUDI ARABIA -- The State Department released a statement February 25
citing its "deep concern" about a recent interview on London television
with "well-known terrorist Usama Bin Ladin", in which he not only repeated
earlier threats against the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia but also
called for the expulsion of U.S. civilians from the country. The statement
noted that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh "continues to receive reports
indicating possible surveillance or probes of U.S. military and government
facilities, suggesting that planning for terrorist action against U.S.
interests in Saudi Arabia continues unabated."
A group of senior Saudi officials, including Defense Minister Sultan bin
Abd al-Aziz Saud, is meeting with top-level U.S. officials this week.
Sultan met with President Clinton February 25, meets with Defense Secretary
Cohen February 26 and will meet with Secretary of State Albright February
27, according to Davies.
CHILE -- Chilean President Eduardo Frei arrived in Washington February 25
and will meet with President Clinton February 26, Davies announced. During
his visit, Frei will also meet with Defense Secretary Cohen and U.S. Trade
Representative Charlene Barshefsky. He will later address a joint session
of Congress.
NORTH KOREA -- U.S. and North Korean officials will meet in New York on
March 7, Davies said. Among the bilateral issues the two sides will discuss
is the possibility of opening liaison offices in each others' countries. A
separate set of talks, involving the U.S., North Korea, China and South
Korea is scheduled for March 5, also in New York.
From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov
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