U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing #97, 98-08-10
From: The Department of State Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) at <http://www.state.gov>
1041
U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
I N D E X
Monday, August 10, 1998
Briefer: James B. Foley
KENYA AND TANZANIA: BOMBING OF US EMBASSIES
1-2 Reports of Arrests and/or Detention of Suspects/
2 Security Personnel at US Embassies/Host Country Security
2-3,13 Security Standards/Procedures at US Embassies
3,9 Reports of Threats to Other US Embassies/Other Terrorist
Attempts
3-4,12-13 Embassy Standards/Inman Report
4,11-12 Additional Budget Request/Embassy Security
5 Return of Victims to US/
5 Cooperation with Host Governments in Investigation of
Bombings
7-9 Secretary's Announcement of $2 Million Reward Program
9 Linkage of Bombings
9 American Teams on the Ground
10 Other Countries' Teams Participating
11 US Assistance to Tanzanian and Kenyan Victims
14 Secretary's Plans to Travel to Ramstein, Germany to
Accompany Bodies Home
14 Arrival Ceremony in Washington
14-15 Secretary's Contact with Tanzanian and Kenyan
Officials/Other Governments
15 Secretary's Call to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu re
Israeli Rescue Effort
BURMA
16 Detention of Americans
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
16-17 Status of Talks
IRAQ
17 UNSCOM Inspections
CAMBODIA
17 Status of Cambodia Election Results
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #97
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1998, 3:15 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. FOLEY: Good afternoon. Welcome to the State Department. This is a
regular "noon briefing," which we're holding now at 3:15 p.m. At the start
of the briefing, I'd like to do, in a way, what we did on Friday, which is
to offer you some of our senior officials who are working most closely on
the many different aspects of the aftermath of the bombings in East
Africa.
With us today is Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs,
Ambassador Johnny Carson. He, I need to warn you, his voice is on the wane,
given the amount of work and the time and the lack of sleep involved; but
he'll do his game best to make himself clear. Pat Kennedy, Assistant
Secretary for Administration, who you saw on Friday is here. We also have
Mr. Don Yamamoto, also from the African Bureau, who's working on the task
force and we can turn to on specific questions. Hopefully, we can
liberate my colleagues after not-too-long a period of time because
they have to get back to the work of managing this crisis.
So without further ado, I'm just going to take questions. I think we have
no statements today. So, Barry.
QUESTION: I thought we were going to get some details, but how important
are these detentions? How significant is it that -- the word "round-up" has
been used - some dozen people have been rounded up in Nairobi. Who are
these folks? Have they produced anything interesting? Some of us who have
covered courts speak of them as being detained not arrested, meaning
they haven't technically been charged. Could you elaborate on some
of those things, please?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: We don't want to get into the question
of actions that are taking place as a result of criminal investigations.
I'm not quite sure how many officials or individuals have been taken into
custody in either Nairobi or Dar Es Salaam. But we would rather not get
into that issue at this point.
QUESTION: People have been taken into custody in Dar Es Salaam, you're
saying?
MR. FOLEY: I think Assistant Secretary Rice indicated earlier today that -
are you aware of any - I'm not -
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: I'm not - in fact, there was mention
of individuals being arrested in Dar Es Salaam; Nairobi, I'm not positive
of. But we still do not want to get into that issue.
MR. FOLEY: We're aware of the reports of arrests, but we have no
information about them at this stage. Our embassy is working --
QUESTION: Now we're getting deeper, because now you're talking about
reports and you're talking about arrests. So that opens two other
questions. Please don't feed back to us news reports; we have our own news
reports. We're asking what the State Department knows, not what it can
read. Do you mean they've been arrested or simply questioned? That was the
point of my question.
MR. FOLEY: What I said is that our embassy is attempting to confirm those
reports.
QUESTION: Of arrests?
MR. FOLEY: Well, you answered the semantic --
QUESTION: I asked if they were detained or arrested. Can't I get an
answer?
MR. FOLEY: Barry, you asked the semantic question initially, whether
these were arrests or detainments. We're trying to confirm the fact,
including that semantic distinction through our embassy.
QUESTION: Fine, gotcha.
QUESTION: Before the bombing in Kenya, when one approaches the American
Embassy there, the first ring of security - were those Kenyan guards or
Marine guards - the first people you would see?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We use local guards on the perimeter. The
Marine guards are always, in 99.9 percent of the cases, inside the front
door of the building. Our perimeter guards around the world are host nation
police, local employees, local contractors. The Marines are inside the
perimeter, inside the building.
QUESTION: Speaking of Marines, in the Kenya embassy before the bombing -
even moments before the bombing - the security cameras that are there, are
they monitored; and if so, are they monitored by contractors or by Marine
guards?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: The Marines have cameras and they monitor
them.
QUESTION: And did you get videotape from either of these two attacks?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We're not going to talk about any - we're
not going to get to that level of detail yet.
QUESTION: Okay, because there was a case here where the cameras were
turned off so you - were the cameras turned on then?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: No - we have Marines monitor cameras.
MR. FOLEY: We can't talk about the investigation at this point.
QUESTION: A threat or further cause for stepped-up security in Zimbabwe?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We're getting a large number of threats
coming in. We treat all threats seriously -- some of them could conceivably
be real, some of them simply may be copycats. But we get threats and we
look at each one of them and we evaluate them and we take the appropriate
response in accordance with our evaluation.
QUESTION: Can you address Zimbabwe specifically, though?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We don't talk - I will not talk, nor will DS,
talk about any specific threat. We treat the case and we deal with it
accordingly.
QUESTION: Would you say the number of threats has increased since the
bombs have happened? Has the number of threats increased dramatically since
the bombs went off on Friday?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: I wouldn't say the number has increased
dramatically, but after any bombing you do get more telephone calls.
QUESTION: Are you talking about a dozen - I mean, just to give us an idea
about - you told us 30,000 throughout a year, but are we talking about a
dozen since Friday or --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: I would say that we've probably gotten over
a dozen, but probably less than two dozen calls in the last - over the
weekend.
QUESTION: A question for Mr. Kennedy - you said on Friday that the
Tanzanian and Kenyan embassies did not meet the standards of the Inman law.
Can you tell us how much of that stems from the Department's own budgeting
and how much stems from congressional budget cuts? How much is within your
discretion?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We have constructed - since the Inman Report,
we have constructed 27 brand new buildings in response to needs, and all
the new buildings are built to those standards. When we do rehabilitations -
- major reconstructions of buildings - we also apply those standards. So
what work we do, we do against those standards.
At the same time, you're correct that the Inman Report recommended a
certain degree of open space between the outer wall of an embassy and the
street. We have not rebuilt every US Embassy in the world, picked it up and
moved it to another location; that is simply not feasible. What we do is
address each case and decide what we can do at any particular location to
maximize the security at that location. Then when we build a new building,
we take the same standards and then apply them to new building construction.
QUESTION: In the case of these two buildings, how much of an issue was
there about the gap in security between what Inman would have liked to see
or you would have liked to see and what Congress funded or what the State
Department chose to spend?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: If you measured these buildings against our
new building construction, you would easily see - those of you who have
visited any of the new buildings we have built within the last decade, as
I'm sure many of you have - you will recognize that there is a large amount
of open space, as I said, between the street and the outer wall of the
embassy. But since we weren't building a new embassy here, we took
other steps and we improved the security around those buildings consonant
with what could be done to an existing building.
QUESTION: The Inman Report recommended $3.5 billion in improvements. How
much of that money has been appropriated and spent?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: I think on what can be described - there was
about a - depending on how you counted it, you can say we got about $800
million appropriated. Then there's an additional couple hundred million
that came and was also appropriated by the Congress to do upgrades to new
properties. So you have to figure in, as I was saying before, new
construction and then retrofits or upgrades to existing properties.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: More or less about $1 billion.
QUESTION: Do you think that these deficiencies that you're talking - the
short fall from the Inman standards - do you think that is why these two
embassies were chosen as targets?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: No. I think terrorists attack United States
Government buildings.
QUESTION: But why - do you have any theory to why these two specific
embassies?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: No. At this moment, I don't have any idea
why they picked these two.
QUESTION: Looking forward now, there have been reports Sandy Berger and
the Ambassador in Kenya have talked about new building in Nairobi. Mr.
Berger talked yesterday on one of the TV shows about the Administration
requesting additional support for embassy security. Can you amplify on that
a little bit? At what stage are your discussions or talks within the
Administration on seeking more money for this sort of thing?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: As the Secretary said today, we will rebuild
our facilities in Nairobi and in Dar Es Salaam; we will have new embassies
there. Obviously, what we have been doing over the course of this past
weekend is concentrating on one thing and one thing only - or one package
of things, which is to provide assistance to our embassy employees,
Americans and Kenyans, Americans and Tanzanians, and assist the governments
of Kenya and Tanzania. We will address the question of budget work - we've
started that. But the primary function is we are addressing the rescue
relief and medical efforts, and then we will take up the budgetary
issues.
MR. FOLEY: If I could add, without going into facts or figures, we will
be going to Congress with additional requests to meet security needs, but
we're just in the initial stages of assessing what we're going to be
requesting.
QUESTION: Has there been consideration given to the State Department -
the exterior of this building and how it's situated? Have you gone into
considering beefing up security here? I mean, that seems to be a question
out there.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: There is an entirely separate set of
standards that are interagency standards for facilities in the United
States. All I want to say on that is that our security people who
specialize in domestic activities are in regular and full contact with
entities such as the General Service Administration, the local police
departments in wherever the State Department is located, the FBI, et
cetera. We deal with domestic facilities according to a set of domestic
standards, and we deal with overseas facilities according to a set of
agreed overseas standards.
QUESTION: Mr. Kennedy, if I may, since these bombings, have any host
countries -- other than these two - expressed any particular concern about
the presence of American missions in their country?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: If by concern you mean has any host
government come to us and said we'd like you to leave because your presence
is a threat to our citizenry, no - none have.
QUESTION: Jim or anyone - can you bring us up to date on the Secretary's
schedule at this hour?
MR. FOLEY: I'll address that when we finish briefing on the Department's
efforts related to the situation in Africa.
QUESTION: Okay. Also, can you bring us up to date on the number of bodies
that will be coming back to the United States? Apparently one family has
requested its family member --
MR. FOLEY: I think that's not finally determined. It is true that we
understand that one family may wish to bury the body of their loved one in
Kenya. I'm not in a position, though, to say whether that would preclude a
total of 12 bodies coming back through Germany later this week. That's just
something that hasn't been finally determined yet.
QUESTION: Mr. Carson, without getting bogged down in the semantics of
arrests or detentions, can you say - perhaps it's obvious - but can you say
why the first group that the police in Dar Es Salaam focused on were Iraqis
and Sudanese?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: I don't want to get bogged down in any
questions like this because we are not certain who the authorities have
arrested or detained in Tanzania and we would not like to get into
specifics concerning the investigation.
QUESTION: This is something they initiated on their own and then informed
you about it?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: Yes. Bombings were committed in their
country, and law enforcement agencies in their countries were undertaking
to exercise their normal duties.
QUESTION: Just to follow on that the US has had problems in getting to
deal with the suspects in the Khobar Towers bombing. Has the US been
guaranteed access to any suspects that may be or have been arrested in
these two cases?
MR. FOLEY: I'm certain we're going to have complete cooperation. We
pledged our cooperation and they pledged theirs with us, but we have
nothing more specific to say about those reported detainments or arrests.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - cooperation. Can you say who will be the lead
here - the local authorities or some mixing of US and local investigators;
or since Americans got killed and people working for Americans got killed,
will the US take the lead or will you do what you did in Saudi Arabia and
wait for them to help you?
MR. FOLEY: It's going to be a cooperative effort, I'm certain.
QUESTION: Who will take the lead? Will you not answer the question? Say
I'm not going to answer the question.
MR. FOLEY: It's going to be a cooperative effort.
QUESTION: So you're not going to answer the question, right?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: The answer is the crime was committed in
their country; it is also a crime under US law to attack American citizens
abroad. Therefore there was a crime committed under the laws of Kenya and a
crime committed under the laws of Tanzania and a crime in both cases
committed under the laws of the United States. Under the laws of the United
States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is charged with investigating
these crimes under the laws of the two respective states their own
forces. Therefore it is, as Jim said, a cooperative effort because
two sets of laws were violated involving the same tragic victims.
QUESTION: Has the Saudi experience done anything to influence how you're
approaching these bombings - the lack of resolving those crimes - that
crime two years after the fact? Has it had any influence on how you're
proceeding in this case or is it no two situations are alike or what?
MR. FOLEY: Barry, we're not in a position to talk about an ongoing
investigation; especially one that's just been completed. I think Mr.
Kennedy's answer --
QUESTION: I'm asking about the strategy - the approach the US is taking -
whether you're influenced - when the Secretary of State and the President
speak with great affirmation about we're going to get the people who did
this and make sure they're prosecuted, it's great rhetoric. We don't know
if it's based on resolve and conviction and other nice human tendencies, or
if it's based at all on facts like evidence, clues, a new approach
to investigations. We will all report the rhetoric; it's beautiful
rhetoric. But we don't know if it's just conviction or if it's based on
some experience or some approach or some clues?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: At this point in the investigation - which
clearly started 72 hours ago - and the FBI and Diplomatic Security Service
teams arrived in country hours later, your question is, in effect,
hypothetical into the future. We have been pledged the full cooperation of
those governments. We have dispatched significant and important teams of US
Government personnel, FBI and Diplomatic Security Service to work on the
investigation. The investigation has just started; it is ongoing; and
there's nothing more we can say.
QUESTION: I have a couple of questions, Jim. One, when the Secretary
talked of a reward, is she talking of $2 million for each incident for a
total of $4 million, or $2 million total for the bombings?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: The statute authorizes the Secretary of
State to offer a reward up to $2 million for a terrorism event. Hypothetically,
it therefore could be $2 million if it turns out to be one act; and it
could, theoretically, be $4 million if it turns out to be two separate
acts. So we're getting into a hypothetical. The law authorizes her to offer
up to $2 million, and she has offered the maximum reward. As the investigation
rolls out, the answer will become evident.
MR. FOLEY: Did you have a follow-up?
QUESTION: I had a question about extradition. This is hypothetical.
QUESTION: Follow-up on that - Pat, is that for arrest or conviction? Is
it a little bit for arrest, a little bit for conviction?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Once the situation clarifies itself, the
Secretary of State and the Attorney General, in consultation, decide when
to pay the reward.
QUESTION: It doesn't necessarily have to be a conviction?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: They decide when to pay the reward.
QUESTION: Just to clarify something, clearly we're talking about two acts
here, are we not?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: It says, under this program the Secretary -
thank you; Jim has the text. The Secretary of State may offer rewards of up
to $2 million for information that prevents or resolves acts of international
terrorism against US citizens or property worldwide, or leads to the arrest
or conviction of terrorists involved in such acts.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - rewards have been offered, however old that
program is, has any reward ever been offered this quickly after an
incident?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: I'd have to check the record; we'll take
it.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - does have a tip, what are they supposed to
do?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: There is a poster and information that's
going out. You contact the nearest US Embassy or consulate, and there is an
address you can write to: P.O. Box 96781 --
MR. FOLEY: Heroes.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: The address is HEROES, P.O. Box 96781,
Washington, D.C., 20090-6781. We certainly publicize this overseas.
Domestically they can contact the FBI or the Post Office address; there's
also an 800-telephone number.
QUESTION: Do you know where the posters will be posted?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Worldwide.
QUESTION: No, I mean, in what - post offices, banks?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We pass them out overseas through the United
States Information Agency.
QUESTION: Widespread.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Widespread.
QUESTION: Can you tell us how many times rewards have been paid out since
this program was started?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We'll take the question. We have paid out $5
million in rewards since 1991.
QUESTION: Do you have the 800-number?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Yes, the 800-number is 1-800-HEROES1.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - what numbers would those be?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: That's the number in the United States; and
then overseas, it tells you to contact the nearest American Embassy or
consulate. There's even a website - www --
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - sophisticated -
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: No, for a sophisticated tip-off, people.
MR. FOLEY: The website is www.heroes.net.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR. FOLEY: Dot net.
QUESTION: Besides the timing and besides the targets, do you have any
other reason to believe that these two explosions were linked?
MR. FOLEY: We've not said anything, and you've seen any number of
spokesman and officials speaking publicly about this. But to note the
simultaneity and the obvious sophistication beyond the attacks, but we've
not commented publicly. As the Secretary indicated yesterday, we can't do
that at this point of an ongoing investigation.
QUESTION: Were there any other terrorist attempts last week in Africa,
beside these two, on American targets?
MR. FOLEY: We're not aware of any, no.
QUESTION: A little bit on logistics, can you tell us whether everybody -
all the American teams or members of the American teams who are going to be
in place on the ground - have now arrived on the ground, and whether there
have been requests for any other different kinds of specialists to come -
any back-up of any kind, further medical aid? Will there be further flights
out there this week?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: We've dispatched more than 17 transport
flights to Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam that have transported medical
personnel, paramedics, technicians, building collapse rescue experts,
security personnel, investigative personnel, the medical supplies, the
medical equipment, rescue, dog teams, et cetera. The most recent was a
dispatch of additional medical personnel from Germany after consultations
with the Kenyan Government on what additional help they needed. As we move
through the facility, the State Department will be dispatching additional
security personnel and probably additional naval - a Navy Seabee unit to
assist in the building. And as our embassies and as the investigative
personnel out there say they need something else or as the Kenyan or
Tanzanian Governments identify an additional requirement to us, we
will work with them to see that those requirements are met to the
maximum extent possible.
QUESTION: Do you know how many medical personnel have been deployed?
MR. FOLEY: I think we have that figure; we'll get it to you in a few
minutes.
QUESTION: Have any other nations besides Israel been invited to
participate in the investigation at all - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, others
that have some real-time experience?
MR. FOLEY: I can't confirm that; we're not discussing publicly with whom
we're discussing the security investigation. Obviously, this is a very
sensitive matter; and as the Secretary indicated yesterday, it would just
be irresponsible to talk about publicly about what we're doing in terms of
the investigation.
QUESTION: Are you cooperating with any of the other regional security
groups in the Middle East who have real-time experience in this in Cairo or
Riyhad or any place else?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: The State Department's Diplomatic Security
Service works with every US Government intelligence agency and with every
national security service in the world; that is part of our job. We work
with the host nation's security service. So we do that on a daily basis and
after an incident like this, that does not stop us from doing it; we
continue the process that we were engaged in of working with host nation
security and intelligence services.
QUESTION: Where is your regional security officer in East Africa
located?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: There is a unit in Nairobi and there is a
unit in Dar Es Salaam and there are units all over East Africa.
QUESTION: Can you take a couple of minutes and talk about the Tanzanians,
the Kenyans. We're all focused on American victims. These are loyal people
who work for us and some of them have lost their lives; some have been
badly injured. What debt does the US have to these people? In a real sense,
what does the US do to cushion the awful impact of what's happened?
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: We have responded to the needs of our
Kenyan employees just as we have responded to the needs to our American
employees. And as our medical teams and emergency rescue teams have gone in,
they have gone in to rescue both host country nationals as well as
Americans.
In the situation in Nairobi, we have provided the bulk of the medical
equipment - fluids, syringes, bandages and other things - to the Kenyans
and the Kenyan officials. As we have moved to take our people out for
emergency medical treatment, we have indeed moved the Kenyans out as well.
We took ten Americans on a Medivac flight out to Lanstuhl, Germany. We have
Medivac'd five Kenyan employees there as well --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: On that same aircraft --
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: On that same flight. And we are in the
process today of evacuating seven more Kenyan nationals to Germany for
medical attention.
Equally, we would like to praise the Kenyans for what they have done to and
for Americans, because Kenyan facilities were used to treat many Americans
who were slightly injured or bruised and those who needed emergency
attention. But we have not flagged in trying to provide support. Indeed,
we've put something in the neighborhood of $5 million in emergency medical
assistance and rescue equipment into the area. Most of that has been done
to save not only American lives, but also Kenyan and Tanzanian lives.
We respect and value the work of our Kenyan and Tanzanian colleagues, and
we have not forgotten them as we have sought to save our own.
QUESTION: A follow-up question about the budget concerns - I know you
haven't decided yet what you're going to be asking for from Congress, but
has there been a re-assessment since 1985 of the money needed to bring all
of the buildings up to standards? It was $3.5 billion before; $1 billion's
been spent; 10 years have elapsed. Have there been any kind of rough
estimate made in the last 13 years? Also, can you say what kinds of
companies normally get these contracts -- if they have to be from the
United States or not?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Let me take the latter part before I forget
it. The law requires that any construction contract overseas for a State
Department facility valued at more than $7 million go to an American
company.
Taking the former question, we constantly evaluate our physical plant needs
overseas. We look at it every year in the budget process. We analyze what
facilities need to be upgraded; what facilities need to be expanded; what
facilities need to be maintained; and what facilities have just reached the
point where, for whatever reason - size, age or security - we need to build
a new facility. So this is an ongoing and continuous budgetary process.
MR. FOLEY: Our officials have about five more minutes, would you say? So
if we can finish up on Kenya and Tanzania in the next five minutes --
QUESTION: Can I follow that one?
QUESTION: There is no number - no estimate since 1985?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Every year the State Department puts
together a budget that has essentially - there's a foreign buildings part;
it's called security and maintenance of buildings abroad. Then we have an
operations portion of our budget, of which the Diplomatic Security Service -
there's a part of the appropriation called diplomatic and consular programs
for overseas. We factor our requirements, both buildings and operations
every year, into the budgetary process.
QUESTION: What's appropriated this year, if you can't say how much is all
together?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: This year, the foreign buildings appropriation
is around $400 million; but that is renting properties, maintaining
properties, paying the salaries of the personnel who rent and maintain
them.
QUESTION: If I could just follow that - did either of these two buildings
appear on the Inman Report as being recommended for security improvements
or in these annual reviews that you talked about? In other words, was Dar
Es Salaam up to be rehabilitated in two years, or Nairobi, et cetera?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Nairobi was a relatively recent building. It
was built, I believe, in the early 1980s; and therefore, it was a new
facility in comparison to many of our others and therefore was not any
candidate for immediate replacement. It was a candidate for periodic
maintenance. Our embassy in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, is also of relatively
recent vintage. There was an annex added on to it in the early '80s as
well. So size-wise and age-wise, they were both in very good shape.
That is not to say, however, that we have - we have made security
improvements to the buildings over the course of time. Our security program
doesn't only consist of saying we're going to build a new building
somewhere else. It consists of taking existing buildings and making the
maximum number of security improvements that we can make, given size, shape,
structure and other conditions.
MR. FOLEY: We have time for two more questions.
QUESTION: Did you mention how many of the 280 missions/embassies are not
up to Inman standards?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: First, no; and then --
QUESTION: I mean, is there a list that you do? Do you go over this every
couple of years? Are there 150, are there --
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: Every year we review our list of properties.
We look at our budgetary resources; we look at threat levels; and we direct
our funding to those properties which are most in need as a combination of
maintenance and security. It is a prioritization process that is constant
and ongoing.
MR. FOLEY: One last question.
QUESTION: Mr. Kennedy, in recent years have there been specific
recommendations for improving security in either the Kenyan embassy or the
Tanzanian embassy that for one reason or another were not met?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: There have been recommendations to improve
security at both buildings, and we have made improvements to both
buildings.
QUESTION: That wasn't the question - have there been recommendations that
were not met?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY KENNEDY: I would have to go back and look, but I do
not think that there were any specific recommendations that I am aware of -
and I have to go check - that say that we should have done this particular
thing to this building and we didn't do it.
MR. FOLEY: Okay, thank you both very much.
Barry, you're going to get the first crack again, given you're the dean of
our corps.
QUESTION: I pass.
MR. FOLEY: Okay.
QUESTION: If Barry passes, I have one. Are you going to be putting out
biographical information on the victims that were employees of the State
Department; and if not, why not?
MR. FOLEY: I'm sorry, do you mean the announced deceased?
QUESTION: Yes, yes, right.
MR. FOLEY: Well, I think that whatever we do will be in conformity with
past patterns. I believe that, for example, the list that was released -
was it on Saturday - did not contain, for example, hometowns and dates of
birth, because we were interested in getting that information quickly out.
I think we can look at that for you, Norm.
QUESTION: Yes, well, I mean, we'd like to have it today. Presumably these
people are on a payroll somewhere - you must know where you're sending the
checks.
MR. FOLEY: We'll look into that for you.
QUESTION: Give us a little more information about the Secretary's
schedule over the next few days.
MR. FOLEY: Yes, well, the Secretary is here. I don't have her schedule
before me tomorrow, but she's in the office tomorrow. Wednesday morning at
approximately 6:00 a.m., she will be departing from Andrews Air Force Base
to Ramstein, Germany, for the sole purpose of accompanying the bodies of
our deceased Americans from Germany back to the United States.
QUESTION: Do you know roughly when she gets there?
MR. FOLEY: Well, this is a guess-timate at this point, but it is in the
neighborhood of 7:30 p.m. German time.
QUESTION: No (inaudible).
MR. FOLEY: Not that I'm aware of, no, I don't think so. Then she will -
and this is still in the planning stage, if you will - but it's expected
that from the airport, she'll probably go to the hospital in Lanstuhl and
pay her respects, if this is possible, given the medical condition of those
injured to those who are there -- be they American or Kenyan -- who are
there in the hospital. Then she'll be leaving the next morning directly
from Ramstein with the bodies of our deceased colleagues returning directly
from Ramstein on a military aircraft to Washington.
QUESTION: Is it Washington - do you think it's Washington for sure?
MR. FOLEY: Yes.
QUESTION: Don't bodies usually go to Delaware or something?
MR. FOLEY: I think that's another aspect that will be addressed after
their arrival.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR. FOLEY: I can't confirm the details of the arrival and the ceremony
here because, as you know, this will be a White House matter.
QUESTION: Has she not spoken with any of her counterparts abroad in
relation to the bombing?
MR. FOLEY: She's spoken with some, yes. She called Foreign Minister
Godana of Kenya on Friday - the day of the explosion. She tried to reach
Foreign Minister Kikwete of Tanzania on that day, but they were unable to
speak until Saturday. She spoke to Foreign Minister Dini while she was in
Rome on Friday morning. She's spoken to Secretary General Kofi Annan on
Saturday, I believe; she spoke to Foreign Minister Vedrine also on
Saturday. I might add she called - I believe she initiated the call - Prime
Minister Netanyahu yesterday or over the weekend. It was August 9 -
was that yesterday - yes - to thank the government and the people
of Israel for their extraordinary assistance in the search and rescue
effort in Nairobi. And the President also sent a message through our
Ambassador in Tel Aviv.
The Secretary noted that the Israeli team had played an phenomenal role in
leading the search and rescue effort. The experience and expertise of the
Israeli teams literally made the difference between life and death for at
least one victim of the blast. The Secretary expressed to the Prime
Minister the gratitude of the President, herself and the American people
for Israel's generous assistance at this time of need.
I think you can expect that she'll continue to be in contact with
colleagues around the world. That's the list as I have it now, but maybe
tomorrow I'll be able to update the list.
QUESTION: The French are involved too. (Inaudible) - I would assume she
would have --
MR. FOLEY: Yes, the French have been involved and they offered assistance
and she spoke to Foreign Minister Vedrine and I believe that they did talk
about this.
QUESTION: Speaking about the rescue effort, do you have any numbers about
how much in medical supplies? And you said you were going to get back to
the personnel that's been sent over there for the rescue mission?
MR. FOLEY: Yes, you'll have to bear with me because we've completed the
expert level briefing. I have some of that information available, but it's
going to take me -- I'd like to come back to that, if I could.
QUESTION: I realize this is hypothetical, but if there were a need to
extradite people from either country to this country, do we have extradition
treaties with either country?
MR. FOLEY: I'll have to take that question.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) - since the vast majority of people killed or
injured were locals and not Americans?
MR. FOLEY: It's hypothetical at this point, and I would like to take the
question about extradition. I believe this is a matter that's arrived at as
a result of consent and agreement on the part of two governments; because
as was indicated, for example, by Secretary Albright yesterday, there have
been instances - nine in the last five years alone - where we've been able
to extradite or render back to the United States to justice a number
of terrorists. Some of those were accused of having committed terrorist
acts in the United States, but some committed terrorist acts overseas. I
think, Betsy, that the real answer is that it's probably on a case-by-case
basis.
QUESTION: Can we change the subject?
MR. FOLEY: Yes.
QUESTION: Can we go to Burma? It's been reported that 18 students were
arrested for handing out leaflets, and it's also rumored that four of them
were American University students. Can you confirm that?
MR. FOLEY: Six Americans and 12 foreigners were detained August 9 in
Burma for allegedly distributing pamphlets that the Burmese Government
claims were intended to incite unrest. We have requested consular access to
the arrested Americans and still await a response. We have not been
formally informed of the specific allegations against the Americans that
lead to their arrest. We understand that they are detained under suspicion
of distributing pamphlets. If this is the case, the government's response
seems to be consistent with its suppression of all forms of freedom
of expression by the Burmese population at large.
Unfortunately, I can't release any more information at this time because we
don't have Privacy Act waivers from the detained.
QUESTION: What was this group doing in Burma? Who were these people -
without giving any names?
MR. FOLEY: I don't have information as to what specifically they were
doing. I am only aware of the fact that the Burmese Government has said
that they were distributing pamphlets, and claims that they were there with
an intention to incite unrest. But the fact of the matter, under the
relevant diplomatic conventions - governments are obligated to provide
consular notification and access within 24 hours -- and so we eagerly await
the Burmese authorities meeting their responsibilities.
QUESTION: Can I ask just a quick one on the Middle East - the peace
process? The Palestinians are calling for Ambassador Ross to come to the
region and mediate - or whatever you say he does now. Is he going?
MR. FOLEY: I'm certainly not aware that he has any plans for a visit.
We're still focused on the fact and the need for the two parties to talk
directly with each other. As you know, Sid, we have been in that stage a
number of days and the Secretary did touch on -- though that was not the
principle purpose of her conversation -- but she did touch on the Middle
East peace process with Prime Minster Netanyahu. She spoke, of course, last
week, as I reported, with Chairman Arafat. She is continuing to urge
both sides to finish the job and to engage with each other in a way that
can produce a positive outcome. So we are continuing to urge them to do the
right thing here.
Again, the phone call with the Prime Minister was focused mostly on the
Israeli assistance in Nairobi, but I think it's fair to say that the Prime
Minister assured the Secretary that he would do his best to try to reach an
agreement. So we think the fact that there have been direct contacts is
what we desired at this stage. We want to see those direct contacts come to
fruition. This is really - we're at the last stage of this effort and
we've said that direct contacts were needed to close the final gaps.
If direct contacts can't close the final gaps, then we'll have to draw the
conclusions that we have indicated previously we'll be forced to draw.
QUESTION: A question on Iraq -- yesterday Madeleine Albright mentioned a
few things. She said that the US was not going to operate on Saddam
Hussein's schedule -- that this is August and August seems to be a month
where things start up with him. What is the US schedule; and what would it
take for things to escalate? She made some comments which suggested that
interfering with inspections might not be enough to start the whole process
in motion, that it might take more than that, such as interfering with
neighbors or showing some sign of reconstituting military force.
MR. FOLEY: Of course she didn't say that specifically; I think you're
trying to read into what she said and that's your job. The fact of the
matter, though, is that in diplomacy -- especially when one is dealing with
an unstable and unpredictable regime and leader such as Saddam Hussein --
it is certainly prudent for us not to lay out publicly what actions on his
part might cause, in terms of specific actions on our part or on the part
of the international community. I think what the Secretary did yesterday
was to make it very clear and crystal clear that we understand precisely
what Saddam is trying to achieve. He is trying to achieve a lifting of the
sanctions without, of course, having complied with UN requirements to
disclose and to disarm; that is his aim. He's trying by various tactics and
strategies to create a situation in which somehow sanctions can be lifted.
We're not, as the Secretary said, going to play that game.
As to what might happen hypothetically down the road, I'm not going to
specify that; that would not be prudent and we're not going to give Saddam
Hussein that advantage. The Secretary did note that we have a very robust
capability -- I think Secretary Cohen called it a formidable force that
remains in the Gulf -- and that force, as the Secretary of State indicated
yesterday, is available. We will act if we do see Iraq beginning to
threaten its neighbors, its neighborhood or in any way threaten our
security interests.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) -- Cambodian elections yet - anything on that? Free
and fair?
MR. FOLEY: Not definitively, at this point. As you know, we've been very
careful not to call, as it were, the Cambodian elections. We continue to
await the results of the investigation ongoing into reported electoral
irregularities and abuses which we do take seriously. Throughout this
entire process, we have repeatedly expressed our deep concern at reports of
intimidation and reports of politically motivated violence that contributed
to a climate of fear and intimidation and the lead-up to the July 26
election in Cambodia. We called on the Cambodian Government to establish an
election environment in which all parties could compete freely and fairly
and the voters could express their will without fear or intimidation.
So as long as that process is ongoing, we don't have the results of those
investigations. We also haven't heard the relevant constitutional body in
Cambodia which has to act to formalize the end of the election results. The
United States is certainly not going to take a position on those elections.
QUESTION: Thank you.
(The briefing concluded at 4:05 P.M.)
|
