Subject: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (April 10, 1995)
Topic: std
From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)
 
Subject: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (April 10, 1995)
Topic: std
FDate: 95-04-10


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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
APRIL 10, 1995



                       U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
                         DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

                              I N D E X

                       Monday, April 10, 1995

                                       Briefer:  Christine Shelly


[...]

TURKEY
Withdrawal of Troops from Northern Iraq ...............5
  Secretary Christopher Comment
    re: Possibility of OSCE Involvement ...............5,8

GREECE
Ambassador Holbrooke Discussions w/Gov't of Turkey .....14

[...]


                   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
                     DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

                                              DPC #48

                MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1995, 12:43 P. M.
               (ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)



[...]
     Q     The situation in Iraq.  As you know, Turks have pulled back  
3,000 troops and the major Kurdish factions, as you know, signed a  
cease-fire agreement.  How do you evaluate these recent developments in  
the area?

     MS. SHELLY:  I don't have a broad assessment to give you.   
Regarding the reports of the cease-fire, we've seen those reports, and  
we'll certainly continue to look into it.  I'm not in a position to give  
any sort of independent confirmation to that.

     Turkey did, of course, announce the withdrawal of some 3,500 troops  
from northern Iraq.  We welcome this news.  It's a step in the right  
direction, but we continue to stress, as we have in private as well as  
public, that the Turkish authorities need to limit the scope and  
duration of this operation and to safeguard human rights.

     Q     In that area, remember last week the Secretary, based on what  
he called a preview of a report on inspections in Iraq, said they would  
not be very reassuring so far as Iraq's activities in biological weapons  
development -- I suppose other weapons of mass destruction.  Can you  
advance that at all?  I don't know that the report has come out yet.  It  
may be -- I suppose the -- he said this week, he thought.

     MS. SHELLY:  I'm not going to be able to advance this story very  
much at this point.  There have been a number of recent press reports  
about an Iraqi nuclear program, but we have seen no independent  
corroborative information on these reports.

     We know, of course, that Iraq was working on the development of  
weapons of mass destruction prior to the Gulf War, and, as you know, we  
have frequently said we believe that Iraq is continuing to withhold  
information on its weapons of mass destruction programs.

     UNSCOM Executive Chairman Rolf Ekeus is to report on the findings  
of UMSCOM's recent inspection in Iraq today.  I think that will take  
place this afternoon.  The report will deal with weapons of mass  
destruction other than nuclear weapons, which is the responsibility of  
the IAEA.  At this point it would be, I think, engaging in a little bit  
of pre-emptive speculation to get into the details of the report, but we  
may have some more we can say on this later in the week.

     Q     I want to jump in next door -- Iran.  Does State want to jump  
into the question about cooperation agreements with Russia, or is the  
Vice President's statement yesterday sufficient?

     MS. SHELLY:  I think the Vice President's statement is certainly  
definitive.  Our views on this are well known, and they have not changed  
with respect to the risks inherent in going down that kind of a  
cooperation track.

     Q     But you're don't going to disrupt your cooperation with  
Russia on nuclear problems, right?

     MS. SHELLY:  As you know, this Administration has said that we do  
not support the notion of linking specific other types of assistance  
programs to Russia's going ahead with that cooperation deal.  All of the  
reasons why we think Russia should not go forward with that, I think,  
are very well known and have been articulated, obviously, most recently  
by the Vice President.

     However, we certainly are aware of the fact that there are  
sentiments up on Capitol Hill that have a different view of linkage, and  
other than acknowledge that those sentiments are there, I don't think  
there's much else that I can do with that.

     Sid.

     Q     Isn't the Administration concerned that nuclear projects in  
which we cooperate with Russia -- U.S. nuclear technology essentially  
acquired by Russia -- could be passed on to Iran?

     MS. SHELLY:  I don't think that's a specific concern of ours.  The  
Russians themselves have said in the context of their proceeding with  
this that they would, of course, apply all the usual safeguards in the  
context of their own relationship.  But we have other types of  
cooperation with Russia that proceed on their own track, including all  
the steps and agreements that we make with them regarding safeguarding  
of any types of technology provisions that might be relevant.

     Q     Yes, but if they're willing to deal with Iran -- they offer  
the impression that they would sell anything to the highest bidder.   
What's to keep them from selling U.S. nuclear technology to Iran?

     MS. SHELLY:  That's --

     Q     Are you taking their word for it?

     MS. SHELLY:  Sid, that's getting very speculative.  We get  
assurances before we proceed with cooperation with Russia on specific  
projects, and we would expect the Russians to keep to those assurances.

     Q     You'll take their word for it?

     MS. SHELLY:  We would expect the Russian authorities to keep to  
assurances that they make in the context of any agreements of that kind.

     Q     Could you please clarify the U.S. position vis-a-vis to the  
political future of the Kurdish people in northern Iraq, protected by  
your operation, "Provide Comfort," but occupied by Turkish invasion  
forces?

     MS. SHELLY:  I've been addressing Turkey virtually every single day  
that I've briefed, I think, in the last several weeks.  I have nothing  
new regarding our overall position.  What are you getting at?

     Q     As U.S. policy, would you accept the creation of an  
independent homeland in that crucial area for the national culture of  
the survival of the Kurdish people?  What is the position -- the  
political --

     MS. SHELLY:  No, we do not support the creation of an independent  
Kurdish state.

     Q     What about autonomy?

     MS. SHELLY:  Autonomy is something that has to be worked out in the  
context of the regions where there are Kurdish populations, in the  
context of the states in whose borders they fall and within the  
territorial integrity.

     Q     One more question:  The Turkish Foreign Minister the other  
day stated to the Washington Post that he would like to see gradually  
Baghdad's political authority over northern Iraq.  What is the U.S.  
position to this effect?

     MS. SHELLY:  If that was a Turkish statement, the appropriate place  
to get an interpretation or reflection of that is the Turkish  
authorities.

     Q     But there was a discussion here at the State Department.  So  
the question is directed to the State Department or to the --

     MS. SHELLY:  As a longer-term proposition, if the Iraqis choose to  
stop persecuting the populations that fall within the area, there might  
be a possibility for some other regime.  But right now, "Operation  
Provide Comfort" is there and is providing protection for the Iraqi  
Kurds against the type of actions which have been undertaken against  
them in the past by Iraqi authorities.

     Q     Last week, Secretary Christopher, at a photo-op session, said  
that he suggested the good offices of OSCE as a solution in northern  
Iraq to Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Inonu.  Did the Administration or  
the Department have any initiatives in that regard?  Could you comment  
on that specific solution?

     MS. SHELLY:  No, I don't have anything to state beyond which was  
offered by the Secretary.

[...]


     Q     Since Under Secretary Holbrooke was in Athens last weekend,  
do you have anything on his talks with Papandreou's government?

     MS. SHELLY:  I do not.

     Q     Thank you.

     MS. SHELLY:  Thank you.

     (The briefing concluded at 1:12 p.m.)

(###)


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