1:05 p.m. EST
 
MR. ERELI:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Welcome to today's briefing.  I don't have any announcements to begin with, so I will go to your questions.
 
QUESTION:  Adam, as you might imagine, there are questions about Turkey.  There has been some -- and some of this has been on the wire already -- but just if I could verify it at the State Department.
 
Are there any Americans who were injured or killed, of course, and what the security situation is for the U.S. Consulate -- I think it's been moved recently in Istanbul -- and I suppose the embassy in Ankara, and whatever other installations you have?
 
MR. ERELI:  Let me begin by expressing, on behalf of the United States, its strong condemnation of the new wave of terrorist attacks in Istanbul today, that targeted Turkish and British citizens.  We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to all the victims and their families of this wanton attack.
 
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair expressed their condemnation together in London earlier today.  Secretary of State Powell extended his condolences to Turkish Foreign Minister Gul.  Deputy Secretary of State Armitage spoke with the British Charge in Washington and offered any assistance that we could provide to the British in Istanbul, including the use of our newly vacated consulate building.
 
Our ambassador in Ankara, Eric Edelman, has also offered our help to the Turkish Government, and our embassy staff in Ankara are donating blood today to replenish Turkish supplies.
 
Barry, you asked about American casualties.  At this time, we have no reports of American casualties from this incident.  Our embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul, both issued Warden Messages today outlining the possibility of more attacks, as well as the possibility of fires, gas line explosions, and collapsing buildings near the bombsites.
 
Due to these dangers, the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul strongly advises that all American citizens stay away from these areas.  The Consulate General in Istanbul has suspended normal visa operations, but it remains fully staffed to provide emergency assistance to American citizens.
 
QUESTION:  Excuse me, a couple of things.  These areas where the attacks took place, because, obviously, whoever is doing this has got a broad field in these attacks.  They have attacked synagogues; they have attacked the British, et cetera.  What areas should Americans avoid?
 
MR. ERELI:  Well, the Warden Message alerts Americans to the continued dangers of attacks.
 
QUESTION:  Yeah, I understand.
 
MR. ERELI:  And urges them to exercise caution, as a general matter, and, I guess, bring specific attention to these sites to be extra cautious because of the danger of collapsing building, but the threat of attack, you know, the threat of attack remains.
 
QUESTION:  Well, now the consulate, I thought the consulate that has been offered to the British, isn't this the consulate that was abandoned as the U.S. opened a new consulate?
 
MR. ERELI:  Yes.
 
QUESTION:  Well, wasn't it abandoned for security reasons?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think it was abandoned -- I wouldn't say "abandoned" -- removed -- from that consulate into a new facility.
 
QUESTION:  Well, I think you moved to get a safer place.
 
MR. ERELI:  That consulate, the consulate that we moved out of, has very robust security still, physical security, and it's an emergency measure.  If it's useful, and if they can -- if it helps them to deal with this tragedy, then we put it at their disposal.
 
QUESTION:  Okay.
 
MR. ERELI:  Yes, Elise.
 
QUESTION:  Have you come to any initial assessments of why Turkey -- do you think that it's Turkey, the country itself, that's being targeted or western interests in that country?  Do you think they're trying to attack the relationship between these western -- western countries and Turkey?
 
MR. ERELI:  Terrorists attack that which represents freedom and tolerance and progress.  And any site that embodies those principles, I think, we've come to learn is a target whether it be in Europe, in the United States, in Asia, or in Africa.  And the message is we've all got to be careful, we've all got to be united, and as President Bush and Prime Minister Blair said so eloquently today, we will prevail.
 
QUESTION:  Well, obviously, this is the second attack in Turkey recently.  Just to follow-up, do you have any reason to believe why Turkey specifically was targeted?  Do you think it's because, you know, the vulnerability of these sites, or that these specific sites were targeted for a reason?
 
MR. ERELI:  I'm not going to get into the head of the terrorists.  As I said, I think the terrorists are motivated by an ideology of hate, and they seek to spread their terror wherever they can and whenever they can, and we just have to stand united and remain determined to confront their savagery.
 
Barry.
 
QUESTION:  I'm sorry.  I'll come back later.
 
MR. ERELI:  Jonathan.
 
QUESTION:  Adam, obviously, Turkey has a problem now with attacks.  Would you expect the Turkish authorities now to escalate their cooperation with the United States and possibly with Israel in order to counter this threat?
 
MR. ERELI:  The fight against terror worldwide is a joint one.  We all have a stake in it, and we all have to cooperate.  Turkey has been, I think, in terms of law enforcement, intelligence sharing and support, as they recently demonstrated with their offer of troops to Iraq, have been steadfast and committed to the fight against terror.  And I don't want to suggest that there's -- they know what they need to do.  They're doing it, and we're going to support them.
 
QUESTION:  And another one.  Do you see any -- you may not want to answer this, since you clearly don't want to think about any reasons for why these things happen.  But do you see any link between these operations and the various machinations, pre and post the Iraq war with Turkey, plans to use Turkish territory, whether Turkish troops might go in, you know, the relationship with the United States, and so on?
 
Do you see any -- do you think that this has had any effect on encouraging these people to choose Turkey as a target?
 
MR. ERELI:  It's been suggested that somehow terrorist attacks are related to this decision or this policy, or this action or that action.  I think if you look at terrorist activity over the last five to ten years, you see a pattern.  And that pattern is that they choose targets that, as I said before, represent and embody of the ideals and hopes that frustrate their agenda.
 
Those ideals and hopes are freedom, tolerance and humanity.  People said, you know, there were attacks before what happened in Iraq; there will be attacks after what happened in Iraq.  To link it to one event or another, I think, is to make a false causation.  We are in the terrorists sights.  We are in the terrorists sights, no matter what we do.  If we do nothing, they will go after us; if we do something, they go after us.  And the only way you can react to that or deal with it is to be firm and resolute and go after them without pity and without mercy, and that's what we're going to do.
 
QUESTION:  What does a bank have to do with freedom, tolerance and humanity?  I'm not quite sure what you’re arguing.
 
MR. ERELI:  I think that those who practice the values of free trade, of open competition, of free exchange of ideas, whether it be in the commercial field, or the political field, or the social field stand in marked contrast to those who preach hate and violence and murder.
 
QUESTION:  If that analysis is correct, and it sounds plausible, then I wonder what that does to the view of some European and Arab governments that if Israel would simply give ground and come to terms with the Palestinians, it would remove one of the causes of violence.
 
You're suggesting -- I think it's the view of the Israeli Government – it doesn't really matter much what Israel does, the west and Israel are targeted period, right?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think that civilization is targeted by terrorism.
 
QUESTION:  And it doesn't matter that it was a U.S. bank?
 
MR. ERELI:  And that civilization needs to stand unified in rank and purpose against this threat.
 
QUESTION:  But let me ask you please about the -- if there -- if the U.S. thinks there is a link between the local terror group and al-Qaida, which took responsibility or claimed responsibility?
 
And do you happen to have, you know -- I don't know if you would right off the topic -- but do you have figures on how many Americans are there, how many tourists, et cetera, in Turkey?
 
MR. ERELI:  There has been a lot of speculation about who's responsible for this.  I would note that, you know, just looking at press reports, a number of organizations, including al-Qaida, have claimed responsibility for this attack.  These claims, I'm sure, will be investigated by the appropriate authorities.  I wouldn’t want to speculate.
 
What I would say is that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair and the Turkish authorities have made it absolutely clear that the terrorists responsible for this wanton and murderous attack will be brought to justice.
 
QUESTION:  And numbers?  Do you happen to know about them?
 
MR. ERELI:  I don't -- I don't have numbers for you.
 
QUESTION:  Adam, is that -- is that what your internal analysts conclude, too?  Do they say that terrorism is a form of opposition to freedom and tolerance?  Is that the extent of their analysis, or do they actually have a more profound analysis than that?
 
QUESTION:  Nuanced.
 
QUESTION:  Nuanced, yes.
 
MR. ERELI:  I would say that is what it -- my words were a --
 
QUESTION:  What do they say?
 
MR. ERELI:  -- were a brief summation of a very complex topic that, if you'd like to get, have a detailed discussion, we could do that at the appropriate forum.
 
QUESTION:  But, I mean, originally -- and they're not sure if it's al-Qaida -- but, you know, the operating assumption of al-Qaida is that it was an extremist Islamic group, and that, you know, it's an extreme brand of Islam and was one of the motivating factors.
 
MR. ERELI:  Yeah.  I think -- can I just address --
 
QUESTION:  So given that -- given that this was in Turkey, which is a predominantly Muslim country, obviously, there's a pretty good chance that Muslims will be killed in an attack like this, do you think now that that's not a -- that this extreme form of Islam is not necessarily a motivating factor anymore?
 
MR. ERELI:  We believe, and I think most -- we believe, as well as, you know, other Islamic governments believe, that al-Qaida and those who follow it and practice its acts of murder have nothing to do with Islam and do not represent the religion.  They represent a crazed view of the world that stands in opposition to everything that people of integrity and honor believe in.
 
QUESTION:  But Adam, they are doing all in the name of Islam and religion and they are using this.
 
MR. ERELI:  And that is -- that is a perversion of a noble religion.
 
Yes, Joel.
 
QUESTION:  Adam, for many years, Turkey has been in NATO, but they're also trying to be, possibly waiting to see if they'll join the EU.  Either way, these terrorists seem to be -- taking the attack -- causing some chaos there will make it less likely that they could go into the EU in full membership, and the resolve with Greece to settle Cyprus.  Do you think those issues are now more critical to be dispatched and solved, so that Turkey can go to the EU?
 
MR. ERELI:  As we've said before, the United States is not a member of the EU.  I would simply note that, if you're connecting terrorism and Turkey to the EU, the fact is, as we've said before, terrorism is a phenomenon that is not particular to states that either are or are not members of the EU.  It's a threat that strikes us all, members of the EU, non-members of the EU, members of NATO, non-members of NATO, and we've got to work together to stop it.
 
QUESTION:  Adam, can you verify that in the past, the very same groups have been supported by the number of Islamic governments, financially and morally and all, do you think they have stopped now to support these terrorist groups?
 
MR. ERELI:  That's a presumption I would not want to make, or I would not want to give credence to.
 
Yes, Jonathan.
 
QUESTION:  Yeah, can we move on to the --
 
QUESTION:  I just -- one more question.
 
QUESTION:  Oh, one more.  Okay.
 
MR. ERELI:  Adi.
 
QUESTION:  Before the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia, the U.S., British and Saudi officials all had intelligence indicating that an imminent attack was about to occur, and indeed it did occur.  They just didn't know where and who was going to be the unfortunate target.  In this case, sir, did U.S. officials have any intelligence indicating that another attack was imminent in Turkey?  I know you can't speak for Turkish and British officials.
 
MR. ERELI:  We are obligated by law if we have information available to us on the threat to American citizens, that we have to share that information.  We did not do so in this case because we did not have that information.
 
Yes, Joel.
 
QUESTION:  On that consulate, can you confirm (inaudible) does not actually say that the reason for U.S. moving the consulate was because of security reasons, because I was told earlier it might have been just for space reasons?  Would you -- which --
 
MR. ERELI:  Right.  I think, you know, the decision to move diplomatic buildings is one that, you know, is done for a variety of reasons and takes a long time to do.  There are a number of considerations that come into play -- the location, security, size, the upkeep cost, so those are all factors that weigh in the decision.
 
QUESTION:  So security was a factor? And how long ago was it, by the way, that it happened?
 
MR. ERELI:  I don't know.
 
QUESTION:  But security was a factor?
 
MR. ERELI:  It's -- it is one of the factors we weigh in making a decision.  I'm not saying it was the factor, but it's always one of the factors.
 
Jonathan.
 
QUESTION:  Some people interpreted the President's remarks yesterday about the wall, fence, in the West Bank as being a harder position.  I'm not quite sure on what basis.  But assuming that is the case, what do you now intend to do about this fence, apart from occasionally mention it in public? 
 
And an Israeli official is quoted today as saying that you are going to make deductions.  We kind of knew that anyway, but is anything moving on that front, on the loan guarantees, reductions?
 
MR. ERELI:  On the fence, Jonathan, I don't really have much new for you on that issue.  I think the President made it very clear what the position of the U.S. Government is on the fence.  It is an issue that we continue to raise with the Government of Israel.  And so, beyond that, I really don't have anything more or new for you.
 
On the issue of the settlement, the loans, settlement loans, I believe I saw reports of what the Israeli minister said, which is a repetition of what we've been saying for a long time, which is that deductions will be made.  The precise amount of those deductions has not yet been determined, and I don't have anything new for you on that either.
 
QUESTION:  Okay.  Well, to go back to the fence, the Israelis responded by saying that they would ignore your opinion, which kind of escalates it a bit.  Are you actually prepared to do anything about this, apart from talk?  I mean, the fate of about 200,000 people is at stake here, and you just say the same thing.  Are you going to actually do anything?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think what we are doing, and what we have been doing, and what we will continue to do, is to work with both parties to focus on the commitments that they have made, and to exert every effort to see that those commitments are honored, and that a way can be found for them to engage towards the fulfillment of the President's vision of two states living side-by-side.
 
QUESTION:  But --
 
MR. ERELI:  That is a realistic, reasonable and important goal to strive for, and we'll continue to do it.  Now if you ask, you know, today, you haven't stopped this, and therefore you don't care and you're not doing anything, that is, I think, an unfair and inaccurate characterization.  This is a process.
 
QUESTION:  Okay.
 
MR. ERELI:  It takes time.  It takes effort.  And we are committed to devoting both to ensure that peace comes to this region.
 
QUESTION:  But you say -- what commitments do you have from the Israelis on the fence?  I am not aware of any.  What are these commitments that you have?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think we have -- I don't have any commitments to report.  I'm not going to speak for the Israeli Government.  I'm going to say what our position is.  And our position is that the fence should not be constructed in a way that prejudges issues for negotiation between the parties.  That will continue to be our position.  We will continue to reiterate it, and we will continue to work with the parties --
 
QUESTION:  It is being built.
 
MR. ERELI:  And we will continue to work with the parties to ensure that they fulfill their commitments each to the other.
 
QUESTION:  But, I mean, how -- but how are you going to convince people that they should take your word seriously when you say these things, and then the building goes on and you don't do anything else apart from say the same thing?  How are you going to convince people to take you seriously?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think the United States, at least starting with the commitment of this President, and the commitment of this Secretary of State are going -- you know, can do what we can do to make this happen. 
 
Jonathan, you know, we're getting into a discussion here that I don't really see going in any positive direction.  So unless you've got something else to add --
 
QUESTION:  No, but it's happening this way.
 
QUESTION:  Can I ask you about this?  This has been going on since Abbas and Sharon made separate visits here months ago.  The U.S. said, "Change the way you're constructing this barrier."  And I've lost track.  Have the Israelis varied?
 
Apparently, you still don’t like the way it's being built, but is it an altered plan?  Have they taken your admonitions into account and changed the course of it -- albeit, not the way you'd like them to -- have they made any changes?
 
MR. ERELI:  I don't really, you know, I haven't seen the latest maps and the latest construction activity, Barry, so I really can't answer where they've built it and where they haven't built it.  We've made our position clear, and we will continue to reiterate it forcefully with the Government of Israel.
 
Yes, Christophe.
 
QUESTION:  In addition, on the question of the fence and the settlements, the Israeli Government today said that it would ignore the resolution which was adopted yesterday by the Security Council --
 
MR. ERELI:  Right.
 
QUESTION:  -- endorsing the roadmap.  What's your reaction on that?
 
MR. ERELI:  I haven't seen the Israeli Government's statement on that.  I would simply note that yesterday's resolution on the roadmap is a statement on behalf of the -- or is a resolution on behalf of the Security Council that reemphasizes and restates the importance of both sides meeting commitments that they've already made, so.
 
QUESTION:  But today, an Israeli official said that Israel doesn't feel that it is bound by the resolution and brought the remarks on that in this direction.
 
MR. ERELI:  Well --
 
QUESTION:  So do you think that Israel is bound or committed or has to be committed by it?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think Israel has made clear that it accepts the roadmap and is committed to the roadmap, and I don't see any indication that there's a change there.  The resolution calls on the parties to fulfill their obligations under the roadmap, so I'm not aware that the Israeli Government has said anything that distances itself from its commitments under the roadmap.
 
Jonathan.
 
QUESTION:  KEDO is going to make an announcement tomorrow.
 
MR. ERELI:  I'm sorry, is that -- are we done on Israel-Palestinian?
 
QUESTION:  Yeah.  On the roadmap conflict.
 
QUESTION:  I was commenting on what you were just saying about the commitment of Israel toward the roadmap.  I don't forget at all in August, when the President was in Texas and the Administration and the Congress were out of town, that the Israeli Government sent the Minister of Tourism to meet with the bases of President Bush here, the Christian Coalition people, who after so many meetings with them, the Washington Times had interviews with their leaders, and they have committed themselves to pressure President Bush to abandon the roadmap saying that the roadmap is bad for Israel.  So that was a minister of the Government of Israel.
 
MR. ERELI:  The question is?
 
QUESTION:  So the question -- the question:  What President Bush stated yesterday in his speech has definitely contributed to so many hopes in the Middle East that he will try harder with the Israeli Government.  He will put -- is he going to put any teeth to his commitment toward stopping the building of the wall?
 
QUESTION:  Maybe not.
 
MR. ERELI:  The United States is committed to doing what it can, doing everything it can to bring peace to the Middle East, and fulfilling the vision of the President of two states living side by side; that is the stated commitment of the U.S. Government, and we will continue to work towards that end.  I think that we are forcefully and actively engaged in that process and we will continue to be because that's the vision of the President.
 
New subject?
 
QUESTION:  KEDO.
 
MR. ERELI:  KEDO.
 
QUESTION:  Yeah, safe one for you.
 
MR. ERELI:  Jonathan, nothing's safe with you today.
 
(Laughter.)
 
QUESTION:  KEDO is going to announce a decision tomorrow on the Light Water Reactor.  I thought you might give us a preview of their decision.
 
MR. ERELI:  I would love to, but I am not going to.  I think I'll leave it to the KEDO Board to make an announcement which they indicated they would make on last November 3 and 4.  It would be premature of me to speak about an announcement that they are going to make.
 
I think what we said in November, early November, when the Board last met, was that our position is that there is no future for the reactor project, and that that's what we want to see.
 
QUESTION:  And do you know whether they actually have made a decision because somebody this morning were saying that they were still deliberating, a last minute deliberation is underway on some of the details of the decision?
 
MR. ERELI:  I'm not aware of any sort of -- any such last minute deliberations.  I think that the agreement that was arrived at on November 3rd and 4th, the meeting of November 3rd and 4th, remains, and that that decision will be announced tomorrow.
 
Yes, Charlie.
 
QUESTION:  A follow-up and a change of subject at the same time.  As long as we're talking about boards that might make decisions tomorrow.
 
MR. ERELI:  (Laughter.)  Let me guess.
 
QUESTION:  The IAEA and Vienna.
 
MR. ERELI:  Right.
 
QUESTION:  Do you have any comment on their deliberations so far, since they haven't actually made a decision?
 
MR. ERELI:  A little bit of comment.  Well, first the facts.  The IAEA Board of Governors meeting opened this morning in Vienna.  It adjourned for the day without taking up Iran-related matters.  It is expected to do so tomorrow.  Our diplomatic consultations with board members regarding Iran are continuing.  I would not want to comment on those consultations in detail.
 
QUESTION:  But have you seen an amended resolution -- European?
 
QUESTION:  Are you commenting in general, if not in detail?
 
MR. ERELI:  In general, I would say that our goal is to ensure the Board take firm action in response to Dr. ElBaradei's November 10 report on Iran's breaches of its safeguards obligations.  We expect the Board to meet it's obligations under the IAEA statute, to find that Iran has been in noncompliance with its safeguards agreement and to report that noncompliance to the Security Council.
 
QUESTION:  Okay.  So there are two meetings expected?
 
MR. ERELI:  Yes.
 
QUESTION:  I just want to check which one you mean.  When you say "expect," are you saying, you think it will, or you think it should?
 
MR. ERELI:  Should.
 
QUESTION:  Have you seen an amended European resolution on Iran for submission to the Board?
 
MR. ERELI:  No, not that I'm prepared to comment on.
 
If I could continue.
 
We also expect that the Board to meet its obligations under the IAEA statute to find that Iran has been in noncompliance with its safeguards agreement and to report that noncompliance to the UN Security Council.  We also expect the Board to give its full support to the IAEA Secretariat's ongoing efforts to investigate Iran's nuclear activities, and verify whether Iran has met the continuing requirements of the Board's September 12 resolution.
 
QUESTION:  Adam.
 
MR. ERELI:  Joel.
 
QUESTION:  A few days ago --
 
MR. ERELI:  Is this a follow-up?
 
QUESTION:  Yes.
 
MR. ERELI:  Okay.
 
QUESTION:  A few days ago, you mentioned a $16 million plan for Iraqi scientists.  With respect to Iran, one of the things the IAEA has in the report is that Russia, Pakistan and China were some of the suppliers to Iran.  Any feelings about, now it may not be government-to-government, but it could be some criminal elements, or could be just a commercial deal?  Any plan to put in the report or suggestions on a resolution to go after some of these suppliers?
 
MR. ERELI:  That would be getting into a level of detail I just don't want to get into.
 
QUESTION:  All right.
 
MR. ERELI:  Yes, Elise.
 
QUESTION:  When you say that you expect the Board to find Iran in noncompliance and report this to the Security Council, are you saying that's what you want to happen --
 
MR. ERELI:  Yeah.  That's what we're looking for.
 
QUESTION:  -- or it's your expectation that that's what's going to happen?
 
MR. ERELI:  That's what we're looking for.
 
QUESTION:  (Inaudible.)
 
MR. ERELI:  Yes, that is our position.
 
QUESTION:  You should avoid "expect."  It's ambiguous.
 
MR. ERELI:  Duly noted.
 
(Laughter.)
 
Yes, Mr. Lambros.
 
Anything on Iran?  Anything more on Iran?
 
QUESTION:   On Turkey again.
 
MR. ERELI:  Turkey.
 
QUESTION:  Did you see also that today's attack against Turkey as a move against democracy, and more specifically, the Turkish Government under the popular leader, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, in the name of terrorism?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think --
 
QUESTION:  Besides whatever you told us about recently.
 
MR. ERELI:  I think what I said before covers the question.  It's an attack against civilization.
 
QUESTION:  Civilization?  Okay, I agree.
 
MR. ERELI:  Okay.
 
QUESTION:  But (inaudible) there are so many reports that some other force -- specifically the military that would like to use that as an excuse in the name of terrorism, to attack the government.  So I was wondering if you can make a statement, as far as, for democracy, and the present government in Turkey?
 
MR. ERELI:  Let me -- I'll --
 
QUESTION:  It's a very serious matter.  For example, the Turkish General Hilmi Ozkok, once made a very unusual statement, as far as how the country is functioning right now (inaudible).  So right now we have an attack, and in the name of terrorism, it can be used for any kind of scenario.  So I was wondering how you can comment as far as to protect the democratic institution in Turkey?
 
MR. ERELI:  I think you're making presumptions that I would not share.  Democracy is strong and vibrant in Turkey, and that is part of Turkey's strength.  I see nothing to suggest that they are anything but fully committed to that.  And terrorism, that is what terrorism tries to attack and to diminish.  And as an ally in the war on terror, Turkey is going to respond appropriately, and in the best traditions of its long history of democracy.
 
Yes, ma'am.
 
QUESTION:  Yes, just going back to Istanbul bombings.  First, it was the Jewish targets, then it was the British.  In a way, you know, the terrorists axis of evil is U.K, Israel and the United States, is what they say.  So, do you have more --
 
MR. ERELI:  And, well, and --
 
QUESTION:  -- more concern, more --
 
MR. ERELI:  Wait --
 
QUESTION:  -- that's what they say.  I mean --
 
MR. ERELI:  Yeah, but the axis is --
 
QUESTION:  Yeah, okay.  What I'm asking, what I'm asking --
 
MR. ERELI:  What about Indonesia, what about Iraq, what about Argentina, what about all the countries that they attack?
 
QUESTION:  No, when we look at Turkey, we see first targets, the Jewish targets, and the Brits.  Do you have concerns that the next targets will be the Americans in Turkey?  And when you are offering assistance to Turkish Government, are you making specific offers as to, you know, safeguard the Americans  in Turkey?
 
MR. ERELI:  This attack is bigger than any one country.  This attack, and what it represents, is a global threat that knows no boundary, knows no race, knows no religion, knows no culture.  There is no such thing as an axis of evil, as far as the terrorists are concerned.  The only thing is that there's us and everybody else, and that everybody else includes you, me and all the kind of people who deal with each other in human terms.
 
So I reject the notion that somehow, there's a particular axis of evil.  And as far as assistance goes, I don't really have a lot of specifics for you at this time.
 
QUESTION:  Thank you.
 
MR. ERELI:  Jonathan.
 
QUESTION:  Yeah.  I wondered whether you had any comment on the remarks by Mr. Perle in London.  I don't know whether you're come across --
 
MR. ERELI:  Mr. Perle?
 
(Laughter.)
 
QUESTION:  -- who said that -- who said that the invasion of Iraq was illegal but that it didn't matter.  You didn't see those remarks?
 
MR. ERELI:  Who is Mr. Perle?
 
QUESTION:  Richard Perle.
 
MR. ERELI:  Oh, Richard Perle.  No, I did not see those remarks.  I think that, you know, we've made it clear we had ample legal justification under UN Security Council resolutions and international law to conduct the actions that we did.
 
QUESTION:  So you would disagree with him?
 
MR. ERELI:  I would say that we believe there's ample legal justification for what we did in Iraq.
 
Yes, Christophe.
 
QUESTION:  In Georgia, the electoral commission has started to release its final results for the election.  Do you find these results credible and fair?
 
MR. ERELI:  We have seen the results released today by the Election Commission on the Georgian parliamentary elections.  We will be releasing a formal statement shortly.  What I can say now is that we are deeply disappointed in these results, and in Georgia's leadership.  The results do not accurately reflect the will of the Georgian people, but instead reflect massive vote fraud in Ajara and other Georgian regions.
 
Specifically, the parallel vote tally and exit polling conducted by reputable independent organizations differ significantly from the results released by the Central Election Commission, and these discrepancies in our view, represent or reveal an extensive manipulation of the vote count.  I would say that we are in a regular dialogue on a senior level, both here and in Tbilisi, and we'll be assessing next steps.
 
QUESTION:  Okay.  That's pretty strong.  But when this happened in Zimbabwe, you came out said that you didn't consider Mugabe to be a legitimate leader.  Will you come to the same -- will you take the same position in Georgia, that you don't consider the government to be a legitimate government?
 
MR. ERELI:  Well, as I said, we're assessing next steps.  We'll put out a statement.  I don't want to get ahead of ourselves here of what we will and will not do.
 
Yes, George.
 
QUESTION:  There has been reports that the Libyan prisoner who was serving time for the Pan Am 103 bombing is living the life of luxury in a so-called Scottish prison with a penthouse quality to it, and so forth.  Do you have anything on that?
 
MR. ERELI:  I've seen those reports, George.  Let me remind you all that Abdel Basset Ali Al-Megrahi was incarcerated in a Scottish prison in January 2001, following his conviction for murder in connection with the bombing of Pan Am 103.
 
We have been contacted by a number of individuals regarding the conditions of Mr. Al-Megrahi's incarceration.  We take their concerns -- we take their concerns on board.  We are listening to them and we have passed along these concerns to the appropriate officials in the United Kingdom for a response.
 
QUESTION:  I suppose you would send him to Guantanamo instead?
 
(Laughter.)
 
MR. ERELI:  Yes, Joel.
 
QUESTION:  Do you have any reaction to protests in Miami, Florida, concerning the North and South American Free Trade Zone talks that are under way?
 
MR. ERELI:  Not, not really.  I would note that, you know, as you say, the Trade Ministers from participating western hemisphere countries are meeting in Miami this week.  Today, the Free Trade Area of the Americas Ministerial formally began, and the ministers are holding their first plenary session.  This is an important gathering for the economic future of the hemisphere, and everything we've seen up till now indicates the Ministerial will be positive and that there is willingness to move forward on our common hemispheric trade agenda.
 
QUESTION:  Can you just go back to (inaudible)?  Do you mean you've complained to the British about --
 
MR. ERELI:  No, we have conveyed the concerns of the families to the appropriate British authorities.
 
QUESTION:  Right.  But when you say you conveyed the concerns, do you mean you've asked them to explain what the conditions are, or you take the family's word for it that these are the conditions and you say they're not appropriate, or what exactly?
 
MR. ERELI:  We've said, "Here are the concerns of the families.  Could you look into it and let us know what the facts of the matter are?"
 
Yes, sir.
 
QUESTION:  A couple questions on South Asia region, starting with Bangladesh.  Terrorist groups in Bangladesh, they have warned and threatened Hindus that they must leave within a week, otherwise all the Hindus in Bangladesh will be killed.  This has been going on, human rights issue in the past, also State Department hasn't issued comments on this.
 
MR. ERELI:  I haven't seen those reports, so I don't really have anything.  I can't really comment on it, other than to say, you know, our position on tolerance and use of terror is pretty well known.
 
QUESTION:  And two, U.S. Ambassador Mrs. Nancy Powell in Pakistan, speaking at the Karachi Council on Foreign Affairs, she said that the terrorist groups banned by the U.S. now openly are freely speaking in favor of terrorism, and they're under the new names, and they are still again terrorizing in Kashmir, and she said that Pakistan must do more.  Do you think her comments, that means that Pakistan is still supporting terrorism in Kashmir?
 
MR. ERELI:  Frankly, sir, you know, I haven't seen what Ambassador Powell said --
 
QUESTION:   Washington Times.
 
MR. ERELI:  I haven't seen what Ambassador Powell said, and I'm, you know, before commenting, I'd want to see exactly what she said because I'm not sure, you know, I'm not confident that the reports of what she said are accurate, and therefore the conclusions based on reports of what you said are valid.
 
So really, that's just such a far removed sequence of thought that depends on so many different third-hand --
 
QUESTION:  On Afghanistan.  UN is now left or leaving Afghanistan because they are saying that terrorism, or Taliban or al-Qaidas are regrouping and threat to the UN agencies and staffers there, and they know what do they --  staffers are saying really -- need, threat to their presence there, because world must do more as far as controlling terrorism in Afghanistan.
 
MR. ERELI:  Right.  What's your question?
 
QUESTION:  So where do we stand, as far as, because terrorism started from Afghanistan, and we fought against terrorism in Afghanistan?  So the groups are still regrouping in Afghanistan, and we are back to the same position where we were two years ago.
 
MR. ERELI:  No, that's not true.  We're not back to the same position where we were two years ago.  Two years ago, there was a government in charge of Afghanistan that was giving a haven to terrorism, to terrorists who were planning and launching operations worldwide from Afghanistan.  That regime is no longer there.  The terrorists have been largely run out of the country.  They are fugitives.  Most of their senior leadership has been caught, and the rest are pretty much on the run.
 
There are, as you suggest, remnants of those groups who want to set the clock back in Afghanistan, who would like to see women stoned and beaten and kept at home, would like to take the women in school, that are in school there now, out of school, and would like to set the clock back; they won't succeed.
 
We are working closely with the Government of Afghanistan, and the Pakistanis to confront these elements, and I'd say that there's good cooperation and strong commitment from all sides to do what's necessary to preserve the progress that's been made, and to ensure a bright and peaceful future for Afghanistan and for the region, based on a new constitution and a country that lives in peace and tolerance.
 
QUESTION:  What message do you have for the United Nations in Afghanistan?
 
MR. ERELI:  The United Nations, I think, understands the stakes.  My understanding is their decision to relocate some aid workers in some parts of the country is temporary.  Now that's a decision they have to make, but it's by no means, as you suggest, a cutting and running; their commitment remains strong.
 
QUESTION:  Finally, on China.  China has threatened Taiwan if they keep talking independence, attacks will be unavoidable.
 
MR. ERELI:  Yeah.  I spoke to that issue yesterday, and I would refer you to a briefing being given by our Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia at the Foreign Press Center today.
 
QUESTION:  Can I get a thank you?  Thank you, Adam.
 
MR. ERELI:  Thank you, thank you.  Thank you, thank you.
 
(The briefing was concluded at 1:47 p.m.)

 DPB # 159