Middle East Digest: June 19, 2008Bureau of Public Affairs The Middle East Digest provides text and audio from the Daily Press Briefing. For the full briefings, please visit http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/. From the Daily Press Briefing of June 19, 2008: MR. CASEY: Yes, Samir.QUESTION: Can you tell us anything more about the conference in Germany to support Palestinian security? MR. CASEY: We’ll get you a little more on that, but of course, this is part of our ongoing efforts to help ensure that the Palestinians are able to develop their institutions and their systems so that when we all hope we get to an agreement for the establishment of a Palestinian state, that the Palestinian people are in a good position to be able to manage that state and govern it. And that, you know, obviously includes elements of assuring and establishing the rule of law, court systems, police procedures. So if you look at it in that sense, it’s broadly about the judicial and law enforcement systems in that country, and we’ll be having a little more information for you on it later. QUESTION: Thank you. MR. CASEY: Yes, ma’am. QUESTION: Yeah. Do you have anything on the conclusion of beef negotiations? MR. CASEY: Wait a minute, hold – Sylvie, was – same subject? Or -- QUESTION: I’d like to stay on Middle East, but we can go back. We can -- MR. CASEY: Oh, okay. Sorry, would you -- QUESTION: Yeah, I just asked about the conclusion of beef negotiations between U.S. and South Korea. MR. CASEY: I really don’t have anything new to offer you. USTR, of course, has been in the lead on those discussions. Certainly, we intend to continue to work with the Government of South Korea on this and hope that we can reach a successful conclusion. Yeah, Sylvie. QUESTION: I’d like to go back to this conference. MR. CASEY: Sure, yeah. QUESTION: It’s not a donors conference. How is it going to work? What is it exactly? MR. CASEY: I’m going to get you a few more details and put that out a little later. But essentially, if you want to look at it, the basic way to look at it is part of an effort to do capacity-building for Palestinian Authority institutions. And that’ll involve a variety of players, including those from the European Union as well as other countries in the region. But we’ll get you a little more detail. QUESTION: Like – you mean, weapons? Or -- MR. CASEY: No, no. Capacity-building, meaning the kinds of things I think you would think of in terms of how – our development of legal and law enforcement systems in other countries. That means administration of justice concerns, including how you make legal systems, court systems, the kinds of procedures used in place to ensure that not only for criminal matters, but also for civil matters, you’ve got a functioning judicial system in adherence to the rule of law. Certainly, I expect that part of that is going to be discussions about security services as well. QUESTION: Okay. And if we can stay in Middle East, the Israeli press is saying that the negotiations that Israel offered to Lebanon have been – well, apparently, the U.S. were being implicated in that, involved in that? MR. CASEY: Implicated? QUESTION: Yes. MR. CASEY: Such a lousy word. No, look, I think what I said yesterday on it is, frankly, about where we are. We welcome the efforts by the Israelis and by any parties in the region to resolve these outstanding issues. But our primary focus is going to remain working on the Palestinian track and the direct negotiations there. Certainly, if there are discussions between Israel and Lebanon and they would like support or assistance or ask for help from the United States in that, that’s certainly something we’d consider. But at this point, that’s not the case. So we’ll see what happens, we’ll see what – how these talks move forward. And we’re certainly supportive of them, but at this point we have not been asked to play a direct role in it that I’m aware of. QUESTION: So it’s not something the Secretary spoke about during her trip in Lebanon? MR. CASEY: Well, you heard from her, and you heard from her in one of her opportunities to speak with the media out there about the importance we placed, for example, on resolving the Shebaa Farms issue, and that we thought the time was appropriate for her to do that. Certainly, in her discussions with both Lebanese and Israeli officials, they talked in general terms about some of these regional initiatives that the Israelis are starting. But my understanding is we’ve not been asked to play a formal role in these discussions. Samir. QUESTION: Do you prefer solving the Shebaa Farms through negotiations – direct negotiation with Israel, or through the implementation of 1701? MR. CASEY: Well, there is an existing framework that was established in 1701, and I think, as the Secretary said, we’d be looking to have the UN and the Secretary General use his good offices to help resolve it. And I think that’s what – clearly what’s been laid out as a means for resolving that issue. But certainly, you know, I think what everyone would like to see is have it be resolved in as quick and as reasonable a way as possible. How the Secretary General and the UN might use their good offices – whether, you know, that would be through some sort of coordinated discussions or through bilateral contracts – I think that’s something that would – is still open for discussion, Samir. Charlie. QUESTION: On a different issue, last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the Palestinians and Fulbright scholarships – MR. CASEY: Yeah. QUESTION: Four of the seven got their exit visas and three, I am told, have had their exit visas denied for security-related reasons. My question is: Has the U.S. been told that by the Israelis? And whether it has or not, is the U.S. still pursuing the effort to get them visas? MR. CASEY: Well, Charlie, the U.S. position on this is exactly where the Secretary left it in her interview the other day. She – we have been given no reason to – that she is aware of nor that I am aware of – that would indicate these individuals should not be allowed to move forward. If there’s any change in that, I’ll let you know, but not that anyone’s told me. |
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