Middle East Digest: January 23, 2008

Bureau of Public Affairs
January 23, 2008 

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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 Briefing of January 23, 2008:

12:47 p.m. EST

MR. CASEY:Okay, guys. Good afternoon. I don’t have anything to start you out with so – Arshad, anything? This could be a quick briefing.

QUESTION: Why don’t you go chapter and verse through the Iran sanctions resolution?

MR. CASEY:Well, you know, I don’t think I really have that text available to do that kind of analysis with today, so I’m good to go.

QUESTION: Pass.

MR. CASEY:All right, fine. Anybody else? Yeah, sure, sir.

QUESTION: Yesterday the Canadian Government released a report from an independent commission that recommended that Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan continue beyond February 2009 if certain conditions are met, including that NATO or other countries provide 1,000 more troops to help with the fighting. What is the reaction of the U.S. Government to that report -- out of that recommendation?

MR. CASEY:Well, I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the report of and by itself. But look, we all of us -- it’s the United States, Canada and all NATO members have an obligation to meet the commitments that we’ve made for Afghanistan. As you know, the United States – Secretary Gates has just recently recommended the addition of over 3,000 Marine forces to reinforce U.S. efforts there. And we continue to believe that it’s imperative that all NATO allies do what they can and make the commitments that they can to support the mission in Afghanistan. And as you certainly know, Canada has been a leading player in the efforts there. The United States very much appreciates the contributions that Canada’s made and we know that Canadian soldiers are fighting and dying in that effort to help move Afghanistan forward. So certainly we are appreciative of the efforts Canada’s made. We’d like to see those efforts continue. But we do recognize the fact that all of us in the NATO alliance have more that we can do.

QUESTION: If those conditions were met would you welcome Canada staying in Afghanistan indefinitely, beyond 2009?

MR. CASEY:Well, again, the decision on whether to remain and to what extent and level are really decisions for the Canadian Government and the Canadian people to make. Certainly, we believe it’s important, though, that all of us as NATO allies do our part, and we’d encourage Canada as well as all other NATO members to make whatever contributions they’re able to this mission.

QUESTION: Update with the conversations between the State Department and the Egyptians on the situation on Gaza, also maybe with the Israelis and Palestinians as well and what you’re talking about.

MR. CASEY:Well, I don’t have a lot to add beyond what I said this morning at the gaggle. Again, we are concerned and the Egyptians are concerned about the situation along the border. Assistant Secretary for Near East Asian Affairs David Welch has spoken to the Egyptian Ambassador here in Washington on this subject. I know our Embassy in Cairo has done so as well. We all believe that it’s important that there be security along the border and that the Egyptians are able to adequately control and police their border. That’s something that’s in their interest as well as in the interests of all parties involved.

In terms of discussions between Israelis and Palestinians, again I’m not aware that this particular incident has had any impact on those discussions. Certainly, it’s an area of concern for all parties involved. And again, it just goes to point out the fact that Hamas continues to take steps that are frankly not in the interests of anyone. And one of our concerns, and one of the Egyptians concerns as well, is that Hamas will use this action and take advantage of it as a cover for additional activities designed not to bring in consumer goods but to allow fighters and others to get weapons and other kinds of supplies. And that’s something that we’ve been working with the Egyptians and Israelis and others to try and prevent it.

QUESTION: Has the Secretary met with Mr. Musharraf and if not will she still do so?

MR. CASEY:That’s a nice try, Charlie. I don’t have an update for you from the party. As you know, she was scheduled to meet with President Musharraf as well as President Karzai and a number of other individuals today. But I can’t tell you right now whether that meeting’s taken place. I think it probably has. In any event, though, I’d leave it to the party itself to give you an update on the meetings and any readout on them.

Okay, Samir.

QUESTION: What is the update on the programs for the Iraqi refugees?

MR. CASEY: Okay. Well, let’s talk a little bit about – well, I know Gonzo spoke to this a little bit, I guess it was yesterday when he briefed you. First of all, what he was speaking about was, of course, the special immigrant visa program, which is something that’s run by our Bureau of Consular Affairs and provides specific visa opportunities for individuals who have worked directly for the U.S. Government. And he gave you some figures that are related to that. I think that I’ll leave that there.

One thing I wanted to clarify, though, I think in his remarks is, of course, that program is separate from the efforts that are led by our Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to work with the UN Commissioner – High Commissioner for Refugees to help provide relocation for those Iraqi refugees that require resettlement in a third country. And again, we are processing applications for that program, that distinct program in accordance with the recommendations that are made to us from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees office. That’s, of course, a program under which we admitted a little over 1,600 refugees, the last fiscal year. My understanding is right now, we are over a thousand, in the 1,000-1,100 range, for admissions this year. And of course, our goal for the year is to have accepted 12,000 Iraqi refugees under that program by the end of the fiscal year.

As you know too, one of the reasons why we’ve been hampered in those efforts is that until after the successful conclusion of our Special Envoy Jim Foley’s trip to Syria, we were unable to have representatives from the Department of Homeland Security allowed to go to Syria to be able to conduct the necessary kinds of interviews and investigations that are an essential part of the refugee process for us.

So we are continuing to work on both of these programs, both the special immigrant visa program, which again is designed specifically for those who have worked for the United States Government as translators, interpreters, or other kinds of services and then the refugee program. It is an issue that we are going to continue to work on and move forward. We’re very pleased now that DHS representatives have been able to get to Syria that that process is moving forward. And we hope to be able to have increased numbers here in the coming months because again, we are committed to trying to meet our goal of having 12,000 refugee admissions by the end of the fiscal year. We’re also going to try to give you a much more detailed version of this probably in the next week or so and I’ll get Jim Foley down here to talk to all of you about what’s been going on in this issue and some of the progress that’s been made.

QUESTION: What will be the final figure for the other program, the special immigrant visas? How many – I mean, it’s translators and interpreters. It can’t be that many.

MR. CASEY: Well, there is a legislative ceiling sealing for that. It initially was 50. It then went up to 500. And as I understand it, and I can check for you, but that 500 does not – is 500 individuals plus family members. I think it’s – it goes beyond that. I forget whatever figure Gonzo gave you yesterday. I’d just refer back to his numbers in terms of the admissions for fiscal year 2007. I would expect that those numbers would remain steady, again, simply because it’s a legislative ceiling and so we’re admitting up to the full amount.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) detail to your comments earlier today about the completion of the United States Embassy in Baghdad.

MR. CASEY: You know, I did have a chance to talk to Pat Kennedy about this a little while ago. Basically what I gave you this morning is where the process stands. We have yet to issue a certificate of occupancy for the building. That’s the last step before people can actually start to move in. There is still a number of items that are on the so-called punch list, the list of things that you go through to check and inspect before a certificate of occupancy can be issued. I know, as well, Pat reminded me that our fire team is en route to Baghdad. This is a group of people who have not been involved in the construction of the Embassy itself who are going to do a inspection of the fire safety elements of the new building which, of course, had been an issue and that I think people discussed before. So we are moving forward with this process. Again, I just want to reiterate what I did say this morning, is we don’t intend to issue that certificate of occupancy or take possession of this building until we’re sure that it meets all the standards that we set out for it in the process.

QUESTION: And what’s your latest prediction for completion, punch list, moving in?

MR. CASEY: Well, again, we want this to happen as soon as possible, but I’m not going to try and offer you a date right now.

Samir.

QUESTION: What do you make – anything about the reported resignation of the Libyan Foreign Minister?

MR. CASEY: You know, I didn’t, Samir, and I – we’ll try and get you an answer for that a little later this afternoon.