Excerpt: U.S. Says There is No Military Solution to Conflict
U.S. Department of State, 1 Apr 2002

Excerpt: U.S. Says There is No Military Solution to Conflict

(Reeker calls for cease-fire, Israeli withdrawal) (6350)

"Nobody's going to win a war," said State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker on April 1, in reference to the day's events including a suicide car bombing in Jerusalem, and continued Israeli military activities in the West Bank.
    "Terror will never advance Palestinian political aspirations, and continued confrontation cannot bring genuine peace and security for Israelis," he said.
    Speaking at the regular State Department briefing, Reeker said the United States helped to draft and "very much support[s]" U.N. Security Council Resolution 1402 which calls upon both parties to "move immediately to a meaningful cease-fire," and calls upon Israel to withdraw its forces from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah.
    "[T]hose are critical steps that should be undertaken now," said Reeker.
    The deputy spokesman called upon the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to address his people in Arabic to condemn suicide bombings against Israeli Jewish and Arab civilians.
    Reeker said Arafat should tell them that "this is not the road toward peace; that this is undermining his leadership; that this is causing the loss of innocent life, including these young people who commit suicide; that it is serving no purpose, and it's undermining his efforts. He needs to speak out against that. He needs to show that he's a leader and take those steps."
    Reeker said the Bush Administration was "gravely concerned" at the situation on the ground in Ramallah and other areas where the Israeli military was conducting operations.
    He called upon the Israeli government to "put in place procedures that will allow safe and secure passage for humanitarian purposes."
    "We deplore the killing and wounding of innocent Palestinians, and we urge Israel to use maximum restraint to avoid harm to civilians and permit access for humanitarian services," said Reeker.
    "We are deeply concerned by Israeli defense force actions that put civilians in harm's way, including the shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Beit Jallah today," he said.
    Reeker said the US continued to support Special Envoy Anthony Zinni's mission in the region. "This has got to be the way forward. There's got to be hope, because there's got to be a solution for peace," said Reeker.
    The deputy spokesman said "the time is now for a cease-fire and the start of Tenet," and that Zinni's mission remained focused upon getting into an implementation of the Tenet plan, which calls for security cooperation between the parties.
    "[F]or a long time, some of the best relationships were at the security level between the Palestinians and the Israelis, where they jointly worked together to fight terror, just as we're working around the world to fight terror. Sharing the information and using that to go after terrorists is vital," said Reeker.
    Following is an excerpt of Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker from the April 1 State Department briefing:

(begin excerpt)

QUESTION:  Phil, the White House ticked off five or six phone calls that the Secretary made Sunday and Monday.

MR. REEKER:  So did I, to all those that called me.

QUESTION:  Oh, really?  Good.  But could you either, in general terms or specific, tell us what the nature of these calls were -- was -- and the kind of reception he got?

MR. REEKER:  As you can imagine, Barry, most of the Secretary's calls over the weekend had to do with the situation in the Middle East.  Let me talk about that generally, and we will pick up on the specific calls that the Secretary made over the weekend and has made then this morning.
    We remain very concerned over the ongoing violence and terror.  We condemn in the strongest possible terms a series of terror attacks, including that which was on the news wires just as I was coming out here.  Palestinian leadership must act now against those responsible and make clear to the Palestinian people that terror and violence must stop.  Terror, including suicide bombings, will not advance the Palestinian cause, and it brings the Palestinians and Israelis no closer to peace.
    The time is now for a cease-fire and the start of Tenet.  Getting into the Tenet security agreements remains the focus of General Zinni's mission. General Zinni remains in the region and is still engaged, as the President and Secretary of State have both indicated.
    Secretary Powell was in touch this weekend with regional and world leaders, including Chairman Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Sharon on the need for action.  To look more specifically at the Secretary's calls on Saturday, he spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Maher, with the foreign ministers of Germany, Mr. Fischer, and Greece, Mr. Papandreou, and with Prime Minister Sharon and Chairman Arafat.
    On Sunday, the Secretary spoke with Mr. Solana of the European Union, Foreign Minister Pique of Spain, currently holding the presidency of the European Union, with Foreign Minister Peres of Israel, and with Foreign Secretary Straw of the United Kingdom.  Today, the Secretary has spoken with Foreign Minister Kawaguchi in Tokyo and again with Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General.
    We are gravely concerned at the situation in Ramallah and other areas where Israeli forces are moving.  We deplore the killing and wounding of innocent Palestinians, and we urge Israel to avoid maximum restraint to avoid harm to civilians and permit access for humanitarian services.
    As the President has said, the Secretary has reiterated, while the Israeli Government must decide what actions best serve their security and the interests of the Israeli people, we call upon Prime Minister Sharon to carefully consider the consequences of those actions and to keep open a pathway for peace.
    Terror will never advance Palestinian political aspirations, and continued confrontation cannot bring genuine peace and security for Israelis.  There is no military solution to this conflict.  We welcome Prime Minister Sharon's pledge that no harm will come to Chairman Arafat.  Chairman Arafat is the leader of the Palestinian people, and we remain engaged with him on that basis.  His actions now, and the actions of his deputies and security officials, are critical to ending the current crisis.
    We appreciate Israel's declaration that it does not intend to permanently seize Palestinian territory, but the risks of unintended confrontation and escalation are significant.  We very much support UN Security Council Resolution 1402, which first of all reaffirms Security Council Resolution 1397.  In that resolution, the UN Security Council affirmed a vision for a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders, reflecting the same vision that President Bush enunciated at the United Nations and Secretary Powell has enunciated in Louisville and many times since then.
    1397 also stressed the need for all concerned to ensure the safety of civilians, and welcomed and encouraged the diplomatic efforts of special envoys, including that of the United States.  1397 also demands the immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction.
    Resolution 1402, passed early Saturday morning, supported by the United States, reaffirms, as I said, earlier resolutions, including 242 and 338 and 1397, and calls upon both parties to move immediately to a meaningful cease-fire.  It also calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces.  And those are critical steps that should be undertaken now.
    We cannot lose sight of our goal: an enduring and comprehensive peace and security for Arabs and Israelis alike.  This is the future of normal relations with Israel that was embraced last week by the Arab League summit, and the political vision, as I said, expressed under the UN Security Council resolutions.  So we want to see the parties move into the Tenet security arrangements now, acting proactively, exchanging information to go after terrorism, prevent terror attacks, including suicide bombings, and then move into the Mitchell Committee recommendations and the political process toward negotiation.

QUESTION:  Can I pick up on that?

MR. REEKER:  Yes, Barry.

QUESTION:  Your expression of grave concern about the Israeli forces being in Ramallah, and then you moved on to, you know, innocent civilians get hurt, killed.  Are you objecting to Israel being in Ramallah at all?  Or are you objecting to, you know, the way the forces behave, which seems to result in civilian casualties?
    And secondly, the White House -- whose statements today were quite different from the State Department's, but --

MR. REEKER:  I don't think that's quite at all the case.

QUESTION:  Oh, this is extremely -- you've devoted about ten minutes here to criticizing Israel, and I didn't hear that from the White House today.

MR. REEKER:  Barry --

QUESTION:  But I don't want to get off on a side track.  I'm sorry, it just -- I'm just --

MR. REEKER:  Just a little commentary.  Maybe someone has a question that they would like to ask?

QUESTION:  No.  I've got to put these two things together, and I don't know what the administration's position is.

MR. REEKER:  I think it's quite clear, Barry, from here and the White House.

QUESTION:  All right.  The White House did say today that Sharon is committed to Tenet and Mitchell.

MR. REEKER:  That's right.  And he had announced that last week --

QUESTION:  Fine.

MR. REEKER:  We were on --

QUESTION:  Now I have a question.

MR. REEKER:  -- progress, as the President said, as the Secretary noted, that was derailed by the terrorist bombings on Wednesday night.  So, you do have a question here, Barry?

QUESTION:  I do.

MR. REEKER:  In addition to your commentary?  QUESTION:  You jumped into it and you didn't let me finish.  The White House today said Sharon is committed to Tenet and Mitchell.

MR. REEKER:  That is what he had indicated, thereto.

QUESTION:  Is Arafat committed to Tenet and Mitchell?

MR. REEKER:  Arafat has indicated that those are things he agrees with. Both sides have agreed to the Tenet plan and to the Mitchell Committee recommendations, because that is the road map toward negotiation, toward a serious process that will lead to the vision that has been enunciated under the Security Council resolutions and the others.
    In terms of your earlier insinuations and differences, what we have said is that the Israeli Government has to decide what actions best serve the security and interests of the Israeli people.  And we understand their need to defend against suicide bombings and terrorist attacks on innocent people, but we have called upon them to consider the consequences of those actions, keep a pathway to peace; and the Security Council resolution has made quite clear that both sides need to move to an immediate cease-fire, get into the Tenet procedures, and that the Israelis should withdraw forces from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah.

QUESTION:  Phil?

MR. REEKER:  Yes, Matt.

QUESTION:  I'm a little curious as to why you -- why do you couch your -- let me just make sure first.  You are calling for Israel to withdraw from Ramallah and the other areas now?

MR. REEKER:  We are supporting the Security Council resolution, which makes that quite clear.

QUESTION:  Why don't you say that yourself?  Why don't you say that bilaterally, US to Israel, instead of doing it just through a Security Council resolution?

MR. REEKER:  Look, the international community is working together from all --

QUESTION:  Okay, hold on.

MR. REEKER:  Do you want me to answer the question, or do you want me to hold on?

QUESTION:  Phil, you're going to answer the question -- you're not going to answer the question I asked.  Is the United States directly calling for Israel to withdraw its troops from Ramallah?

MR. REEKER:  The United States is supporting the UN Security Council resolution -- which we helped craft, which we voted for -- that calls for an immediate cease-fire, for the parties to do that, and for a withdrawal of Israeli forces.  These are critical steps.  We think they need to be undertaken now.
    We understand Israel's need to take steps in self-defense.  There has been an ongoing, relentless series of suicide bombings that have caused deaths of innocent civilians, Israelis and Arabs in some cases, who have been blown up in a senseless way where suicide bombings serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever except to derail the peace process.  It was the bombings that derailed the progress we had seen last week, where we were optimistic that General Zinni's process was making headway, and we have got to get an end to that.
    We have to see Palestinian leaders speak out against that type of violence, make clear to the Palestinian people and to the world that that type of terrorist activity undermines Chairman Arafat's authority and his ability to lead toward the vision that is shared by all of us in the international community.
    Robin.

QUESTION:  Over the weekend, there were a number of suggestions by prominent legislators, as well as former administration officials, that Secretary of State Powell should travel to the region.  Why has he not -- why has he decided not to travel to the Middle East?

MR. REEKER:  I would just refer you to what Secretary Powell said on Friday in regard to that effort.  I don't have anything to announce in terms of travel.  As he said then, he needs to have a reason and a purpose to be served, then he is willing to go.  But as the White House said, the Vice President has been in the region; General Zinni remains on the ground very much engaged in the process of seeing implemented what we have called for, and that is an immediate cease-fire declaration and into the Tenet process to have the two parties proactively exchanging information to prevent the type of terrorist attacks that we see continually going on.

QUESTION:  Can I just follow up?

MR. REEKER:  Sure.

QUESTION:  General Zinni almost made a breakthrough, according to US officials, last week, but the effort was aborted or sabotaged, or whatever, by a suicide bomb.  Do you really believe, in light of the failure to achieve anything tangible so far, that General Zinni is capable of pulling off some kind of breakthrough?

MR. REEKER:  We do believe, because we saw the progress last week.  The President talked about it.  Secretary Powell talked about it.  We saw movement in the right direction, where both sides were moving into that direction.  Prime Minister Sharon had indicated his readiness to move into the Tenet process, the arrangements set out under the Tenet work plan, and we are calling upon Chairman Arafat to move in that direction.  There was promise, and that was all gutted by the horrible suicide bombing that took place then Wednesday night.
    So we need to remain hopeful.  We have General Zinni remaining engaged. We are in touch with so many leaders in the international community and the region and on both sides, the Israelis and the Palestinians, to see that move ahead.  This has got to be the way forward.  There has got to be hope because there has got to be a solution for peace.  Nobody is going to win a war.

QUESTION:  Can you tell (inaudible) the last couple of days and today?

MR. REEKER:  Who is that?

QUESTION:  Zinni?

MR. REEKER:  No, I am not going to be in a position to sort of tick-tock or outline General Zinni's activities.  He remains in the region and remains engaged on both sides to try to see the way forward for both sides taking the steps necessary to move ahead, as we have outlined.
    Elise.

QUESTION:  Phil, can you talk about what you think the security situation is for Americans right now?  Apparently, two American protestors were shot today -- I think it was in Beit Jala, I'm not quite sure.  And are you planning any measures for American citizens or personnel over there right now?

MR. REEKER:  If there are any changes to our consular information, we will get that out to you as soon as we have that.  Obviously we are monitoring the situation closely in terms of our advice and information for American citizens broadly, and of course for our own people there in the region.
    We are deeply concerned by Israeli Defense Force actions that put civilians in harm's way, including the shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Beit Jala today that, as you indicated, left two American citizens injured, one seriously.  It is imperative that Israeli Defense Forces exercise the utmost restraint and discipline to avoid further harm to civilians or worsening the humanitarian situation inside the Palestinian areas.  And so we would urge the Israeli Government to conduct a thorough investigation of that, to make sure that incidents like that aren't repeated.  And as I said, we will continue to monitor the situation and update our consular information as quickly as we can.

QUESTION:  Do you have anything on reports that the US is actively seeking a third country for Arafat to travel to?

MR. REEKER:  I hadn't even heard such reports.

QUESTION:  There are reports that Morocco has agreed to accept him, but I'm not sure how much credibility to give the reports.

MR. REEKER:  I hadn't even heard those reports, so I haven't looked into them.  Our focus is on Chairman Arafat taking the action that we have talked about, speaking out against terrorism and moving into the security arrangements that General Zinni is trying to help foster.

QUESTION:  (Inaudible) questions of (inaudible) Arafat?

MR. REEKER:  I haven't even heard such a report.  I think Prime Minister Sharon made clear he wasn't going to do that.  And so we continue to work with Chairman Arafat, because he is the leader of the Palestinian people, and with his deputies, just as we work so closely with the Israelis and their officials -- work with both sides, and everybody else in the international community, to try to see some light at the end of this tunnel in the current crisis.

QUESTION:  A follow-up question on the security of Americans.  Yesterday, an American reporter was shot in Ramallah.  And I was wondering if you had an update on his condition, and also if the US government, either through the auspices of the consulate or the embassy, intends to pursue any kind of investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, or to press the Israeli Government to do the same?

MR. REEKER:  Similar to the comment I made about the more recent shooting that injured two American citizens in Beit Jala today.  We are concerned, of course, by the action that put civilians in harm's way, that brought harm to this war reporter.  You know, as we have said so many times, we respect Israel's right to self-defense, and we certainly have condemned in the strongest possible terms the terror attacks that the Israeli people have been forced to endure.
    But we want to make sure that the Israeli defense forces seek to make sure this type of thing with civilians doesn't happen.  We think it is imperative that they exercise the utmost restraint and discipline to avoid further harm to civilians, and also make sure that maximum care is taken to prevent harm to humanitarian workers, and to put into place procedures that will allow safe and secure passage for humanitarian purposes.
    I believe the consulate has been in touch with the American citizen journalist.  I wouldn't be in a position to speak on his behalf at this point.  I think his organization, or he personally, have been able to give you information on his status and situation.

QUESTION:  What about an investigation?  Will there be -- what is the US Government position?

MR. REEKER:  Well, as I said, we have urged the Israeli Government to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that incidents like that don't get repeated, because we think it is important to make sure that civilians aren't put into harm's way.  So we will raise that.

QUESTION:  I know you are not willing to give us a blow-by-blow account of General Zinni's activities.  But there have been reports that he and other intermediaries have been unable to see Arafat.  Can you say whether he has sought a meeting with Arafat, or it was blocked?

MR. REEKER:  I don't know, and I am just not going to try to do that.  He has been in touch with both sides.  I think we reported to you that he had seen Chairman Arafat on Friday [Note: General Zinni spoke with Chairman Arafat on the phone on Friday.  He met with Sa'eb Erekat.] but I am not going to try to tick-tock, blow by blow, or any other description of General Zinni's activities, other than to reflect what the President has said.

QUESTION:  You can't say whether he's got another meeting --

MR. REEKER:  I can't.  And I am not going to be able to do his meeting requests with individuals from either side.

QUESTION:  I need to go back to this because I don't -- maybe I'm just confused and I don't understand.  But --

MR. REEKER:  Is that for the record?

QUESTION:  Yes.  Did Secretary Powell, in his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Sharon, which I believe you said was Saturday, tell the Prime Minister that the US wanted Israeli troops to withdraw from Ramallah now?

MR. REEKER:  Secretary Powell made clear to the Prime Minister that we support UN Security Council Resolution 1402, which is very clear in what it calls for.  I think I outlined that at some great length.  It is the same message that has been delivered from the White House, Barry, and that is what we have made quite clear to both sides.

QUESTION:  Well, the reason I ask is because on Friday when the Secretary made his statement, I asked him specifically if he wanted to -- if you guys wanted to see Israel withdraw from Ramallah, and he didn't -- he didn't say one way or another, yes or no.
    Now, I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's important that the fact that you guys are not making a direct call yourselves, Washington to Jerusalem, for them to withdraw directly to Sharon, but instead you're just -- you're allowing that call to be made through the United Nations. Maybe I'm wrong, and correct me if I am wrong.

MR. REEKER:  What we have always said, Matt -- and I think you are aware of this -- is that we don't think incursions are helpful, but we understand Israel's need to take steps for its security in the face of suicide bombings and the type of terrorist activities that have been perpetrated against the Israeli people so horribly, particularly in the last few days.  And we have said the Israeli Government has to decide the actions that best serve its security, but also think about what is in the interests of the Israeli people and carefully consider the consequences of those.
    So there is nothing at all different from that than what is contained in the UN Security Council resolution, where the international community together has called upon that for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Ramallah and other cities, and most importantly, an immediate cease-fire so that the parties can get into Tenet.

QUESTION:  Phil, the language that you are using right there:  the US wants Israel to take into account, deep consideration, the actions that it takes.  But that's different than the UN message, which is, "Get out."  Do you not see that?

MR. REEKER:  The UN message, and I've got it right in front of me, Matt, if you want to quarrel with it, says --

QUESTION:  No, I don't want to quarrel with the UN message.  I want to know why you --

MR. REEKER:  We call upon the parties -- the US voted for this message, we stand by it, we support it, we helped craft it -- We call upon the parties to cooperate fully with Special Envoy Zinni, prior to that; call upon both parties to move immediately to a meaningful cease-fire; and calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah.

QUESTION:  It doesn't say exactly when.  It doesn't give a time frame or any kind of withdrawal time.  So are you saying that the Israelis should withdraw from the territory after they've done what it is they need to do, or are you calling for the immediate withdrawal now?

MR. REEKER:  What we are saying is that, as the UN Security Council resolution says, they need to withdraw from Ramallah.  That is what we are calling for.  We understand their need to take security steps and actions to prevent the terrorist activity, the suicide bombings that have plagued and so harmed the Israeli people, particularly in recent days, and killed so many people.
    We have said many times that Prime Minister Sharon has to decide what actions best serve the security interests, but the interests of the Israeli people, in the long run, and so we want to see an immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli forces.  These are the critical steps, and they should be undertaken now.

QUESTION:  I understand you are trying to clarify this, but when they had President Bush from Crawford, Texas, on television in his initial statement over the weekend --

MR. REEKER:  -- on Saturday --

QUESTION:  -- on Saturday, he was very -- I won't say the word "gung-ho" but saying that the Israeli Government can go in somewhat pushing them, as you say, to get rid of --

MR. REEKER:  I am not going to try to accept your characterization of what the President said.  His words very much stand for themselves.

QUESTION:  Or whatever.  It seems to be contrary to the UN vote.

MR. REEKER:  Not in the slightest, and it has been interesting for many of us to try to watch how people have defined things as contrary when we have all been saying the same thing; that is, we need to see an end to the violence, we need to see Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian leadership speaking out against terrorism, in Arabic, saying that this is not the road toward peace, that this is undermining his leadership, that it is causing the loss of innocent life, including these young people who commit suicide, that it is serving no purpose and it is undermining his efforts. He needs to speak out against that.  He needs to show that he is a leader and take those steps.
    That is exactly what the international community has called for.  That is exactly what President Bush has called for, what Secretary Powell has called for.  It is what we want to see.  And we need to see that now.

QUESTION:  I have a follow-up question.  There is a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  It is an Islamic nations meeting.

MR. REEKER:  I think it's the OIC, yes.

QUESTION:  Right, concerning terrorism.  And apparently there are some drop-outs that didn't attend that conference.  And there seems to be a dispute within the conference itself of what next to do.  What is the State Department's and the administration's position on that conference?

MR. REEKER:  We are not a part of that conference.  We are not a part of that organization.  We think that all of the leadership in that conference, just as other leaders around the world have done -- and those who haven't, should -- speak out against terrorism, strongly and firmly, including Arab leaders and leaders in other countries.  If they haven't done so, they need to condemn suicide bombings and condemn terrorism in all its forms.  Because only when we stop the terror can we move forward with security and a political process that go hand in hand to bring the resolution, to bring us to the vision that we have all enunciated, including the Arab League summit last week, the vision expounded by Crown Prince Abdullah, that we embraced and said was significant.
    So you have that in many forms, and now we just need to get there.  We need to focus on our goal; we can't lose sight of that goal.  That is what we all are working for.  That is why General Zinni is on the ground, that is why the Secretary and the President remain very engaged talking to other world leaders on the subject.  And that is what we are going to work towards.
    So we would hope that any meetings, conferences, or statements by individual leaders, and particularly Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority's leadership, need to speak out against terror and against these suicide bombings.

QUESTION:  The Israelis apparently have interpreted that UN resolution we were talking about a few minutes ago that the cease-fire is first, and then the withdrawal.  And I think what the questions are getting at is does the US accept that view, or should they be simultaneous?

MR. REEKER:  You know, one can debate that all week, all month.  What they have to do is focus on both of those things, because that is what we think is the path back to peace.  And we have called continuously for Prime Minister Sharon and the Israeli Government to keep open a path toward peace, even as we understand their need to take steps to ensure their security.  What we want to see is both sides work together under the Tenet work plan, work with General Zinni to get into that work plan, because that allows the two sides to exchange information together to proactively go after terrorists.  And everybody needs to be condemning those terrorists, making clear that they are undermining every aspect of this process.
    And so the immediate cease-fire called for in the resolution is vitally important.  And withdrawal of the Israeli forces is there, too.  And we think those actions need to be undertaken now.

QUESTION:  Kind of related to the resolution.  Over the weekend, Syria, certainly, I guess, tried to postpone the vote, kept the Security Council in chambers until 4:30 a.m. in the morning, refusing to vote or negotiate on any text.  Do you see Syria as an obstacle to negotiations in the Security Council?  And what do you make of Syria's refusal to negotiate different drafts of --

MR. REEKER:  I think you would have to ask the Syrians for their reasoning on this.  We think that the Security Council resolution that was brought forward and adopted by the 14 members there voting for it, including the United States, is important.  It reflects our vision, it reflects what we have called for for some time, as well as immediate steps that both sides can take to get us out of the current crisis.
    That is what is important here.  I am not going to try to analyze or subjectively look at another country's decisions.  We think all leaders -- in the Arab world, but around the world -- need to stand up and speak out against terrorism, because suicide bombing doesn't do anybody any good. It undermines all the hope, all the vision, and only brings loss of innocent life.

QUESTION:  Well, if I could follow up, without speaking to this particular decision, do you have any comment on Syria's last few months on the Security Council, and its helpfulness or lack thereof?

MR. REEKER:  I don't at this time.

QUESTION:  Perhaps you can take the question, then, Phil?  Because when Syria got onto the Council, you said you would be looking forward to the Syrians fulfilling all the obligations and responsibilities that are -- that come with Security Council membership.

MR. REEKER:  And I am sure we still feel that way.

QUESTION:  Yes, but I don't think it's an invalid question to ask how you think they are doing now.  So perhaps you could take the question?

MR. REEKER:  No, I'm not going to try to give you an analysis now on that type of subject.

QUESTION:  I'm not asking for it now.  I just --

MR. REEKER:  I'm not going to take it and promise to give you one later. We will continue to look at that.  We will continue to look to the Syrians to fulfill the role they should have as being members of the Security Council.  I am sure we will continue to have the contact at the Security Council and in our bilateral relationship as well to encourage Syria, as well as other Arab countries and any other countries in the world, to speak out against terrorism and speak up for peace for the UN Security Council resolution that represents a way forward.

QUESTION:  What do you make of Iraq suggesting that Arab countries band together, or oil-producing Arab countries band together in an embargo against the United States?

MR. REEKER:  I saw some report on that, and I don't have any details of it.  I don't know what Iraq was calling for.  I think Saddam Hussein and Iraq have certain things they should be focusing on, and that is complying with UN Security Council resolutions, rather than trying to distract the agenda from where they are not meeting their obligations at the United Nations.  That is where we will continue our focus, and I just don't have anything on random musings from the Iraqi regime.

QUESTION:  My question is similar.  You may not have any random -- anything on random musings from the Iraqis, but is the administration expending any diplomatic energy trying to check whether Arab oil producers are going to take this call seriously, or are you taking it that --

MR. REEKER:  I just saw one report of some Iraqi statement.  I don't think the Arab world takes that seriously.  I think we are all focused on what the Iraqis need to do in terms of complying with the UN Security Council resolutions, in living up to the things they promised to do and have tried to avoid doing for so long.  And typically they have tried to change the subject and avoid having the world focus on what they need to do to meet those requirements.  And our concerns about Iraq haven't changed.

QUESTION:  Can I change the subject?

MR. REEKER:  Please.  No, we have one more.  We're on a roll.  Easter egg roll.

QUESTION:  There are 30,000 American citizens in Israel and Palestine. How many of them have been arrested and are being held by the Israeli Government?

MR. REEKER:  I couldn't give you a number on that, Gene.  I don't know.

QUESTION:  Can you take the question?  Or how many new ones?

MR. REEKER:  I will be happy to look into it and see if we have any figures on that.

QUESTION:  I mean new ones, during the Intifada.

MR. REEKER:  I will be happy to look into it and see if we have any figures on that.

QUESTION:  There must be quite a few.

MR. REEKER:  I wouldn't want to try to go one way or the other because I just don't know, but we will be happy to see if our Consular Affairs people can do anything with that.
    Barry.  Someone wants to change the question, but you're going to --

QUESTION:  No, no, just one last shot in looking for the neat and perfect, and that's hard to do in diplomacy because ambiguity is prized.  The US is calling -- if I understand the two things you've said today, Israel has a right to defend itself against terror, and Israel should withdraw its forces from Ramallah now.  This leads inevitably to the notion that the State Department or the administration's view is that Israel can defend itself against terror without moving into the West Bank.

MR. REEKER:  If both parties get into Tenet and act proactively --

QUESTION:  Indeed, yes.

MR. REEKER:  -- they can exchange information, as the Tenet plan calls for.  They can use that together to go after terrorists.  And I will remind you, Barry -- you know better than anyone -- that for a long time some of the best relationships were at the security level between the Palestinians and the Israelis, where they jointly worked together to fight terror, just as we are working around the world to fight terror.  Sharing the information and using that to go after terrorists is vital.
    Chairman Arafat needs to speak unambiguously about his denunciation of terrorism, including the suicide bombings, and needs to give clear, unambiguous orders to his lieutenants, his security personnel, to take action to prevent terrorism that affects Israelis, undermines the entire process and the goals and aspirations of the Palestinian people.

QUESTION:  Phil, it's absolutely clear, and that doesn't -- the problem that I bring up is because of the use of the word "now."  There is no rebuild Tenet now.  There is no Mitchell plan in action now.  Israel is in Ramallah now.

MR. REEKER:  And they --

QUESTION:  Israel is subject to terror attacks now.  Palestinian civilians are getting killed now.

MR. REEKER:  They need to speak out now.

QUESTION:  And you want Israel to -- the State Department wants Israel to withdraw now -- without Tenet, without --

MR. REEKER:  No, we want to get into Tenet, Barry.  You know exactly what you're doing.  You're trying to play with it.

QUESTION:  I'm not trying to trap you.  You said now.

MR. REEKER:  We want all of these things to happen now, Barry.  We want them all to happen now.

QUESTION:  Okay.

MR. REEKER:  Okay?  And the exact --

QUESTION:  That's our game plan.

MR. REEKER:  -- way the minute-by-minute thing, I'm not going to be able to do for you.

QUESTION:  It's a wish list.

MR. REEKER:  It's very clear.  It's the same position we have had.  It's what the President has talked about.  It's what my colleague at the White House has talked about.  It's what Secretary Powell has talked about. It's what I'm saying.  And it's what the UN Security Council resolution says.  We've got to take these actions.  There is no time to wait.  These actions need to occur now so that we can move forward.  We have got to have hope that the processes we've laid out -- the road map that is the Tenet plan, the Mitchell recommendations -- can be followed because that will get us back to a process toward fulfilling the vision that everyone around the globe has enunciated.

(end excerpt)

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