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USIA: State Department Report 96-05-17
From: The U.S. Information Agency (USIA) Gopher <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>
STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1996
(Middle East, Korea, Bosnia, Colombia) (600)
There was no regular noon briefing. State Department Spokesman
Nicholas Burns did, however, speak on the record with reporters.
MIDDLE EAST -- The Monitoring Group meeting at the State Department
concluded May 16. A "draft text" was completed concerning the
modalities for the operation of the group (Israel, Lebanon, Syria,
United States, France) for enforcing the ceasefire between the
Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Israel. Burns said the text was sent
to the respective governments for approval. But he added that "the
most difficult issues have been resolved," and he expected that a
final agreement would be made some time next week. Responding to
questions about Israel's right to self defense, Burns said: "Israel is
responsible for making its own decisions about how it protects its
people, and we have never questioned Israel's right to defend its own
people." But he refused to discuss whether Israel's right to self
defense included preemptive attacks.
KOREA -- The recent incursion by North Korean soldiers into the
demilitarized zone (DMZ) was "a minor incident," Burns said. During
the evening of May 17, some five North Korean soldiers entered the DMZ
and approached the demarcation line. South Korean soldiers, thinking
the North Korean soldiers had crossed the line, fired about 14 warning
shots into the air. The North Korean soldiers then returned to their
side of the demarcation line. The incursion was a violation of the
Armistice Agreement, and U.S. officials and the U.N. Command is still
investigating the circumstances. "This incident, as well as the
previous incidents of a couple of weeks back, remind us of the
importance of all sides, including North Korea, abiding by the
Military Armistice Agreement," Burns said. The Armistice Agreement, he
noted, has kept the peace for over 40 years and must be maintained.
"All the rules and regulations of the Armistice must be adhered to,"
Burns said.
BOSNIA -- Preparations for the September elections are going
"reasonably well with some difficulties," according to Burns. He said
that "the Dayton Accords really hinge on the local populations taking
under their own control the affairs of that country in that region;
and the only way that can be done is if there are elections to bring
those people to power." Burns emphasized the importance of the
influential Bosnian Serbs in Banja Luka having rejected the attempts
of indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic to dismiss Bosnia Serb Prime
Minister Rajko Kasagic, who has refused to step down. The United
States is supporting the Republika Srpska elected officials who are
rejecting the efforts of Karadzic. The actions of the Banja Luka
people should strengthen the election process, Burns said. The United
States is "determined that Karadzic not run in the elections. He
cannot; it's not permitted under the Dayton accords," Burns said. "Our
strategy would be to isolate him and to marginalize him." Burns added
that he thought the elections would proceed even if Karadzic is not
brought to justice at the Hague. But he added that he thought the
Dayton compliance issues would be enhanced if Karadzic, General Ratko
Mladic, and 51 other indicted war criminals were apprehended and
brought to trial at the Hague.
COLOMBIA -- Burns said that the Colombian media is incorrectly
reporting that the United States has decided to revoke the visas of 36
prominent Colombians. "We have made no such decisions," Burns said.
The United States did, however, revoke the visa of David Turbay, the
comptroller general of Colombia because of information regarding his
relationship with narcotics traffickers.
No transcript is available of this informal, walk-thru briefing.
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