<p><b>--TEASE--</b></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>http://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/health/mental-health-college-dropout-survey-wellness/index.html</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Mental health is driving more college students to consider dropping out, survey finds</p>\n<p>By: Deidre McPhillips, CNN</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Isabel, a 20-year-old undergraduate student, is no stranger to hard work. She graduated high school a year early and spent most of 2021 keeping up with three jobs. But when she started college that fall, she felt like she was "sinking." </p>\n<p>She knew that she wasn't feeling like herself that first semester: Her bubbly personality had dimmed, and she was crying lots more than she was used to. </p>\n<p>It all came to a head during a Spanish exam. Isabel, who identifies as both Latina and Black, overheard a video that other students were watching about racism in her communities. Negative emotions swelled, and she had to walk out without finishing the test. She rushed back to her room, angry and upset, and broke her student card when hitting it on the door to get in. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"And I just started having a full-blown panic attack," she said. "My mind was racing everywhere."</p>\n<p>Isabel says she begged her parents to let her stay on campus, but they insisted that she make the three-hour drive home, and she soon took a medical withdrawal. </p>\n<p>A new survey shows that a significant number of college students struggle with their mental health, and a growing share have considered dropping out themselves.</p>\n<p>Two out of 5 undergraduate students -- including nearly half of female students -- say they frequently experience emotional stress while attending college, according to a survey published Thursday by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, a private independent organization focused on creating accessible opportunities for post-secondary learning. The survey was conducted in fall 2022, with responses from 12,000 adults who had a high school degree but had not yet completed an associate's or bachelor's degree. </p>\n<p>More than 40% of students currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program had considered dropping out in the past six months, up from 34% in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey found. Most cited emotional stress and personal mental health as the reason, far more often than others like financial considerations and difficulty of coursework. </p>\n<p>Young adult years are a vulnerable time for mental health in general, and the significant changes that often come with attending college can be added stressors, experts say. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"About 75% of lifetime mental health problems will onset by the mid-20s, so that means that the college years are a very epidemiologically vulnerable time," said Sarah K. Lipson, an assistant professor at Boston University and principal investigator with the Healthy Minds Network, a research organization focused on the mental health of adolescents and young adults. </p>\n<p>"And then for many adolescents and young adults, the transition to college comes with newfound autonomy. They may be experiencing the first signs and symptoms of mental health problems while now in this new level of independence that also includes new independence over their decision-making as it relates to mental health."</p>\n<p>An estimated 1 in 5 adults in the United States lives with a mental illness, and young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are disproportionately affected. The share of college students reporting anxiety and depression has been growing for years, and it has only gotten worse during the Covid-19 pandemic. </p>\n<p>An analysis of federal data by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that half of young adults ages 18 to 24 have reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023, compared with about a third of adults overall. </p>\n<p>Stopping the 'shame spiral'</p>\n<p>Mental health in college is critically important, experts say. </p>\n<p>It's "predictive of pretty much every long-term outcome that we care about, including their future economic earnings, workplace productivity, their future mental health and their future physical health, as well," Lipson said. </p>\n<p>And the need for support is urgent. About 1 in 7 college students said that they had suicidal ideation -- even more than the year prior, according to a fall 2021 survey by the Healthy Minds Network. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Isabel knew that she was struggling, but it took a while to realize the extent of her mental health challenges. </p>\n<p>"The number one thing I struggled with was feeling overwhelmed and like I had space to even remember to eat," she said. "People were like, 'You don't know how to take care of yourself.' But no -- I had five papers due, and assignments, and I also had to work and go to [class] on top of that. And then I also had to find time to sleep. Most of the time, I was chugging an energy drink. And God forbid if you have a social life."</p>\n<p>For Isabel, as with many college students, thinking about or deciding to leave a degree program because of mental health challenges can often bring its own set of negative emotions, such as anxiety, fear and grief. </p>\n<p>"For a lot of students, this isn't what they saw their life looking like. This isn't the timeline that they had for themselves," said Julie Wolfson, director of outreach and research for the College ReEntry program at Fountain House, a nonprofit organization that works to support people with mental illness. </p>\n<p>"They see their friends continuing on and becoming juniors and seniors, graduating and getting their first job. But they feel stuck and like they're watching their life plan slipping away."</p>\n<p>It can create a sort of "shame spiral," Lipson said. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p>But mental health professionals stress the importance of prioritizing personal needs over the status quo. </p>\n<p>"There's no shame in taking some time off," said Marcus Hotaling, a psychologist at Union College and president of the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors.</p>\n<p>"Take a semester. Take a year. Get yourself better -- whether it be through therapy or medication -- and come back stronger, a better student, more focused and, more importantly, healthier."</p>\n<p>They also encourage higher education institutions to help ease this pressure by creating policies that simplify the process to return. </p>\n<p>"When a student is trying to do the best thing for themselves, that should be celebrated and promoted. For a school to then put up a ton of barriers for them to come back, it makes students not want to seek help," Wolfson said.</p>\n<p>"I would hope that in the future, there could be policies and systems that are more welcoming to students who are trying to take care of themselves."</p>\n<p>Building support</p>\n<p>Appropriately managing mental health is different for each person, and experts say a break from school isn't the best solution for everyone. </p>\n<p>Tracking progress through self-assessments of symptoms and gauges of functioning, like class attendance and keeping up with assignments, can help make that call, said Ryan Patel, chair of the American College Health Association's mental health section and senior staff psychiatrist at The Ohio State University. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"If we're making progress and you're getting better, then it could make sense to think about continuing school," he said. "But if you're doing everything you can in your day-to-day life to improve your mental health and we're not making progress, or things are getting worse despite best efforts, that's where the differentiating point occurs, in my mind."</p>\n<p>Understanding the support system a student would have if they return home, including access to resources and treatment providers, is also a factor, he said.</p>\n<p>For a while, experts say, it was a challenge to articulate the problem and build the case for broader attention to the mental health of college students. Now, the mental health of students is consistently cited as the most pressing issue among college presidents, according to a survey by the American Council on Education. </p>\n<p>As the need for services increases, however, college counseling centers are struggling to meet demand -- and the shortage of mental health professionals doesn't stop at the edge of campus. </p>\n<p>But colleges are uniquely positioned to surround students with a close network of support, experts say. Taking advantage of that structure needs buy-in to create a broader "community of care."</p>\n<p>"Colleges have an educational mission, and I would make the argument that spreads to education about health and safety," Hotaling said. </p>\n<p>College faculty should be trained in recognizing immediate concerns or threats to a student's safety, he said. But they should also understand that students can face a range of mental health challenges and know the appropriate resource to direct them to. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Isabel recently graduated from Fountain House's College ReEntry program and is back at school -- this time at university that's a little closer to home, one that a close friend from high school also attends. It helps her to know that she has a strong friend group to support her and an academic program that supports her professional goals -- to become an art curator. </p>\n<p>Things are still challenging this time around, but she says she feels like she now has the right tools to cope. </p>\n<p>"This foundation I am building is constantly in need of maintenance. There's like a crack every day," she said. "Back when I was trying to figure everything out, I feel like I was looking for a screwdriver when I needed a hammer. Now, it's not that I know I can handle it -- but I know that I have the healthy coping mechanisms and strategies and people to help. That gave me confidence and stamina to do it again." </p>\n<p>### </p>\n<p><b>--SUPERS</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--VIDEO SHOWS</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--LEAD IN</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--VO SCRIPT</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--SOT</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--TAG</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>-----END-----CNN.SCRIPT-----</b></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--KEYWORD TAGS--</b></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--MUSIC INFO---</b></p>\n<p></p>

Reel 1. Technicians in white boiler suits walk into garage and remove white sheet covering truck. Title superimposed - The British Motor Corporation ltd presents - 'Design For Work'. <br/> <br/>Man climbs into cab of truck and starts the engine. Man seated at work bench makes notes on clipboard. He hands the driver various pieces of equipment and then climbs into the cab himself. C/U lorry wheel as it starts to move away. <br/> <br/>Exterior of garage as man opens sliding door. Sign on door reads "Experimental Keep Out". The lorry drives out - it is dusk and the vehicle has its headlights on. It drives past the exterior of the Austin factory. The company logo is clearly visible on the wall. The security guard on the works' gate checks their paperwork before the lorry drives out of the gate. <br/> <br/>The lorry drives along a country lane. (The voice over tells us that this is a prototype of a new addition to the 'Austin family of vehicles'.) C/U Driver and passenger in the cab. The lorry drives past the MIRA building (Motor Industry Research Association). This is near Nuneaton, Warwickshire. M/S of M.I.R.A. building. <br/> <br/>Two trucks driving round test track. Man in white overalls makes notes on clip board. Shot from inside hut with measuring devices showing trucks going past. Lorry pulls up quickly in breaking test. Two men walk across to measure the tyre marks. C/U man with tape measure. Technicians talk to driver and note his comments. Another lorry draws up alongside and then continues on its way. <br/> <br/>Prototype Austin lorry driving along test track at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association). C/U technician in lorry cab checking instrument. He holds a stopwatch and a clipboard. Quick C/U foot pressing brake pedal. C/U wheels during breaking. C/U driver and technician looking at instruments in the truck's cab. <br/> <br/>Lorries driven through water splash test. Driver and mate check inside cab for signs that water has leaked in. Lorry driven over cobble test track. Lorry towing two other lorries around concrete testing area. C/U technician in cab making notes. C/U driver's hands as he moves the steering wheel. C/U driver. Shot of two lorries being towed. <br/> <br/>C/U man working at drawing board on complex drawing. Drawing office, lots of men working on drawings. C/U man checking drawing of lorry cab with model of man and rulers. He is checking ergonomics. C/U eyes of man while working on drawing (he wears glasses). <br/> <br/>Tracking shot of scientific laboratory. Lots of glass vases and tubes, coloured liquids and white coated scientists. Scientist adjusts flame on Bunsen burner. Very odd shot of face of scientist seen through glass vase. Scientist mixes chemicals. C/U face as he concentrates. C/U chemicals as liquid changes colour. Scientist looks through microscope. Fabric testing machine. C/U dial (shows the device was made by 'Goodbrand & Co. Ltd of Stalybridge'). The needle on the dial moves. C/U fabric as it stretches and breaks. Low angle shot of machine to test metal. Various dials showing results. <br/> <br/>L/S Bwlch-y-Groes mountain pass in North Wales. Prototype Austin lorry pulling hard up incline. C/U driver at steering wheel. Point of View shot from cab as truck drives up the mountain road. Lorry on road. C/U technician making notes on clipboard and checking his stopwatch. Lorry driving towards camera. C/U driver. C/U hand as he changes gear. Shot from back of lorry as it take corner. Lorry drives off along road. <br/> <br/>C/U mechanical hammer drops on to red hot metal. Men working with metal and drop hammers. Red hot metal placed in forge and drop hammer is used to shape it. C/U face of metal worker illuminated by flames from forge. Metal shaped in cast. Metal removed from heat and hit again. C/U metal in cast. <br/> <br/>Men working at machine tools. Sparks fly as man uses grinding tool on part. C/U man using machine tool which shaves off thin pieces of metal . More sparks as metal is ground on tool. Pan up from metal work lathe to man using it. Molten metal poured into mould. Metal poured from crucible into mould. C/U men wearing safety goggles as they work with the molten metal. Flames rise from metal. <br/> <br/>C/U automated drills drilling a cylinder block. Lights flash as automated work is carried out. Parts move out on automated line. <br/> <br/>Two men lift sheet of metal into press. The press comes down and forces the metal into shape. The men remove the pressed steel and place it on a pile of others. <br/> <br/>High angle shot of production line as worker feed tyre into roller. Row of lorries on assembly line. Engine lowered into chassis. Cab lowered from roof crane. C/U man operating crane. The cab is fitted onto the body. Operator gives thumbs up sign and shouts "Okay". <br/> <br/>Lorry driven off end of production line. Lorry driven to parking area. <br/> <br/>C/U statue of Neptune. Ships in docks. Pan across ship called 'Factor'. Sacks of goods lifted by large crane off ship and placed on back of Austin lorry. (According to the Voice over this is an Austin Five tonner and we are looking at Avonmouth Docks). Low angle shot of front of yellow lorry. Austin forward control prime mover being reversed to join its trailer. C/U as trailer locks on. C/U driver checking in wing mirror. <br/> <br/>Brightly coloured Austin cars being carried into docks on trailer. Other lorry pulls away with load. Prime Mover lorry driving through streets of Bristol. C/U driver checking mirror before driving in to traffic. The lorry drives alongside a green bus. C/U driver. Lorry in traffic. C/U driver. Lorry drives along, cathedral spire in back ground. The lorry drives up a steep road. Point of view shot from inside cab. C/U driver as he changes gear. More shots of this articulated lorry. High angle shot of town and canal basin. Lorry drives through shot. <br/> <br/>National Benzole Mixture tanker in oil refinery. The driver climbs into the cab and drives off. Two tankers drive away from the refinery. Small Austin omni-truck at small petrol station. Driver pays female attendant for petrol. The truck drives off the forecourt. <br/> <br/>Building site. Men working on roofs of bungalows. Man walks with hod towards Austin seven ton hydraulic tipper. C/U two men watching tipper lifting up. C/U hydraulic rams lifting trailer. Sand pouring out of tipper. <br/> <br/>Pan down gravel hopper at quarry site. Three tippers being loaded. C/U man filling tipper from large hopper. Tipper pulls away. Gravel is loaded onto lorry by crane. <br/> <br/>Articulated lorry driving along road. C/U driver. Another lorry pulls in behind the articulated one. They drive along country lane. Lorry along road. C/U driver, he is smoking. Lorry driving at dusk. C/U driver. <br/> <br/>Countryside scene. Sheep in yard at farm. Cows loaded onto cattle truck. Farmer walks around truck and climbs into Austin Gypsy four wheel drive vehicle loaded with milk churns. He drives off. The vehicle drives across a field. The farmer gets out to meet man loading milk churns onto lorry. <br/> <br/>End of Reel. Continued on next reel. <br/> <br/>Note: Reel 1 used to be reels 1 and 2. Colour is faded and some parts of the print are scratched.

manufacturing, working, industry

BLACK WALL STREET

FTG FOR CS ON NORTH CAROLINA RAPE LAW. 17:15:05 TIGHT SHOT OF YARN SPINNING ON MECHANICAL LOOMS IN PLANT IN BELMONT, NORTH CAROLINA. 17:15:15 TIGHT SHOT OF WORKER AT LOOM. 17:15:18 INTV W/ PLANT OWNER HARDING STOWE SAYS THEY ARE PRO-NAFTA (NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT). 17:15:31 HE SAYS THERE WON'T BE A BIG YARN PRODUCING CAPACITY IN MEXICO. 17:15:40 REPORTER SU. 17:15:54 VS OF WORKERS AT SEWING MACHINES IN VILLAGE DESIGNS PLANT. 17:15:57 TWO SHOT OF REPORTER AND VILLAGE DESIGNS FOUNDER TERRY THOMAS IN PLANT. 17:16:08 INTV W/ THOMAS WHO COMMENTS W/ THE PASSAGE OF NAFTA THEY CAN EITHER GO OUT OF BUSINESS OR MOVE THE PLANT TO MEXICO. 17:16:16 VS OF WORKERS. 17:16:25 INTV W/ STOWE WHO SAYS NAFTA IS A POSITIVE FOR US TEXTILE WORKERS BUT IF YOU ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF CUTTING OR SEWING CLOTHES NAFTA COULD BE A NEGATIVE. 17:16:40 SLATE. BLANK. 17:16:51 NEWS 13 ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA SLATE. 17:16:56 WS OF PARTS MANUFACTURING PLANT. VS OF WORKERS. 17:17:03 INTV W/ WORKER WHO COMMENTS THAT NAFTA WILL SHUT THEM DOWN. 17:17:05 VS OF WORKERS. 17:17:12 INTV W/ WORKER WHO SAYS IF US CONTINUES TO GIVE JOBS AWAY WE WON'T HAVE ANY JOBS FOR OURSELVES. 17:17:18 REPORTER SU. 17:17:38 TIGHT SHOT OF EQUIPMENT IN OPERATION. VS OF WORKERS. 17:17:42 INTV W/ PROFESSOR SHANNON WHO COMMENTS THAT THERE ARE SHORT RUN COSTS TO NAFTA. 17:17:55 HE SAYS SOME INDIVIDUAL WORKERS WILL BE HURT THROUGH THE PASSAGE OF NAFTA BUT OVERALL NAFTA WILL BENEFIT THE US. 17:18:09 WS OF FACTORY EQUIPMENT. REPORTER AUDIO. BLANK. 17:18:36 VS OF PEOPLE IN COURTHOUSE CORRIDOR. 17:18:50 TIGHT SHOT OF WOMAN. 17:19:04 HAS OF WOMAN WALKING DOWN STAIRCASE W/ ANOTHER WOMAN. 17:19:17 TIGHT SHOT OF WOMAN WALKING THROUGH METAL DETECTOR IN CORRIDOR W/ COURT OFFICER. 17:19:48 WOMAN ENTERS COURTROOM. 17:19:54 CU OF WOMAN WHO STANDS W/ OTHERS OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE AT IMPROMPTU PRESS CONFERENCE. 17:20:12 TIGHT SHOT OF MAN IN CORRIDOR WHO TALKS W/ OTHERS. BLANK. 17:20:35 ANIMATED WTVD SLATE. 17:20:39 WS OF NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE. 17:20:49 TIGHT SHOTS OF STATE REPRESENTATIVES. 17:20:56 TIGHT SHOT OF FEMALE LEGISLATOR WHO SAYS NORTH CAROLINA RAPE LAW IS ABOUT EQUAL PROTECTION PLACING MARRIED WOMEN ON THE SAME EQUAL FOOTING W/ UNMARRIED WOMAN. 17:21:24 TIGHT SHOT OF STATE LEGISLATOR. BLANK. 17:21:46 ANIMATED WTVD SLATE. 17:21:48 WS OF MEETING OF COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE SENATE. 17:22:02 VS OF SENATE COMMITTE. 17:22:08 TIGHT SHOT OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE BEA HOLT AT PC AS SHE COMMENTS THAT THIS BILL WILL GIVE GREAT REASSURANCE TO WOMEN IN NORTH CAROLINA THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED PROPERTY TO BE STOMPED ON. 17:22:21 VS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 17:22:27 HOLT SAYS WOMEN WILL STILL HAVE TO CONVINCE THE AUTHORITIES THAT THERE IS A TRUE CASE OF MARITAL RAPE. BLANK. 17:23:01 WTVD SLATE. 17:23:03 MS OF STATE LEGISLATOR. VS OF LEGISLATORS. REPEAT FTG. 17:23:56 WTVD SLATE.

Time Out for Trouble

Mechanic girl .Girl in a workshop on the machines

ISSUE_NO = 2286 NO_OF_ITEMS = 5 COMMENTATOR = Leslie Mitchell ITEM_NO = 3 Racing drivers compete in the Formula One Race of Champions won by outsider Peter Gewthin in a Chevron-Chevrolet. CARD_FILE = 98952 CARD_TITLE : CONSUL RACE AND RACE OF CHAMPIONS SHOT_LIST : RACE OF CHAMPIONS - SV Formula 1 cars zoom out to front of No 66 Brabham driver Graham Hill: SV Hill putting fireproof scarf on: SV Emerson Fittipaldi talking: SV cars in pits, mechanic tightening wheel nuts up in fore ground: CU Hill sitting in his "Shadow Ford DNI": SV start of race of Champions pan with cars as they up front straight: LS No 6 Hill's car in ditch alongside front straight Hill being helped out by two officials: LS car coming out of bottom: SV fire attendants and officials wtching: SV piece of track with sign opposite "Daily Mail" whilst cars go by: SV pan car No 65 Ronnie Peterson coming out of bottom band and down straight: SV 2 female timekeepers: CU pan 2 cars No 60 leading followed by No 65 coming out of bottom bend and down bottom straight: SV spectators watching: SV John Player Special No 65 in lead coming round bottom straight: LV 2 cars coming round bend and along bottom straight: LV 2 cars coming roung Paddock Hill bend and up Pilgrims Rise: LS 2 cars racing round Paddock Hill bend and up Pilgrims Rise and under Dunlop Bridge: SV winner being flagged in pan with winning car down front straight: SV 2nd car being flagged in, 2rd, 4th, 5th zoom out to 6th coming over line: LV placing board giving 1st No 32 Peter Gethin driving Chevron Chevrolet B 24, 2nd No 57 Denis Hulme driving Yadeley McLaren Ford M 23, 3rd No 56 James Hunt driving Surtees Ford T 58B: 4th No 67: SV Gethin waving arm and receiving cup. [ 77 Seconds] CONSUL RACE - LS massed parked cars and spectators with large sign about cars "Daily Mail Leads" zoom into race track: SV Reg Harris (cycling) signs autographs, looks up and smiles into camera & walks away, Henry Cooper in back ground: SV Cooper and David Hemery standing by cars: SV Colin Cowdrey and Jimmy Greaves standing by cars talking: SV Hemery signing autograph: CU name on overalls Richard Mead zoom out to him talking: SV Harris sitting in car ready to start: SV No 15 Geoff Lewis on car door pan up zoom out to Lewis sitting in car ready to start: SV Clement Freud sitting in car pan down and out to car doors No 8 Freud: SV No 2 Chay Blyth car door pan up and zoom out Blyth putting crash helmet on: LS start of Evening News Consul Race pan with cars from grid to first bend: LS consuls coming round bottom bend: SV ditto out of bottom bend: SV ditto out of bottom end, pan with cars along bottom straight: SV crowds watching: LV 4 consuls racing over grid pan with No 21 last car down front straight: SV No 2 Blyth coming out of bend after bottom straight: SV ditto No 4 Henry Cooper: SV man and woman spectators both wearing fur coats: LS consuls crossing line and being flagged in, winners 1st No 2 Blyth (sailing), 2nd Tom Percival (Power Boating), 3rd Richard Mead (Equestrian), N0 4 Ivan Mauger (Speedway): SV winner Blyth getting out of car being given handshake by Graham Hill. [ 95 Seconds] INDEX : Buildings, Ceremonies & Celebrations, Equestrian Sport, Personalities, Photography, Sport and Games, Towns and Cities, Vehicles MATERIAL : RACE OF CHAMPIONS ONLY COLOUR CUT NEG IN G.R. CAN DATE_SUBD = 00/00/0000

Portrait of woman repairing a car in auto repair shop

APTN DIRECT COVERAGE IN BAGHDAD, IRAQ OF BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT & DANIEL SENOR, SENIOR ADVISOR COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE SENOR: Good afternoon. We have a slight technical (OFF-MIKE) working, so we should have that fixed within the next couple of days. I just got a brief few words -- brief opening statement, and then General Kimmitt will do a short presentation. And then we are happy to take questions. We are joined by Hamid al-Cafari (ph), who, as many of you know, is the spokesperson for the governing council. And he is here to answer any questions you have with regard to the governing council. Ambassador Bremer today welcomed the news of the governing council's announcement of its new deBaathification policies and procedures. Ambassador Bremer said that this marks the final step in the transfer of deBaathification authority to the governing council and the Iraqi people. Ambassador Bremer signed the first deBaathification decree on May 16th. It was one of the first actions he took after his arrival here. It was the first decree he had signed. And then he signed -- he delegated authority over to the governing council on November 4th. And then yesterday marks the final step with the governing council announcing its new procedures. Ambassador Bremer said that the governing council now has full command of deBaathification. The policy is appropriately tough on senior-level Baathists and strikes a balance between being tough on senior-level Baathists while it also allows for the reintegration of nominal Baathists into society. It reintegrates those nominal Baathists with a sense of dignity and with an effort to ease the poverty and desperation that many nominal Baathists have faced since their dismissal. Ambassador Bremer has said all along that deBaathification should be a policy that is implemented and managed by the Iraqi people. And this signifies another important step in the transition of authority overall to the Iraqi people, which will culminate on June 30th with the hand-over of sovereignty. General Kimmitt? KIMMITT: Thank you. Good afternoon. Over the past week, there has been an average of 17 engagements daily against coalition military forces, just over two attacks against Iraqi security forces and just over one attack daily against Iraqi civilians. The coalition remains offensively oriented to kill or capture anti-coalition elements and enemies of the Iraqi people and to establish a safe and secure environment. To that end, the coalition conducted 1,768 patrols, 24 offensive operations, 32 raids and captured 114 anti-coalition suspects in the past 24 hours. In the northern zone of operations, coalition forces conducted 192 patrols, four cordon-and-searches, and detained 14 individuals in the past 24 hours. On 12 January, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers were attacked just north of the airfield in Mosul. The ICDC guards returned fire and the enemy broke contact. The coalition forces provided an outer cordon of the buildings where the fire originated from, and the civil defense corps conducted a search of those buildings resulting in the capture of four individuals. KIMMITT: Coalition forces also conducted three cordon-and-knock operations in Mosul. They detained six targeted individuals. The first operation, on a hotel in central Mosul, captured a facilitator for Sayf Hasan al-Rawi, number 14 on our list of high-value targets. In a second operation, four brothers suspected of distributing funds for Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri to former regime elements was captured. In a third operation, a targeted enemy who was a suspected leader of a former regime element leader, the Missing Shadow group, was captured. The Iraqi telephone and postal company completed a 48-kilometer cable project from Mosul to Dohuk with donated fiber-optic cable from BellSouth. This is the first wide-area, high-speed inter-city public access connection in the north. This communications path will provide increased capacity for the telephone system, and will eventually be used for a high-speed data network to connect banks, airports, hospitals, universities and government agencies. A second like project is planned for Irbil, and should be completed within the next few months. The United States Agency for International Development has allocated $500,000 to medical and health-related projects in Al Sulaymaniyah. In the north central zone of operations, coalition forces conducted 155 patrols, five raids, and captured 43 individuals. Coalition forces conducted a raid near Baquba targeting Lefa Khalid Al Ogali (ph) and Ibrahim Khalid Al Ogali (ph) and others, all involved in attacks on coalition forces. Captured in the raid were five individuals, including four targets. The fifth detainee, a female, was searched by a female soldier and hidden on her person were four hand grenades. An informant led coalition forces to a group of approximately 40 Iraqis with AK-47s and 10 to 15 vehicles attempting to steal fuel from a pipeline south of Samarra. Forces attempted to apprehend the Iraqis, but the Iraqis opened fire on them. The units returned fire, killing seven personnel and destroying three fuel tankers. Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and coalition soldiers captured two individuals suspected of attacking an Iraqi Civil Defense Corps patrol in Samarra. KIMMITT: One Civil Defense Corps soldier was wounded and was brought to the battalion aid station for treatment of a gunshot wound. In Baghdad, coalition forces and Iraqi security forces conducted four offensive operations. Forces conducted 473 patrols, resulting in the capture of 33 enemy personnel. Coalition forces continue to work with Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers and conducted a cordon-and-search in the area, which included 500 vehicles and 250 houses, to disrupt enemy activities and safe- haven operations. The operation captured 23 personnel and included five companies of Iraqi Civil Defense Corps who also executed the post-operation management. Coalition forces prepared Commander Emergency Response Program project proposals in Baghdad and developed an automated projected tracking system for the $32 million proposals working in the city. Over $9.3 million in coalition projects have been submitted to the Japanese for possible funding under the Japanese grassroots grant program. Over $4.1 million in projects for Baghdad have been submitted to the Coalition Provisional Authority Program Review Board for possible new funding. The Iraqi Ministry of Health will fund construction of approximately 270 clinics throughout Iraq, with an estimated 15 to 20 percent of those to be constructed in Baghdad, using part of a $100 million primary care allocation fund. In the western zone of operations, coalition forces and Iraqi security forces conducted 195 patrols, captured 18 individuals and denied entry to 105 persons at the border, but turned away nobody whose (inaudible) documentation only at al-Tribil. Coalition forces continued training 329 border police and 240 police recruits throughout the western region, and began in-processing a class of 520 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps recruits from Fallujah at the Navea training center northwest of Hit. KIMMITT: Two hundred and seventy-six Iraqi Civil Defense Corps graduates are also undergoing advanced training. Civil affairs personnel in the Al-Anbar province met with local sheiks at al-Tasim (ph) to initiate payment for three CERP-funded projects. A total of nearly $25,000 was approved to conduct repairs on two primary schools and the local health clinic. Omar (ph) and Faraj Sultan Fukia (ph), from the Abu Shaban (ph) tribe, provided $50,000 to repair four local schools. In the central south zone of operations, coalition forces detained and deported 151 illegal persons to Iran for illegal border crossing. CIMC teams funded with CERP dollars presented special medical equipment valued at $10,200 to a pediatric hospital in Karbala and provided medicine for a hospital at al-Hay (ph) as well as furniture for schools in Al-Numaniyah (ph). Coalition forces supported the criminal investigation team exploitation of a possible mass grave site near Karbala city. And the mission concluded today. In the southeastern zone of operations, coalition forces conducted a cordon-and-search north of Al Qurnah. Six males were detained, including one targeted former regime element, who is believe to be the former leader of the Baath Party in Al Qurnah, responsible for the provision of intelligence. SENOR: All right. We will be happy to take your questions. QUESTION: Sir, now that the Shiite religious leadership has made it abundantly clear that they do object to key parts of the November 15th agreement, is that enough for you to amend the agreement, or will you continue with your efforts through third parties to persuade the Shiite religious leadership to come to your view of how that transitional council should be elected or selected? SENOR: Iraq is now on a new path. There are two models. One model for governance of Iraq is a strong, centralized dictatorial path. The other path is a free, democratic path that allows and celebrates the diversity of opinions that exist in Iraq. And that is what is thriving from north to south today in Iraq. Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, individuals and political leaders and religious leaders have the first time to speak freely and articulate an agenda and articulate their own vision for the way Iraq should look. We view this as a healthy sign that there is this diversity of opinion, and that that diversity of opinion is freely expressed and protected. As for individual political leaders, we -- Ambassador Bremer has tremendous respect for Ayatollah Sistani. Ambassador Bremer has said repeatedly that Ayatollah Sistani has a strong following in this country and he represents eight traditions and, as I said, has tremendous respect for him. But the November 15th political agreement, which was signed and published and agreed upon by Ambassador Bremer and the governing council is now being implemented. We are working very closely with the governing council on the next steps to move toward a basic law, to move toward a status of forces agreement, to move toward the establishment of a transitional government for the summer. SENOR: And so, while individual political and religious leaders may take issue with various parts of the political agreement, we view that as a healthy sign and as something for the governing council to engage with those leaders about. But we are working closely on implementation. I don't know if, Hamid (ph), if you have anything to add. AL-CAFARI (ph): Well, I just want to add one thing, which is very important. It is difficult for us to trust the information records left to us by the regime of Saddam Hussein. There are at least 5 million people absent from these records. That's why it is important to, you know, postpone elections -- proper elections until we have a proper census and everyone is on record. And Ayatollah Sistani and the governing council and everyone else agrees, you know, that we need to have proper census. We need to have an electoral law. We need to have the infrastructure for elections ready before we can, you know, carry out any proper elections; elections that will be safe and sound and trusted by the people of Iraq and internationally. QUESTION: Yes, but following up on that, how troubling is it that this freedom of speech that the Iraqis are now getting, that Sistani is using that freedom of speech to use references to violence, when he's talking about what his goals are? It's not explicit, but he's basically saying, "If you don't go the way I want to go, there's going to be more violence in this country." I mean, how troubling is that to you that violence and his political goals are being uttered in the same sentences? SENOR: What I hear from Ayatollah Sistani and the full range of religious and political leaders that are speaking out is a vision for Iraq, a democratic vision for Iraq. Ayatollah Sistani has been very clear that he wants democratic direct elections. That is a clear vision for Iraq, based on democratic principles. We may have discussions, the governing council may have discussions with various leaders about how best to get there, what procedures are in place or what need to be put in place in order to get there. But the political leaders and the religious leaders we're hearing from share the basic principles with us about the need for a democratic, free Iraq. QUESTION: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC) KIMMITT: If I did not make myself clear in the statement, what I said was that the operation conducted in Mosul captured a facilitator for Sayf Hasan al-Rawi, number 14. I did not say that we had captured number 14, only a facilitator in Mosul. QUESTION: There were reports of demonstrators in Kut over something about unemployment, people looking for jobs, I guess similar to what happened in Amara. Do you know anything about that? And do you guys have any kind of plan to address what happened in Amara, you know, why people are so upset about not having jobs; any kind of program or other action? SENOR: We are moving forward every day with the reconstruction, which includes deployment of billions of dollars in this country for economic renewal, for rebuilding the infrastructure, the economic infrastructure of this country that was devastated, that was chronically underinvested in for 35 years by Saddam Hussein and his kleptocracy. Now, whether it's the oil infrastructure, the electricity infrastructure or the security infrastructure, it was all in terrible condition, which makes the economic conditions even worse and only compounded by the fact that this was a totalitarian-run economy. That said, over the last six months -- approximate six months, we have completed 17,000 reconstruction projects. If you average it out seven days a week over six months, it approximates to 100 reconstruction projects per day. SENOR: And that is, project by project, community by community, rebuilding the economy, putting Iraqis to work. So when you add to that, the billions of dollars -- the $8-plus billion package that the U.S. Congress has appropriated to Iraq and you consider the economic impact that will make, both in the short term and the long term -- when we are looking at contractors and subcontractors it is very important to us that contractors agree or at least places a priority, the subcontracting to Iraqi firms -- small- and medium-size businesses, putting Iraqis to work. Take the Bechtel contract, the past contract, and they put over 40,000 Iraqis to work. We want to see more of that. It is very important to us, not only to put Iraqis to work, but to do capacity building within various industries, like construction, for instance, so that there is an economy in place here after we're gone and it is not only a public-sector economy, but it is also a private-sector economy, which, over the long run, will address Iraq's economic needs. QUESTION: But is there anything specific for Amara, since people there obviously are really upset? And do you know what happened in Kut today, if anything? SENOR: I'd need more information with any specifics on Kut. But Amara is part of our overall economic reconstruction plan for Iraq, which is going to take time. You cannot improve, you cannot fix an economy that was devastated for over three decades in just a few months. It's going to take time, but we are deploying billions of dollars -- an amount almost twice the size of Iraq's GDP, which will improve the economic situation in Amara and throughout the country. QUESTION: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC) SENOR: We believe it is a priority to stand up the Iraqi security forces. When we arrived in Iraq after the war -- when the reconstruction team arrived in Iraq after the war, there were zero Iraqi police on the streets. Today there are over 60,000. That has helped to contribute to the decrease in crime, for instance, in Baghdad and the decrease in violent crime in Basra. We have graduated two battalions of the new Iraqi army. The third battalion in the new Iraqi army is scheduled to graduate on January 24th. The fourth one is already recruited. We're on track to graduate 27 battalions by September. The Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, as General Kimmitt has spoken to in the past, is already at work, involved in missions, sometimes leading operations or working side by side with coalition forces in operations. The border guard is deployed. The facility protection service is deployed. The diplomatic service protection corps is being trained and deployed. The correction services security is being trained and deployed. SENOR: It is very important that Iraq's security is protected by Iraqis, not just the coalition. And we are pleased to say that today there are more Iraqis in positions securing their own country than there are Americans on the ground securing Iraq. It's a priority. It affects everything we do. It affects our ability to get to the economic renewal. It affects our ability to work with the governing council in returning a sense of normalcy. Security is critical. KIMMITT: And if I could add, that is just not the coalition speaking, but it's the Iraqi people speaking. Every poll that we've taken time after time, as recently as the poll that came out last week, indicates that the Iraqi people trust the Iraqi police service above any other security institution. One number that just struck me was that if asked the question, 86 percent of the people that were polled said they would like to see more Iraqi police service, Iraqi policemen in their neighborhoods providing security. So we think that's money well spent and a great investment for the Iraqi people. QUESTION: I'm wondering if you can address some of the criticisms from army officers about the process for standing up the new Iraqi army, specifically the application process distinguishes or asks you to identify whether you are Sunni, Shia, Christian, Kurd, and people have said to us that might lead to soldiers protecting their own rather than defending the entire state. And they've also complained that the Americans aren't turning to the right people to help choose the new Iraqi army. SENOR: My understanding is that the new Iraqi army has recruits in every single battalion that represent Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, so it is a very diverse security force, as are all the security forces. And with regard to whether or not we're choosing the right people, over 150,000 Iraqis have been recruited. They have stepped forward. In many cases, particularly with the ICDC, for instance, we have sometimes five times as many individuals seeking employment with the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps than there are positions available. So it seems to us that working and serving with the Iraqi security forces, whichever security force we're dealing with, is very popular. It's something Iraqis want to take a serious role in. And given the fact that they are beginning to play a critical role, not only as supporting us, providing us intelligence and serving as an interlocutor in dealing with the local culture and the language and having a sense for the rhythm of life in Iraq, but they're also on the front lines leading their own operations and doing a very effective job. So I would say that we are very pleased, and the Iraqis seem to be very pleased -- if you just look at some of the polls that General Kimmitt cited and some of the comments made by Hamid (ph), the Iraqis seem to be pretty enthusiastic about the security forces. But there is still a lot of work to do. We've got to get close to 220,000, so we are forging ahead with that. QUESTION: Referring back to an earlier question, no one on the day seemed willing to either agree with Sistani's remarks that if early elections are not held there will be violence or to disagree. QUESTION: Now, does everyone agree that there will be violence or you don't want to say that you don't agree there will be violence? SENOR: I guess what I would say is that I don't respond to hypotheticals. I can tell you that Ayatollah Sistani has spoken out with his vision. Many Iraqi political leaders and religious leaders have spoken out with their visions. We respect and think it's a healthy process when all these individuals are able to have a health debate and discussion in this country. It's something we want to protect. And we look forward to implementing the political agreement we worked on with the governing council. QUESTION: Have a couple questions for General Kimmitt. On the Dutch discovery of those shells with the suspected blister agent, I'm wondering if there's any test results back that confirms those were, indeed, blister agent? KIMMITT: We have got the Iraqi Survey group moving into that location today to do the final testing. The rounds that we did find exhibit some characteristics that we would expect from blister agents. The age of those would indicate that those were probably 10 to 20 years old; indicated to us that that probably was when the Iran-Iraq War, particularly in the location that they were found so near the border. So I think we'll probably have some results in the next couple of days confirming it. QUESTION: I heard also that there was some search under way for some clues or a site that was somehow related to that downed pilot, Scott Speicher. I was wondering if you could elucidate on that. KIMMITT: No, I can't. I'd refer to the DOD for that. We're not involved in that, that I'm aware of. QUESTION: By my count, there's more than 50 soldiers have been killed from surface-to-air missiles in about two months' time. And we had the incident with the C-5. Two questions: Have there been any other such in-flight emergencies from Baghdad International Airport that maybe you didn't tell us about? And what is the impact of this type of activity on the overall plan to transfer troops? KIMMITT: Well, first of all, I'm not aware of any in-flight emergencies that have been declared by Baghdad International Airport that we haven't been forthcoming with. So I would have to go through the record to find out what you knew and what you do know. QUESTION: Well, we have the DHL and the C-5 and that's all I have. Do you have any more? KIMMITT: Let's you and I talk about it afterwards. We can go through the records. The second question? QUESTION: The impact of this sort of thing on the overall transfer of power of the troops going in and troops going out. KIMMITT: We have numerous airfields that we use throughout the region and we do an appropriate risk management and force protection analysis of each one of those airfields on a daily basis. Were we to lose one or two airfields because of heightened force protection, which we do not have right now, we don't think that would impact on our overall plan. We always have some contingencies for that. QUESTION: The news agency Reuters has launched a formal complaint with the Pentagon and the U.S. military authorities here about the arrest and treatment in custody of three staff journalists arrested on January the 2nd in Fallujah. QUESTION: Given their complaint, I just wondered whether you would now accept that that arrest was a mistake, and whether you had any comments on the allegations that they were mistreated by your soldiers. KIMMITT: No, I don't think we would accept any of those allegations because the investigation is not yet complete. We're going to run a full and thorough investigation, with the information provided not only by our troops on the ground but by the Reuters journalists as well. So it would be premature to make any conclusions or take any action until that investigation is complete. QUESTION: You confirm you've received the complaint? KIMMITT: I can confirm that. And I can also confirm that we have an ongoing investigation as well. QUESTION: Every time the subject of direct elections has come up for quite some time now myself, I think seven months ago in this same room heard the response that there needs to be a census before that's able to be done. Could you talk about how much time there needs to be to set up an apparatus to do a census and, sort of, the mechanisms behind that, what sort of plans in the near distant future there are for doing that? SENOR: We have not specifically said a census is needed. What we have said is that there is no electoral infrastructure in this country to institute direct elections immediately. There are no voter rolls. There are no electoral districts. There is no history of direct elections in this country. We've heard various estimates from various experts about how long this sort of process takes. The timeframe we often hear is approximately 14, 15 months, but again, those range, sometimes higher, sometimes a little lower. But it tends to be at least a year is what we've heard from a number of experts that we've consulted. QUESTION: I suppose what I'm asking is how far along the road of setting up that sort of thing are we? I mean, what to date has been done to facilitate that? SENOR: The first direct elections on the November 15th agreement are allowed for electing drafters to the constitutional convention, which is, you know, within the first quarter -- approximately within the first quarter of next year -- end of the first quarter next year. And so, the governing council -- and Hamid (ph) can speak to this -- has set up a committee to look at what needs to be put in place in order to get the process moving forward. But our immediate focus right now is on the drafting of the basic law and getting that process going forward, because the deadline on the November 15th agreement for the drafting and passage of the basic law is February 28th. SENOR: And in that basic law it lays out the specifics for the timeline of the political process going forward, including the mechanics for the lead-up to the June election -- the caucuses leading up to the June election of a transitional government, a sort of parliament, if you will, followed by that body's election of an executive branch which would take over sovereignty beginning of July. Do you want to? AL-CAFARI (ph): Just to say that it is not easy to just conduct a proper census just like that with the country functioning as it is at the moment. We need to improve armed services, we need to improve a lot of other functions in the country before we can really, you know, do this that you have asked about, which is have a proper infrastructure for electoral process. So at the moment... (AUDIO GAP) QUESTION: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC) KIMMITT: Yes, I did mention during the briefing that we had, in fact, turned back 151 persons at the Iranian border for not having the proper documentation. KIMMITT: The Iraqi border, like any other border in the world, requires proper documentation -- passports, visas -- to come across. Those people were not in possession of the proper credentials and so forces sent them back from whence they came. SENOR: We have said all along that Saddam Hussein would be treated according to the Geneva Convention. And according to the Geneva Convention, Saddam Hussein is an enemy prisoner of war until determined otherwise. So Saddam Hussein's final disposition is neither affected nor determined by this designation under the Geneva Convention. Ultimately, the Iraqi people are going to have to make these sorts of determinations as they lead the pursuit of justice against Saddam Hussein. QUESTION: As of today, have any prisoners been released under the guarantor program that you took great pains to announce last week? SENOR: The process is well under way. Ambassador Bremer made clear during his announcement, as did Dr. Pachachi, that 100 prisoners would be -- we were prepared to release 100 prisoners immediately, conditional upon, of course, the stepping forward of the guarantors, which are community leaders, tribal sheiks, imams, university presidents, various individuals from their respective communities. And that the overall program in the near future schedules to release a total of 500 prisoners, and we are in the process of implementing the program. As I've mentioned before from this podium, I will not provide a day-to-day update on numbers released. There's a number of issues involved here, not the least of which is the privacy and the security of both the individuals being released and the leaders of the communities that are serving as guarantors. But we will let you know once we are near complete implementation of the program. QUESTION: Just a follow up on that, Bremer said on Thursday, specifically that day, 100 would be released. So did that happen or not? SENOR: What Ambassador Bremer said was 100 would be released and we were relying on the guarantors to step forward. General Kimmitt later that day, in the same afternoon, said that these releases were conditional upon the guarantors stepping forward. We're working with the guarantors now. We have 100 individuals ready to be released. We had 100 ready to be released on the day the ambassador announced it, and now we are in the process -- immediately following the ambassador's announcement, we began the process of implementing the program. QUESTION: As far as walking out the door though, none have done that? SENOR: I said that day and I've said since then that, for the interest of privacy and security of both the individuals and then also the community leaders, we will not provide information on the names of the people being released, where they'll be released from, what time they'll be released, how many are going to be released each day. I mean, there's a lot of sensitive issues involved here, as I'm sure you can understand, and so we will let you know certainly when the program is complete or near complete. But during the implementation phase, we just want to let it play out. QUESTION: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC) KIMMITT: Yes. Regarding the issue with Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, what I said was that we captured four people who we believed were being financed by Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri for the purposes of providing money to groups that would carry out attacks against Iraqi people and coalition forces. QUESTION: Just wanted to ask, specifically with regard to the proposal that was given to the governing council a month ago to use the U.N. oil-for-food database, which is also, kind of, used in Kurdistan as well, in the Kurdish north, to set up elections within months, has that plan been rejected outright at this point by the governing council and the coalition? AL-CAFARI (ph): The governing council is studying all the possibilities. And now the state administration law is being drafted by a committee of the governing council, and we are studying all the possibilities. But it looks that it will be difficult to hold, you know, proper elections, you know, with the current information that we have. AL-CAFARI (ph): We have to gather more information about electorates and we have to establish -- we have to have an electoral law before we can have proper, sound elections. QUESTION: So this proposal is not being rejected out right. It's still under discussion at this point? AL-CAFARI (ph): Which proposal? QUESTION: The proposal to use the U.N. oil-for-food databases, which fed -- which have the names and details of every single Iraqi to do elections within months instead of a year or two. AL-CAFARI (ph): Well, all the proposals -- all the possibilities are being considered. But even the U.N. information, even the U.N. cannot claim that it is accurate. So we cannot really rely on any old information. We have got to have a new -- we have to carry new census and we have to gather more information about the electorate in Iraq, about the people who have come from abroad who were refugees in Saudi Arabia and Iran, other countries, neighboring countries in Europe. All these are Iraqis and they need to participate in the electoral and democratic process. SENOR: Thanks, everybody. END NOTES: [????] - Indicates Speaker Unknown [--] - Indicates could not make out what was being said.[off mike] - Indicates could not make out what was being said.

American Look

MARTHA RADDATZ ABOARD THE USS KEARSARGE ( LHD3 / LHD-3 ) OFF THE COAST OF ITALY AS THEY SUPPORT OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN AGAINST LIBYA. 13:34:29 USS Mt. Whitney at pier / USS MOUNT WHITNEY FROM CATANIA, ITALY 13:34:37 ts mast of Mt. Whitney 13:35:02 Marines on board 13:35:12 sailors on board 13:35:43 commander? Mt. Whitney 13:36:02 female sailors lined up 13:37:36 sailors waiting around 13:38:17 sailors lined up on sides of red carpet 13:38:43 General Ham, MR. commander of Mt Whitney 13:38:56 NATS whistle, Ham arrives on board 13:39:09 NATS whistle, MR on board 13:39:46 helo / helicopter lands on tarmac 13:39:52 MV-22 Ospreys starting up, propellers turning 13:40:57 Blackhawk taxing 13:42:09 vs Gen Ham standing around 13:42:26 MR and Ham walking *** 13:42:54 ss Ham walking 13:43:19 MR putting on survival kits 13:44:59 MR walks on board MV22 Osprey / MV-22 13:45:24 MR and Ham in helmets, sitting next to each other in Osprey 13:46:31 Ham talking on comms system 13:47:28 ws group seated in MV-22 13:47:59 looking out back, flying over fields 13:48:50 MR and Ham seated, looking out back 13:49:01 Ham looking down 13:49:10 crew members sitting on floor 13:49:33 crew members in seats 13:50:24 other Osprey through shot 13:50:40 looking out back, ocean, bright light 13:50:50 better light 13:51:32 over water, shaky 13:51:55 sun reflected over water 13:52:18 landing on USS Kearsarge / NOW ABOARD USS KEARSARGE 13:53:05 moving bombs in front of helo, shaky 13:53:09 Ham arrives on board USS Kearsarge, shaking hands 13:54:09 group photo taken 13:54:38 Ham talking to officer, has cap in hand PILOTS Captain Joe Andrejack ( USMC ) / UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS 13:55:27 TWO SHOT MJR: Tell me about that night. You knew you were going in to get a downed pilot right? (04) JA: Yes maam. That's about all the information we had. (06) We didn't know exactly what the situation was on the ground. (09) 13:55:55 TWO SHOT MJR: So you always look at it as possible hostile territory even thought that was a rebel-held area. JA: Yes maam. (05) 13:56:32 MJR: So you were on night vision? JA: Yes. 13:56:44 JA: We saw his flare on the ground. And we got eyes on his position. And a airplane way up overhead at about 25,000 feet was able to shine a laser down (15) in the vicinity of the downed pilot (17) and that just confirmed where we thought he was. (19) And we landed pretty much right on top of him. (21) 13:57:21 TWO SHOT MJR: How did he describe the situation? He was understandably a little frazzled. (06) And that was coming through in his communications over the radio. (10) CAPTAIN Erik Kolle, copilot ( USMC ) 14:00:52 EK: When we landed // and I turned and looked at Angry and // I was like you know that was probably the coolest thing I've done since I've been in the Marines. (05) 14:01:02 EK: We felt very good you know. We did something that was. (03) You know getting a guy out like that and having everything go off the way it's supposed to is very satisfying. (08) And it was very personally satisfying to see this guy - you know he's gonna get to go home. (13) 14:01:59 EK: Honestly the recon guys ran out and I was expecting to be there for a little bit and the crew chief about five seconds later said, "Hey, he's on board. Let's go." (09) 14:02:32 EK: We had our jets up there as well (ROUGH CAMERA PUSH) that were talking to him and I think they were just kind of telling him what they were seeing around him. (05) Because like Angry mentioned he didn't have goggles. Whereas the jets had a good picture what was going on down there. (11) So they were communicating with him. There was a few times I think his wing man was saying hey drink some water, take it easy. You know just trying to keep him a little bit - you know very mellow. (22) 14:03:06 MJR: So was he hiding in grass? (OFF CAM) EK: I think he was hiding like near a little bush. And there was - there was kind of rolling terrain there. (06) And there was little desert shrub-type bushes. I think he was hiding in that. And then (11) As soon as we set up for our approach to land he just started bolting to the airplane. I think he said that he was in our dust cloud by the time we landed. (21) 14:03:38 TWO SHOT EK: He had his sidearm away. Because he knew we had a lot of very -- MJR: You mean he had it out? Ready to shoot? EK: No he had it put away. (07) MJR: Put away, OK. Oh. And he was running at the airplane like this (09) (EK HAS HANDS UP IN SURRENDER) because you know the Marines in the back they're gonna treat everybody as an unknown until they identify that he's a friendly (16) so he didn't want any confusion that he was intending the airplane any harm or anything like that. (21) So he pretty much did everything right. Presented a very non-threatening image. 14:04:16 TWO SHOT MJR: Boy how'd that feel when you were taking off? EK: Oh it was awesome. (03) 14:04:32 TWO SHOT EK: It was awesome when they said "hey we got him," and I was like yes. You know he's not hurt. We got him on board. (04) And a few minutes from now we'll be out over the water and everything will be good. (08) Overall 45 minutes. Maybe 150-160 miles. 14:06:43 MR and pilots standing around talking 14:07:00 ws 14:07:13 low shot 14:07:27 MR walking in hallway of ship 14:08:08 following MR down ramp 14:08:31 Marines lined up in hangar of ship, vs 14:09:44 Raddatz SU - this crew has actually been underway for 210 days, only 4 days in port 14:10:58 reversal - Gen Ham speaking to crew 14:11:21 ss Gen Ham speaking 14:12:06 "tell anyone engaged in this operation, thanks from the President.whatever order he gives us will be accomplished precisely and with skill." 14:12:36 "recovery of downed jet crew or control of the air space..i used a very technical term as I was talking to the president, and he said 'how are the attacks going in Asidmihyah? And i said, mr President, the Marines are hammering the shit out of them.(laughter) he understood what that meant.all of us involved in this operation.we could not be more proud of what you're doing every day.there are missions out there that we can't see it.thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you are doing for our country, makes all of us very very proud" 14:14:24 Ham pinning awards on sailors Intv Gunnery SGT MABE / SERGEANT MABE 14:16:20 16 years, 2nd deployment since 2001 Intv Petty Officer Kelly Wiley 14:17:09 I was part of the intel support team, 14:17:21 first deployment 14:17:29 on board 2 and a half years.trying not to count anymore 14:17:51 from southern Maryland, calvert county 14:18:01 Lt Joshua Lyon, Danville, VA 14:18:15 2nd deployment, 1st to Afghan, last summer 14:18:28 24 years old 14:18:32 we just got here a little bit ago, it's been a whole new experience aboard ship 14:18:44 it's been great, we've worked a lot with sailors on board ship 14:19:16 Ham in survival gear, talking to others 14:19:45 following Ham out to MV-22 Osprey 14:20:34 MR and Ham in Osprey talking 14:21:52 USS Kearsarge aerial 14:22:18 MR riding in Osprey Interview with General Carter Ham 14:23:15 Q I want to ask you first about giving command to an intl body or NATO, where do we stand? HAM: as far I know there has not been a decision. But we're planning to hand over to NATO, the question is do we hand over the entirety of the mission, which is arms embargo, no fly zone and protect civilians, or some subset of that - obviously the preference is to hand off the entirety of the mission, so that's the discussion that's ongoing now - .what we are doing preparatory to that, is some of the mechanical work, establishing the NATO command and control system, communication system that is common throughout NATO, those kinds of things, starting to bring in officers from various NATO HQ so they become familiar with what we do so that when the decision is made, we are able affect this transition more easily. 14:24:18 Q it doesn't' sound like something that's just going to take a few days? 14:24:25 there are 2 pieces of it. The overall command piece can be done relatively quickly and I'm confident about that, but there are some frankly mechanical pieces and procedural pieces, particularly with regard to the air operations which are very, very complex, and we want to make sure that obviously we operate, we make that transition so that our airmen can operate safely, but we also want to ensure there is no loss of momentum in the air operations as well, while we affect the transition. 14:24:59 Q today, how kinetic? 14:25:06 there has been a shift - there are not as many fixed targets - we were targeting fixed sites, we are doing less of that, more dynamic targeting, regime ground forces that are engaging civilians in cities across the country 14:25:41 Q what do y ou see after you are no longer in command - how much involvement of US military 14:25:57 phrase we use is US will contribute its unique capabilities to second phase of operation - intel support we weill continue to provide, communications, tankers for aircraft, we wouldn'4t see a large number of fighter aircraft- the kind of mission would handover to others 14:26:47 Q first violation of nfz? 14:26:55 same report we saw a Libyan fighter jet taking off, it was detected by a French aircraft - in accordance with UNSCR, and withstanding rules of engagement appropriately, it attacked the aircraft 14:27:21 Q: in zirata, tanks and snipers 14:27:36 most difficult mission is when we have regime forces in cities - we remain conscouls and careful about civilian casualties = diff to distinguish btw opposition forces and regime forces, very difficult to discern who is attack who.toughest thing to do, it's very hard 14:28:26 Q how do you do that? 14:28:30 we have very precise weapons systems, we don't have all those systems brought to bear, even with those, there willb e difficulty of civilians in .very complex situation. What we are able to do what we have seen with good effect, disrupt command and control, effect on supply..get to a sniper on a rooftop is a very difficult for us 14:29:23 Q does it frustrate you? 14:29:29 as commander, I get the mission I get, I present operation to achieve that. There's, it's easy to say if we just had this or that, leads to other complicateing factors. Opposition says they don't want other ground forces engaged. It's a tough situation.it's going to be a tough one 14:30:18 Q you said you were worried about stalemate? 14:30:28 end state is pretty cleawr, establish NFZ, arms embargo, protect civilians and hand over to floow on HQ.this is an ongoing discussion, where is it where want to be.I am confident that conversation is occurring 14:31:09 Q does it surprise you that we are just now discussing what the next phase is? Given that you don't want to go in unless you know how you're going to get out? 14:31:23 sometimes conditions, things happen that don't let you do that. we could have had and obviously would have been nice to have , the longer debate about eventually what do you want to get to, like to see the intl community support in Libya. But he was slaughtering his own people, you can't stand by I don't think you can stand by and have a debate about that endstate while he is killing his own people, but that point it may have become a moot point. So I think what we did collectively to try to stop the killing is the right thing and I'm confident now that the discussions about what's next are occurring. 14:32:09 Q Gadhafi do you think he is waiting out? 14:32:20 we do see he is trying to be more on TV and radio, perhaps he is under int'l pressure, he is an int'l paraiah, I don't have a sense of his timeline.we are trying to protect as many civilians as we can 14:32:55 Q given his state of mind..do you see this thing dragging on for years. 14:33:10 I don't know, I can't state it any more plainly, I don't think about him. It's not in my mission set, disruopt the ability for leaders to control military forces, and that's what we focus on, that's the effort, our mission is clear, protect the civilians 14:33:48 Q could be a stalemate? 14:33:53 the way ahead, if we could get violence stopped - first step, Libyan people have self determination 14:34:16 Q to stop violence, you've said can't stop all the violence, you can't stop all the violence through air power, you can't get those snipers, you can't really tell people apart? 14:34:30 there are some pretty bad people, there is evil in the world, you just have look at regime actors. Maybe I'm just bought into this too much. I believe we are and can continue to make a difference, will we stopped all the violence, no, we haven't. does it bother me that there are innocent, civilian people who have been slaughtered by these people while it's been my mission to protect them, I absolutely take that to heart and that's why I think we have to do the absolute best we can each and every day for those who need our protection at this desperate moment. MR SU / RADDATZ STANDUP 14:35:30 Good evening david, we spent a day with Carter Ham..we traveled with him to in this Osprey behind me to see the troops at work OPEN: 14:36:17 Good David, from Sigonella Airbase in Italy. we spent an extraordinary day in the Mediterranean with General Carter Ham, who took over command of Africa command, just ten before this war began :15 CLOSE: 14:36:47 and David the Osprey that you see right behind me is the very one that rescued the F-15 pilot :08 CLOSE/ANSWER TO QUESTION: 14:37:03 that rescue truly was extraordinary, in fact the osprey right behind me is the Osprey they used in that rescue, David? :08 ] ANSWER TO QUESTION: 14:37:19 well those two Marine corps captains felt absolutely amazed by the whole rescue, as I said in the piece, it was the first time they'd ever done anything like that. Basically one of the captains said to me 'that was my best day in the Marine Corps,' David? :15 14:37:47 Question for David - tell us more what it was like, what they said to you, the marine corps pilots about the rescue... 14:38:05 Ham press conf cuts 14:38:22 side shot DV tape 4x3 14:40:37 Osprey taxiing 14:40:42 Erik in right hand (screen left) seat of Osprey 14:43:02 quick shot Osprey in flight 14:44:39 Ham arrival on deck 14:48:53 USS Kearsarge photo display 14:49:22 MV-22s on deck, props spinning 14:49:25 Anderjack walking out 14:52:12 Anderjack in pilot's seat 14:54:59 ws rear of Marines lined up 14:56:44 General Carter Ham talking to Marines 14:57:22 Marines milling around 14:57:28 MR / Martha Raddatz and Ham 14:58:32 Ham talking to aide

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MARTHA RADDATZ ABOARD THE USS KEARSARGE ( LHD3 / LHD-3 ) OFF THE COAST OF ITALY AS THEY SUPPORT OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN AGAINST LIBYA. DISC 1 Martha Raddatz with General Carter Ham 23 March 2011 13:34:29 USS Mt. Whitney at pier / USS MOUNT WHITNEY FROM CATANIA, ITALY 13:34:37 ts mast of Mt. Whitney 13:35:02 Marines on board 13:35:12 sailors on board 13:35:43 commander? Mt. Whitney 13:36:02 female sailors lined up 13:37:36 sailors waiting around 13:38:17 sailors lined up on sides of red carpet 13:38:43 General Ham, MR. commander of Mt Whitney 13:38:56 NATS whistle, Ham arrives on board 13:39:09 NATS whistle, MR on board 13:39:46 helo / helicopter lands on tarmac 13:39:52 MV-22 Ospreys starting up, propellers turning 13:40:57 Blackhawk taxing 13:42:09 vs Gen Ham standing around 13:42:26 MR and Ham walking *** 13:42:54 ss Ham walking 13:43:19 MR putting on survival kits 13:44:59 MR walks on board MV22 Osprey / MV-22 13:45:24 MR and Ham in helmets, sitting next to each other in Osprey 13:46:31 Ham talking on comms system 13:47:28 ws group seated in MV-22 13:47:59 looking out back, flying over fields 13:48:50 MR and Ham seated, looking out back 13:49:01 Ham looking down 13:49:10 crew members sitting on floor 13:49:33 crew members in seats 13:50:24 other Osprey through shot 13:50:40 looking out back, ocean, bright light 13:50:50 better light 13:51:32 over water, shaky 13:51:55 sun reflected over water 13:52:18 landing on USS Kearsarge / NOW ABOARD USS KEARSARGE 13:53:05 moving bombs in front of helo, shaky 13:53:09 Ham arrives on board USS Kearsarge, shaking hands 13:54:09 group photo taken 13:54:38 Ham talking to officer, has cap in hand PILOTS Captain Joe Andrejack ( USMC ) / UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS 13:55:27 TWO SHOT MJR: Tell me about that night. You knew you were going in to get a downed pilot right? (04) JA: Yes maam. That's about all the information we had. (06) We didn't know exactly what the situation was on the ground. (09) 13:55:55 TWO SHOT MJR: So you always look at it as possible hostile territory even thought that was a rebel-held area. JA: Yes maam. (05) 13:56:32 MJR: So you were on night vision? JA: Yes. 13:56:44 JA: We saw his flare on the ground. And we got eyes on his position. And a airplane way up overhead at about 25,000 feet was able to shine a laser down (15) in the vicinity of the downed pilot (17) and that just confirmed where we thought he was. (19) And we landed pretty much right on top of him. (21) 13:57:21 TWO SHOT MJR: How did he describe the situation? He was understandably a little frazzled. (06) And that was coming through in his communications over the radio. (10) CAPTAIN Erik Kolle, copilot ( USMC ) 14:00:52 EK: When we landed // and I turned and looked at Angry and // I was like you know that was probably the coolest thing I've done since I've been in the Marines. (05) 14:01:02 EK: We felt very good you know. We did something that was. (03) You know getting a guy out like that and having everything go off the way it's supposed to is very satisfying. (08) And it was very personally satisfying to see this guy - you know he's gonna get to go home. (13) 14:01:59 EK: Honestly the recon guys ran out and I was expecting to be there for a little bit and the crew chief about five seconds later said, "Hey, he's on board. Let's go." (09) 14:02:32 EK: We had our jets up there as well (ROUGH CAMERA PUSH) that were talking to him and I think they were just kind of telling him what they were seeing around him. (05) Because like Angry mentioned he didn't have goggles. Whereas the jets had a good picture what was going on down there. (11) So they were communicating with him. There was a few times I think his wing man was saying hey drink some water, take it easy. You know just trying to keep him a little bit - you know very mellow. (22) 14:03:06 MJR: So was he hiding in grass? (OFF CAM) EK: I think he was hiding like near a little bush. And there was - there was kind of rolling terrain there. (06) And there was little desert shrub-type bushes. I think he was hiding in that. And then (11) As soon as we set up for our approach to land he just started bolting to the airplane. I think he said that he was in our dust cloud by the time we landed. (21) 14:03:38 TWO SHOT EK: He had his sidearm away. Because he knew we had a lot of very -- MJR: You mean he had it out? Ready to shoot? EK: No he had it put away. (07) MJR: Put away, OK. Oh. And he was running at the airplane like this (09) (EK HAS HANDS UP IN SURRENDER) because you know the Marines in the back they're gonna treat everybody as an unknown until they identify that he's a friendly (16) so he didn't want any confusion that he was intending the airplane any harm or anything like that. (21) So he pretty much did everything right. Presented a very non-threatening image. 14:04:16 TWO SHOT MJR: Boy how'd that feel when you were taking off? EK: Oh it was awesome. (03) 14:04:32 TWO SHOT EK: It was awesome when they said "hey we got him," and I was like yes. You know he's not hurt. We got him on board. (04) And a few minutes from now we'll be out over the water and everything will be good. (08) Overall 45 minutes. Maybe 150-160 miles. 14:06:43 MR and pilots standing around talking 14:07:00 ws 14:07:13 low shot 14:07:27 MR walking in hallway of ship 14:08:08 following MR down ramp 14:08:31 Marines lined up in hangar of ship, vs 14:09:44 Raddatz SU - this crew has actually been underway for 210 days, only 4 days in port 14:10:58 reversal - Gen Ham speaking to crew 14:11:21 ss Gen Ham speaking 14:12:06 "tell anyone engaged in this operation, thanks from the President.whatever order he gives us will be accomplished precisely and with skill." 14:12:36 "recovery of downed jet crew or control of the air space..i used a very technical term as I was talking to the president, and he said 'how are the attacks going in Asidmihyah? And i said, mr President, the Marines are hammering the shit out of them.(laughter) he understood what that meant.all of us involved in this operation.we could not be more proud of what you're doing every day.there are missions out there that we can't see it.thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you are doing for our country, makes all of us very very proud" 14:14:24 Ham pinning awards on sailors Intv Gunnery SGT MABE / SERGEANT MABE 14:16:20 16 years, 2nd deployment since 2001 Intv Petty Officer Kelly Wiley 14:17:09 I was part of the intel support team, 14:17:21 first deployment 14:17:29 on board 2 and a half years.trying not to count anymore 14:17:51 from southern Maryland, calvert county 14:18:01 Lt Joshua Lyon, Danville, VA 14:18:15 2nd deployment, 1st to Afghan, last summer 14:18:28 24 years old 14:18:32 we just got here a little bit ago, it's been a whole new experience aboard ship 14:18:44 it's been great, we've worked a lot with sailors on board ship 14:19:16 Ham in survival gear, talking to others 14:19:45 following Ham out to MV-22 Osprey 14:20:34 MR and Ham in Osprey talking 14:21:52 USS Kearsarge aerial 14:22:18 MR riding in Osprey Interview with General Carter Ham 14:23:15 Q I want to ask you first about giving command to an intl body or NATO, where do we stand? HAM: as far I know there has not been a decision. But we're planning to hand over to NATO, the question is do we hand over the entirety of the mission, which is arms embargo, no fly zone and protect civilians, or some subset of that - obviously the preference is to hand off the entirety of the mission, so that's the discussion that's ongoing now - .what we are doing preparatory to that, is some of the mechanical work, establishing the NATO command and control system, communication system that is common throughout NATO, those kinds of things, starting to bring in officers from various NATO HQ so they become familiar with what we do so that when the decision is made, we are able affect this transition more easily. 14:24:18 Q it doesn't' sound like something that's just going to take a few days? 14:24:25 there are 2 pieces of it. The overall command piece can be done relatively quickly and I'm confident about that, but there are some frankly mechanical pieces and procedural pieces, particularly with regard to the air operations which are very, very complex, and we want to make sure that obviously we operate, we make that transition so that our airmen can operate safely, but we also want to ensure there is no loss of momentum in the air operations as well, while we affect the transition. 14:24:59 Q today, how kinetic? 14:25:06 there has been a shift - there are not as many fixed targets - we were targeting fixed sites, we are doing less of that, more dynamic targeting, regime ground forces that are engaging civilians in cities across the country 14:25:41 Q what do y ou see after you are no longer in command - how much involvement of US military 14:25:57 phrase we use is US will contribute its unique capabilities to second phase of operation - intel support we weill continue to provide, communications, tankers for aircraft, we wouldn'4t see a large number of fighter aircraft- the kind of mission would handover to others 14:26:47 Q first violation of nfz? 14:26:55 same report we saw a Libyan fighter jet taking off, it was detected by a French aircraft - in accordance with UNSCR, and withstanding rules of engagement appropriately, it attacked the aircraft 14:27:21 Q: in zirata, tanks and snipers 14:27:36 most difficult mission is when we have regime forces in cities - we remain conscouls and careful about civilian casualties = diff to distinguish btw opposition forces and regime forces, very difficult to discern who is attack who.toughest thing to do, it's very hard 14:28:26 Q how do you do that? 14:28:30 we have very precise weapons systems, we don't have all those systems brought to bear, even with those, there willb e difficulty of civilians in .very complex situation. What we are able to do what we have seen with good effect, disrupt command and control, effect on supply..get to a sniper on a rooftop is a very difficult for us 14:29:23 Q does it frustrate you? 14:29:29 as commander, I get the mission I get, I present operation to achieve that. There's, it's easy to say if we just had this or that, leads to other complicateing factors. Opposition says they don't want other ground forces engaged. It's a tough situation.it's going to be a tough one 14:30:18 Q you said you were worried about stalemate? 14:30:28 end state is pretty cleawr, establish NFZ, arms embargo, protect civilians and hand over to floow on HQ.this is an ongoing discussion, where is it where want to be.I am confident that conversation is occurring 14:31:09 Q does it surprise you that we are just now discussing what the next phase is? Given that you don't want to go in unless you know how you're going to get out? 14:31:23 sometimes conditions, things happen that don't let you do that. we could have had and obviously would have been nice to have , the longer debate about eventually what do you want to get to, like to see the intl community support in Libya. But he was slaughtering his own people, you can't stand by I don't think you can stand by and have a debate about that endstate while he is killing his own people, but that point it may have become a moot point. So I think what we did collectively to try to stop the killing is the right thing and I'm confident now that the discussions about what's next are occurring. 14:32:09 Q Gadhafi do you think he is waiting out? 14:32:20 we do see he is trying to be more on TV and radio, perhaps he is under int'l pressure, he is an int'l paraiah, I don't have a sense of his timeline.we are trying to protect as many civilians as we can 14:32:55 Q given his state of mind..do you see this thing dragging on for years. 14:33:10 I don't know, I can't state it any more plainly, I don't think about him. It's not in my mission set, disruopt the ability for leaders to control military forces, and that's what we focus on, that's the effort, our mission is clear, protect the civilians 14:33:48 Q could be a stalemate? 14:33:53 the way ahead, if we could get violence stopped - first step, Libyan people have self determination 14:34:16 Q to stop violence, you've said can't stop all the violence, you can't stop all the violence through air power, you can't get those snipers, you can't really tell people apart? 14:34:30 there are some pretty bad people, there is evil in the world, you just have look at regime actors. Maybe I'm just bought into this too much. I believe we are and can continue to make a difference, will we stopped all the violence, no, we haven't. does it bother me that there are innocent, civilian people who have been slaughtered by these people while it's been my mission to protect them, I absolutely take that to heart and that's why I think we have to do the absolute best we can each and every day for those who need our protection at this desperate moment. MR SU / RADDATZ STANDUP 14:35:30 Good evening david, we spent a day with Carter Ham..we traveled with him to in this Osprey behind me to see the troops at work OPEN: 14:36:17 Good David, from Sigonella Airbase in Italy. we spent an extraordinary day in the Mediterranean with General Carter Ham, who took over command of Africa command, just ten before this war began :15 CLOSE: 14:36:47 and David the Osprey that you see right behind me is the very one that rescued the F-15 pilot :08 CLOSE/ANSWER TO QUESTION: 14:37:03 that rescue truly was extraordinary, in fact the osprey right behind me is the Osprey they used in that rescue, David? :08 ] ANSWER TO QUESTION: 14:37:19 well those two Marine corps captains felt absolutely amazed by the whole rescue, as I said in the piece, it was the first time they'd ever done anything like that. Basically one of the captains said to me 'that was my best day in the Marine Corps,' David? :15 14:37:47 Question for David - tell us more what it was like, what they said to you, the marine corps pilots about the rescue... 14:38:05 Ham press conf cuts 14:38:22 side shot DV tape 4x3 14:40:37 Osprey taxiing 14:40:42 Erik in right hand (screen left) seat of Osprey 14:43:02 quick shot Osprey in flight 14:44:39 Ham arrival on deck 14:48:53 USS Kearsarge photo display 14:49:22 MV-22s on deck, props spinning 14:49:25 Anderjack walking out 14:52:12 Anderjack in pilot's seat 14:54:59 ws rear of Marines lined up ---------------------------------------------------------------

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1400 STATE BRIEF FS31 71 State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert - Briefing Subject: Foreign Affairs Location: The State Department, 2201 C Street NW, Press Briefing Room 2209, Washington, D.C. Time: 2:00 pm EDT, Date: Thursday, July 6th, 2017 NAUERT: Hi, everybody. How's everyone? (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: OK. And you? NAUERT: Doing very well. Thank you. Great to be back with all of you. Let me start by introducing you first to the new director of our press operations, Robert Greenan (ph), right here. He joins us from post in Austria and he's been many places around the world. And so he will be a valuable asset and resource to all of you. NAUERT: He's done a terrific job already, and so this is his first briefing with me. So, Robert, thank you. (CROSSTALK) (LAUGHTER) Now you have to take over. And Mark Stroh will continue to be on, and Mark has been incredible in helping me to get up to speed, so thank you. All right, a lot of stuff going on today so let me start out with a few toppers that I have. First, let's start with the secretary's travel. Secretary Tillerson is in Hamburg, Germany today, and he's accompanying President Trump in meetings surrounding the G20. He will also participate in a series of bilateral meetings tomorrow. That schedule is still being finalized. I know you have a lot of questions about that. We'll announce those hopefully later today. The secretary then -- will then travel to Kiev, Ukraine on July the 9th to meet with a group of key activists pushing for reforms and meeting with Ukrainian President Poroshenko. The secretary and President Poroshenko will host a joint media availability after their meeting. The secretary will also meet with the staff and families of our embassy there. The secretary will then depart Kiev in the afternoon on July the 9th and travel to Istanbul, Turkey. On July the 10th, the secretary will participate in bilateral meetings including the meeting with members of the Turkish government. The secretary will also meet with our staff and families of the U.S. mission in Turkey, and I know he looks forward to doing that. The second thing that we have going on is Brett McGurk, our special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, will host members of the coalition for a series of meetings in Washington D.C. next week. This will be an opportunity for members to discuss the efforts to defeat ISIS, including maximizing pressure on its branches, on its affiliates, and on its networks. The coalition will discuss all aspects of our campaign, including stabilization support, counter-finance, foreign terror fighters, counter-messaging, among other things. The meetings are taking place at a key moment in the fight against ISIS. Just as ISIS is trying to stay alive, we remain dedicated and committed to defeating them. There is still a lot of work to be done but the coalition has a strong and proven strategy committed to the total destruction of ISIS, while in parallel preparing for the day after. Another thing, this is related to Iraq. And we were pleased to announce this: On July the 5th, Ambassador Silliman, our U.S. ambassador to Iraq, announced the U.S. government's intent to provide $150 million to the United Nations development program to support the government of Iraq identified stabilization priorities in the areas of Iraq that have been liberated from ISIS. The funds will support efforts to establish basic security, reestablish essential services, restore local economies, stabilize communities and allow Iraqis to finally return home. This brings the United States commitment to stabilization programming in Iraq to more than $265 million over the past two years. The funds will be provided through USAID. And then finally one last thing: The United States remains deeply concerned over Tuesday's violations of the cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, that resulted in multiple civilian casualties including possibly a two-year-old child. This happened near the line of contact. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those victims. Along with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, we call upon the sides to cease military action and return to the negotiating table. Our policy remains clear in that region: The only solution to this conflict is a negotiated settlement based on international law that includes adherence to the principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity and self-determination. So with that, I'll take your questions. Matt Lee, would you like to start? QUESTION: Thanks. Let's start with Syria/Iraq and the secretary's statement from last night which was -- made note of the fact that the situation in Syria in particular would be a subject of discussion when President Trump meets President Putin tomorrow. And it talked about, as you know, cooperation between the United States and Russia, including on the military front, setting up -- specifically mentioned no-fly zones. And the reason I'm asking about this is because it has been the position of -- in the past at the Pentagon that a no-fly zone -- that no-fly zones, setting them up in Syria would be very, if not unworkable, extremely difficult and very expensive to do. Has there been a shift in position on that? And is this a serious offer? Because this administration and the previous administration wanted to -- had proposed suggestions of cooperation with the Russians like this, and it never bore any fruit, or they never bore any fruit. NAUERT: So, understood. And thank you for that question. The secretary's statement from yesterday, and I know a lot of you are very interested in that, it describes how our interactions with Russia on Syria are at the moment. We are continuing to have conversations with the Russians about how things will play out in Syria. Our overall policy has not changed on that matter. The United States is looking to explore the possibility of establishing what we would consider to be joint mechanisms for ensuring stability with Russia and in Syria. If our two countries can establish stability on the ground, we believe that that will lay a foundation for progress on the political settlement of Syria's future. The policy has not changed. Some of the words and some of the phrasing may have changed at this point, but overall it's just one of a series of options that the United States will now consider. QUESTION: (inaudible) no-fly zones? NAUERT: The United States is considering a lot of things. The secretary -- and I don't want to get ahead of any of those conversations that are being had or will be had this week. I'm just going to leave it at that. QUESTION: So, all right. But when you say "joint mechanisms" for securing Syria, particularly places that have been liberated from ISIS, that goes beyond the de-confliction -- the current de- confliction, right? I mean, it's something... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: We are exploring a lot of options. Syria continues well into its sixth year. We believe that Russia has a special responsibility. They have unique leverage over the Syrian regime. And so we're going to continue to put pressure on them and ask them to do more. And we will continue to work with them as this dialogue unfolds. (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Can you -- so given that he said even at the beginning of his statement that he was kind of putting this out there, because he knew that the president -- the two leaders would talk about this. So, you know, these discussions have been going on with the Pentagon and also with Russian officials for weeks now. So, would you see this, king of following up on what Matt was saying, is this a kind of -- an opening offer, if you will, that the two presidents are going to see that as a kind of jump-off point for, you know, the beginning? Not necessarily that they would have the negotiations in this meeting, but he laid out certain conditions under which the Russians -- under which you would consider that if the Russians were to accept their responsbility. So, I mean, I just -- I'm just trying to... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: I wouldn't say that at all. There are a lot of options on the table. The overall goal, and let's stay focused on the overall goal, the overall goal is to eventually bring peace and stability and try to grow some of the deescalation zones, which we've had some progress with. Certainly not enough, but we've seen a slow-down in terms of some of the attacks taking place. So the goal would be to advance numerous options to have conversations with the Russians. QUESTION: So where do you see this in terms of a jump-off point for the presidents? Do you consider that they'll just have a kind of general discussion of the idea? Or... NAUERT: I'm not going to get ahead of the president and the White House conversations. But I know that the secretary will be very engaged in that. The president will as well. QUESTION: It was really the most specific thing that we've heard in terms of anything that would be discussed in this meeting. NAUERT: Yes, well, from me, you're not going to hear from me getting into what exactly is going to be discussed in those meetings. I just don't want to get ahead of those. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Hold on. Hold on. Barbara, go right ahead. QUESTION: Yes. If you're throwing out options that could be discussed, he very specifically mentioned something that's been a point of controversy for a couple of years. So it doesn't sound like he'd just say, "Oh, well, maybe we'll do a no-fly zone, but we'll see." It seems to have been a shift. NAUERT: I can tell you that we've been talking with the NSC. We've been talking with the Department of Defense. There have been lots of parties involved with these conversations. The conversations will be had this week. They will continue for the time, you know, for the future. And that's all I'm going to give you on that. QUESTION: You know, not to belabor the point, but... (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: ... sorry, it's really a beginning. It's something that was time and again stated by the Pentagon, by generals, by the former secretary of defense and so on that it's a very difficult thing to impose and enforce, as a matter of fact. So is this something that would, you know, likely create some sort of problem with coordination with Russia? After all, the statement itself -- the secretary's statement is quite, you know, positive about Russia's role. NAUERT: I think we are looking forward to continuing conversations with the government of Russia to see what we can do with them in concert to try to resolve the situation in Syria. QUESTION: OK. And just a quick followup on Syria. In the south -- the south of the country, in Dariya (ph), the Jordanian border, things have, you know, a cease-fire has been taking place. And it seems to be holding. Do you have any position on the cease-fire taking place in various areas of Syria? And how are you coordinating with both the Russians and the Syrian government? NAUERT: I can't get into the de-confliction lines. That would be a matter for DOD. I know that we are pleased when a cease-fire can take effect and take hold and allow for humanitarian assistance to come in. That is something that we continue to push for and hope that we will continue to see progress. We've seen some limited progress in terms of the cease-fires. We hope that that will continue. QUESTION: Can we stay (inaudible)? NAUERT: Yes. QUESTION: There was proposed joint (inaudible). No-fly zone was only one of those. The rest -- there were others mentioned in the secretary's statement. And I wanted to ask if there is something -- if those nuts and bolts are something that's being discussed right now? Or this is sort of a dangling (inaudible) in the distant future? You know, that's something that might be discussed or might not. Because the previous administration, and it is well known, came very close to actually striking a deal with Russia. And as Secretary Kerry (inaudible), it was sort of blocked by the Pentagon. NAUERT: I think your question would fall under the realm of some of the diplomatic conversations that will be had presumably this week and in the near future. So I'm just not going to get into that part, OK? Thank you. (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: When he says "on the ground cease-fire observers or observations," does that open the door to American troops doing that? Or -- I don't... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: That would be a DOD matter. So, I'm going to leave the secretary's statement at that, and when we start to talk about forces on the ground, that's just something that they would have to cover. OK? Anything else on Syria? OK. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Excuse me. OK. QUESTION: I just wanted to know if there was any -- in the meeting that Tom Shannon had with the Russian ambassador the other day, did they -- did they make -- was there any progress? NAUERT: You have such a good memory. You really do, Matt. QUESTION: It was only Monday. NAUERT: Yes, was that Monday? Dog years in this job. It feels like it was longer ago than that. QUESTION: I just wanted to know if there's any more progress on getting the (inaudible) channel. NAUERT: Yes. So, Mr. Shannon and Ryabkov did have a conversation. QUESTION: No, Kislyak. NAUERT: Kislyak, excuse me -- did have a conversation -- thank you -- about trying to re-start those meetings that the Russians had canceled a couple of weeks ago. No meeting has actually been set at this point, but I know they had that conversation about that. QUESTION: They're trying to set up a meeting for next month... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: I -- I don't have any timetable or any back-meetings to give you, but I know that they're talking about that. Are you on -- Gloria, are you on Syria or Russia right now? QUESTION: Syria. NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: On the meetings for the global coalition that will be held next week, are the Syrian Democratic Forces going to be invited? NAUERT: They will not. This is a meeting of the actual members of the coalition. I believe there are about 72 members of the coalition, countries as well as entities such as NATO, for example. SDF, the Syrian Democratic Forces, is not a part of that. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: I don't know. I can check for you on that. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Yes? QUESTION: ... in Syria, there was a large demonstration protest yesterday in a city -- the Kurdish city of Afgein (ph) against attacks from Turkish-backed forces in that city. Do you have a statement on that? Are you... NAUERT: I don't. I don't believe I do. I know that that's something that we've been following -- following carefully. But let me see what I can get for you on that, OK? OK. Anything else on Russia or Syria? (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: OK. Want to go to North Korea? OK. QUESTION: OK. On North Korea ICBM launch (inaudible) North Korea (inaudible), Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to United Nations, she said that the U.S. had strongest military power we could use if we do want. Does that means U.S. take any military action to North Korea or... NAUERT: I know that Ambassador Haley, as she was -- as she pulled together that U.N. emergency meeting earlier this week -- it's obviously a huge concern to not just the United States, but Japan and South Korea as well. They're looking at doing some Security Council resolutions some time in the near future. As it pertains to military action, that's not something that we can speak to here from the State Department regarding that. QUESTION: But do you think the additional sanctions against North Korea (inaudible), but the Russia and China did not agree with the sanctions. How you going to convince them this? NAUERT: I think that would be an Ambassador Haley question. I know that she'll be speaking with her counterparts very closely. She's been a very effective spokesperson here as ambassador to the U.S. -- U.N. And I know that's going to be something that we just continue to have that conversation to be able to put additional pressure on the DPRK. QUESTION: Kim Jong Un in answer yesterday, he said that North Korea will not put nuclear and military -- I'm sorry -- missile issues on the negotiations table. He doesn't want a negotiation table on these issues. NAUERT: Right. QUESTION: Are you going to accept this? Or... NAUERT: It sounds like he wants to keep his nuclear and ballistic missile program. That is something that the United States and the world is against. We've had multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. What they are doing there is not only a threat to the region, but we view that as a threat to the world. And I think the world community is really coming around on that and understanding through what they watched happen here on our Fourth of July, and what a huge concern that is to the world. And I think the world will increasingly get behind the United States and our other partners and call out -- not only call out North Korea, but continue to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea. Anything else on North Korea? (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Is the U.S. beginning to lose patience with China on this issue? NAUERT: I think we view it as there's a lot of work left to be done. We're still somewhat early-on in the overall pressure campaign against North Korea. We continue to believe that China can do a whole lot more to try to bring additional pressure to North Korea. NAUERT: We continue those conversations with China. As you saw, I believe it was just last week, that the Treasury Department put additional sanctions on Chinese companies that were doing business in North Korea. So, I would anticipate we would look to continue to put pressure on North Korea in that kind of fashion. But in terms of sanctions that are in the future, I'm just not going to broadcast or get ahead of what we might do. QUESTION: Can I follow up though? The president has kind of, you know, like about a month or two ago and when the Chinese president came here, he was saying, you know, that we're working together, you know, it seemed like it was more of a partnership, and in recent weeks, he's kind of seemed to indicate that, oh well, that was a lost cause; we tried. And now it seems as if its, yes you still want China to help on North Korea, but it's more of a pressure tactic with China, as opposed to working as partners. NAUERT: I think what we're seeing here is just overall diplomacy. We're seeing Secretary Tillerson and many of our counterparts here at the State Department reach out to, not just China, but other nations to address the issue in North Korea. The president is doing it in his own fashion as well, and I think we're just watching our Democratic process play out, and watching it play out the pressures that we're continuing to put on North Korea. QUESTION: But do you see China as a kind of partner in this endeavor to pressure North Korea, or more like, you know, a hostile witness type of situation? NAUERT: I wouldn't describe -- I wouldn't describe it either way, Elise (ph). I think it's -- we just continue to work with China and talk to China, as we do all nations, about using what leverage they have -- and China had unique leverage with North Korea, because of that strong trade relationship that they do have, and also borders and so forth. So, we continue to put pressure on China. We expect and ask them to do more, and we'll continue to do that. QUESTION: Was the sanctioning of the bank last week the thin edge of the wedge? Are there other Chinese entities in the pipeline ready to go if China doesn't do... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: That would be a Treasury matter. I can't imagine that they're going to get ahead of any sanctions. If you start announcing sanctions, then those people or entities that would be sanctioned then have a heads up, so we're not going to get ahead and start broadcasting sanctions. Hi. QUESTION: This latest rocket launch -- or ballistic missile launch, China now is (inaudible) joint (inaudible) with Russia, proposing something that your predecessor had said was a non-starter for the U.S., this idea of a freeze for a freeze. Are we actually losing China's cooperation with this issue? NAUERT: I think -- I think that doesn't really matter. We see it as there's no equivalency between the United States and its activities and actions that it undertakes with its allies, including South Korea and also Japan. These are something that are lawful. Its long standing that we do, whether its military exercises or basing over there, these are all things that have taken place since the 19 -- since the 1950s. So -- so that -- that wouldn't change and I think that's the important thing that we're standing up for our allies, and our men and women who are on the ground serving in the region. QUESTION: But the fact that China is now again calling for us to -- to either halt or, you know, bring down the military assistance a little bit, and they're doing so now with -- with Russia who has increased trade with -- with North Korea over the last couple of months. Is that not a sign that we're losing their cooperation? NAUERT: We do these kinds of exercises and have relationships like this all over the globe. If China and Russia decide to come out against that, that is not going to change our position. QUESTION: Do you see an increased stance with those two countries? I know at the U.N. Security Council meeting yesterday, both countries also made a point to criticize the deployment of THAAD in South Korea. NAUERT: I'm sorry, who criticized THAAD? QUESTION: Both Russia and China. Do you see them working closely together on this issue against U.S. interests? NAUERT: I don't know that that -- that that really matters. That is not going to change where we stand on the issue. We had a very productive meeting with Mr. Moon when he came over here; I believe it was last week. We have had -- I know the secretary had met with his counterpart, the foreign minister, here that same week, and they have lots discussions about the importance of THAAD, the alliance decision that was made and the reason that those decisions were made to deploy THAAD in the first place. And that is the safety and the defense of our partners over there, as well as the safety and defense of our U.S. forces over there. I just can't see that changing. OK, anything else DPRK? South Korea? QUESTION: So given especially what the president said about China's trade with North Korea increasing, I think close to 40 percent, would the administration -- you know, some of the most sanctions against Iran were actually congressionally imposed secondary sanctions that were kind of imposed over a number of years in various pieces of legislation. Would the administration support that sort of legislation or sanctions of that kind against North Korea more broadly, you know, so- called secondary sanctions? NAUERT: I think that's something -- if Congress chooses to employ -- announce sanctions and vote on sanctions, that would be a congressional matter, so I'm not going to weigh in from here on anything that's taking place or that may take place in Congress, but we'd certainly keep an eye on that. OK? Anything else DPRK (inaudible). Hey, Michelle (ph). QUESTION: Hi. NAUERT: Go (inaudible). QUESTION: Hi. Now that the U.S. has put the entire world on notice, from the State Department's perspective, what does "on notice" mean? NAUERT: The entire world on notice regarding what? QUESTION: North Korea at this point. NAUERT: Regarding North Korea? QUESTION: Yes. NAUERT: OK, so we've continued to talk about this from here, and I can't underscore enough the importance of the message that the secretary, and I believe the president also, has delivered to nations around the world. Let me assure you that when they have meetings with countries you may not even imagine, that I can't get into unfortunately because they're private diplomatic conversations, but we've continued to reach out to many countries that have citizens from North Korea working in those countries. We've called on those countries to cut the business that they do with North Korea. We have said if you have guest workers in your country from North Korea, eliminate those guest workers, and by that I mean send them home. We have said to them if you have 10 guest workers, cut that to five. If you are doing business with North Korea that is $2 million worth, for example, a lot of countries will say, oh, it's not much money. This secretary and other folks in this administration have come back and they say, cut that in half. That is the kind of economic and diplomatic pressure that we continue to put on countries around the world, and many of them are taking notice and starting to do things about that. Some of them have done things about that for a while. But that pressure campaign, we believe, is continuing to work. One example that I can give you is in Germany. You all may recall, it was a couple months ago that there was a German -- there was a North Korean -- I believe it was a hotel. I can double check the facts. This is just off the top of my head. But there were North Korean workers, and we had concerns that they would -- those workers would collect the money and then be forced to give it back to their government. We believe, as we've looked at this model, that that money ends up going to the illegal nuclear ballistic missile programs, so we continue to look at those countries, pressure different countries to shut that stuff down. QUESTION: So does "on notice" mean we see you? Or does "on notice" mean, we're going to do something to you unless you change? NAUERT: We're in the diplomatic phase of this right now, and that is why the secretary and others continue to ask countries to do more to change. QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) does that mean, what you just said -- I want to make sure that you weren't just saying this as (ph) a generality, but are you looking for all countries that have guest workers or investments with North Korea to cut them in half? NAUERT: No, half is just really just an example. QUESTION: OK. NAUERT: That's just something... QUESTION: I mean this came up -- the White House said that it came up in the president's call with President Sisi of Egypt, and there's -- there are a lot of countries, yes, and a lot of them that you might not expect who do have North Korean guest workers. QUESTION: But the half is not something that you're... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Half is not a literal number, no. I'm just saying for example. Some countries may say, oh, we don't do a lot business with North Korea; we only do $2 million worth. We'll say, make that a lot less. QUESTION: Secretary... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: Because, I mean, what everybody seemed to agree on yesterday in the Security Council was that nothing -- nothing has been working. So, when you hear Russia suggest, "Well, why don't -- you know, why don't we try dialogue first and foremost without preconditions," is that anything that the U.S. would consider, at this point? NAUERT: I'm not going to get into what Russia's plan is right now and -- and comment on that. QUESTION: But, would -- would the U.S. consider trying to talk to Kim Jong-Un without... NAUERT: Without preconditions? I -- I think it's clear to the world that he wants to stick to his illegal nuclear weapons -- or nuclear program, and also his ballistic missile weapons program. I think his actions that he took earlier this week are very clear. I can't -- I'm -- I'm not going to get ahead of what could and -- could happen down the road, but -- I just can't anticipate that. (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Can I just go back to the guest workers and such? NAUERT: Sure. QUESTION: Secretary Tillerson, at that meeting at the U.N., I don't even know how long ago it was... NAUERT: Oh, gosh. The one back in March or so? (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Yeah. NAUERT: Yeah. QUESTION: Was it then? (UNKNOWN): April, actually (ph). QUESTION: April, whatever. NAUERT: Good memory. QUESTION: Kind of brought this up, in terms of the U.S. wanting the international community to do this. Nikki Haley brought it up yesterday. Is this something that, perhaps, you would want to put into a U.N. Security Council resolution to mandate U.N. -- because, I mean, I think the last resolution called for members to consider thinking about getting rid of their guest workers, or something. But it's not... NAUERT: They're all supposed... QUESTION: ... mandated by international law at all. NAUERT: They're all supposed to stick to their resolutions. We hope that those countries will take responsibility and adhere to sanctions under -- under various resolutions. But I'm not -- I'm not going to forecast... (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: But they were voluntary -- but what I'm saying is they... NAUERT: I'm just not going to forecast quite what might be in a U.N. Security Council resolution. (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: No. I understand. But they're -- those were -- it was kind of like you urged them, and in these resolutions, that's more of a voluntary -- more of a voluntary decision. And I'm wondering, beyond, like, Secretary Tillerson saying, you know, "The U.S. wants you to do that," is there a consideration to making this illegal under international law? NAUERT: I can't -- I just can't comment on that at this time. QUESTION: But he is going beyond U.N. resolutions with the way he's pressuring on guest workers, no? Because as -- as Lisa said (ph)... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Barbara, I -- I think this is a good thing. We see North Korea as a nation that... QUESTION: Would you say it was... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: No, no, no. I just want to make this clear. We see North Korea as a nation that starves its people, that treats its people horrifically. We see a leader who is taking actions against the entire civilized world by continuing with this program. And so I think we will continue to look at various options to try to hold that country responsible and hopefully -- hopefully change that behavior. QUESTION: But just a technical question... (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Can we change topics? NAUERT: Do we have anything else on DPRK? (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: How are you? QUESTION: Good. So another option that the United States is taking is denying the landing rights of the national airline of North Korea, Air Koryo. Could you please give us an update of the progress and status on that ground? And then will this be adjusted in the next week's -- I believe it's on Monday -- the aviation meeting here at the State Department? NAUERT: The aviation meeting at the State Department. OK. I'll look into that one. I have to say I was unaware of the aviation meeting. I'm familiar with this, that that is one of the areas that we have been looking for governments to -- to try to narrow. You bring up the issue of the state-run airline in North Korea. I know some of the flight route options have been curtailed. That is something that we are -- are pleased with, and that is another example of the kinds of ways that we are asking other countries, North Korea included, to try to put pressure on them. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: OK. OK, hold on. Are we -- are we done with DPRK? QUESTION: No, no, no. One last one. NAUERT: OK. OK, go ahead. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Yeah, I think so. QUESTION: The Russian deputy foreign minister, Morgulov, is in town. He met with Ambassador Yun today. Do you by any chance have a readout? And secondly, Ambassador Yun is going over to Singapore to take part, as -- as the State Department has announced -- to take part in the so-called Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue, I think this thing -- the thing is called. Supposedly North Korea's a part of this -- to that informal co-op (ph). (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: So the meeting that you're talking about, that Ambassador Yun is attending -- my understanding is that they will be talking about regional issues. I know a lot of people are interested in Ambassador Yun and his travels, because he was key to bringing home Otto Warmbier. So I know a lot of people take interest in his schedule. My understanding is that he has no meetings with the North Koreans. If anything changes on that, I -- and if I can share it with you, I certainly will. QUESTION: And Morgulov? And Morgulov? (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: There was a meeting here today, and the -- the Russian foreign ministry actually posted photos... NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: ... from the conference room. I don't know what floor it was on, but it was in this building. NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: So if you could find out... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: I don't have any information on -- on that. I don't have a readout on that meeting. If I can get anything for you, I certainly will. QUESTION: The nineteenth... (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: One more on this... NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: ... Northeast Asia -- is he planning to talk to any North Korean officials? Because they're members... NAUERT: No. QUESTION: ... of this... NAUERT: No -- no, my understanding is that the North Koreans will not be attending. That's what I was told... QUESTION: OK. Thank you. NAUERT: ... and he will not be meeting with them (inaudible). QUESTION: On Qatar really quickly... NAUERT: Sure. QUESTION: ... the -- four Arab nations were commenting on Qatar's objection of their demands. How much of this crisis will occupy the secretary's time while he travels? And, as it has been going on for a month now, is there consideration here at State of changing approaches? NAUERT: Yeah. So it's -- it's now, I think, as of today, been a month and a day. We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation involving Qatar and GCC countries. We've become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point. We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks. It could drag on for months. It could possibly even intensify. The secretary will remain engaged. He's been very engaged, and has made himself available to all sides of this matter. We continue to stay in close contact will all of them, and we'll continue to do so. The Kuwaitis have done yeoman's work on trying to mediate the dispute, and we, you know, continue to thank them for their efforts in doing that. It certainly has not been -- it has not been easy. We believe overall that the fight against terrorism will something -- is something that will bring all these countries together eventually, because we still have that shared fight, and I think all the nations recognize that. QUESTION: Can I -- in Athens (ph), please? NAUERT: OK -- OK, let's stay with Qatar, if anybody has any questions on that. QUESTION: I have a -- kind of a question kind of related to Qatar... NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: ... but it can wait. It's not about Qatar, it's about one of the countries involved. NAUERT: OK. Got it. All right. Let's move on, then, from Qatar... (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: Can I -- can we... QUESTION: Bahrain. QUESTION: ... Palestinian-Israeli relations for a... NAUERT: Yes. QUESTION: ... very quickly. NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: I just wanted to ask you for your (ph) comment on the announcement by the Israeli government about no settlements in east Jerusalem. Do you have -- you have any comment on that? There had been an announcement on the 3rd or the 4th... NAUERT: Yes. QUESTION: ... of this month, and... NAUERT: Yeah. So I think the president has been very clear about this, and our message on that has not changed. The continuation of unrestrained settlement activity, we view as something that gets in the way of what we hope will be an eventual peace process. This administration has made that a priority, with Mr. Kushner and Mr. Greenblatt just having made a trip over there, one in what we believe will be a series of trips over that -- over there. But our position on the settlement activity has not changed. QUESTION: But in the past, every time there was new settlement activity, the State Department would either issue a statement or (inaudible) and so on, you know, in particular to that particular building project, and so on. QUESTION: Are you prepared to issue any kind of a statement on this? NAUERT: I don't have a statement. That is currently in the works on that issue right now. But our position, again, has not changed, that the settlement activity we believe can be an obstacle to peace. And we continue to make that a priority. (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: I know that you're not probably super, super familiar with all the granular Talmudic details of this. Does the -- does the administration make a distinction between settlements on the West Bank and housing in East Jerusalem? NAUERT: That is a good question, Matt. I'm not sure. Let me dig into that and see what I can get for you. OK? QUESTION: OK. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Anything else on Israel? Tell me your name. I don't (inaudible). (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Hi. How are you? Nice to meet you. QUESTION: So, there seems to be a differentiation in the administration between restrained and unrestrained (inaudible) construction. Because frequently the administration has said that previous settlement freezes have not advanced the prospects for peace, while at the same time saying unrestrained settlements have also not. So my question is, (inaudible) 800 buildings in East Jerusalem, is this part of the restrained settlement construction that's kind of OK? Or is this in the unrestrained, which is not OK? NAUERT: I don't have a map. I love maps. But I don't have a map in front of me that indicates exactly where these settlements are. So I just can't tell you if this is considered to be restrained or unrestrained. But I can tell you our position remains the same, that the settlement activity and pushing that is an area of concern for us. Ultimately, we want peace. That's something that the United States cares deeply about. QUESTION: But how are the Israelis supposed to know if it's restrained or unrestrained if you won't even say it? NAUERT: It's not that I won't. I just don't have a map in front of me that indicates exactly where these places are. So I... (CROSSTALK) (LAUGHTER) NAUERT: Exactly. QUESTION: Thank you. NAUERT: OK. (CROSSTALK) QUESTION: I just want to get an on-camera comment. So yesterday, a senior official said the U.S. has no intent or desire to work exclusively with Russia. Can we be assured that Washington is not going to cut a deal with Moscow over Ukraine, particularly after President Trump's meeting with Putin tomorrow? NAUERT: So, as you may recall, President Poroshenko from the Ukraine -- from Ukraine, rather -- came over here not long ago. He had a series of very productive, very friendly and warm meetings with the president and also with the secretary of state. We have a good relationship with that nation. The secretary, as you know, will be headed to Ukraine in a few days. And that is something that we view as an important relationship. We continue to be concerned about the situation in Crimea and in the eastern part of Ukraine. And we continue to work toward pushing parties to follow through on the Minsk agreement. But I cannot anticipate that there will be any changes. That is an important country to us. And I think that that hasn't changed. QUESTION: Shall we be assured that U.S. is not going to cut a deal with Moscow over (inaudible)? NAUERT: In doing what? QUESTION: In a kind of (inaudible) agreement (inaudible). NAUERT: And sell out the Ukrainians? (CROSSTALK) (LAUGHTER) NAUERT: We have continued... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Yeah, right. (LAUGHTER) NAUERT: We have continued to call upon the Russians and Ukrainians to come together. We remain very concerned about the security situation in the Dombass. You know that. We have talked a lot about how we believe that the so-called "rebels" are Russian- backed, Russian-financed, and are responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians. I don't imagine that we will be backing away from our concern for them. OK. Last question. QUESTION: Can you give just a little bit more details about the future meeting with Tillerson and Poroshenko? Which topic they will discuss, besides the Minsk agreement, of course? And secondly, will the secretary discuss the future supply of the arms to Ukraine in the (inaudible)? Because when President Poroshenko was here in Washington, D.C. he told -- he found a common language with U.S. officials. NAUERT: So, I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary's meeting. You'll find me saying that a lot when the secretary is getting ready to meet with a world leader. I know that we look forward to going over there. We have a lot of areas of mutual interest that will be discussed, including the security situation in Ukraine. But I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary's conversations. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Sure. QUESTION: ... two things very briefly and very limited follow- ups, if any. One, on the refugee -- suspension of the refugee program. We've been told by resettlement agencies that you guys have now told them to schedule -- continue to schedule previously vetted and accepted refugees through the 12th. Originally, when, after the Supreme Court decision came out, it was the 6th. NAUERT: Well, let me be clear about that, OK? At the time I said, and this was the guidance that we were getting from the Department of Justice and others, on or about. Remember, the limit is 50,000. And we estimated that that number would be reached within a few weeks. And I think I said a week or two. QUESTION: Right. Right. NAUERT: So there was never any particular date that was put out. (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Oh, OK. I just want to make sure we're clear. QUESTION: Well, no, I mean, they did -- they said anyone who was planning to come until the 6th should be scheduled, but that... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Actually -- actually, it was until we reached the number of 50,000. QUESTION: OK. Is the 12th now the new date at which you expect the 50,000 to be hit? NAUERT: So, I'm not going to name a date, but I will tell you this. We have not reached that number of 50,000 refugees just yet. When we do reach that number of 50,000 refugees, whatever date that falls on, that will be the time. QUESTION: All right. And then has there been any clarification to the Iraqi -- Iraqi translators? The initial guidance had been that it was going to be done a case-by-case basis, whether or not they would have to go through the vetting all over again. But it was my understanding, and maybe I was wrongly thinking this, that that was being revisited and it was still being discussed. NAUERT: So, I know you and I had talked about this not too long ago. And that was a question that I just asked our folks about today. QUESTION: Are you aware -- has that been resolved finally? NAUERT: I'm not aware whether or not that has been resolved, but let me just continue to look into that for you. QUESTION: All right. And then the last thing is Bahrain, which was the country that was (inaudible) related to Qatar. But this doesn't have anything to do with Qatar. It has to do with human rights, and this has been a perpetual concern, or a longstanding concern of this building in general. And that is two cases, one is Nubeel Rajab, whose trial was postponed again. But is now expected to -- the 10th to be a final verdict. NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: And I'm wondering if you would have had any discussions with the Bahrainis in this case? You previously called for his release. And then secondly... NAUERT: We have, yes. QUESTION: ... and then... NAUERT: And I know last time that members from our embassy were -- were present at his trial. QUESTION: OK. Do you expect that to be happening again? NAUERT: I -- that I do not know. I know we continue to be very concerned about that. We continue to be concerned about freedom of expression, Matt, as you probably know, as many journalists probably do. There was a closure of a newspaper, a news outlet not too long ago. That freedom of speech, human rights remains a concern of ours. And we continue to bring is up (inaudible). QUESTION: OK. And then are you familiar -- overnight as we were all preparing for fireworks and parades and things like that, a human rights women -- female human rights defender was rousted from her home by Bahraini security and arrested. She's accused of cooperating with the U.N. -- U.N. special rapporteurs... NAUERT: OK. QUESTION: And I'm wondering if... (CROSSTALK) NAUERT: Do you have her name, Matt? QUESTION: Yes. NAUERT: Let me look at that for you. QUESTION: Yes, it is Al Saig (ph) -- I'll give you the spelling. NAUERT: OK. And I'll look into it. QUESTION: Thank you. NAUERT: Thank you, everybody. Thanks for coming. I'll see you soon. END

SEGMENT [ALL] 2011/09/13 ************************************************ Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton announces the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) Designations and releases the Annual Report On International Religious Freedom (IRF) for July through December 2010, at the Department of State Open-in briefing room - FOX POOL LIVE She also comments on the attack on the US embassy in Kabul Secretary Clinton announces the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) Designations and releases the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (IRF) for July through December 2010, in the briefing room at the Department of State SLUG: 1000 CLINTON CPC RS31 71 AR: 16x9 Disc: 698 NYRS: 5104 [TRANSCRIPTION JOINED IN PROGRESS] 10:06:45 before I begin on this important topic, I want to address the issue of Afghanistan where there was an attack on our embassy in Kabul 10:07:23 we are following the situation very closely 10:07:52 I want to say a word about our civilians who serve at our embassy 10:09:29 as you know, the protection of religious freedom is a fundamental 10:10:38 in china, Tibetan Buddhists 10:11:33 this sort of hateful violence SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON: (In progress) -- promote religious tolerance. One of those is U.N. Human Rights Council Resolution 1618, which was introduced by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and adopted by consensus in March. It calls on all states to take concrete action against religious bigotry through tolerance, education, government outreach, service projects and interfaith dialogue. And we worked very hard with a number of nations and with the OIC to pass this resolution, and we will be working with our OIC and European counterparts on implementing it. And Ambassador Johnson Cook is leading our efforts. We have also seen Turkey take serious steps to improve the climate for religious tolerance. The Turkish government issued a decree in August that invited non-Muslims to reclaim churches and synagogues that were confiscated 75 years ago. I applaud Prime Minister Erdogan's very important commitment to doing so. Turkey also now allows women to wear head scarves at universities, which means female students no longer have to choose between their religion and their education. Third, as we release this report we reaffirm the role that religious freedom and tolerance play in building stable and harmonious societies. 10:14:10 Hatred and intolerance are destabilizing. When governments crack down on religious expression, when politicians or public figures try to use religion as a wedge issue or when societies fail to take steps to denounce religious bigotry and curb discrimination based on religious identity, they embolden extremists and fuel sectarian strife. And the reverse is also true. When governments respect religious freedom, when they work with civil society to promote mutual respect or when they prosecute acts of violence against members of religious minorities, they can help turn down the temperature. They can foster a public aversion to hateful speech without compromising the right to free expression. And in doing so, they create a climate of tolerance that helps makes a country more stable, more secure and more prosperous. So the United States government will continue our efforts to support religious freedom. We are engaging with faith groups to address the issues that affect them. Our embassies encourage interfaith dialogue, and we will speak out against efforts to curtail religious freedom, because it is our core conviction that religious tolerance is one of the essential elements not only of a sustainable democracy, but of a peaceful society that respects the rights and dignity of each individual. People who have a voice in how they are governed, no matter what their identity or ethnicity or religion, are more likely to have a stake in both their government's and their society's success. That is good for stability, for American national security and for global security. And with that, let me introduce both our assistant secretary and our ambassador-at-large to come forward. Thank you all very much. Q: Madam Secretary, could you just -- do you have anything to -- what your -- can you tell us anything about your understanding of what's going on with -- in Iran with the -- with the -- with the hikers and President Ahmadinejad saying that they might be able -- that they will be freed? 10:16:16 SEC. CLINTON: Well, Matt, as you know, we have followed this very closely, and we are encouraged by what the Iranian government has said today. But I'm not going to comment further than that. We obviously hope that we will see a positive outcome from what appears to be a decision by the government. Q: Thank you. MICHAEL POSNER: Thank you. Good morning, everybody. 10:16:53 As you know, the State Department is mandated by law to produce this report each year. The secretary of state also designates countries of particular concern, countries whose governments have, and I quote the statute, "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom." Secretary Clinton has designated eight states as countries of particular concern. They are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan. All of these countries have been long-term, chronic and egregious violators of religious freedom. The report documents in full detail the violations that have prompted these designations. In Burma, for example, hundreds of Buddhist monks are still in prison, and the government refuses to recognize that the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority, are Burmese citizens. In China, the government's overall level of respect for religious freedom declined in 2010 and it -- and has worsened this year. The repression of Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims continues. In Iran, members of the Bahai are arrested, expelled from university, and their leaders languish in prisons. Saudi Arabia prohibits the public practice of any religion other than Islam, and the government discriminates against the Shia minority. And in Uzbekistan it's illegal to proselytize, and it's dangerous for a Muslim even to discuss religious issues outside of a state-sanctioned mosque. 10:18:30 These and many other violations in the eight countries of particular concern are spelled out in great detail in the report. But I want to emphasize that the list is by no means the only measure of serious violations of religious freedom. In a significant number of other countries, we are also closely monitoring official repression of religious minorities or official indifference to their plight and urging governments to uphold their affirmative obligations to protect religious freedom. Let me mention a few. We are deeply concerned about the fate of Christians in Syria. Many of these people have been victimized twice. They fled the violence in Iraq, and now many are seeking to flee Syria. The government has created a climate of instability and violence in which the human rights of thousands are being violated on a daily basis. In Pakistan, the government has not reformed a blasphemy law that has been used to prosecute religious minorities and in some cases Muslims who promote tolerance, or to settle personal vendettas. This year there have also been several assassinations of those who called for reform of the blasphemy laws, including the Punjab governor, Salman Taseer, and Shahbaz Bhatti, the minister for minorities, whom Secretary Clinton and I met in February before he was killed. The government of Pakistan has taken steps to address these rising concerns. For example, in March Shahbaz Bhatti's brother, Paul, was appointed to a special adviser on religious minorities to the prime minister. In July the government also created a Ministry of National Harmony, which will have oversight for protection -- protecting religious minorities at a national level. And in August President Zardari celebrated National Minorities Day and committed his government to support protection of minority religious rights. We will continue to engage with the government of Pakistan to address these issues, to promote tolerance and to improve religious freedom. In Iraq religious minorities and Shia pilgrims have been the targets of devastating attacks since 2003. Last October more than 50 worshipers were killed in an attack on our Lady of Salvation Catholic Church in Baghdad. We welcome the fact that the government of Iraq has tried and convicted the perpetrators of that attack, but the tragic massacre of the Shia pilgrims that Secretary Clinton mentioned that came to light yesterday indicates that there is more work to be done. In Vietnam the record is mixed. While the government has allowed hundreds of new places of worship to be built, significant problems remain, especially at the provincial and village levels. These include slow or no approval of registration for some groups, especially in the north and northwest highlands. There are also reports of harsh treatment of detainees after the protest over the closing of a Catholic cemetery in Con Dau parish. And the government reimprisoned Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Catholic human rights defender, who has been paroled 16 months earlier after suffering a series of strokes while in prison. In Egypt tensions between Christians and Muslims continue. For example, in January a bomb at the Church of Two Saints in Alexandria killed 22 people. After the fall of the Mubarak government in February, soldiers fired on unarmed Copts at the Saint Bishoy Monastery, wounding six. And in May clashes between Muslims and Christians in Imbaba left 15 dead, 232 injured. In response to the Imbaba clashes, military leader Marshal Tantawi issued a strongly worded public condemnation of sectarian attacks, and 48 suspects have been referred for trial. Prime Minister Sharaf has ordered 17 churches be allowed to reopen across Egypt. We will continue to call on the government to pass a unified law which would set one single unified standard for building houses of worship that would apply both to Christians and Muslims. And we stand ready to support political, religious and civic leaders in Egypt as they work to build a new society where democracy and religious tolerance can flourish. In these and other places, we will continue to review and assess the state of religious freedom, and we are prepared to designate other countries as countries of particular concern as the situation warrants. Finally, I would urge leaders of all these nations and civil society groups as well to use this report as a resource to help identify and address violations of religious freedom. We stand ready to help. Now it's my pleasure to introduce Suzan Johnson Cook, who is the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. 10:23:38 SUZAN JOHNSON COOK: Thank you, Mike, and good morning. It is a privilege to be with all of you today as we release this important report. You know, I was sworn in on May 16th after a long haul to get here, but it was worth the wait. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege and opportunity to work with people of different faiths, to bring them together to achieve common goals. It is my belief that in order to live peacefully side by side, we cannot allow violence based on religion to continue under any circumstances. In my first months in the Office of International Religious Freedom, I've met with interfaith leaders from Switzerland, Turkey and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC. And I'm working with my colleagues in the U.S. government and the religious community to address systemic challenges to religious intolerance. As the secretary said in her remarks last week, too many countries in the world today do not allow people to exercise their religious freedom, or they make it difficult or dangerous to do so. So as hard as it may be, we need to get up every day and keep trying to make a difference. The International Religious Freedom Report we're releasing today is one way to do that. It shines a spotlight on this fundamental human rights issue and guides our policy-making. The report is the work of my dedicated and talented staff in the International Religious Freedom Office, who have put in long hours, as have all our missions overseas and others here in Washington, to verify that this report is comprehensive, accurate and fair. I would also like to thank the hundreds of activists and academics who regularly provide us with reporting and analysis, sometimes at great personal risk. This year we are publishing the report on our website, www.humanrights.gov. Humanrights.gov is now the one-step location for all our human rights reporting, and we're updating it every day with other State Department statements, speeches and materials. This report covers every country, every faith, and myriad forms of harassment, persecution and abuse on the basis of religion. We hope we will prompt other countries to redouble their efforts to create an environment where citizens can freely follow their faith or profess no faith, according to their own conscience. In some cases, we spotlight government violations of the right to religious freedom, and in other cases we call out governments that are not doing enough to stop violence by some citizens against others. Sadly, the list is long. So I urge all of you to read the executive summary, where we have distilled in just a few pages the state of religious freedom in 2010. Obviously, a great deal has happened since the end of 2010, including the upheaval in the Middle East and an uptick in sectarian violence there, so we've included a summary of key developments around the world in 2011. We also use shoe-leather diplomacy, where -- at the State Department we call engagement. It's going to countries and talking to government officials, religious leaders, educators, human rights activists, journalists, young people and others about how to combat hatred and religious persecution. So I'm going to be hitting the road in the fall. I hope to visit a number of countries that face challenges in protecting religious freedom, including Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. And the third way we make a difference is by spotlighting examples of where things are going right. So I also plan to travel to countries that are doing the hard work of resolving religious animosities and taking practical steps to guarantee religious freedom to all their citizens. In July I went with Secretary Clinton to Istanbul for a meeting on combatting religious intolerance. As the lead U.S. coordinator for the implementation of the U.N. Human Rights Council Resolution 1618, which she referred to this morning, I'm eager to work with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and others, other partners, to discuss best practices and exchange ideas on how to best protect freedom of religion. 10:27:45 I will convene a meeting of experts later this year with participants from around the world and from a wide variety of faiths and religions. We'll talk about how to counter offensive expression, through education, interfaith dialogue and public debate, and how to prohibit discrimination, profiling and hate crimes. And we will share ways of combatting hate without compromising the universal right to free expression, because everyone must have the right to believe as well as the right to manifest their belief. So I want o thank you for coming this morning. And Assistant Secretary Posner and I will be happy to take your questions. Thank you. STAFF: Questions? Go ahead. Q: Thank you. I have two questions regarding China. The first is, according to CECC, the Congressional and Executive Commission on China, according to their report, Beijing had launched a new round of -- a campaign since year 2010 to year 2012 that says -- quoting -- for increased transformation of Falun Gong practitioners. So I'm wondering if you have been aware of this persecution, this continued persecution. And the second question is, recently China is trying to amend the criminal procedure law, and if this is adopted, it would expand the police power and it may authorize the forced disappearance. So what's your comments on that? MR. POSNER: Sure. Let me just put those two questions in a slightly broader context. We've said repeatedly that we have concerns about what really has been a deteriorating human rights situation, especially since February of this year. I was in China in April for the human rights dialogue. We raised a number of these issues publicly. And the specific question you raise with the Falun Gong is part of a broader pattern. We have concerns about the treatment of those who are in unregistered churches, so-called house churches, the Shouwang church, for example, in Beijing, where, beginning around Eastertime, people were not allowed to gather and a number of the leaders of that church were put in prison. We have concerns about the Uighur community and restrictions on Muslim religion. We have concerns about the Tibetan community -- the Kirti monastery, where 300 monks were taken from the monastery and detained. So there's a broader pattern of religious and other persecution that's part of a broader human rights problem. I also would call out the case of Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer who has represented religious communities and who's been missing since April of 2010. Q: Follow up? Two questions, one just to follow up on China. As far as religious freedom in China, you say you have been visiting China and meeting officials and all. But, one, what answer do you get from them as far as their -- not their belief or not belief, but how they prosecute people because of their faith, especially people from -- Tibetans and Buddhists are still in jails, and we don't know and you may not know how many of them. And every day, they go to jail because of their belief in God or in what they worship. So what do you hear from them? Year after year, this report comes and you meet and greet here and there and all that. MR. POSNER: Well, you know, I take the view -- first of all, we will continue to raise these issues in China and elsewhere, because they're universal norms; they apply to every country in the world. And there's an obligation of every government to respect those norms. We have continuous discussions as part of a broader engagement with China, but these issues are an important part of that dialogue. And I can't tell you that every time I've had a conversation we've agreed or had satisfying results, but I do believe that raising these issues both publicly and privately serves a number of purposes. It provides assurance to people in the country that we're paying attention, we know what's going on. It reinforces their commitment to move -- to continue working. And in some cases, we have been able to get results, like releases or better conditions. We'll continue to press, even if some of the discussions are difficult. Q: And my other question is on overall religious freedom. (Let's say ?) I've been going through this report and also what you said and secretary said as far as in Pakistan, and also Saudi Arabia. And including in the U.S., or in Saudi Arabia or in Pakistan, if you go in the mosques, the teachings are not about their religion or teachings; it is basically hatred against other religions in the mosques. And also, in Pakistan, Hindus and Sikhs and Christians are under attack more and more, as you go through the last year's report. But government officials have not taken any steps against those, even -- including reading these 13 lines on Pakistan. So Pakistan -- like an open society in many ways, and friends of the United States and ally; and also, on comparing with Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, it may be a different story, because in Saudi Arabia they don't allow any non- Muslims to practice anything, but in Pakistan it's a different society. But still, why is it Pakistan has not been -- taken care of taking any steps against those who practice with other religious people? MR. POSNER: Well, I think what I said in my opening comments -- well, we are -- as your comments suggest, or your question, we are concerned about the blasphemy law, about the intolerance in Pakistan, about the murder of Minister Bhatti and Governor Taseer. At the same time, the government has in the last several months taken a few positive steps, and we are working with the government on the assumption that these issues need to be addressed. We are -- we work with the government on a range of things. This is an important subject, and the increasing extremism in that society I think is worrying to everybody. So we are very mindful of the things you raise in both Pakistan and in Saudi Arabia, and these are issues that we're very attentive to and will be more so. Q: One more quickly, if you don't mind. STAFF: Come on, let's give -- Goyal, let's give some other people a chance. Betty (sp). Q: Thank you. You've mentioned engagement as a way of promoting religious tolerance in different countries. What about the countries where you don't have access to, where you don't have any relations, you don't have presence -- such as Iran, for example? MR. POSNER: Well, we are, obviously, very frustrated by a number of things in Iran, including the continued harassment of the Baha'i. There were seven Baha'i leaders who were sentenced to 20 years in jail. The government then reduced it to 10, and now they've upped it again to 20 years. They're eight leaders of one of the Baha'i schools of higher education that are being put on trial. People -- Baha'i kids can't go to the regular universities. So there's a range of things, not only the Baha'i but other minority communities. We raised these issues. We continue raising these issues. We have obviously a difficult relationship with that government or North Korea, other places that are on the list. But I think it is again important for us to be clear about the facts, to hold every government to the same standards. It does reinforce people in those societies who understand and know that the United States government is listening and paying attention. Q: (Off mic) -- in Geneva, but even they apparently have not had any effect. Is there any other mechanisms through which you can get to these countries, such countries? MR. POSNER: Well, I think, with respect to Iran in particular, there is now a special rapporteur that's focused on Iran, who's just beginning his work. And I think that will also play a useful role. It's not just the United States, it's the global community; the Human Rights Council selected that individual. And we're now going to see whether the government lets him in and if -- and what kind of a report he produces and then what the reaction is. 10:36:34 But again, I think there's a drumbeat, and there's a growing view in this world that these issues of human rights and religious freedom are part of what's expected of every government in the global community. Q: Was the OIC itself helpful at all? It's Islamic. MR. POSNER: Well, I think, again -- and Sujay can speak to this as well, I hope, and will -- I think the OIC has helped us change the discussion, which was a very negative discussion of defamation, which was at the Human Rights Council for a decade or so. We were debating endlessly a Pakistan and OIC-promoted resolution that really pitted us against some of the Islamic countries because it focused on ways to restrict free speech. Our view is that free speech and promoting religious tolerance and harmony are consistent. And so what the OIC secretary-general has done and -- Sujay and Secretary Clinton were with him in Istanbul -- is to talk about an alternative, this 1618 resolution, which has now been adopted by the U.N., which says let's go at the problem of religious discrimination, religious intolerance affirmatively. Let's find some practical ways forward. And he's listed about a dozen of them. Those are useful things, and that's partly what we need to be focusing on: an affirmative agenda. MS. JOHNSON COOK: And the resolution that was achieved was the result of 10 years' worth of work, and so it's an ongoing effort. But we're now at the implementation stage. And so Istanbul was a successful trip, and we're going forward with my hosting the experts in December here at the secretary's invitation. So it's ongoing, and so we will not let it go. Thank you. Q: Hi. I wanted to ask you about Israel. There's issues of Christians and Muslims being able to worship freely, and also there's been several attacks on mosques in the West Bank. Have you been speaking to the Israeli government about this? How much responsibility do they hold in trying to protect as an occupying power? MR. POSNER: We do speak to the Israeli government about this and a range of other human rights issues. I've been myself particularly involved since the Goldstone report in dealing with some of the issues of humanitarian access, et cetera in the context of a U.N. resolution. But I would say, I think to put this in a broader frame, at the center of a lot of the tensions in Israel, in the West Bank and Gaza is the absence of a peace process, of a peace process that's yielding a two-state solution. That's what we favor. A lot will be -- a lot of human rights issues are going to be dealt with much more directly and easily once we have that process up and running and once we get a result. STAFF: Go ahead. Q: Thank you. Could you comment on the situation on religious freedom in Georgia in general? And also, I was wondering if you would give us some more details about Uzbekistan (and all ?) the former Soviet states that appear in -- (inaudible). MR. POSNER: I don't have anything, I think, to add to what's in the report on Georgia. 10:39:54 With respect to Uzbekistan, we have had a set of -- I've been to Uzbekistan twice. We had a -- my colleague Tom Melia was part of a bilateral dialogue that occurred last week here with the government of Uzbekistan, and one of the things he raised, and Ambassador Blake, is the issue of religious freedom. We continue to have concerns about both restrictions on the ability of religion -- religious groups -- unregistered groups to participate, to operate openly. I met with a number of religious figures when I was last there who had church services disrupted, some religious leaders arrested. So there really is an ongoing problem there, and we are eager to work with the government to try to improve that record. STAFF: One last question. Go ahead. Q: Hitting Pakistan again, I wondered if you see any progress on the blasphemy law and whether you've considered adding it as a CPC. MR. POSNER: We certainly consider adding any country, and there -- and we are very mindful, as I said in my opening comments, about the -- both misuse of the blasphemy law, the fact that it's been applied so often and the fact that some people have been -- have received severe sentences as a result of it. We are going to continue to work with the government. We've seen some positive steps in the last few months. But I think the message here is we have great concern about the overall situation of extremism and intolerance in Pakistan, and we stand ready to work with the government to try to address that. STAFF: Thank you all.