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Richard Boucher, State Department Spokesman Excerpt from the Daily Press Briefing Department of State Press Briefing Room Washington, DC, May 3, 2000

Topics --Iraq No-Fly-Zone --U.S. Working To Prevent Illegal Oil Exports from Iraq --Iraq Oil-for-Food Program Question: These questions may have been more appropriately asked to the Spokesman before you on his last day, but the bombing now again today of northern Iraq--no-fly zone violations--stirs in me again the question, we don't hear anything any more about any great alarms, as we used to hear every day, about Iraq's different weapons programs and how every 24 hours that goes by without intensive investigation, inspection, you know, is very dangerous. We don't hear about that. Throwing everything at you at once, and I don't expect you to answer it all today, we don't know about the Khobar bombing, in which 19 Americans were killed. It suddenly dropped out of sight. We don't hear about the Egyptian Air disaster. Pick any one you like, or pick any time you like, but it seems this Administration has been marked by periods of, you know, large, bold declarations and then things just slip off the scope. And I know you have problems getting unity on Iraq, but is Saddam Hussein making headway, do you think, in menacing the world or has he stopped being important? Mr. Boucher Well, it sounds like he's making headway with you, Barry. The answer is no, he's not making headway. I think the surprising things for some people who read wires or newspapers is that we actually work on this issues, every single one of them, every day. We're out there pursuing these issues. If there's a threat to our forces, they're going to respond. We're actively working to prevent Saddam's illegal oil exports, and as well as to make the oil-for-food program work. We're patrolling the Persian Gulf. We're taking diplomatic action. We're working with opposition forces every day of the year. And we care about these things, and will continue to care about them and work on them every day of the year. [end of excerpt] Daily Press Briefing Excerpt May 3, 2000 Topic: Trial of Iranian Jews Question: A new subject? This again was brought up a little bit briefly yesterday with Phil on Iran, but it's taken on added importance today because it appears as though almost the entire Jewish population of Shraz was moonlighting for the Mossad, or at least according to what their admissions are. We have two more alleged confessions to this, and I'm wondering--so making a total of three. The US has been very concerned about this trial. I am wondering what you make of now the fact that three of the accused have confessed? Mr. Boucher I think our reaction would have to be the same as yesterday; that we can hear these reports, we can see these reports, but we and the rest of the world have no way to judge the legitimacy of these confessions. Our concern from the start has been that these individuals be accorded due process of law in keeping with internationally-recognized legal standards. The Iranian Government at one point assured the international community that it would provide those arrested with due process. However, we see the trial is off limits to the press and to international observers. That really makes it impossible to judge the fairness of the proceedings and whether the defendants are being accorded due process. Question: Right. But are you worried at all about the fact that there seems to be more--there is now a trend toward these confessions in a trial which you can't assess the validity of? Mr. Boucher Well, we've expressed our concerns about due process all along, and the fact that there are more and more examples of why due process is important merely makes the point. Question: These people are accused of spying for Israel and for the United States. You speak for the United States. Is there a basis for such an allegation? Due process is a cardinal principle to the United States, but the US has been dragged into this. Is there any foundation for Iranian allegations like that? Mr. Boucher I will have to check on whether they've been accused of spying for the United States as well. I was not aware of that. I know that Israel, for itself, has denied the charges, denied that they were involved. [end of excerpt] Full transcript of Daily Press Briefing on 5/3/00 Iraq Remarks | Near Eastern Affairs | Department of State | Secretary of State