DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING Tuesday, January 20, 1998 ............. Q: Jamie, on another subject, has the State Department seen the excerpts from a book by Ray Seitz, the former ambassador to Britain, in which he alleges some information was wrongly leaked to the IRA? RUBIN: I have not seen the book. The book was not cleared with the State Department, as far as I know. Let me say this -- I cannot comment on intelligence matters. The charge that Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith is an apologist for the IRA is ridiculous. This Administration, led by the President, has worked tirelessly and even-handedly to promote a just, lasting settlement of the Northern Ireland conflict. I think our record speaks for itself. The President's involvement in creating the conditions for a cease-fire and promoting the peace process has led us to a point where everyone is sitting down and talking about peace right now. They may not agree on what's necessary, but they are clearly -- we have moved far beyond the situation when Ambassador Seitz was there. Sometimes people on the other side of a policy battle wish things weren't true that were true. But the reality is that this Administration's effort has advanced the process. And as far as Ambassador Smith is concerned, the Secretary -- and I believe Mike McCurry has spoken to this -- but certainly on behalf of the Secretary, has the highest confidence in her and believes that she is pursuing the policies of the President and the Secretary of State. Q: Well, without getting into the substance of intelligence, or whether it was, in fact, secret intelligence, has the State Department in the past or is the State Department now conducting any sort of inquiry into the -- RUBIN: Well, I asked whether anyone was asking the question. I don't even think we have the book yet. You know, sometimes these books, for reasons of trying to promote sales, are given to the press in advance. So we haven't seen the book; it wasn't cleared with the State Department; and I guess all I can say is that we have the highest possible support for Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. Sometimes those on the other side of policy issues wish things weren't true that are true, and the truth is that President Clinton's efforts in the peace process have borne fruit. There has been a cease-fire; there has been a peace process, which wasn't there before. Q: But hasn't the U.S. taken -- the ambassador taken a very strong and unprecedented effort at a reconciliation and broadening the web of people that are involved? I mean, she's done several important symbolic things. She is reaching out to all Irish parties isn't she? -- people that in the past were -- RUBIN: Right, but I'm talking about these specific charges, which have seen a lot of -- Q: Well, apologist aside, but she's pursued a very active policy that -- RUBIN: But that's the -- Q: -- deals with all sorts of groups that used to be outlawed. RUBIN: Let me say this -- Ambassador Smith has pursued the President's policies. The President's involvement and Secretary Christopher's involvement in the last Administration together prompted a situation where, for the first time in a very long time, there was a cease-fire and there were -- now are genuine peace talks being conducted. In the context of this conflict that has occurred for so long, that's a major step forward. Those who wish things were done the other way or some other way will always be entitled to their opinion. But it's not appropriate to make -- cast these kinds of aspersions on someone who is implementing the President's policies. Q: But you're suggesting that's motivation for the book -- opposition to this policy. RUBIN: I didn't say that. Q: Well, you said it hadn't been cleared by the State Department. You're saying the writer is trying to take advantage of a pre-distribution for sales purposes. And you're sort of suggesting he's against the policy. You're not happy with the book, even though you haven't seen it, right? RUBIN: Well, I'm certainly not happy with the reporting about a book that I haven't seen, yes. Q: Do you know Mr. Seitz? RUBIN: I've met him, yes. Q: Did Ambassador Seitz violate any regulations in putting this book together -- RUBIN: -- I don't know. We haven't seen the book. All I know is we checked, and he didn't submit it for pre-publication review. Q: Should he have? RUBIN: I'll check what the formal requirements are. But traditionally in these cases, there is a review process. Q: Also in the book, in Parliament -- the success of the peace process aside -- a member of Parliament said that the end result of some information leaking to the IRA is that some people wound up dead. RUBIN: You know, even when I read the quote, that's not what it said. It said if -- so that's not the quote about a press report about a book that we haven't seen. So I don't know how to help you on that question.