[EXCERPTS] TRANSCRIPT: STATE DEPARTMENT NOON BRIEFING, APRIL 3, 1998
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING INDEX
Friday, April 3, 1998
Briefer: James P. Rubin
CUBA
1 Russia Monitoring Facility at Lourdes in Cuba
EL SALVADOR
3 Sentencing of National Guardsmen for Murder of Nuns; USG Assessment
of Killings
3-4 US Visas for Salvadoran Generals
4 Bilateral Extradition Arrangements
4 Possible Request for Declassification of Documents Related to
Killings
4 No Effect on Assessment of Christopher Report of 1993
COLOMBIA
5,7 Threats to Kidnapped Americans from Guerrillas; AmCit Thomas Fiore
Now Free
5-6 U.S. Anti-Drug Aid to Colombia Military; No Aid for Anti-Guerrilla
Operations Not Tied to Drug Traffickers
6 Russian Mafia Connection with Narco-Trafficking Guerrillas
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB # 41
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1998, 12:45 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
MR. RUBIN: It's a quite mood today here on Friday at the State
Department briefing. I guess those of you who are getting up at 4:00
in the morning tomorrow are going to go home early, and those who are
not going to go with us tomorrow will be working late.
Q: (Inaudible).
MR. RUBIN: Sorry?
Q: Editors don't need to (inaudible).
MR. RUBIN: Some do, actually. George.
Q: Have you seen the story about the Russians supposedly using the
listening post in Cuba to glean information about American battle
plans and so forth?
MR. RUBIN: We are well aware of the Russian signal intelligence
facility at Lourdes, Cuba. Like our own SIGINT facilities, it is used
to collect military information, including information used in
verifying arms control agreements. Because of the sensitive nature of
such activities, we will not comment publicly on the degree to which
we do or do not perceive Lourdes as a threat.
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Q: El Salvador.
MR. RUBIN: Yes.
Q: Can you say anything more than you were quoted as saying this
morning in the Times on the claim of the four men serving 30 years,
that they were directed to kill the nuns at the behest of higher-ups?
MR. RUBIN: Let me say that the U.S. embassy in El Salvador cooperated
with the lawyers from the Lawyers Committee on Human Rights and
arranged for their access to the imprisoned Salvadoran National
Guardsmen. We weren't privy to the conversations between these lawyers
and the prisoners. We were briefed on the results on their
discussions.
We have long been involved in efforts to see justice done in this
case. We've been in the forefront of those trying to see justice done
in this case. Our assessment of what happened has, in general,
coincided with the conclusions reached by Judge Tyler in his
investigation in 1983. A U.S. federal judge went down there and
conducted an exhaustive review of the killings concluding that the
guardsmen were not - I'm emphasize the word not - following orders
from senior officers.
If, however, there is any new evidence that emerges, we would want to
see the Salvadorans vigorously urge the government - their prosecutors
to investigate, and if warranted, to prosecute those implicated. So if
there is something tangible, something new, something that makes a
demonstrable difference in the evidentiary situation, we would want to
see further investigation and prosecution.
Q: At this point you have no reason to do that and no reason to look
at the visa applications of Salvadoran generals who are in this
country?
MR. RUBIN: Well, let me make the point that this is an issue for
Salvadoran justice. We want them to pursue this issue, and they will
have to assess whether they think that based on any new information
there is a reason to go forward and investigate further.
As far as the visas are concerned, this is an issue for the INS. But
let me emphasize that one is presumably innocent until proven guilty;
and, secondly, that the two individuals mentioned in the article were
not cited as having participated in the cover-up of the slayings when
Judge Tyler investigated this issue in 1983. They received visas in
1989, prior to subsequent reporting that they may or may not have been
involved in it, and subsequent reporting was not a judgment, but was
some testimony.
So this an issue for Salvadoran justice to pursue. We want them to
pursue it to its natural course. If a new situation were to develop,
if new evidence were created and prosecutions were to follow, we would
obviously take that into account in our visa situation and in our
international cooperation with El Salvador on matters such as this.
But right now, what you are seeing is the statements of the some of
the prisoners. That may or may not be new, and it may or may not mean
that there is genuinely new evidence that changes the situation
dramatically.
Q: Do we have an extradition treaty with El Salvador?
MR. RUBIN: I would have to check that, but I am sure we have some kind
of arrangement for extradition.
Q: Are you all going to - some of the lawyers that were involved and
that you cited earlier have said that they are writing a letter to the
Secretary to ask her to declassify all the documents you all may have
relating to this case. Are you all going to do that?
MR. RUBIN: I'm unaware of such a letter.
Q: If asked, would you do that?
MR. RUBIN: We would have to see the letter, see the case, look at -
declassification is not something one just unilaterally announces from
the podium. We obviously would want to assist in this investigation.
In 1983, an American judge went through an exhaustive investigation
based on the information that he had available that we asked him to
conduct. If there is new information that justifies further
examination of what we know or don't know, we would obviously want to
be helpful. But it doesn't sound like the kind of thing that can be
proved from the United States.
Q: Does any of this change the Department's view - those presented in
the Christopher Report in 1993 on the State Department's handling of
this atrocity and others in El Salvador?
MR. RUBIN: I haven't seen any indication that this would or would not
change it. Again, what this is about is about the extent to which a
brutal and horrible killing was approved and how high the level was. I
believe the broad issue of extra-judicial killings was examined at the
time and findings were concluded.
What I'm saying to you is, if in the course of this new evidence, a
new evidentiary situation develops and there are reasons to pursue the
case further and see whether new leads can now be pursued, we would,
of course, do that. But at this point, we're not in a position to make
that judgment.
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Q: Do you have anything to say about the recent events in Colombia
that have been causing some words in other countries, including the
United States?
MR. RUBIN: Can you be more specific?
Q: I mean the kind of threats that the guerrillas have made to the
Americans.
MR. RUBIN: Well, with regard to the guerrillas in Colombia, let me
make several points. We can confirm that Thomas Fiore is safe. Due to
our concern for the safety of all the remaining citizens who are
hostage, we are not going to comment further. But let me say that the
guerrillas who carried out the abductions must insure the immediate
and safe return of all US citizens.
With regard to the broader question of the suggestion that we are
increasing counternarcotics aid to the Colombian military, let me just
say that our aid to the Colombian military will continue this year. We
will be providing some training as part of the international IMET
program. We have also notified Congress of our intent to begin a
marine program.
We previously announced that aid to the military will include fixed
wing aircraft, spare parts, river patrol aircraft, communications
equipment and training, and will only go to those military units which
have passed an extensive vetting process to detect human rights abuse.
In short, this aid will go to fight narcotics, not to fight a civil
war.
But at the same time, we have recognized that several of the
guerrillas have become increasingly involved in drug trafficking as
defenders of coca cultivation and processing labs and transporters of
cocaine to markets in the US. Thus, as the police and the military
conduct counternarcotics operations, they may encounter guerrillas
engaged in providing support to narcotics traffickers. The guerrillas
wouldn't face this kind of derivative use of American equipment
against them if they would get out of the narcotics business.
Yes. Same subject?
Q: In other words, the United States is trying to support the
Colombian government to combat guerrillas using anti-narcotic guise,
right?
MR. RUBIN: No, no, let's be clear. One plus one equals two. One plus
one does not equal three. What I said was the assistance we provide to
the Colombian military and the Colombian police is to fight narcotics
traffickers. To the extent that guerrillas are narcotics traffickers,
they would obviously face the prospect of American-assisted Colombian
police and Colombian military. To the extent that they don't want to
see that, they should get themselves out of the narcotics business.
Our aid is focused on fighting narcotics. One plus one equals two, not
three.
Q: In terms of equipment, the Mexican government has decided to stop
using Huey helicopters. Are you planning to replace that kind of
equipment to Mexico?
MR. RUBIN: My understanding on the Huey issue is there is a worldwide
decision to ground Hueys until some of the mechanical issues can be
resolved. I refer you to the Pentagon for discussion of mechanical
problems with Huey helicopters. But as I understand it, it is not
focused on Mexico, but is worldwide.
Is this the same subject?
Q: Same subject.
MR. RUBIN: Yes.
Q: Either/or. Let me start with the guerrillas. The guerrillas, the
FARC and other guerrilla groups allegedly are profiting so much from
the drug business that they can afford to buy very sophisticated
weapons. They are getting some from the old wars in Central America,
but most are coming from the Russian Mafia. General Serrano testified
to this. Most of the flow - and they're very sophisticated weapons,
almost anything is for sale, they say. Is this accurate, do you think,
and what is the US going to do to counter Russian Mafia supply?
MR. RUBIN: I would have to get you information for the record on the
extent to which the Russian Mafia may or may not be assisting, working
with, collaborating with, and otherwise in an evil alliance with drug
traffickers.
Q: It appears that way. Let me follow the helicopter story just a bit.
General Serrano said that they, one, were not getting the copters that
they had been promised in '96. This was taken up with Mr. Beers, who
was a witness before the general. But they need more than Hueys. They
need more than super-Hueys. They need the Blackhawks that can go up to
the heights of the poppy fields. They need range to get - so that the
guerrillas cannot get out of their range. And they need to be able to
carry platoons - not platoons, but squads of up to 14 men. So they are
very much handicapped, and these guys are fighting for their lives. If
they lose, they die, this is what General Serrano says.
MR. RUBIN: So the question is?
Q: So the question is where are the 'copters? Can't we get them
'copters that work?
MR. RUBIN: We are working very closely with Congress and those in
Latin America who are fighting drug traffickers, and we are going to
provide the assistance we believe is most appropriate for that. This
is an issue that has obviously been discussed, and the extent to which
particular helicopters are more or less useful is one that is the
subject of consultation between Congress and the Executive Branch and
the countries concerned.
Q: Thomas Fiore?
MR. RUBIN: All right. Let's stay there and we're getting back to you
in the front row.
Q: Does the release of Thomas Fiore make it any more likely that the
others will be released, and have they made any demands, a ransom or
anything?
MR. RUBIN: Beyond saying that he has been released, we think it would
be inappropriate to comment in our primary interest to protect the
lives of American citizens who are obviously at risk.
Q: Have the consular officials there talked with him?
MR. RUBIN: There has been contact. But beyond saying what I just said,
we are keeping a very low profile on this.
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(end transcript)