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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

INDEX
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1998
Briefer: JAMES P. RUBIN

WHITE HOUSE
6Transcripts of phone conversations with President Clinton




U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB # 108
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1998, 2:10 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)


............

QUESTION: There were reports in the British papers regarding that the Mossad is in position of transcripts of sensitive conversations that were garnered by wire tapping of specific phones --

MR. RUBIN: Boy, you're throwing all those words out there. Do you want me to do the no-comment now or wait until you're finished?

QUESTION: -- including the phone of the President. According to the reports in the British papers, these transcripts also include conversations between the President and Miss Lewinsky. Do you have any indication that such transcripts do, in fact, exist and are in the possession of the Mossad?

MR. RUBIN: I have no intention of commenting on any part of your question.

QUESTION: Would it be of concern to the United States Government --

MR. RUBIN: Let's go back to Iran.

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: If this, in fact, were the case, would this be of concern to us?

MR. RUBIN: I don't intend to answer a wildly hypothetical question like that based on a bunch of stuff that I know nothing about and wouldn't ever have any intention of commenting on. I hope that was clear enough for you.

QUESTION: You caused this question -- perhaps inadvertently -- by the parallel to the President and the Secretary of State. Indeed they both have the same policy line. When she listens to this interesting -- very interesting because it's before the Asia Society -- speech that the Foreign Minister makes, will she be listening to Iranian policy, does she think, or will she be listening to one segment of Iranian policy? When we hear Albright, we know we're hearing American policy.

MR. RUBIN: I think we might want to try in the future to avoid Friday afternoon briefings. (Laughter.) .............

(The briefing concluded at 2:35 P.M.)

[end of document]