Index

State Department Noon Briefing, October 18, 2000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2000 1:45 P.M. (ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED) Q: Can we talk about the travel advisory? And what indications do you have that terrorist attacks are being planned on the United States? MR. REEKER: You will all have noted that, first of all, in the context of the Public Announcement we issued last week on the 12th, which was a Worldwide Caution noting that the Department of State is extremely concerned about the possibility for violent actions against United States citizens and interests throughout the world, today we have issued another Public Announcement highlighting the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey, noting that we have received indications of the possible planning for terrorist actions in the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. The information we have, however, is non-specific as to timing, type of attack, or any exact location. And obviously I'm unable to provide any additional details on that, but we did want to highlight that region based on additional information that we have. Q: Some officials outside of this building were saying that there had been specific threats in Turkey. Can you just say a little -- MR. REEKER: What I can tell you is that we have received indication about possible planning for terrorist actions in those three regions that we highlighted today. As you know, as I mentioned and reminded you, there is a Worldwide Caution out there. We have highlighted those three regions, including Turkey, as you mentioned, because of indications of possible planning. However, the information that we have is non-specific as to timing, type of attack, or any exact location. The specificity would refer to those regions described in this, but I'm not able to provide additional details and there was no further specificity. Obviously I'm not in a position to discuss intelligence, as you know. Q: The missions stay closed or open -- the US missions? MR. REEKER: The missions that closed over last weekend all reopened, and I'm not aware of any closures at this point. But we continue to try to monitor that for you whenever we get news of one. Q: You raise this information, the receipt of this information. Can you tell us how exactly you would describe this information in the sense of obviously you see lots of information. What is it about this information which persuades you that we have to take it seriously, or that you have to take it seriously? MR. REEKER: Well, I think obviously, Jonathan, there is a judgment that is made. As you said, we do receive lots of information. We had information that led us last week to issue the Worldwide Caution and to advice Americans of that, to remind people that they should consider some of these factors when making their travel plans or in planning their day-to-day activities if they are traveling or residing abroad. As you indicated, we receive lots of information through a variety of sources, which obviously I can't go into any detail on, but that information is obviously analyzed and reviewed, and judgments are made as to when it is of a nature and significant to augment or supplement any other Public Announcements that we have made. So that is what has happened today: We have received indication of possible planning for terrorist actions in those three areas noted. As I said, that information is non-specific in terms of timing or the type of attack, or the exact location, but a judgment was made that it was important to supplement our Worldwide Caution, noting this caution, and that is what we have released today. Q: In that part of the world, only Pakistan was the one where you closed your missions. Do you have any idea why you took that action? Were there any specific -- MR. REEKER: We covered this extensively last week when we discussed that, and I would be happy to refer you back to that. All those missions are reopened. There were four missions in Pakistan, in the South Asia region, that was in light of the Worldwide Caution that we put out on the 12th, which I have been discussing here. I think the decision to instruct those posts to close was based on a variety of factors. There were a number of posts. All the posts in the Near East region closed. There were a number of posts in Africa and these posts in South Asia. Q: Did you share this information with Turkish officials? MR. REEKER: I'm not familiar with what direct contacts we would have had with Turkish officials. Obviously we have issued this as a Public Announcement, and so I would be happy to try to check for you exactly what point -- Q: And also -- MR. REEKER: But we have a regular dialogue obviously with Turkish officials, both here in Washington and in Ankara and at our Consulate in Istanbul. Q: Also, this threat coming from the extreme religious groups, which they are active, very active in Turkey right now? MR. REEKER: I just don't have any further details for you on the specifics. I am just not able to go into that, other than to note what we have already noted as outlined in the Public Announcement. .... Q: I guess this is back to the whole issue of the travel warning. Are these specific threats or -- there hasn't been any specific threat, but the threats of this nature, have any of them made you think that it might be the same group or groups responsible for the -- MR. REEKER: I just don't have any more information than what I have gone through now. I just am not in a position to discuss that any more. I can't discuss the investigation, and I can't provide any additional details on the Worldwide Caution or the specific Public Announcement that we released today. Q: But certainly there is a correlation between a terrorist attack on a US ship last week and now that the US is receiving a lot more threats in the region. MR. REEKER: Well, I think if you look back at the Worldwide Caution from October 12th, it specifically mentions several American citizens. We now know that to be 17 were killed, and many more injured in an incident involving a US Navy ship in port in Aden, Yemen. And so that, in and of itself, was included in the language of the Worldwide Caution issued last week. (The briefing was concluded at 2:35 p.m.)