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Daily Press Briefing Statements made by [Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.] AFGHANISTAN/FRANCE
Afghan Defense Minister Qaasim Faheem will be in Paris from April 17 to 19. He will have talks on Thursday, April 18, with Alain Richard at 11:30 a.m. followed by a luncheon at the Defense Ministry. He will see Mr. Védrine at the Quai d'Orsay at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
The visit will afford an opportunity to discuss the internal situation in Afghanistan, especially security which is a major concern for the political process to move forward smoothly and for reconstruction. French assistance to training the new Afghan army, which had been discussed by Hubert Védrine when he was in Kabul and more recently when Alain Richard visited Kabul, will obviously be at the center of the talks.
As you know, with regard to reconstruction France's efforts in the sector relating to military issues deal specifically with the training of the new Afghan army and its officering; we are committed to the training of two battalions of light infantry for the new Afghan army.
The practical details of the assistance are being worked out both in regard to appointing and preparing teams of trainers and the implications of this action at budget level. The training could start in May.
Q - Chris Patten suggested putting European financing for Afghanistan on hold in a report presented to the Fifteen yesterday. Can you confirm it?
No, it was discussed. Two points were mainly raised: confirmation of the EU effort to assist with the reconstruction of Afghanistan, and application of the agreement reached in Bonn among the Afghan parties. European leaders simply do not want to stop aid. It isn't our idea at all to stop aid but we want to see an effort by the Afghan authorities specifically to speed up the process resulting from the Bonn agreements, and to help it.
We wish to express our deep concern at the increasing acts of terrorism in the past few days in Colombia just weeks before the presidential elections in the country on May 26. These actions have included murders, kidnappings like the one by the FARC of 12 members of a provincial assembly, and car bombings.
We particularly condemn Sunday's attack in the city of Barranquilla on the car used by Alvaro Uribe, a candidate in the presidential election, which killed three people.
I would like to state that we are obviously still working very hard on the situation of Ingrid Bettancourt.
We welcome the resolution expressed by President Hugo Chavez yesterday to work for reconciliation and national concord. We encourage him to act to that end.
Q - According to the daily Libération, Tunisia informed the French and German governments that the truck explosion against the wall of the synagogue in Djerba could be an attack.
First, I want to remind you of our principle of course of not commenting on reports in the press. We have too much respect for the press to comment on what's said and written.
With regard to Tunisia, I'd like to recall the following. As soon as the tragedy you referred to in Djerba occurred, the French authorities mobilized, particularly our embassy in Tunis and the separate chancellery in Sfax which immediately sent a consular official to the site. As you know, we lost two French nationals and we are of course in contact all the time with the families. We have naturally asked the Tunisian authorities to keep us informed of developments in the inquiry and to be involved in it. We are also maintaining a constant link with our German partners.
Q - Do you have any comment on the Israeli consistory which took Hubert Védrine to task in Geneva yesterday in the adoption of a text on the massacres?
No polemics. But this question does give me the opportunity to recall a few elements in the matter. As you know, an Arab-sponsored resolution on human rights violations was adopted by the Human Rights Commission in Geneva yesterday.
France, along with Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Belgium and Austria, voted for the text while Italy abstained as did Japan and Poland. A third group of countries voted against it, including Germany, the U.K. Canada and the Czech Republic. The vote had been preceded by calls by the Spanish presidency which had invited Europeans to unite on the vote. I think it is important to reaffirm this. With the exception of Italy which went from a positive vote to abstention, you know that on April 5 the Europeans had already stated their position on the vote in Geneva on April 5 when the resolution to send Ms Robinson to the region was adopted. As far as France is concerned, and to come back to the vote on yesterday's resolution, France thought that in the face of the terrible situation in the Palestinian territories, it was inconceivable for the Human Rights Commission not to take a position. The text proposed by the Arab delegations was unacceptable on some key points. That is why France focused its efforts on the removal of the most unacceptable elements. And that is what the permanent representative said in his explanation of vote which preceded adoption of the text. Two phrases were removed and one added.
Q - Contesting the occupation by all available means?
Eliminating the reference to the struggle against the occupation by all available means, including armed struggle, and removal of the words "martyrs," "policy of assassination," and "state terrorism."
Q - Isn't there a contradiction in your position.
There's no contradiction in our position. Two phrases were removed and one added, which is the reference to Security Council resolutions 1397 and following, particularly, cease-fire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including terrorist acts, etc. So given the terrible situation on the ground and considering that the Human Rights Commission should speak out, we voted for the text while regretting the excesses which we felt the document still contained. That was explained by our permanent representative in Geneva in his explanation of vote. With that said, we are opposed to any attempt to use the Human Rights Commission, especially by a proliferation of draft resolutions on this matter. That is why we abstained this morning in Geneva on the text of a new resolution presented by the OIC.
Q - When Israeli Prime Minister Sharon accused France of anti-Semitism, it was Mr. Védrine personally who answered. But this time there's the impression you're responding rather gingerly. There was a personal attack. Can you respond to that kind of accusation?
No. For my part I answer questions on the line we've taken in this matter and how we've worked in Geneva.
Q - About the humanitarian flight to the Palestinian territories. Has it left.?
Yes. The flight we told you about yesterday and its cargo of humanitarian supplies took off this morning from Charles de Gaulle airport for Lod Ben Gourion airport where it was due to arrive early this afternoon. As you know, it's a French Air Force DC8 and it's carrying 22 tons of humanitarian freight (temporary shelters, mobile health unit, medicines, health kits) which will be distributed by the ICRC, the Order of Malta and Médecins du Monde for their own operations.
The Israeli authorities agreed to let the aircraft land at Lod Ben Gourion and teams from the ICRC can deliver the supplies to their destinations.
The decision was taken in consultation with French charity organizations and the humanitarian NGOs operating in the region.
The government wholeheartedly supports the ICRC's call for respect for international humanitarian law and the fourth Geneva convention on the protection of civilians in wartime. It has also made a special contribution of one million euros to the ICRC for its actions in the Palestinian territories.
Q - Do you have guarantees that these medicines will be sent and distributed to the Palestinians? Or will they be dumped in warehouses like the others?
When talking about humanitarian matters and given the situation on the ground, one should always have a voluntarist attitude. We decided to work with the organizations and institutions I just mentioned in the full knowledge, and with this intention, that French humanitarian aid does indeed reach its intended recipients without delay.
Q - Have you been in contact with the Israelis so that the aid reaches its destination?
We are in liaison with the Israeli authorities on this.
Q - Do you believe Marwan Barghouti can be tried in Israeli courts?
Don't expect me to offer assessments that might complicate Secretary of State Powell's current efforts, which we support as you know. In the present circumstances, we expect both parties to carefully weigh the consequences of their actions and to refrain from any action that might complicate Mr. Powell's mission there.
Q - Is France for or against a special meeting of the Europe-Israel council?
Mr. Védrine stated our position in Luxembourg yesterday.
Q - France tends to be in favor?
We were open.
Q - What do you think of Mr. Sharon's proposals for an international conference?
Mr. Sharon's proposals are vague.
If he wants to suggest beginning a framework dialogue involving the Palestinian Authority and its legitimate representatives and opening up a political perspective, the proposals need to be developed and spelled out more fully.
If on the other hand he intends to turn his back on resolution 1402 and finesse or evade it, the proposals have no future.
Q - What do you think of the situation in Bethlehem?
I'd just like to say that we are concerned about the impasse which is continuing in Bethlehem, with its consequences for the roughly 200 people inside the church. We are in contact with the religious authorities, the Vatican and the Israeli authorities. We are naturally available to facilitate the search for a solution.
Q - Do you condemn the use of tear-gas against the church yesterday?
Of course we condemn the use of violence.
Q - Do you have any comment on the arrival of the ICRC in Jenin?
The decision by the Israeli government to at last let ICRC representatives into the ruins of the Jenin refugee camp is welcome. We hope it will shed light on the events of recent days and on the number of victims.
Q - What do you think of rumors of an inquiry by U.S. services into Mr. Blix?
For our part, we have no reason to doubt Mr. Blix's competence and his ability to fulfill the mission for which he was appointed by the Security Council on the secretary-general's proposal. As for the problem as a whole, our priority, our objective, remains the same: the return of inspectors to Iraq without delay so that they can work on the ground without hindrance.
Q - Do you think it normal for certain members of the U.S. administration to press for an inquiry into Mr. Blix?
The U.N. secretary-general has given his views on the matter./.
Embassy of France, April 16, 2002
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