Source: http://www.un.int/usa/press_releases/20070927_220.html http://www.un.int/usa/press_releases/20070927_220.html
Date: September 27, 2007

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 220                                                         September 27, 2007 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 Remarks by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Permanent Representative, on the Lebanon Tribunal, Iran, and Myanmar at the Security Council Stakeout, September 27, 2007
  
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well thank you all for coming down.  Earlier this morning I signed a letter and informed the UN Council, the Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Mr. Michel that the United States will contribute five million dollars to the startup costs of the tribunal for Lebanon.  We provide that support for an initial period, the start of the tribunal and it reflects our commitment to the process of accountability for political murder and assassination that has taken place in Lebanon.  It is very important, as we’ve talked before, that those who have been responsible for those crimes be brought to justice.  That there is no impunity for political assassination, that political assassination is a threat to international peace and stability and every effort has to be made to bring those who are responsible for it to justice in order, not only to have accountability but also to deter future such crimes.  And with that I’ll be happy to take some questions.
 
Reporter: Ambassador, do you think it’s possible for the tribunal to be set up without the Lebanese Parliament and without Nabih Berri allowing the Parliament to vote on it, accept it, disapprove of it?  Is there some way you think it can be set up without going through that process?
 
Ambassador Khalilzad: Of course, Security Council took the decision because of the stale mate in Lebanon, because of the opposition of some members of Parliament, to move the process of establishing the tribunal forward.  The original, if you remember, agreement was that it would be done by the Lebanese with the consent of the Parliament and now the Security Council under Chapter Seven took the first step to establish it. The location, as you know, is now going to be in the Hague. Money is being collected for it. A prosecutor has to be appointed. Judges have to be appointed. So the process has gotten launched. And it requires the Lebanese to put some money into the account as well, and that obviously requires the budget process that also requires Parliamentary approval in Lebanon.
 
Reporter: Ambassador, the French Foreign Minster this morning said that any sort of resolution on Iran, that it wouldn’t be possible to do it until after Al-Baredei finishes his work in December because the Russians have indicated it’s, that they would not accept it. Can you give us as any indication whether as your understanding whether the Council will have to put off action until after Al-Baredei returns?
 
Ambassador Khalilzad:  Well, um, it is our view that what Mr. Al-Baredei has done in a technical agreement with regard to questions, past questions that have remained unanswered and for the inspections to be allowed in a way that the inspectors can do their job needs to go forward, needs to be implemented. But that cannot be used as a shield to protect Iran from its violation, lack of cooperation, lack of implementation of the demands of the Security Council with regard to the enrichment of uranium Iran has been asked to suspend twice. Therefore, we believe it is important that we go forward, since Iran is not in compliance, to increase the pressure to additional sanctions through the Security Council as well as outside the Security Council to increase Iran’s incentive to do so. Now there is a difference of view in the discussions that have taken place so far. There will be a meeting tomorrow, the Secretary of State of the United States will participate and with our counterparts and we’ll see what happens. It is the view of the Untied States, strongly felt, that we need to move forward with regard to additional sanctions pressure, to the Security Council with regards to the enrichment part. And, this is…
 
Reporter: Mr. Ambassador…
 
Ambassador Khalilzad: One more point, please. We have to recognize, at least this is our view, that the Iranian nuclear issue, the Iranian ability to master the enrichment of nuclear, to master the enrichment technology to be able to produce fuel, that the level of enrichment that can be used for weapons is a threat to international peace and stability, it is one of the most important, perhaps one of the defining issues of our time, and we need to take appropriate measures diplomatically in a united fashion so that we increase the chances of being successful diplomatically. And those who do not cooperate on the diplomacy of this, with regards to pressure on Iran, sanctions on Iran, bear some responsibility, should diplomacy, God forbid, fail. So we will make our case strongly, and clearly, to our colleagues in the coming days.
 
Reporter: Ambassador, you have also said…What is your reaction…Um…Ambassador, what is…
 
Ambassador Khalilzad: I can only hear one person at a time, this is my limitation.
 
Reporter: So stay on Iran, for example. You have said that you would also like to have action pretty quickly. You’ve said the next few weeks are critical. Give us a little idea here. How soon might we see a text? How soon might we see negotiations begin here in New York on a serious, like E3+3 meetings? And what is your target date for an actual vote?
 
Ambassador Khalilzad: The Secretary of State will have meetings tomorrow. It will not be prudent for me to be very detailed with regard to that at this time. It will be good to discuss that after tomorrow’s meeting.
 
Reporter: Ambassador, what is your reaction to Myanmar’s apparent acceptance of Mr. Gambari’s visit to the country, what do you expect from that visit, and what will the council do in the interim?
 
Ambassador Khalilzad: It is very important that Mr. Gambari is allowed to visit and meet with all the relevant people including opposition figures, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and that he is allowed to carry out his mission. It is very important that after he has done that, that he comes back, he reports to the council, so that the council can evaluate, judge and make appropriate decisions. The President earlier today received the Chinese Foreign Minister at the White House and the President was informed by the Chinese of his effort, his government’s effort, to gain the cooperation of the Burmese authorities. What has happened in Burma, of course for some time, but particularly the events of the past couple days, is disheartening, the brutality with which the regime has dealt with peaceful demonstrators, monks and others is unacceptable to the United States, should be unacceptable to powers with influence over Burma and the regional states. So we will keep focusing on this issue, and you will see us pressing our colleagues in the Security Council to remain engaged in this issue.
 
Reporter: Following up on Iran, you said before that among the things you are looking at is sanctions outside the council. Do you feel any momentum on that in Europe especially among the French, the Russians, I am sorry I mean the Germans?
 
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well you heard that our German colleagues believe that action should be taken in the council in support of sanctions, you heard our French colleagues say they want action in the council and outside the council and some of you quoted others with different views. We believe that moving for additional sanctions, given the defiance by the Iranian regime, within the council, for more sanctions, is legitimate, as is efforts outside the council by countries or groups of countries, so we don’t see tensions or contradictions between those.
 
Reporter (inaudible) more countries go it alone?
 
Ambassador Khalilzad:  I believe that on the technical side time is not on our side as Iran, the regime, develops more and more capability. Diplomacy, and our efforts to dissuade Iran to increase pressure, needs to gain momentum, to deal with the problem in a timely manner, and therefore, some of the recent statements by some of our friends in France, by the Germans, is encouraging. We have some work to do to develop the necessary consensus within the council to make the decisions that are needed to be made in a timely manner. 
 
Thank you very much.